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| quote: | Originally posted by MarkT
it's been quite a while, so someone correct me if this is wrong or outdated, but my understanding is that the basic underlying legal principle is one of "offer and acceptance" in contract law. One party makes an offer, the other accepts or declines it.
What most consumers don't realize is that the 'offer' side of the equation is NOT the store offering (advertising) a product at a certain price and the consumer then accepting it (which would then become a valid contract)...but rather the consumer is offering to purchase something at a particular price with the store then either accepting that offer or declining it. The advertised price is merely the store indicating what offer will generally be accepted.
In the case of price errors or cancelled orders, the store is therefore justified in declining to accept your offer.
some companies and industries have a policy in place whereby consumers are given the benefit of the doubt in cases of dispute...but that's their perogative, I think. |
That's true. The store is "inviting" you not "offering" the product to you. That doesn't rule out misleading advertising though, it has to be an actual mistake, not a gimmick.
There is a "Scanner Price Accuracy Code", the is voluntary, many retailers subscribe to it. If the item is physically marked with a price ticket, they must honour that price.
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...temID=1262&lg=e
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