Harvey Norman Price Match

LVernon Koekemoer on 12/11/2022 - 15:20

So we decided to bite the bullet and get an aircon for the bedroom. We had already found a shop online that had the exact same model listed quite a bit cheaper (we would've gone to them but their retail store was like a 30km drive). I said to my partner just go to HN and get a price match. So off to HN she goes (which was like 10km away) only for them to dismiss it very quickly saying "policy doesn't allow us to discount below their cost price". Best price they could do was still >$100 out. For $$$ it's still worth it to make the 30km drive.

My question is, though, is this really their policy or were they just trying to palm her off?

She was pissed because it wasted her whole afternoon.

What does the OzBargain community say? Should we go back and demand price match at HM?

Tia.

General Discussion

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Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman

Comments

  • oscargamer on 12/11/2022 - 15:29
    +2

    You can read their policy on their website

  • garetz on 12/11/2022 - 15:29
    +8

    You should ask them where the policy is listed on their website. A lot of times they just make shit up as grounds to refuse the price match.

    Also they use the price match to get you in the store, and then once they deny you they expect you to buy from them anyway since you are there.

  • Transient on 12/11/2022 - 15:35
    +2

    A lot of places only price match up to their cost price, otherwise they would be selling at a loss. Recently Bing Lee and JB Hi Fi told me they couldn't price match a TV that was offered 20% off at Good Guys as it was below their cost.

    • parsimonious one on 12/11/2022 - 16:30
      +2

      Strange that good guys (which is owned by jbhifi) can somehow procure goods and sell them for less than jbhifi

      • Transient on 12/11/2022 - 16:39

        Yeah, I thought if it is below cost for both JB and Bing Lee, then this price is too good to miss.

  • Nugs on 12/11/2022 - 15:42
    +9

    "So off to HN she goes (which was like 10km away)"
    "She was pissed because it wasted her whole afternoon."
    "Should we go back and demand price match at HM?"
    and waste another "whole afternoon", really?
    .

  • Mikefr on 12/11/2022 - 15:55
    +3

    Details of their Policy can be found here.
    https://www.harveynorman.com.au/customer-service/price-match…

  • AndyC1 on 12/11/2022 - 15:56
    +2

    Sure is their policy and it's not their buy price, but their "store cost price", which is:

    their buy + delivery to store cost + % for overheads + % for HN head office + % for sales persons time +….

    I have never been able to get HN to price match a good price as it's always below the "store cost price", so I gave up years ago.

    I found the other big stores are better and you can haggle. I have found if you buy a number of things over the years at the same store (any Bing Lee or a specific GG) then you may get a better deal if you ask them to lookup your previous purchases and they can see you buy from them when you move or need a new purchase.

  • powerman on 12/11/2022 - 16:08
    +16

    Why do people shop at Harvey Norman?

    • parsimonious one on 12/11/2022 - 16:27
      +6

      Exactly this…

      And on top of all the usual HN/ Gerry Harvey crap, they’ve pulled some BS to wiggle out of a price match and OP still wants to try and complete the transaction with them 🤦‍♂️

    • jv on 12/11/2022 - 17:07

      Why do people shop at Harvey Norman?

      I go for the free marshmallows.

  • bobbified on 12/11/2022 - 16:31
    +12

    She was pissed because it wasted her whole afternoon.

    Next time you find a better price, go straight to where it is!. Bypass HN and don't even give them the opportunity to match the price - then you won't have to waste another afternoon!

    • parsimonious one on 12/11/2022 - 16:38
      +9

      Indeed. Support the retailer that is offering the good price to start with

  • WreckTangle on 12/11/2022 - 17:32
    +2

    HN= expensive

  • pharkurnell on 12/11/2022 - 18:59

    So you wanna go back and demand they match it while they cry laughing at you stomping your feet and waving your fist at a cloud… then you waste another day… LOL!!
    Let us know how that goes.

  • Stargazer5 on 12/11/2022 - 19:10
    +1

    I don’t expect stores to price match everyone on the internet or every store far away.
    If you got time, try variety of stores like jb hifi, Goodguys, officeworks. Then try different store locations. By this time, you might realise it costed you a lot of fuel, time and energy. You might just end up buying it for an acceptable price.
    Cost price is reasonable and sometimes is policy. I don’t think majority of people want main stores to close.
    But of course, when their is a price, someone will always be able to get it cheaper, esp in ozbargain community. Like others said, maybe just buy from the store with the good price. Price match is same price anyway.

  • Nutrino on 12/11/2022 - 19:42

    Cool story.

  • djsweet on 12/11/2022 - 21:40
    +9

    Price matching just exists to benefit the retailer. People know Store A will pricematch, so Store A can sell the same item for a higher price to most people, and sell it to the savvy bargainer for slightly less. The store still wins, and bargainer thinks they won too. The strategy the store is employing is selling items to people at the highest price they are willing to pay. This is the opposite of providing consistently good value and relies on hard work and effort for anyone to get good value. Don’t support stores that do this. Support stores that offer a good price without you having to fight for it. Go with the og bargain even if it seems slightly less convenient.

  • kiwijunglist on 13/11/2022 - 11:34

    Exclusions:

    Products with pricing set significantly lower than the recommended retail price or market value.

    That's pretty lame.

  • Brian McGee on 13/11/2022 - 12:00
    -1

    Products with pricing set significantly lower than the recommended retail price or market value.

    So literally anything on special is below the RRP/market value.

    Also I was told by an ex-department manager that Gerry chucks a 16% fee on top of the cost of all products his franchisees purchase. Good luck with that price match though.

  • jrvb42 on 13/11/2022 - 15:10

    Price match is crazy. Ring them first, and ask them to BEAT the opponent. Mock them (as a market leader who should have buying power) if they can't or won't.
    Buy from the retailer that already gave you the best deal.
    Why on earth would anyone bother with mere matching of price, and why visit a store with a bad rep without ringing to confirm first?

  • saltypete on 13/11/2022 - 18:15
    +1

    I think the whole ‘cost price’ thing is BS to get them around price matching.
    Cost Price, I’m sure is a column on their retail listing that is a figure that the have derived from the price they pay and a markup to cover profit expectations.
    Anyone here can quickly put together a listing that shows something as ‘Cost Price’, might as well be called ‘Let out of Price Match price’. They then still get buyers to accept their pitiful reductions because of credit etc, or because people just can’t be bothered.

    There is no way HN or anyone else is making less than 50% mark up these days.

    Support a retailer offering a genuine bargain and stuff these ‘Discount thieves’ and we’llall be paying less in no time - and doing our bit to fight inflation.

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