Bought an item but soon after, price had reduced. Can I ask for the difference?

[greenaliens]

Hi everyone, 1st post here 🙂

I wanted to know about the buying process and regulations here in eBay under my circumstances which I relate to my previous brick and mortar retail style purchases in the past under Australian Consumer Laws.

So I bought an Item using an official ebay promo/discount (percentage discount) code at the end of November, a week later (just 1-2 days after the item arrived into my hand), that same exact listing's price had been reduced (the separate ebay discount code was still the same).

In the mean time they sent me a wrong parts, so I had to fill a case report, but they were very extremely slow(3-5 days no reply) and often going back and forth (replying unrelated things, so I had to repeat) in the reply ultimately causing eBay's intervention and opening up ANOTHER case, which is still ongoing.

But I am just clarifying everything I don't know if that above would ALSO be related to my question... which is: that usually in retail stores and under Consumer's law I believe the customer is eligible for a refund of the PRICE DIFFERENCE if the item they purchased had price reduced within a specific time frame.. (30 Days?)

Oh and BTW this week (the 3rd week since my transaction, the Item is reduced a gain (but tthis time the eBay discount/promo code is different although the same percentage) <--- so this price is at the moment still valid and quite a bit cheaper than my initial purchase (about 20% price difference I believe)..

What can/should I do? Thank you!

[phorum_junkie*]

Sorry but ebay is not a store, it is an advertising medium and most consumer legislation does not apply. Under ebay's policies a seller can raise and lower their prices at any time they wish. The seller still gets the advetised price for the item, the discount is covered by ebay.

As you have made a claim for the item all you can do is wait until it is resolved, presumably in your faour, and then purchase again taking pot luck that you are getting the best price. Of course the seller may very well have blocked you by then, the often do so if there has been problems with a transaction.

[imastawka]

But I am just clarifying everything I don't know if that above would ALSO be related to my question... which is: that usually in retail stores and under Consumer's law I believe the customer is eligible for a refund of the PRICE DIFFERENCE if the item they purchased had price reduced within a specific time frame.. (30 Days?)

Personally never heard that one.   And I can't find anything under Consumer Affairs

or Sale of Goods Act.     Someone else may be able to, though

I bought something with a voucher, not so long ago, and the very next day the seller put it down to ½ price.

All I did was stamp my foot and utter very loud expletives.   

[daydreams_12]

Sorry, this may sound harsh but if you purchase something in Woolies this week and it is on special next week would they give you back the difference?   Item not as described is a totally different thing.  Not sure how you opened 2 different cases with Ebay. 

If you were happy with the original price you paid, why would you try to get a part refund.  If the item was not as described did you contact seller and give them a chance to respond.

As for replies to your emails being slow, not everyone is on line 24/7.  Must ask - where did your purchase come from?

[cezm]

Agreed ... some major retailers (such as Good Guys) offer a 30 day price guarantee but I don't believe it has anything to consumer law

[brerrabbit585]

I did a very comprehensive small business course a few years ago and there was absolutely nothing about claiming a partial refund if the price was reduced after you bought it.

I used to work at Big W for a while and people would come in looking for goods advertised in the catalogue, but they didn't realise the catalogue sale didn't begin until the next day or a few days later. In none of those cases did the store sell them the item at the catalogue price, which they would have to have done if what you say is true.

[digital*ghost]

---

@greenaliens wrote:

But I am just clarifying everything I don't know if that above would ALSO be related to my question... which is: that usually in retail stores and under Consumer's law I believe the customer is eligible for a refund of the PRICE DIFFERENCE if the item they purchased had price reduced within a specific time frame.. (30 Days?)

---

I'm pretty much going to echo the other replies - this kind of practice is a voluntary price guarantee that some businesses choose to offer, typically those that have "lowest price" types of guarantees. Very few Australian retailers offer refunds in this manner or for this reason, though.

The best most large chains will do, however, is price-match others and occasionally beat it by a small percentage, but again these are all voluntary. The closest I've ever experienced from an Australian retailer is a price reduction on a pre-order being applied (i.e. I ordered it when pre-orders first became available, a couple of weeks later, and still before the release date, the retailer's price dropped, and that was applied to my order as well). 

Pricing can be quite volatile online, sales are typically unannounced (you don't get catalogues in the mail, and unless they're big events, most stores on eBay won't even put up anything on their home page, they'll just start a sale or a promotion. Since online stores are typically open 24/7, that often means a price can rise, or drop, seconds after someone purchases an item. It's the nature of the beast, and the luck of the draw (or any other appropriate metaphor  ). 

Even the price scanning code of conduct for supermarkets and the like is 100% voluntary (eg the one where if it scans at the wrong price and you get the item for free; this isn't a consumer law directive, just something a bunch of supermarkets signed on to - it's a gift by choice, not an obligation). 

[tennis_sweetspot]

Years ago Officeworks had a store policy that if you found a cheaper price within 14 days of purchase and it was in stock at the 2nd store they refunded the difference plus 10% of the diference.

Seems to be a lot of buyers these days buying an item and then looking for a cheaper price.

[springyzone]

I've never heard of any 30 day (or any number of days) guarantee on a price. Some stores, I know, promise that if you find the identical thing free at another store within a certain period, they will match it and refund 5% or whatever. But that's just their personal publicity stunt, it's not in every shop & not any consumer right.

It doesn't apply to within the same store, otherwise how could any shop ever have a sale? And why would people rush in to get an item on sale if the store had to refund any dearer price differences within 30 days anyway. It happens to us all at times, where we buy something then see it on special very soon afterwards. It's annoying, but there's nothing you can do about it.

[brerrabbit585]

I have visions of 1 million people buying a lettuce at the supermarket this week and then queuing up at the service desk for a partial refund next week when lettuces are a lower price. Oh, and they go back the week after because the bananas they bought this week are cheaper in two weeks time, as well as the oranges, carrots, tomatoes, etc etc etc. 🙂