Stijn from the Flemish Brabant city of Leuven contacted VRT Radio 2’s consumer affairs team. He bought a video game online for 15 euro. Once it arrived he opened the parcel containing the video games as was shocked to see a price tag for 10 euro. This is the price that the electrical store that he bought the game from online charges customers that go and purchase it in one of its stores.
A product is more expensive online than in the store?: "The store does not have to refund you the difference"
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Stijn contacted our the consumer team to ask if he could get his moneyback and whether or not the retailer is allowed to reimburse him with a voucher.
Stijn bought a new game for his Playstation online. He paid 15 euro for it. However, when the game arrived he saw a price tag on it for 10 euro. That is the price charged by the retailer for the game in its physical stores. Stijn thought it somewhat unfair that he had paid 50% more for his online purchase that what he would have done if he had gone and bought it in a shop. He has asked the retailer to refund the difference. The retailer says that it is prepared to do so, but only in the form of a voucher. Stijn wants a refund, but can the store reimburse the 5 euro in the form of a voucher?
“Yes” is the answer given by both the Ghent University professor of consumer law Reinhard Steennot and Etienne Mignolet of the Federal Economy Department. Furthermore, the retailer does not actually have to refund back the 5 euro at all.
Price fluctuations
“Stijn agreed to the price of the game as it was in the webshop when he bought it,” Professor Steennot said.
Stores that sell products through different channels do not have to use the same price everywhere. It is therefore perfectly legal that a price in a store is different than it is in in the same retailer’s the webshop. If you buy the product online at that price, you agree to pay the price charged in the webshop. You can only discuss the price if, for example, there are two different prices displayed in the store.
“If a higher price is charged at the checkout than indicated in the store, the consumer is entitled to the lowest price,” says Professor Steennot told the VRT.
Right of withdrawal
There are some cases where the consumer must be reimbursed via same payment method with which he or she paid for the item. This is the case if the consumer exercises his right of withdrawal. If you buy something remotely, for example online or by telephone, you have 14 days to change your mind and ask for your money back. There is one important condition here, the packaging must not be opened.
The Federal Economy Department’s Etienne Mignolet gives another important tip for consumers: “It is always advisable to compare the prices in the store with the prices in the webshop.”