Having a sale - rules

Can anyone tell me if the are any rules regarding having a sale in your shop. I know items marked as reduced/sale in physical shops have to have been available for sale at the original higher price for a certain period of time beforehand. Is this the case with folksy shops?
If so:

How long does the item need to have been for sale at the original price?

Does it count if it has been for sale elsewhere (eg facebook) at a higher price but not previously listed on folksy?

Does it matter if the item has previously been listed at a higher price but has not been listed in the shop for a while (hidden/expired listings)?

I am currently changing direction with my crafting and would like to sell off a lot of my older items that I no longer wish to make.

Any input appreciated
Thanks
Roz

Just think itā€™s the same as any shop just because itā€™s online doesnā€™t mean any different from a Bricks and Morter shop.

So if youā€™ve had an item at one price shown anywhere at a certain price then if you reduce it even if itā€™s been hidden for a while thatā€™s fine.

I honestly donā€™t think it matters hugely, sometimes people have introductory offers, sometimes clearance salesā€¦ Iā€™ve never heard of rules for a sale here x

Thereā€™s a horribly written government guide (Pricing Practices Guide) on pricing that includes a section on having a sale (section 1.9) - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/31900/10-1312-pricing-practices-guidance-for-traders.pdf

Thereā€™s a bit more of a simpler explanation of that bit of the guide in this BBC story - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23797882

It says -

ā€˜Genuine pricesā€™

Earlier this week, Tesco was fined Ā£300,000 for misleading customers over what it claimed were ā€œhalf-priceā€ strawberries. The higher prices that the offer referred to, the ā€œreference pricesā€, had been available for just two weeks. However, the lower price was available over several months.

Under the pricing practices guide, administered by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, the length of the new lower price sale should not be longer than the old higher price was available for.

The same guidelines also stipulate that ā€œa previous price used as a reference price to make a price comparison should be a genuine retail priceā€.

Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) 2008, it is illegal to indulge in misleading or aggressive advertising.

2 Likes

Thatā€™s helpful, thank you @JoSara! x