Consumer NZ calling for Kiwis’ examples of problematic supermarket pricing, Foodstuffs hit back

Consumer NZ is disappointed that supermarket bosses have not corrected hundreds of “dodgy” specials and is calling for more examples of misleading prices and promotions in an effort to get the Commerce Commission to investigate.

Head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ, Gemma Rasmussen, said Kiwis feel as though pricing practises are unfair and it had received 160 complaints of what it described as dodgy supermarket specials.

This comes after the watchdog put supermarkets on notice in March after receiving more than 300 complaints.

“Back in March, we put the supermarkets on notice and gave them an opportunity to correct their dodgy practices,” said Rasmussen.

“People cannot afford to be misled and overcharged in this ongoing cost of living crisis. It’s disappointing to see the supermarkets haven’t remedied these pricing issues.”

Rasmussen said they are giving the Consumer NZ dodgy specials campaign one last push and are calling on New Zealanders to submit their examples of dodgy dealings.

“We’re calling on New Zealanders to be our eyes and ears at the supermarket one last time to help us gather as much evidence for the Commerce Commission as possible,” she said.

“The more examples we have, the stronger our case will be.”

Supermarket specials and pricing practices to look out for are misleading multibuys, specials that are more expensive than the normal price, mismatched pricing, paying for packaging, pricing that’s hard to understand such as more than one price being displayed.

Rasmussen said that many who complain to the watchdog feel awkward when asking for a refund when the pricing is wrong.

“Requesting a refund when you’ve been overcharged, whether it’s $2 or 20 cents might feel silly or more hassle than it’s worth complaining about – but you’re well within your rights to do so.

“We encourage all New Zealanders to hold their local supermarket to account, no matter how small the pricing mistake(s) may be.”

Foodstuffs respond

Foodstuffs spokeswoman Emma Wooster said she had concerns about the methodology behind Consumer NZ’s blanket claims about ‘supermarket’ pricing practices.

“Foodstuffs have not received any information about Consumer NZ’s most recent claims, but if and when we do, we’ll also look into these concerns straight away,’ she said.

“Under the Fair Trading Act (FTA), our local grocers and their teams understand their customers have the right to clear and accurate prices for products and services.

“If there’s a mistake, we respectfully work quickly and respectfully to put it right and we’ll always refund customers where they’ve been over-charged.

“If any customer sees a ticket they feel is incorrect, or finds a pricing error, either before or after they’ve gone through the checkout, they should raise it directly with one of our team first.”

Examples of pricing practises need to be submitted to Consumer NZ by June 30 and can be done here.

Supermarket ‘specials’ and pricing practices to look out for

Misleading multibuys: Where products on a “multibuy” special are actually cheaper if bought individually.

Specials that aren’t specials: Where a “special” price is more expensive than the original price.

Mismatched pricing: When an item is charged at a higher price at the till than the shelf price.

Paying for packaging: Where the weight of the packaging is included in the total cost of the product.

Pricing that’s hard to understand: There might be more than one price displayed, no original price displayed, multiple prices displayed, or the unit price (e.g. price per kg) is displayed more prominently than the price of the item, giving the impression the product is cheaper than it actually is. There might also be no pricing at all, or loyalty prices are displayed as the default.