Bunnings Price Gouging/Inconsistent Pricing - Irrigation Supplies

Matt P on 16/09/2025 - 20:08
Last edited 16/09/2025 - 20:18 by 1 other user

So, it's spring so the garden watering system needs a tune up. Time to replace the microspray heads that I've accidentally whipper-snipped off over the last 6 months.

Headed into Bunnings to pick up a 10 pack of Pope half circle jet sprayers. Price was $11.25 which was significantly more than I last paid (by about an order of 3-4 times…) but I had a sick kid with me, so I was trying to be in and out of there fast soI just sucked it up and bought them.

Went home and had a bit of a google around

Seems if you live in Melbourne, you get the same thing at $2.98 (about what i paid last time I bought them). Adelaide/Perth/Sydney are $11.25

I'm somewhat angry at this point. Anyone else got any similar examples of this?

I can accept small price variances for different reasons but almost 400%

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, if this is now the new pricing and VIC just hasn't caught up yet, how does a supplier/retailer justify such a stupidly large increase in 1 hit? Its bloody plastic.

If anyone was interested:

Not a clearance product, has been part of the Pope range for decades.

Thanks for listening to my rant.

Home & Garden Irrigation Accessory

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Comments

  • montygommo on 16/09/2025 - 20:21
    +1

    Am in Melbourne, can confirm $2.98 for a 10 pack!

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 16/09/2025 - 20:30
    +1

    Ayo wtf $11.25 in Queensland!

  • lovesabargain77 on 16/09/2025 - 20:31
    +4

    Yes, seems that their pricing can vary depending on the Bunnings store you purchase from.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EB2FpYNiOs

    • faricity on 17/09/2025 - 22:08

      yeap watched this video a few weeks ago and was just going to try and find it!

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 16/09/2025 - 20:36
      +10

      While I totally agree with then sentiment and I was going to say something similar I think op is more outraged at the arbitrary price discrepancies based on location for a stocked item not on clearance.

      • JIMB0 on 16/09/2025 - 20:57
        -5

        It’s an outrage alright, but what are you gonna do, waste another 30 minutes making a post that won’t change a thing? Me, I just pay the Bunnings tax and get on with life, same way I had to suck up buying a house in an overpriced market.

        • Jimothy Wongingtons on 16/09/2025 - 21:05

          Exactly - plus idk maybe I’m used to being bent over by cost of living these days but $11.25 for 10 kind of seemed reasonable if that was the price across the board lol

        • Matt P on 16/09/2025 - 22:31
          +8

          Thing is, doing nothing and just sucking it up will means more of the same. Its probably the middle age talking, but i'm over it.

          • JIMB0 on 17/09/2025 - 06:38
            +2

            @Matt P: Then vote with your feet and don't buy it from Bunnings. Spend an hour of your time locating and purchasing it from another supplier. Complaining here is not going to change things, there's a thread on house prices every week, yet they just keep going up.

            • photonbuddy on 17/09/2025 - 15:28

              @JIMB0:

              Spend an hour of your time locating and purchasing it from another supplier.

              This is where Bunnings is often so much better. They give the price. So many other sites don't give prices.

              I remember years ago I bought an item from Bunnings that I had to trim, because they only sold it in set lengths.

              A few days later, I happened to be in the local Mitre10, and they had the same stuff on a roll that could be cut to length. They didn't have this on their website, and certainly no prices.

          • figarow on 17/09/2025 - 13:02

            @Matt P: I'm thankful for OP posting this as I was unaware

        • iminabrons on 17/09/2025 - 12:00

          You're right. Apathy is the cure for all that ails you.

          • JIMB0 on 17/09/2025 - 12:52

            @iminabrons: You’ve gotta pick your battles. I’m not wasting half an hour over $8, I drop that on tolls just to save 20 minutes and the agony of sitting in traffic. I'm not happy about having to pay for a road that should have been free, but I’m not gonna waste my life fighting a losing battle over it.

    • hasher22 on 17/09/2025 - 01:25

      How is the price based on convenience?

      Depending on your area, the Bunnings website will show different pricing.

  • miwahni on 16/09/2025 - 21:00
    +7

    Followed the link in OP's post, price came up at $2.98. Allowed Bunnings to check my location (Qld) and price immediately jumped to $11.25. Gouging for sure.

    • Joey2scoops on 17/09/2025 - 07:47
      -4

      I doubt that given the huge difference. There would likely be a reason for that large a discrepancy . Regulatory requirements etc.

  • JimmyF on 16/09/2025 - 21:20

    I'm somewhat angry at this point. Anyone else got any similar examples of this?

    Return them then……

    If anyone was interested:(bunnings.com.au)

    Showing as $2.98 for me.

    • Matt P on 16/09/2025 - 22:30

      Return them then……

      Absolutely am doing so and will politely tell the staff why.

