Bargain hunters pay dearly at Boxing Day sales

BARGAINS in the Boxing Day sales are not always what they seem with discounted products selling for as much as $220 more than the same item across town.

Some so-called specials are even cheaper at stores where they're not on sale at all.

Prices can also differ at different outlets of the same chain.

A Public Defender post-Christmas investigation at Chadstone, Highpoint and Southland shopping centres has found bargain hunters can pay dearly if they fail to shop around.

The price of a big-screen Sony LCD television yielded the biggest difference.

It cost just $578 at Harvey Norman Chadstone while Big W offered it at the retail price of $798.

Harvey Norman Maribyrnong was $20 dearer than its counterpart on the other side of the city.

Shoppers could save almost $30 if they shopped around for a 20-piece dinner set even though the dearest outlet surveyed was selling it at 30 per cent off.

Similar legwork saved about $20 off an iron, which Kmart had cheaper than some rivals even though it wasn't even on special.

Savingsguide.com.au founder Alex Wilson said shoppers could find themselves paying too much if they failed to check whether a deal was the bargain it claimed to be. Online comparison sites could help cut the groundwork. "It's a few minutes of your time to organise yourself to potentially save hundreds of dollars," Mr Wilson said.

"It's all about planning your shopping."

Choice spokeswoman Ingrid Just said it was easy to get carried away with the Boxing Day sales frenzy.

She warned retailers could also promote the highest price of a product before it was marked down rather than the cost immediately before it was discounted.

"Go in with your eyes wide open," Ms Just said.

"There is that group mentality that can happen. It just points to shopping around, whether it is a sale or not."

heraldsun.com.au 28 Dec 2011

Misleading or false advertising is illegal in Australia.

Every single business that has deliberatley falsely advertised its products as being on sale, whilst inflating their price has committed an offence under the Trade Practices Act.

The consumer has every right to take the business to court, or alternatively the government's overseeing authority has the power to take the business to court.

This is rarely practiced, and businesses know this and are getting away with fraud.

Another government sponsored fraud.