JB Hi-Fi Price Match Policy

wallet72 on 22/12/2019 - 14:44
Last edited 29/11/2020 - 17:17 by 1 other user

I've never had an issue with JB Hi-Fi price matching or giving good deals, but I finally struck the exception…

I wanted to but a monitor but JB were $200 more expensive then where I found it. I like JB, I've never had any after sales issues so I would prefer to buy from them (lets' just say getting good after sales service at the other retailer is hardly normal).

The JB sales rep and I did the price verification and all that stuff, but the price was so different he had to get his manager to approve it. Manager comes back and says they no longer have a price match policy and he won't approve it. I asked when did this happen and he said it has always been store discretion.

Okay, so I go home empty handed and check the JB Hi-Fi website. In plain English is says 'We will enthusiastically match the price of an identically stocked competitor product. Negotiable deals are part of our everyday promise.' So I email their online support fore clarification.

So now, the official answer is… JB Hi-Fi do not have a price match policy. We have a price guarantee and it is the discretion of each store to provide the best deal possible.

Does this match what everyone else knows? Last year I got them to happily price match headphones that were $200 cheaper elsewhere, so I didn't expect this.

Electrical & Electronics

Related Stores

JB Hi-Fi
JB Hi-Fi

Comments

  • myusername on 22/12/2019 - 14:50
    +7

    it depends on the following variables. 1. the store managers attitude
    2. whether they like the look of you or not

    i've had staff tell me that

    • thebadmachine on 22/12/2019 - 19:03
      +1

      I agree. It's just luck of the draw.
      I would even add:

      3 . The time that you happen to enter the store.
      4 . How many sales they have made that day.

      I have been both turned down & begrudgingly provided a price-match / happily provided with a 5% price-beat.

    • kaleidoscope on 01/01/2020 - 00:46

      looks really? in what ways can the looks go wrong for a price beat

      • leeweesquee on 20/06/2020 - 07:02

        If you give the vibe that you never smile, look miserable all the time, etc.

  • JimmyF on 22/12/2019 - 14:51
    +1

    We have a price guarantee and it is the discretion of each store to provide the best deal possible.

    They don't have to price match even with a price match policy. Its normally at the discretion of the store, otherwise you can create a 'fake' store front and put products up to be priced matched etc

    I've never had any after sales issues so I would prefer to buy from them

    Isn't that worth paying a bit extra for then?

    • Almost Banned on 22/12/2019 - 16:22
      +4

      If a store represents that it will price match then, subject to any express terms and conditions they impose, they are obliged to price match in accordance with their publicly represented policy.
      To do otherwise is misleading and/or deceptive conduct.
      If they wish to do it only at the manager's discretion they should dislose that condition on their policy.
      The bigger problem is that there is no real loss to the OP, and likely no will to enforce.
      However, that doesn't make it compliant with the ACL.

      • JimmyF on 22/12/2019 - 17:31

        If a store represents that it will price match then….

        As per the policy, you ask JB for a 'deal' and they'll see if they can match the price. In the OP case, this was a no

        https://www.jbhifi.com.au/pages/what-is-the-jb-hi-fi-price-m…

        To do otherwise is misleading and/or deceptive conduct.

        Nothing misleading or deceptive here, a deal was declined.

        If they wish to do it only at the manager's discretion they should dislose that condition on their policy.

        The discount to match the price required managers approval, if the manager doesn't wish to go that low, they don't have to.

        The bigger problem is that there is no real loss to the OP

        The OP is another one of those want to eat cake and have it too. They want the lowest price, with all the 'best' bits of JBHI support/returns etc, in the way of price matching.

        Why not just support the company that is offering the cheapest price in the first place? As once all them go out of business, there will be no cheaper places to price match against at officeworks/jb/hn etc.

        • Almost Banned on 22/12/2019 - 19:23
          +4

          Please point me to the part of the policy where they say they will 'see if they can match the price', or where they say it is 'at the manager's discretion'.

          • JimmyF on 22/12/2019 - 19:50

            @Almost Banned:

            Please point me to the part of the policy where they say they will 'see if they can match the price'

            Right here

            https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2301/2551/files/jb-au-2017…

            Please point me to the part of the policy where they say they MUST price match because you stamp your foot up and down and say so?

            Asking for a 'deal' is not a will price match policy. As they say

            We will enthusiastically match the price of an identically stocked competitor product. Negotiable deals are part of our everyday promise.

            Negotiable deals does not mean they will beat it by say 5% like others.

            • Almost Banned on 22/12/2019 - 22:19
              +4

              @JimmyF: Read the first sentence of the policy you just quoted.
              They never promise a price beat, but they do promise a price match - and that it will be enthusiastic.
              The 'ask in store' does not limit or qualify the promise in that first sentence, nor does is suggest that it is discretionary.

              • Never Pay RRP on 23/12/2019 - 21:36

                @Almost Banned: I agree. "We will enthusiastically match the price of an identically stocked competitor product" Reads to me as though they will price match, not that they will think about it

        • wallet72 on 22/12/2019 - 22:22
          +2

          not true - I just get a bit annoyed when there is a clear, written policy on a sign or a website and it's not followed.

          If they didn't have a policy of price matching I wouldn't care, but if a business has a policy they should follow it all the time and not just when it suits them.

    • Tullyp on 24/12/2019 - 09:36
      -1
      • price match GUARANTEE
      • At store discretion

      Pick one, cause that's not how a guarantee works.

