Harvey Norman price matching

Wafflel on 24/11/2020 - 20:20

G'day all,

I attempted to get Harvey Norman to price match a product from officeworks this evening. After it checked all the boxes and they clearly had no way out of it, they fell back on the blanket, catch all "Products with pricing set significantly lower than the recommended retail price or market value." exemption. Needless to say I'm sick of them doing this and I know a lot of you are too.

A guarantee is NOT a guarantee at all if a retailer can simply self exempt for a vague and unchallengeable reason. They flaunt this price match policy so the public think they're a fair and competitive retailer. It's disgusting.

If you don't offer or don't want to price match competitors. Don't advertise that you do.

I've made a report to the ACCC tonight. Who else has had this kind of experience with them? Share your stories

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closed Comments

  • spackbace on 24/11/2020 - 20:36
    +2

    Why price-match? I don't get it, unless either a) it's a price beat (OW), or b) you have discounted gift cards for the store (which no one does for HN).

    Why not just buy from OW…?

    On the other side, I got them to price-match MSY, because HN were far closer. And yes, they did match

    • Wafflel on 24/11/2020 - 20:48

      Because office works is a lot further away from me. But on principle anyway, they shouldn't be allowed to advertise something they aren't actually prepared to honour.

  • brokenglish on 24/11/2020 - 20:39
    +3

    Actually normal behaviour for Hardly Normal.
    I would just go to OW to get the item tbh. The anger/irritation/rest-of-the-day ruined is not worth my time.
    I guess you had too much time on your hand.

    • Wafflel on 24/11/2020 - 20:49

      I guess you did too, sir, seeing as you've taken your time to make that comment.

      • brokenglish on 24/11/2020 - 20:54

        Yes. Too much time. You got any job openings? LOL

  • SF3 on 24/11/2020 - 21:21

    If the item you wanted to buy is more than $55, it is free delivery at OW, but for metro area… unless you are outside the metro area?

    https://www.officeworks.com.au/information/policies/delivery…

    Otherwise don't shop at HN if they don't walk the talk.

    • Wafflel on 24/11/2020 - 21:41

      I am indeed outside the designated metro areas. I never shop at HN anyway… But you'll always try when desperate I guess.

  • yellowfever on 24/11/2020 - 23:31

    It's a business. They can dictate the terms and they dictate whether they want a transaction from you.

    Going to the ACCC is a waste of time
    Don't feel entitled, particularly before a transaction.

    • Wafflel on 24/11/2020 - 23:44

      They absolutely can dictate terms of sale. But what a business can't do is advertise in a way that is false or misleading.

      If you think I'm being entitled by sticking to my guns on that, I don't know what you're doing on a site like ozbargain.

      • yellowfever on 25/11/2020 - 18:45
        -1

        lol you can stick to your guns but they will stick to theirs.

        It's not misleading, they don't have to price match if they believe it would be a loss transaction.

        An item could be for 50% lower elsewhere but that does not mean they need to drop their pants to make a loss

        It's business

  • Drakesy on 25/11/2020 - 00:45

    Just buy from Officeworks?
    saves the hassle
    supports the company that go out of their way to be competitive.

    IMHO Harvey Norman preys on older, less technologically inclined people who just want to buy what's recommended no matter the incentive offered to the salesperson. Support other companies.

    They're the Fox/Sky News/Newscorp of the household furniture/appliance industry.

  • Brian McGee on 25/11/2020 - 08:18

    They can have an out if it's below cost price or if stock is unattainable.
    Don't forget Gerry has a 16% markup on the cost price so they are not getting/going to give the same discounts as officeworks, JB HiFi, etc.
    Postage from OW might cover the 'Harvey tax'

  • AndyC1 on 25/11/2020 - 09:41
    +1

    Normal Hardley Normal price match (*)….. Except when we don't make any or enough profit. Profit === real cost + Gerry cut + delivery cost + franchisee cost (rent, Gerry payments, employee cost etc).
    So if it's a real bargain you normally have not got any change of a price match at HN, but Officeworks will and do price match in order to get the sale, so next time you will go to OfficeWorks. I have not had a price match at Office works knocked back for a valid price match (bricks and motar, delivery costs if not with x k's and in stock), but HN I ring first adn if they do not agree I do not go in as it's a waste of time.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2020 - 10:06
    +1

    I tried to get Harvey Norman to price match Amazon for a FujiFilm X-T200 camera and got the same response. I've never been able to get them to price match anything.

  • Phinx on 25/11/2020 - 13:27

    I went to HN yesturday to try get a price match for a fridge from Betta Living. HN has a washing machine & airfryer I wanted too. So I was hoping to grab them all from there.

    The guy told me it was a different fridge model. The one he pointed at wasn't even a french door…. Meanwhile the model number/appearance of the fridge I wanted was exactly the same as Betta Livings…..

  • jv on 25/11/2020 - 13:35
    -1

    I got them to price match a PS4 from JB-Hifi a couple of year back.
    The called the nearest JB to make sure they had stock and of the same colour, and they 'reluctantly' price matched.
    (Only went to HN since I had an AMEX cashback queued up).
    During the next week, JB dropped the price again, so I went back to HN to claim the 7 day price guarantee…
    The 'reluctantly' refunded me the difference of the price drop.

    • Wafflel on 25/11/2020 - 14:05

      You must be the only person I've heard of to actually get them to honour their so called guarantees.

      • spackbace on 25/11/2020 - 14:17

        https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/9674569/redir

        On the other side, I got them to price-match MSY

        • Wafflel on 25/11/2020 - 14:31

          Missed this. Surprising, given that their own terms and conditions would regard MSY as a 'third party seller'

          • spackbace on 25/11/2020 - 14:35

            @Wafflel:

            Products shipped from or sold by third-party sellers on marketplace, auction or classifieds websites.

            How is a retail store a 3rd party seller?

            • Wafflel on 25/11/2020 - 14:51

              @spackbace: It isn't. But in practice they will only match stores they consider to be main competitors (like jb Hi fi, officeworks, bigw etc). This was told to me by a friend who used to work there.

              • spackbace on 25/11/2020 - 15:24
                -1

                @Wafflel: Ah, so your friend, who used to work there, is a good indication of how every store currently works?

                I get it, you have a beef against HN, but take off the tinfoil hat would you.

  • Moderatorscrimshaw on 25/11/2020 - 19:00

    Thread closed by request.

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