Pick 'n Pay Brandwag, Bloemfontein: False advertising; violating the Consumer Protection Act and treating constumer as if her complaints are illegitimate

1. On 17 January 2018 i went to Pick'n Pay, Brandwag, Bloemfontein to buy dogfood and a few other groceries. 2. This store is the closest to my work and home and i have bought there since my student days decades ago. 3. There were apparently several specials going on marked by orange labels 4. When i got the isle for dogfood, apparently quite a few specials were going on there as well as could be derived from the orange price labels on the shelves 5. On one shelf there were two stacks of Pedigree dogfood (which i do not buy usually as i buy from elsewhere) with one orange price label in the middle of the shelf, marked R99.00 for 6 kg 6. I bought several other items including two bottles of wine: one bottle of Petit Cabernet Savignon in ordinary label marked R55.00 and one bottle of Chocoholic ordinary label marked R58.00 (Photo's as evidence can be provided) 7. One of the last items i put in my trolly was a purple material school folder with handles, as my kids use those. They were stacked upon one another in a shelf below. 8. There were a couple of other similar ones at the bottom, but the shelf was stacked with these schoolbags in various colours 9. When you stand in front of the shelf, the special price (orange label ) marked was R19.99 or R19.00 (i cannot recall exactly). I looked down and the label did say 'bookcase' 10. When i came to the till, the Pedigree food registered R249.00 11. I asked for the manager. I woman came and went to the shelf - it took a while and she came back with two orange labels marked R249.00 and said that that was the price. 12. When i explained that the R99.99 was the only price on that shelf, she denied it. 13. I communicated to her that this is not the first time it happened as the prices are often not aligned with where the products are placed. I requested the food to be removed for my account, which the cashier did with the assistance of the floor manager. No compensatory action was offered. 14. (An example of another such experience is when my children bought two cookies previously at the bakery. Where the cookies were placed the price said e.g. R5.00. But when you get to the till, it rings R15.00. When i queried it, the retort was that that was not the price for the cookies but for something else, though the R5.00 price was aligned with where the cookies were placed!) 15. The last item rung was the purple material bookfolder. It registered R65.00 in stead of the R19.00 it was advertised. 16. I insisted that the floor manager walk with me to show her how the product was marked 17. When i got at the shelf, she showed me the 'correct' price around the corner of the square shelf that says R65.00 18. When i argued and stated that the pricing is misleading as the orange label with the special price is the only price visible when i stand in front of the shelf, she said that i must look and make sure of the price. 19. She then called the manager 20. I explained my case to the manager and added that it had happened to me several times at that store. He responded, by saying "At this store?This store only?" 21. He asked me about the dogfood and i stated the experience. He responded by saying that Pedigree's normal price is over R200.00. Our ways parted when i returned to the till. 22. I asked for the bookcase to be removed for my account which happened. 23. Again, no compensatory action was offered 24. When i paid, i stopped my trolley at the kiosk to check my slip 25. I saw that both bottles of wine i took registered R60.00 each in stead of R55.00 and R58.00 respectively 26. I then decided to take pictures of the prices of the wine. I left the trolley at the kiosk during which the cashier there kindly offered to look after 27. I then proceeded to take pictures of the wine prices. 28. When i went to the isle where the dogfood was to take a picture of the shelf with the single price marked R99.00. there was a man who was correcting the prices. 29. I thanked the cashier at the kiosk for looking after my trolley and left the store

This store clearly violates the essence of the Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (p.4) as follow: "For the reasons set out above, and to give effect to the international law obligations of the Republic, a law is to be enacted in order to— ● promote and protect the economic interests of consumers; ● improve access to, and the quality of, information that is necessary so that consumers are able to make informed choices according to their individual wishes and needs; ...... ● develop effective means of redress for consumers; .... ● promote consumer participation in decision-making processes concerning the marketplace and the interests of consumers." as well as in terms of the Act's pre-amble: "To promote a fair, accessible and sustainable marketplace for consumer products and services and for that purpose to establish national norms and standards relating to consumer protection, to provide for improved standards of consumer information, to prohibit certain unfair marketing and business practices, to promote responsible consumer behaviour"

Not only do they violate the Consumer Protection Act, but were DISHONEST in owning up to their mistakes and DEFLECt THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to the customer!

I will NEVER buy there again. What they do is INJUST!!!