Coles is under fire for an allegedly 'manipulative' pricing tactic – are they tricking customers?
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Inflation is affecting everyone, and the average person can see the effects most clearly in their weekly grocery bill. With the cost of living continually on the rise, everyone is looking for ways to save money wherever they can.
But sometimes, it can get really frustrating when the supermarkets themselves are taking advantage of shoppers who are only looking to buy discounted goods.
In the past few months, there have been several instances where customers have been misled by the prices of the items in supermarkets.
In one such case, a Coles shopper discovered that the advertised 'Special' price was actually much higher than the standard price of the item. A Woolies shopper had a similar experience, and they realised that it would be more cost-effective to pay the original price rather than the 'discounted' offer.
An angry shopper has accused Coles of using a 'manipulative' pricing strategy. Credit: AAP.
Now, there have been reports that supermarkets are using these underhanded price tag strategies to allegedly 'mislead' shoppers who are looking for deals.
It was another Coles customer who complained that the price of a 200-gram jar of Robert Timms instant coffee had increased to $12.50 in August, even though he had been paying $8 for the household staple in the past years.
Even worse is that it's now being sold for $10.70 at the supermarket and is being marketed as a 'Down Down' discount even though it's higher than it was before.
The man took to the popular forum website Reddit to vent his frustration on what he called Coles' 'manipulative' and 'dodgy' pricing practices. He also claimed that he had already communicated with both Coles and the ACCC in regards to the 'absolutely cretinous' act.
'So, after several years of it being $8, Coles ups the price of coffee by nearly 60 per cent overnight, leaves it there for a week, and then decreases it slightly and claims it is a "Down Down" price. Absolutely cretinous,' said the man on his post, alongside a photo of the red and white sales tag often seen in the supermarket.
'Have contacted both ACCC and Coles for comment. ACCC says it sounds like misleading pricing but to contact Coles first.'
He followed it up by posting the reply he received from the grocery store and the government agency in charge of protecting consumers.
'Coles response: It was changed for two weeks; therefore, they can claim it was $12.50. ACCC response: Generally, a month is required as a "reasonable" period of a sale, but some exceptions can apply. Looking into it further.'
A customer complained that the price of the coffee, which normally sold for $8, had been 'discounted' to $10.70. Credit: Reddit/Coles.
The customer later elaborated, saying he wasn't upset by the price increase per se but rather by Coles' attempt to 'hide' it as a discount, and that he was aware that Woolworths used similar methods.
'Definitely not trying to claim that Woolworths doesn't do exactly the same thing. This just happened to be the most recent and most egregious example I'd seen,' he added in his post.
'Not complaining about the price. I get it; prices rise. But trying to hide the massive price increase by claiming it as a discount is something that rubbed me the wrong way.'
Two weeks ago, Coles promised to aid financially-strapped Australians by locking the prices of over a thousand products and cutting the prices of another 500 items, so the customer's accusation comes as something of a surprise.
The man's post on the forum website, ranting about the rising prices at Coles, struck a chord with other shoppers who are feeling the same pinch.
'This should be illegal,' one person wrote in the comments. Another user agreed and pointed out that the store's catchy 'Down Down' slogan isn't really working out as a catchphrase for them anymore.
As of yet, Coles has said nothing about the issue publically. Credit: AAP.
At the same time, other users said they had seen the same strategy used not just on the coffee item, but also on other products.
'They did this with some Palmolive body wash that we normally buy for $8. Price increased to $12 suddenly for a few weeks and then dropped down to $10,' one shopper shared in the comments.
Another commented: 'There's a heap of "DOWN DOWN" stickers with a previous price of August 2022. The one I took note of was Sakata, which went from $2.00 to $2.30, but a week of $2.75 in the middle so they could legally add the sticker.'
What does the ACCC have to say about all of these complaints from supermarket goers?
A representative for the ACCC told Yahoo News that while they could not comment on the specific complaint, businesses are prohibited from making 'misleading representations' under Australian Consumer Law.
'Price savings representations may be misleading where the product was not sold at the “was” price for a reasonable period right before the sale,' they said.
Coles has been reached out to for comment but has not yet provided a response. At the time of writing, a 200-gram jar of Robert Timms instant coffee was only $5.35 on the Coles website.
You read it here, folks! Please be careful, because some supermarkets may hide price hikes under the guise of discounts.
