MISLEADING PRICING AND POOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION – TRUWORTHS CHATSWORTH

I am beyond disappointed with the service and pricing integrity of Truworths Chatsworth. I selected an item clearly marked with a sale price, However when I reached the till, the item scanned at a higher price. When I pointed out the discrepancy, I was told I had to pay the higher price by the acting person in charge. The store manager was weekend off. The problem escalated to the area manager, who advised that she could not override the system price and I had to pay the system price and not the sale price. My understanding of the consumer protection act is that a retailer is prohibited from charging a consumer a higher price than a displayed price unless it is an obvious inadvertent error that has been corrected and publicized. In this case, the tag was clear, yet the management chose to hide behind “system authority” rather than providing basic customer service and adhering to fair retail practices. Foschini and Edgars do it. I have been a loyal Truworths customer for many years, but this experience has left me feeling very disillusioned. It frustrates me that Truworths is somehow exempt from adhering to the consumer protection act and that their management lacks the power to resolve a simple pricing error on-site. The whole management team should be retrained on consumer rights regarding pricing. I am so tempted to lodge a complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman regarding this matter.