Rutland Cycles Price Match

All The Gears

Just thought I'd share my experiences with Rutland,I've bought quite a few things off them and have been very happy with the service.So I am after a set of Campag Neutron Ultras and I thought I'd give them a bit of repeat business,especially as they say they'll never be beaten on price !
Well.that was until I got a return phone call this afternoon to say no we can't match that price but how about £500 ? But not £473 or £485 I'd seen.
Not exactly we'll never be beaten !
Yes I read the small print and it has to be in stock same model etc etc.

Just a little annoying,to have your main strapline !

marin_maniac

Eh?

hopper1

That's not exactly cricket then, is it!

Take business elsewhere... :roll:

Lig

Chat to High on bikes, Just got a set of Shamals for £500 they are really sweet wheels!!

Lig.

All The Gears

Did look at getting the Shamals or Hed Ardennes,but decided on the Neutron Ultras.

alfablue

I wonder what the legal situation is if they make a claim in their advertising yet don't meet this claim (and small print would not excuse them, like the Ryanair £1 flight claims were outlawed). The ASA site says that your local trading standards department will investigate these issues, I suggest that you complain.

(It is Trading Standards if it is a claim on their own web site, but if it is a magazine ad, then you complain to the ASA, online complaint form is here).

alfablue

p.s. Wiggle do not offer to price match, but on a couple of occasions I have asked them to and they have done! (and then I have used their £5 voucher in addition)

My only experience with Rutland was a very slow delivery (2 weeks), it was their first and last chance to get my business.

giant_man

I'm quite near to Rutland cycles and they have a three store set up. Prices aren't that cheap sometimes anyway so not really surprised to hear this. As alfablue says, wondering what the ASA would say about it .....

DIESELDOG

I take it you mean Neutron Ultra wheels? Price matching depends upon the cost price to us at the time of purchase, these are subject to change without notice. We will try and price match wherever possible but sometimes this is just not feasible.

Please pm me your exact requirements and I will see what we can do.

As for ASA, you will find on our web site that we do state that prices may increase without notice, offering something for sale is not a legally binding contract until your money has been taken and we never do this until the item is ready for dispatch.

Sorry if this comes across as me being rude, I can't think of another way of putting across what I mean to say!!

gabriel959

I bought once from Rutland and they were great, I ordered some Gore Bibtights and gloves and the stuff wasn’t in stock but they said it was going to take 2 weeks and it did, they kept me informed and sent everything to me the day the got it (plus a nice phone call to let me know about it). Plus I had a 10% voucher which made the deal even sweeter.

I know they aren’t the cheapest but they have a huge range of clothing and some rare parts, and they aren’t the most expensive either.

I will buy again.

mroli

I've bought from Rutland and been perfectly happy too. Basically I have my quick list of the usual suspects (Merlin/Wiggle/CRC/Fudges) and then my secondary list which Rutland would be on. Never let me down.

moonshine

to be fair.... you can't force someone to sell something to you at a loss...

If they can price match and still turn a profit, then i'm sure they would do business with you, If they can't price match, then they have said they can't do it and you are able to go and get it from the cheapest place.

I call "fair on Rutland" in this case....it sounds like the other price you got was really good and you should buy from them in this case.

giant_man

Doesn't sound that fair to me, sounds like stating something that isn't true just to get more customers in. If you state you're going to match price, then MATCH THE PRICE! And that doesn't mean get near to it, that means THE SAME PRICE ffs.

Am I alone on this or do i have a point?

alfablue

DIESELDOG wrote:

As for ASA, you will find on our web site that we do state that prices may increase without notice, offering something for sale is not a legally binding contract until your money has been taken and we never do this until the item is ready for dispatch.

Sorry if this comes across as me being rude, I can't think of another way of putting across what I mean to say!!

Not rude at all, just not well informed. Yes, of course the invitation to treat does not bind you to a contract to sell, however this is quite a different issue to inaccurate, misleading or dishonest advertising claims. Claiming that you will price match when you in fact don't is misleading, at best. Larger firms than yours have had their wrists slapped by the ASA for failing to live up to such claims (see for example, Orcado, Thomas Cooke, Easyjet, Tesco etc etc).

If you don't intend to match prices, please don't claim that you do. Hiding behind the notion that you can merely decline a consumer's offer to buy the item when you don't wish to price match is not going to wash, and you fail to demonstrate you meet your claims which makes your advertising dishonest. The price match claim is a bold one, it should garner more sales as people will believe that you are as cheap as anywhere else, but if you are bold enough to make the claim you need to be bold enough to swallow the costs. If you don't like it, don't do it.

I hope that helps.

DIESELDOG

Not going to argue with anyone, in this instance we would have lost money. Simple as. Other companies may have old stock.

Old stock = old cost price. If they can do that price then great for the customer.

Unfortunately we couldn't so have lost a sale. I will look at the wording on our website to make it crystal clear that we will TRY and price match but cannot guarantee it.

DD

giant_man

DIESELDOG wrote:

Not going to argue with anyone, in this instance we would have lost money. Simple as. Other companies may have old stock.

Old stock = old cost price. If they can do that price then great for the customer.

Unfortunately we couldn't so have lost a sale. I will look at the wording on our website to make it crystal clear that we will TRY and price match but cannot guarantee it.

DD

That's fair enough DD .....

alfablue

I think that is very wise Dieseldog, but may I respectfully suggest that you change the headline ("Never Beaten on Price"), because even if there is some small print to the contrary, this would remain misleading.

Thank you for your prompt action.

Never beaten on price!
At Rutland Cycling we guarantee never to be beaten on price on any item displayed on our website.

If you find a product cheaper elsewhere we will match the price for you! Just send us an email to pricematch@rutlandcycling.co.uk detailing where you have seen the item and at what price, and we will match it for you!

Alternatively you can give us a call on 01572 737 624 and we will price match over the phone.

Conditions: Only identical items (including colour and size variations), thet are in stock and available for immediate delivery/collection from an authorised UK retailer can be price matched. The price comparison value includes delivery charges. Printed evidence of offers may be required. Price matching is not available on non-UK retailers or auction sites. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.

Percy Vera

moonshine wrote:

to be fair.... you can't force someone to sell something to you at a loss...

If they can price match and still turn a profit, then i'm sure they would do business with you, If they can't price match, then they have said they can't do it and you are able to go and get it from the cheapest place.

I call "fair on Rutland" in this case....it sounds like the other price you got was really good and you should buy from them in this case.

I think you've missed the point.

It says on their website Never beaten on price! and that Rutland guarantee this.

Obviously this is not the case as they have been beaten on price by a couple of other retailers, so what happens to their guarantee now?

giant_man

lets just see if they change their wording on their web site percy vera ..

All The Gears

Thanks for the reply DieselDog.
From a sales point of view I've already purchased a set of said wheels from Slane Cycles and they're on there way.

From an advertising point of view as Percy Vera,alfablue and others have said,the problem lies with that strapline "NEVER BEATEN ON PRICE " For whatever reason old stock etc etc,you surely can't maintain that you'll never be beaten when you quite clearly can't !

alfablue

Well Dieseldog, I have checked the website again today and despite the fact that you assured us that you would make your website "crystal clear" that you would try and price match but "not guarantee it", you still say "At Rutland Cycling we guarantee never to be beaten on price".

This is clearly misleading, untrue, a lie. I will feel compelled to make a complaint to the appropriate authorities in the near future if this falsehood remains, and I would urge others to do so.