If something is advertised at the wrong price
This page is for consumers under the law of England and Wales only. Outcomes can differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
When a label, shelf edge, website or advert shows a price that the seller says was a mistake, your options depend on whether a contract has been formed, how the error came about, and whether the price was so far from the real value that a court might treat it as an “obvious” error. Retailers sometimes honour misprices for goodwill; legally the picture is often more nuanced.
Buying in a shop (before you pay)
Most in‑store displays are treated as an invitation to treat, not a firm offer. If you reach the till and staff say the shelf label or ticket was wrong, you do not have an automatic right to insist on the lower price. You can still ask the manager to honour it; many chains have internal policies.
If you have seen the same item advertised elsewhere at a lower price (for example in a leaflet or window poster), keep evidence and ask for a manager. Misleading price indications can engage consumer protection rules, but each case turns on what was displayed, for how long, and what you were told at the point of sale.
After you have paid in a shop
If you have already bought the item and later discover you were charged more than the price that was clearly advertised at the time, you may be entitled to return the goods (if still in original condition, where that matters) and ask for a refund of the overpayment, or to keep the goods and ask for the difference. Preserve evidence: photographs of the display, receipts and any witness details.
If the shop charged you much less than they intended because of a till or labelling error, they cannot usually demand extra money after the sale unless there was a specific discussion about the true price and a genuine misunderstanding on both sides. Blanket “we undercharged you” calls days later need careful checking against what actually happened at the checkout.
Shopping online
For distance contracts, when the contract is made depends on the trader’s website terms and the statutory framework. Some sites treat the contract as complete when you receive an order confirmation; others when payment is taken or goods are dispatched. You will need to read the terms and conditions and any pre‑contract information you were shown.
If a contract is already in place, the trader may be restricted from cancelling simply because they mispriced the item, unless the mistake was genuine and you knew or should have known it was wrong (for example a luxury good at a fraction of its market value). If no contract exists yet, they may refuse the order or correct the price before acceptance.
Online pricing disputes often turn on screenshots, order emails, timestamps and the exact wording of the checkout page. We help clients assemble that pack and draft proportionate complaints.
Imports, VAT and customs
If you buy from a seller based outside the United Kingdom, the headline price may not include VAT, customs duty or carrier administration fees. The delivery firm may contact you for payment before release. General guidance is on GOV.UK: buying goods from abroad and related pages; check the date of any article you read, as rules have changed in recent years.
Deliberately misleading prices
If you believe a trader is systematically advertising false “was / now” prices or bait‑switch tactics, you can report your concerns to Trading Standards via GOV.UK: report a business behaving unfairly. That does not replace your own civil remedies, but it can prompt investigation.
We help you interpret what you saw, what the contract terms say and what a fair next letter or chargeback narrative might look like. We are not a law firm; where the sum is large or court is in play, we signpost regulated solicitors.