  • chumlee on 22/12/2019 - 14:55

    I think we need a royal commission into price matching policies

    • Slippery Fish on 22/12/2019 - 15:01
      +5

      We need less royal commisions more people with the brains to make decisions

      • chumlee on 22/12/2019 - 15:47

        sarcasm:

        noun

        the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

    • BugsBunnyAUS on 22/12/2019 - 15:26

      I think the term royal commission gets thrown around way too much and people no longer understand the importance of them…

      • brendanm on 22/12/2019 - 16:26

        That's the joke…

      • Ozpit on 23/12/2019 - 09:27

        … or that any subsequent action relating to their findings is completely optional.

  • Crocfreefree on 22/12/2019 - 15:26

    Good write up. Thank you for doing it.

  • CyberMurning on 22/12/2019 - 16:30
    +5

    Everytime I tried, they would say sorry that is wayyyyyy below our cost price. Yeahhhh wtf

    • wallet72 on 22/12/2019 - 16:33
      +3

      yeah, that's the old faithful line.

      I understand why they say it, but to be honest if the place says they have a price match or price beat promise then that's what they should do.

      • JimmyF on 22/12/2019 - 19:52
        -1

        but to be honest if the place says they have a price match or price beat promise

        No they don't, show me the policy that says they will beat it

    • JimmyF on 22/12/2019 - 19:52

      Its bad business to sell below cost, but why are you not buying from the place that has the cheapest price already?

  • Hithere on 22/12/2019 - 16:43
    +1

    All I do if a store won't price match or beat their competitor's price is buy elsewhere - and tell the salesperson/manager of the store that's what what I'll be doing.

    If I get attitude from staff a quick email to their complaints department usually works wonders.

  • ascorbic on 22/12/2019 - 16:45
    +10

    JB Hi-Fi is the absolute worst for making up an excuse about price matching. They effectively have no competitive pricing policy. Officeworks and even Hardly Normal have been less trouble in my experience. The Good Guys are just as bad as JB (probably because they are owned by the same parent company).

    • Prince K on 22/12/2019 - 19:17
      +3

      Manager from Adelaide st said officeworks’ iPhones are grey import lol.

      • Ughhh on 22/12/2019 - 19:23
        +2

        Should turn the tables and say that the Manager at Officeworks/Harvey Norman said JB Hifis iPhones are grey import.

    • Never Pay RRP on 23/12/2019 - 21:40
      +1

      Just beware sometimes office works stock identical items with slightly different model/serial numbers to other stores so they don't have to price match. Doesn't happen all the time, but it's a thing

      • NotJohnAU on 24/12/2019 - 20:30

        It's definitely a thing for some purchases here in AU. My rule of thumb is if it is a brand that everyone has but the model only shows up for one or two stores, to then hunt the equivalent down in every other store and compare the prices before deciding which retailer I will go to. Now I see it all the time when I go to buy tools that are recommended over in the US or UK and the model rarely shows up on Google locally.

  • Nutrino on 22/12/2019 - 17:51

    buy it elsewhere? they dont want your loss making business. [shrug]

  • MaxiPower on 23/12/2019 - 07:14
    +2

    It was due to you wearing a hoodie.

  • Dundundunnnn on 23/12/2019 - 07:28
    +4

    Really poor advertising. The way the page is broken into headings implies a Jb Deal (note capitalised but not defined) applies for negotiating generally all products and is not related to their enthusiastic price match policy.

  • OzHunterNSW on 23/12/2019 - 10:33
    +3

    What audacity to think they can treat you like an idiot.
    It is on their policy. Obviously this was simply a ploy on the behalf of the manager to get rid of you.
    Ask for proof of their policy change.
    Contact the Dep of Fair Trading.

  • jonkvh on 23/12/2019 - 17:18
    +1

    I tried challenging Price Match policies with Consumer & Business Affairs after getting knocked back a few times, this was in the early days of it appearing in retail. It can't be enforced. You'd have to take Civil Court action to get anywhere.

    Only chain stores do it and for good reason. They tell the suppliers to change just a part No:/SKU/whatever and it's a different product, plus it looks like really sharp advertising.

  • chloden on 30/12/2019 - 22:00

    I went to Knox City on Boxing Day to price match an Apple MacBook Pro with Officework's price. As soon as we mentioned Price match the sales guy mumbles "this is the last one" and my husband said "so can you price match". So then he tried to tell us it was a different model number, which we corrected him on, so then he then told us that Officeworks didn't have it in stock and we told him it was available online and seeing as JB price match online stores it should be honoured. He went to his boss and came back and fed us some bullshit, so I asked to speak to his manager and they finally did it. So much for them "enthusiastically" price matching.

    • jonkvh on 31/12/2019 - 11:33
      +1

      chloden, funny how they take the 'different model number' angle? JB's have a budget to follow for each department in the store, so giving out even price matching discounts eat into their precious budget. Its funny what pissed off of JB employees will tell you.

    • CrazyBargainCatcher on 02/01/2020 - 09:41

      Same thing that happened to me at Knox
      😞

  • kaleidoscope on 01/01/2020 - 01:06

    I guess it entirely depends on sales rep’a attitude and how well you speak to them.

    My experience with them has been very positive. Most recently being purchasing a av receiver price matched, and the receiver wasn’t listed on jb’s website even. (new model)

  • CrazyBargainCatcher on 02/01/2020 - 09:40
    +2

    I was going to price match a Xiaomi mi a3 for $279.99 on Catch and they 'buy the phones for more than $279 so they can't price match' totally a liar, this was at Knox JB BTW

  • bwatt72 on 19/06/2020 - 21:17

    What is the returns policy on blu ray/DVDs 30 days/90 days or less item still sealed but just curious

  • Bigboomboom on 29/11/2020 - 17:04

    So I'm trying to price match LG Fridge from Bing Lee Black Friday sale since I got discounted JB Giftcard, they just said sorry no price match Bing Lee. Oh well.

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