Coles failure to stock 'Special' item.

[gordon_s1942]

About 2 weeks ago in the weekly catalog, Coles advertised a Samsung J2 mobile phone for sale for $136, down from $199.
I have been wanting to replace one I bought from Aldi some time ago and as I already have this model, this is what I wanted.
Come Sales Day , my Wife goes to Coles only to be told they dont have any.
They say they only get what they are sent and have no idea when any may arrive.
Checked before the weekend and told to 'try again on Tuesday as that's when the next delivery is most likely'.
We checked again on Tuesday and 'None received'.

They WONT, DONT, CANT order or offer a 'Raincheck' on Mobile Phones........

To say the least I was not very happy at all.

However at the beginning of the following week, I got a call from a Friend who had been to an Aldi store near him and they were selling on special, a Samsung J1 mini for $70 !!!
Not what I wanted but he bought me one and sent it to me.

[bob_m_54]

That annoys me too Gordon. They advertise items for "sucker bait" and when you go to buy one you find they only ever get in one or two of the items. Last time it happened to me it was a Supercheap store. They had Large Rydge rider 4X4 compressors avertised for half price at $149.00. I got to the store before it opened on the day, and was their first customer. Wen't and had a look where they were supposed to be, and none on the shelf. I asked the counter staff and was told: "they must have sold out". How could they? you haven't had any customers yet? Counter staff went and had a look, and none there... Then, I spotted one, tucked away behind something else, on another shelf... Bewdy, got it.

I knew they were coming on sale about a week before, because the counter staff bloke at a different store let it slip. (I actually thought it was on sale that week, but was wrong). When he looked the compressor up on the computer, the page showed a box down low on the RH side, with a date on it. When I asked what the date was, he said "that's when they are coming on sale next, but you didn't hear that from me"

Other times at KMart, Big W etc, when asking why they have sold out of an item that was on special, I have had the answer: "We only ever get one or two items when they come on sale"

[trash]

It is illegal for them to bait advertise stock which they do not have or do not expect to have AND if they do not stock a reasonable quantity.
ALDI has been getting in trouble with fair trading and consumer affairs because they might advertise a product and then only have 5 in stock and 100 people turn up.
That's illegal. The question is a little more grey because they might stock 50 of an item and 60 people turn up. It's still an error on their part but it seems less deliberate and more accidental.
However, Aldi have been consistent repeat offenders and they have been warned.

If you lodge a complain with fair trading and the ACCC against Coles, I would not expect them to take action other than to let them know they are now being watched more closely.
Coles I also expect would be able to come up with a half reasonable excuse to buy them a warning.

But this all hinges on you and other people actually making the complaint to fair trading.

[LeroyPatrol]

I was about to reply something similar as well. I also have been to Aldi to find they only have a few of something in stock for their sales. They had their kitchen appliances sale on recently. Had to go to 3 Aldi's to get cook top we wanted, oven, range hood but missed out on the dishwasher. Guy was just putting it on a trolley as I walked up

Leroy

[gordon_s1942]

Yes Trash, Aldi are notorious for only stocking a few of an item advertised as 'On Sale'.
They recently had a sale on a Rocker chair and I read that before the store opened, the staff went out to the waiting customers and handed out tickets. I had that happen when I bought a TV from them a few years ago.
I am of 2 minds about this being done too but at least its better than nothing at all.

That the Staff (any retailer) have hidden away or previously bought 'On Special' items before the store opens probably happens more often than we think.

I would like to have gone into our Coles store and made a personal complaint about this but unfortunately this is a bit difficult at the moment.

[trash]

Here you go Gordon... send them an email or give them a call.

[Uncle Fester]

Problem with Aldi is that they have no limits, like one per customer policy. I have been complaining about that to them for years, but I might as well complain to a brick wall.

Unlike Coles and Woolies the generally DID have stock to comply with ACCC and they can always talk themselves out of it by stating that they could not know in advance that the items would sell out so quickly.

Of course sometimes the items never arrived due to a logistics error. Don't forget a lot of these non food items have to come from far away.