Chemist Warehouse Price Matching - Has Anyone Ever Had a Pleasant Experience?

ogdenvilleoutlet on 12/03/2025 - 18:36
Last edited 12/03/2025 - 18:45 by 1 other user

Purchased a face wash from chemist warehouse today. The same face wash was ~$10 cheaper at Cincotta Discount. Chemist.

Remembering their official legal residency status as AUSTRALIAS CHEAPEST CHEMIST, I went there to get the same thing price matched since it's near my office.

Identical to any other CW store, I asked for a price match and was met with the holy trinity criterion:
- stink face
- "BUT IS IT AN ONLINE CHEMIST COS WE DONT DO THOSE"
- acting like I'm invisible while collecting payment.

Just checking if it's baked into the CW customer experience or if there's a fluke chance someone can do this AND get the generic greeting/goodbye spiel?

Poll Options

  • 23
    Yes I usually have a very pleasant and friendly customer experience when price matching
  • 24
    No I get treated like the consumerist cattle horde that I am
  • 3
    I pay RRP elsewhere so I'm treated like a human being
  • 0
    No dumbo, their deals are not valid in conjunction with any other offer* (*manners included)
Health & Beauty

Related Stores

Chemist Warehouse
Chemist Warehouse

Comments

  • 87percent on 12/03/2025 - 18:39
    +4

    You wanted to price match AFTER you bought it?

  • barge-in hunter on 12/03/2025 - 18:46
    +4

    Chemist Warehouse price matching. Has anyone ever had a pleasant experience?

    FIFY

  • MS Paint on 12/03/2025 - 18:48
    -5

    Our price matching policy excludes international orders and offers that are exclusively online

    FFS

      • MS Paint on 12/03/2025 - 18:51

        TIL. I've never even heard of them. Since OP is in Sydney definitely no excuse.

        "BUT IS IT AN ONLINE CHEMIST COS WE DONT DO THOSE"

    • Dr Phil on 13/03/2025 - 17:34

      For a shop that takes orders online and delivers them FREE, thats a very strange condition coming from ChemistWarehouse

      Personally I have found thier price match policy a crock of Sh"""t

  • Wiadro on 12/03/2025 - 19:44
    -1

    i never have any issue having them price-match my Viagra from some dodgy online pharmacy.

    • MS Paint on 12/03/2025 - 20:00
      +3

      So you've never been stiffed by chemist warehouse, yet ironically you have.

      • Wiadro on 12/03/2025 - 20:20
        -1

        Don’t walk in with a stiffy. You might get a bad experience like OP

        • 87percent on 13/03/2025 - 07:27

          Or a good experience from the security guard at the front

  • Polt on 12/03/2025 - 19:46
    +5

    They definitely deliberately make the process awkward and slow to discourage people from using it.

    Standard process seems to be: request price match, cashier faffs around for a bit on their keyboard and tries to determine if they can decline the price match, calls supervisor from somewhere else in the store, wait for supervisor to arrive, supervisor faffs around on keyboard, price match approved, pay and leave.

    All while other customers are queuing up behind you.

  • Boioioioi on 12/03/2025 - 19:48

    Depends on the branch. In Brisbane rocklea chemist warehouse does it no worries. Oxley chemist warehouse will only do it if they can call the store and confirm the price. This means the competing store has to be open at the time of day too.

  • jizmo on 12/03/2025 - 19:58

    When Woolies special is on Berocca $13 for 45 tabs, I hit them for a price match and they would only do 3 boxes at the Bogan Hyperdome Boganholme.

    • bamzero on 13/03/2025 - 12:11
      +1

      Yeh, they do state that.

      "The price matching policy is limited to the retail limit applicable or a maximum quantity of three of each product."

  • p1 ama on 12/03/2025 - 21:05
    +11

    Purchased a face wash from chemist warehouse today. The same face wash was ~$10 cheaper at Cincotta Discount. Chemist.

    So instead of supporting the business which is offering you the best price, you instead decide to take your business to the pharmacy chain with consistently the worst customer experience, and is actively treating you like crap.

    If Chemist Warehouse can treat you like crap and you keep buying from them, then what incentive is there for them to change? And what incentive is there for other businesses to offer great prices if you're just going to go to Chemist Warehouse instead?

  • JimmyF on 12/03/2025 - 21:17
    +5

    Purchased a face wash from chemist warehouse today. The same face wash was ~$10 cheaper at Cincotta Discount. Chemist.

    Why not just buy it from the cheaper place in the first place?

    • Shoocat on 12/03/2025 - 21:49

      Do you know which site you are on right now? Getting price beats is a core pillar of bargain hunting.

      • JimmyF on 12/03/2025 - 22:04

        LOL so I hope that 10% saving was worth it……

  • life is suffering on 12/03/2025 - 22:38
    +5

    The banner says

    “Australia’s cheapest chemist”

    And in small letters

    “is this?”

    Scum chemists. They make you wait deliberately when giving out prescriptions so you go shop. Never going there anymore .

  • ihbh on 13/03/2025 - 08:19
    +1

    "BUT IS IT AN ONLINE CHEMIST COS WE DONT DO THOSE"

    You must be a p*ssy cat. Why didn't you show them the store locator and stand your ground?

  • kokopop on 13/03/2025 - 08:35
    +3

    They are a soulless corporation (who also own My Chemist too btw). Speaking for myself, more than happy to spend a little extra to go small and local. And it all makes sense once you look into who the other half owners are.

  • kronosxmate on 13/03/2025 - 09:40

    I had a shitty experience last night trying to price match. 2 stores in east Melbourne jus flat out refused to price match with a local store in Springvale, giving the excuse that they only price match popular/known stores & not local pharmacy, that they didnt kno about, though this store has a website.
    A 3rd store told me they wud price match but would be atleast 20~30mins wait until the pharmacist was free to do it. I asked why did the pharmacist need to be involved since it wasnt prescription medication and they said, it is company policy. I just left.
    The 4th place, is where they finally did proce match, but only did it after i pushed back. They did call the pharmacist but i have no idea what they were talking about on the phone for 5 minutes. the lady finally called the manager who did a Google search for the store & approved it after. This manager in forest hill store, did know of this "lesser known Local pharmacy in Springvale" as she has price matched them many times.
    In the end, I saved $1.40 after this ordeal of an hour driving btwn 4 stores.
    Anyhoo, i Have got to do it again tonight for another product. Haha. Wish me luck!

    • MS Paint on 13/03/2025 - 11:05
      +1

      I saved $1.40 after this ordeal of an hour driving btwn 4 stores.

      False economy (Dave Ramsay c.2021)

  • GardenGnome on 13/03/2025 - 11:48

    People expect more from businesses that act like cartels/monopiles? It's an easy process, build brand, cut prices, exterminate competition then raise prices when there is no competition left.

    The fact that CW deliberately don't change the price in the system when you go to check out but put ticket specials on items on the shelves says it all.

  • bamzero on 13/03/2025 - 12:10

    Not in-store, but a couple of times for online orders where they refund you after.

    Haven't bought from CW for a long time though, since they stopped doing free delivery.

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