Video streaming - Misleading pricing

Based on resolver’s experience to date, companies must display correct prices, inclusive of VAT, in a way that makes it clear to the customer.

If you get to the checkout stage and realise that the price is higher than you thought, you should not proceed with the order. If you don’t notice until after you have placed your order, you should contact the trader and explain the situation. They may well refund your money as a gesture of goodwill, but they are under no obligation to do so.

If you believe that the trader has misled you in their pricing practice, you should firstly establish whether or not you had a ‘contract’ with the trader. When buying online, you do not usually have a contract until the point you receive an email confirming that your goods have been dispatched, but you should check this. If you do have a contract with the trader and the price you paid was not the price advertised, the trader would usually have to sell you the goods at the price advertised. It also depends on whether or not the pricing mistake was obviously an error. Issues such as these are protected by the Sale of Goods Act 1979, but also by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.

You should write, in the first instance, to the trader with your concerns. For a large company, you should check their website for a contact address of who to complain to (usually their head office). You should attach any evidence you have collected, and resolver can assist you in submitting, recording and reminding you when and who to escalate to. If the company itself cannot resolve the complaint, it may be necessary to escalate to an ombudsman. Before you can do this, you need a ‘letter of deadlock’ from the company, confirming that you are unable to come to a suitable resolution.