      • iminabrons on 17/09/2025 - 12:02
        +2

        Talk to the manager politely.
        Talking to staff as a fellow person is OK but complaining. Not so sure.

      • JIMB0 on 17/09/2025 - 12:56
        -4

        So that’s 30 minutes getting outraged, 30 minutes returning it, and now more time hunting it down somewhere else. All that to save $8. Could’ve saved yourself all the hassle and just made a trip to Victoria, $2.98 a pack down here. Only costs a tank of fuel and half a day of your life. Bargain.

        • Roman Sandstorm on 17/09/2025 - 15:36
          +9

          @JIMBO, it seems you are getting more outraged and triggered than the OP.

          Sure, it's not a big deal - to you.

          But it's the OP's time, the OP's choices in life - not yours. Your snarking doesn't aid either the OP, or bring anything to this reasonable discussion.

          I think his venting on this point is perfectly legitimate. It really doesn't make sense, from a normal consumer's perspective, why there should be such a huge discrepency in pricing on this item.

          An earlier comment suggested perhaps regulations. But why just this product? Why those states?

          Perhaps a comparison with other Pope products in the range may reveal similar issues. Or perhaps not. Maybe it's just an internal error (with hundreds of thousands of items in inventory I'm sure weird things can happen at times).

          Or maybe it really is a conspiracy between big Garden Hose and Bunnings to gouge the huge sprinkler head market, but only in specific states.

          Either way, certainly a fair question to bring up and discuss, and the OP and responders in this forum can gauge for themselves whether it's worth their while in life to do so.

  • pegaxs on 16/09/2025 - 21:27
    +4

    Woooo! $2.98 for me!

    Doh! $11.25 when I change stores.

    Price beat their own website?

  • rompastompa on 16/09/2025 - 22:39
    +2

    This probably a tactic for scrappers. When a website / AI / whatever accesses the API and pulls the pricing data, they'll receive the low amount making them seem cheaper than it is. When you go to the store, the 'new' price shows. Do you blame Bunnings or the 'affiliate' website?

    We'll probably see more of this sneaky behaviour (whether intentional or not) as more resources are used to scrape and build products.

  • Far Cough on 16/09/2025 - 22:53

    shows $11.25 when i select my local store

  • fantombloo on 16/09/2025 - 22:59
    +8
    1. Buy up in N Vic.
    2. Drive across border.
    3. Return to S NSW store.
    4. Profit.
    • jv on 17/09/2025 - 10:56

      You need to show a receipt.

      • fantombloo on 17/09/2025 - 13:01

        No you don't if you can settle for a credit note.

  • MeesusEff on 17/09/2025 - 00:06

    Jeezus $11.25 for WA as well.

  • try2bhelpful on 17/09/2025 - 00:17

    Certainly $2.98 for Collingwood but jumps up if you try NSW. Would be interesting to know why.

  • Tanvry on 17/09/2025 - 00:42
    +2

    get a friend from VIC to buy it for you and mail to you with a letter haha

  • Nutrino on 17/09/2025 - 01:09
    +7

    Your going to tell the cashier why as if they give a siht.

  • hasher22 on 17/09/2025 - 01:28

    Are there any legal implications on this? I mean, same store, same product but depending on your area, it's either $11 or $2.

    Then again, insurance companies do this…..

    For my Mazda cx3, I was paying $900 p/a when I lived in Mascot NSW, when I moved to mid west, all i did was change my address and premium went up by $600. Bruh…….

    • Matt P on 17/09/2025 - 02:10

      Thing is, insurance is based on risk. If you're in mascot, its moderately safe (i used to leave my new-ish hatchback in the back streets for 7-9 days at a time while i travelled for work, it was always OK if ignoring the black soot all over it from the avgas).

      Mid west - maybe Dubbo? Lots of "smash and grab" crime there, could justify increased claims.

      They're not delivering individual packages of spray heads via private transport to justify the increase.

    • Dollar General on 17/09/2025 - 08:41

      What law are they breaking?

      • hasher22 on 17/09/2025 - 10:32
        +2

        Why you asking me? I asked if there is one…..

        There are abundant of laws about how businesses should price their goods

        Laws from
        1. False or misleading claims
        2. Illusionary discounts such as a sale where they marked it up then price it down
        3. Bait ads or bait and switch
        4. Drip pricing
        5. Resale price maintaince
        6. Price fixing

        And list goes on.. sure it may be legal but it may or should also come with disclaimers on why the retail price is vastly different from area to area which may not be legal and mislead consumer.

        I could sell a car in NSW for 15k but change the price to 18k for outside NSW buyers and not disclose why there is a price difference. This MAY lead to some illegal processes as I most likely need to disclose the extra 3k is for transport costs included. Or whatever.

