“Oh no! It happened again! I paid full price and I just noticed that the product I bought is on sale! What can I do, Daniel“?
Calm down! We can fix that!
No fear, my dear! First, let’s repeat our mantra: NEVER PAY FULL PRICE. Say it out loud. One more time. Good! Shall we proceed, now?
The first thing to note is how long ago did you buy it. A big number of stores have a policy of reimbursement for seven days. How does it work? It’s simple: If you buy something and in the next seven days this exact same product goes on sale,the difference between what you paid and the new price will be reimbursed. But if it has been more than seven days, then you are out of luck. However, it all still depends on the retailer’s policy.
NOTE: The retailer is not obligated to provide this kind of refund, so always ask beforehand and remember: Be polite! The Consumer Information site gives the following advice:
Item Goes on Sale After Purchase
Unless it is store policy, merchants are under no obligation to refund customers the price difference if an item goes on sale after a purchase.
Some merchants may have a price guarantee policy that outlines how a customer can get the sale price if an item goes on sale after a purchase.
Some retailers will give “rainchecks” to customers which allow them to return at a later date and get a sale price of a product that is out of stock.
All you have to do is to take the original proof of purchase and/or receipt to the store and ask for a refund. Normally, the store will pay the difference back to you the same way you paid for your order. So, if you paid by check, you will get a check. If you paid with a credit card, they will put the amount back on your card, and so on.
Some merchants will even price match other competitors’ sales! Always verify the policies as, of course, some conditions may apply. And repeat after me: NEVER PAY FULL PRICE.
Have you ever used this kind of refund? Tell me in the comments!
I’ve never tried to make a claim over a bottle of ketchup or anything small like that, so I’m not sure if it works. But many standard credit cards offer a feature that will refund you the difference if you find the same item listed cheaper within 30 days (some are shorter periods, some are longer). Could be worth checking into. However, when I shop online it’s easy to take 5 minutes and look everywhere (or plug it into a search that scans almost every website out there!), or take my smartphone with me to a local store and get items price matched to other store’s flyers! (Handy little app for this called Flipp. Works awesome! Search what your buying and it will show you all the retailers with that item on sale, making it easy to price match!).
Hi, Eric! Great to see you around! Welcome!
I’ll definitely take a look at my credit cards to see if any of them offers me something like this.
Flipp is amazing, and I already have a post about it in the oven ;)
Thank you for sharing your tips and adding to the discussion! It’s an honor to have you around!