Check out one of our previous posts on this link for more information on how to recognise and avoid price tag scams in stores and supermarkets.
Have a pleasant shopping experience!
But sometimes, it can get really frustrating when the supermarkets themselves are taking advantage of shoppers who are only looking to buy discounted goods.
In the past few months, there have been several instances where customers have been misled by the prices of the items in supermarkets.
In one such case, a Coles shopper discovered that the advertised 'Special' price was actually much higher than the standard price of the item. A Woolies shopper had a similar experience, and they realised that it would be more cost-effective to pay the original price rather than the 'discounted' offer.
An angry shopper has accused Coles of using a 'manipulative' pricing strategy. Credit: AAP.
Now, there have been reports that supermarkets are using these underhanded price tag strategies to allegedly 'mislead' shoppers who are looking for deals.
It was another Coles customer who complained that the price of a 200-gram jar of Robert Timms instant coffee had increased to $12.50 in August, even though he had been paying $8 for the household staple in the past years.
Even worse is that it's now being sold for $10.70 at the supermarket and is being marketed as a 'Down Down' discount even though it's higher than it was before.
The man took to the popular forum website Reddit to vent his frustration on what he called Coles' 'manipulative' and 'dodgy' pricing practices. He also claimed that he had already communicated with both Coles and the ACCC in regards to the 'absolutely cretinous' act.
'So, after several years of it being $8, Coles ups the price of coffee by nearly 60 per cent overnight, leaves it there for a week, and then decreases it slightly and claims it is a "Down Down" price. Absolutely cretinous,' said the man on his post, alongside a photo of the red and white sales tag often seen in the supermarket.
'Have contacted both ACCC and Coles for comment. ACCC says it sounds like misleading pricing but to contact Coles first.'
He followed it up by posting the reply he received from the grocery store and the government agency in charge of protecting consumers.
'Coles response: It was changed for two weeks; therefore, they can claim it was $12.50. ACCC response: Generally, a month is required as a "reasonable" period of a sale, but some exceptions can apply. Looking into it further.'
A customer complained that the price of the coffee, which normally sold for $8, had been 'discounted' to $10.70. Credit: Reddit/Coles.
The customer later elaborated, saying he wasn't upset by the price increase per se but rather by Coles' attempt to 'hide' it as a discount, and that he was aware that Woolworths used similar methods.
'Definitely not trying to claim that Woolworths doesn't do exactly the same thing. This just happened to be the most recent and most egregious example I'd seen,' he added in his post.
'Not complaining about the price. I get it; prices rise. But trying to hide the massive price increase by claiming it as a discount is something that rubbed me the wrong way.'
Two weeks ago, Coles promised to aid financially-strapped Australians by locking the prices of over a thousand products and cutting the prices of another 500 items, so the customer's accusation comes as something of a surprise.
The man's post on the forum website, ranting about the rising prices at Coles, struck a chord with other shoppers who are feeling the same pinch.
'This should be illegal,' one person wrote in the comments. Another user agreed and pointed out that the store's catchy 'Down Down' slogan isn't really working out as a catchphrase for them anymore.
As of yet, Coles has said nothing about the issue publically. Credit: AAP.
At the same time, other users said they had seen the same strategy used not just on the coffee item, but also on other products.
'They did this with some Palmolive body wash that we normally buy for $8. Price increased to $12 suddenly for a few weeks and then dropped down to $10,' one shopper shared in the comments.
Another commented: 'There's a heap of "DOWN DOWN" stickers with a previous price of August 2022. The one I took note of was Sakata, which went from $2.00 to $2.30, but a week of $2.75 in the middle so they could legally add the sticker.'
What does the ACCC have to say about all of these complaints from supermarket goers?
A representative for the ACCC told Yahoo News that while they could not comment on the specific complaint, businesses are prohibited from making 'misleading representations' under Australian Consumer Law.
'Price savings representations may be misleading where the product was not sold at the “was” price for a reasonable period right before the sale,' they said.
Coles has been reached out to for comment but has not yet provided a response. At the time of writing, a 200-gram jar of Robert Timms instant coffee was only $5.35 on the Coles website.
You read it here, folks! Please be careful, because some supermarkets may hide price hikes under the guise of discounts.
Check out one of our previous posts on this link for more information on how to recognise and avoid price tag scams in stores and supermarkets.
Have a pleasant shopping experience!
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