  • Bypass on 17/09/2025 - 01:35

    Surely you can get them to beat the price other stores price by 10%

    • Matt P on 17/09/2025 - 02:12
      +1

      Official policy is that they won't price match themselves."competitor" is used intentionally in the policy

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 17/09/2025 - 01:41
    +4

    Do they have any competitors left?

  • ihbh on 17/09/2025 - 07:54
    +2

    Seems if you live in Melbourne, you get the same thing at $2.98

    What if the Pope factory is next door to them in Melbourne?

    Should sellers charge the same flat delivery cost across Australia/the world?

    • Matt P on 17/09/2025 - 10:49

      Interestingly, Pope do most of their manufacturing in Adelaide or at least they used to

  • saltypete on 17/09/2025 - 08:26

    Adelaide stores all seem to be $11.25….Return them
    Bunnings have become much more of independent franchises of late.
    I shop around for most stuff now and avoid Bunnings if I can.

  • wombatzzz on 17/09/2025 - 08:29

    2.98 at pymble in sydney

    • kiitos on 17/09/2025 - 18:25

      Not for me trying just now - maybe they updated it? Shows low stock now too.

  • Dollar General on 17/09/2025 - 08:43

    I’m sure there’s items that are priced much higher in Vic than other states.

    This is what happens when you have monopolies/oligopolies unfortunately

  • Euphemistic on 17/09/2025 - 09:21
    +4

    Monopolies gonna monopol.

    Bunnings isnt the cheapest for a lot of stuff. They rely on being 'the only shop' and a few items that do have unbeatable prices. They make you THINK they have cheap prices so you go there and pay whatever the sticker says withput questioning.

  • Flying Ace on 17/09/2025 - 09:40
    +10

    This is what happens when people treat a multi-billion-dollar company as a lauded cultural institution instead of what it is - a money making empire built on driving out competition and screwing over consumers.

  • Grunntt on 17/09/2025 - 10:34
    +2

    …and in the true OzBargain way it's now listed as a deal - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/924456

    Glass half full i guess

  • ihbh on 17/09/2025 - 11:03

    If you've been on OZB for a while, you'll notice occasional bargains at a particular Bunnings or state, etc. They might be overstocked, or whatever, but it doesn't last long and prices will revert to national levels.

    You are a glass half empty person who whinges about it, the rest of us a glass half full OZBers who post these "arbitrage"/outlier deals.

    • Grunntt on 17/09/2025 - 16:58

      You are a glass half empty person who whinges about it, the rest of us a glass half full OZBers who post these "arbitrage"/outlier deals.

      Do you attribute negative intent to everything you read?
      There was no whingeing in my comment and no malice intended.
      If you read it with a more positive mindset it could be taken as a compliment to the OzBargain ways.

      • ihbh on 17/09/2025 - 17:14

        Chill out. I was agreeing with you. I was referring to the OP!

        • Grunntt on 17/09/2025 - 17:15

          Chill out. I was agreeing with you. I was referring to the OP!

          Please accept my apologies. As your post appeared directly under mine I jumped to the incorrect conclusion.

          • ihbh on 17/09/2025 - 17:25

            @Grunntt: All good. Replies will be indented, except after a number of levels.

            • Grunntt on 17/09/2025 - 17:27

              @ihbh:

              Replies will be indented, except after a number of levels.

              A couple of nights with almost no sleep helped me forget that too.

  • turk182 on 17/09/2025 - 13:45

    Will bunnings price match or beat their own prices?

  • Pufff on 17/09/2025 - 13:55
    +2

    Wait until you find out its almost impossible to use their price beat policy because they change the sku on products so they can point to it and say its a different product.

  • DrLobster on 17/09/2025 - 14:06

    They are based in Victoria so maybe thats why but who knows? Also prices vary at Bunnings even between suburbs (less than 10km away). https://youtu.be/2EB2FpYNiOs.

  • Associatedlunebyes @ Bunnings Warehouse on 17/09/2025 - 19:47
    +3

    This is a temporary price reduction due to a competitor having a lower price. Someone in Melbourne has already done a price beat for this and as a result all Bunnings stores within a certain radius have also lowered their price. It is not all stores in Victoria, example Traralgon is $11.25.

    Once the competitor raises their price or runs out of stock it will go back up at Bunnings.

    • Pufff on 17/09/2025 - 20:39
      +3

      Makes you realise how cynical these practices are. Price beat until you drive the competition out of business in the short term. Price gauge in the long term.

      • ihbh on 17/09/2025 - 22:29
        -1

        No, pricing strategy is tit-for-tat. Keeps everyone profitable. If some idiot wants to reduce price (or accidentally), Bunnings is signalling that it'll follow suit.

  • lomie on 18/09/2025 - 12:14

    K-Rain version is $3.38
    https://www.bunnings.com.au/k-rain-4mm-180-single-piece-jet-…

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