Price (+VAT?)

[shade82000]

HI.

 

I don't know if I'm in the right place, but I need some advice on how prices are advertised on the internet.

 

I have hired a skip, from a company called JustSkips, it hasn't been delivered yet but it's due on Friday.

 

Throughout the checkout process I was informed that the price was £134.50 for the skip plus £30.00 for a permit.

 

Today I get an invoice posted to me for £193.29 as the price displayed on the internet obviously didn't include VAT (I don't remember seeing it anyway).

 

I chose to use this company because I did a lot of web price comparison and they seemed the cheapest, but based on the invoice I received today they are no longer the cheapest company.

 

Do I have any rights to refuse payment of the extra amount based on the lack of information I seem to have been given when making the order?

 

Thanks.

[shade82000]

HI.

 

I don't know if I'm in the right place, but I need some advice on how prices are advertised on the internet.

 

I have hired a skip, from a company called JustSkips, it hasn't been delivered yet but it's due on Friday.

 

Throughout the checkout process I was informed that the price was £134.50 for the skip plus £30.00 for a permit.

 

Today I get an invoice posted to me for £193.29 as the price displayed on the internet obviously didn't include VAT (I don't remember seeing it anyway).

 

I chose to use this company because I did a lot of web price comparison and they seemed the cheapest, but based on the invoice I received today they are no longer the cheapest company.

 

Do I have any rights to refuse payment of the extra amount based on the lack of information I seem to have been given when making the order?

 

Thanks.

[Somebody Told Me]

Unfortunately the T&C's on their website do state that their quotes exclude VAT see here http://www.justskips.co.uk/skip-hire-terms-and-conditions.asp

How big is the skip you've ordered and have you phoned any local companies at all? If not, I'd maybe cancel theirs and see if you can get a better deal locally.

[shade82000]

It's just a 4. cu.yd skip, I'm sure there are many cheaper companies around here, I'll have a look tonight...

 

I didn't get to their T&C page, but I did click on the link to their T&C before placing the order. I'm using a different browser though and it took me to a different page with no T&C on.

 

Oh well, I'm going to try an cancel it anyway but they might give me a bit of trouble about the £30 for the permit because they pass that sum to the local council or highways agency and I can't see that being a refundable amount.

 

Ell

[Somebody Told Me]

Hey Ell,

Nearly £200 for that size of a skip is very expensive in my book.

I'm sure you'll be able to one cheaper than that.

On the permit front maybe worth speaking with the council to see what they'd do in the circumstances.

Best,

STM

[shade82000]

Thanks for your help.

 

I am waiting for a reply from them today and will cancel it if I can.

 

The price for the permit is set by the council anyway so I will ring them today to confirm if it's transferable or not,then at least I can go with another company and not have to pay the permit again.

 

It may or may not be lawful to detail whether prices are inclusive of VAT before going through the checkout process, but I think it's morally wrong to allow me to go through the checkout process without displaying the actual price that an item will cost.

 

I do a lot of online transactions and every other company I have dealt with add the VAT and display it on the screen before letting me complete the checkout process.

 

Thanks for your help though.

[buzby]

The Permit is for a skip - and is yours, so using another skip doesn't matter. Your only complaint might be to the Advertising Standards Authority for misleading advertising to consumers (if they did not hilight the ex-VAT price), but they could argue 98% renters are trade buyers ands there was no intention to mislead. Also, all they get is a slap on the wrist, not anything useful to you by way of a reduction.

[citizenB]

Have merged two threads regarding the same issue.

[buzby]

There was NOTHING to merge. It was a DUPLICATED message!

[citizenB]

There was NOTHING to merge. It was a DUPLICATED message!

 

Buzby, there were two threads both with the same title and the same first post. We do not delete threads where they are duplicated. They are either unapproved or merged. I chose to merge. You will see there is a duplicated post at the beginning, post 1 and 2 made a minute apart.

[shade82000]

I spoke to the rental company and spoke to the highways agency, they both told me that the permit is for the company that provides the skip, not me. It is therefore not transferable between companies and I would have to pay for a second permit.

 

That makes sense because it's about liability insurance, safety, skip placement, road damage etc which is the responsibility of the company.

 

Coincidentally, the helpful guy at the highways agency told me that he was just about to process the permit and that if I cancelled it then I wouldn't get charged.

 

I forwarded this information on to the skip hire company and they have refunded the full amount.

 

I'm going to get a 2 cu.yd skip next week which will be a lot cheaper and then take the rest of the stuff to the rubbish dump in my van.

 

It seems funny now because the reason I wanted a skip in the first place is that Bedfordshire rubbish dumps require a permit for vehicles with less than 4 seats or more than 4 tyres (ie vans).

 

Still, at least those permits are free...

[shade82000]

Sorry that was my fault, the page wouldn't refresh when I clicked Submit Post so I changed the title and clicked Submit it again.

 

Buzby, there were two threads both with the same title and the same first post. We do not delete threads where they are duplicated. They are either unapproved or merged. I chose to merge. You will see there is a duplicated post at the beginning, post 1 and 2 made a minute apart.

[citizenB]

I am pleased you have sorted it out shade.

 

Not a problem with the duplicated thread, it happens quite frequently

[buzby]

Er yes ?

 

Sometimes users (myself included) find CAG lurches and it becomes possible to have duplicated messages in place in a thread. But this wasn't the problem, it was the saame message with a different title in the same sub-forum. Since there were no comments to the duplicate, then removing this would be the most sensible option. Merging, only makes sense when it combines information that it pertinent to the joined thread. NOT, when it simply results in a duplicated post in the SAME thread, as this makes the OP look silly (or the CAG s/w playing tricks again).

 

It just keeps things tidy!

[Somebody Told Me]

Great result I'm really pleased you got this sorted out and your money back in full.