Primark customers are outraged over price hikes at what is supposed to be an affordable fashion chain. After all, with more and more Brits affected by the cost-of-living crisis, it’s hard to ‘forget about the price tag’, as the popular song lyrics by Jessie J go.
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A rip off?
According to Hull Daily Mail, the issue came to light when a member of the Extreme Couponing and Bargains Facebook group, by the name of Jocelyn Carter, posted:
Warning to all who shop at Primark. They are increasing their prices on a lot of their existing stock. Some have had their price tags blacked out, whereas others go through the till at a higher price from that on the tags.
The highest price difference noticed so far was a 60% increase in the price of fishnet tights. They rose from £2.50 to £4, says The Sun.
Other customers have been filming videos on social media where they rip off the price stickers on clothing tags to reveal the initial selling priceunderneath. They have labelled the practice as ‘sneaky’ and ‘unbelievable’.
Some customers have been able to pay the initial price for clothing items upon arguing at the till; however, Hull Daily Mailreports that consumer law dictates that lower prices do not have to be honoured by retailers if the price on the label is said to be a ‘mistake’.
Primark’s ‘selective price increases’
Primark has apologised, stating:
We’re really sorry this has happened. We are committed to providing the very best value on the high street – and that has not changed.
While £4 fishnets are still a bargain compared to competitor’s prices, people are trying to pinch pennies as energy and grocery bills continue to rise – and apparently, Primark is too, at the expense of struggling customers. A spokesperson said:
In response to rising costs, we took the decision earlier this year to implement selective price increases across some autumn/winter products. We know how important our great value pricing is to our customers, and we’ve committed to honour the lower price on our labels so customers are never charged more than expected. It appears that in this case the label wasn’t updated properly.
Nonetheless, many customers remain outraged. This is unsurprising, when, in the words of Jessie J, ‘the sale comes first and the truth comes second’.
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