Lifestyle Off Sale Issue - Resolved. Review on Lifestyle, Bangalore

Update on August 12, 10 - Within less than 2 working days of raising this issue on Mouthshut.com, CORE and dropping a mail to the Customer Service email @ LIfestyle, the issue was resolved.

I received an email from what I gather is the head of the Customer Services and the Bangalore team was marked in the email on Wednesday August 11, 10. On Thursday August 12, 10 morning I was requested for the bill details but since I was at work, I was able to share my Inner Circle number with them. They went ahead and got the details. I am given to understand that IT WAS NOT AN INTENTIONAL price misrepresentation. Apparently there is a change in the price of the stock and it was not meant to be on discount. But there was a goof up and it happened. There is an assurance that it would not be repeated in future. But I would want to see it in action.

They have offered a goodwill gesture of gift vouchers worth 800 rupees (the price difference between the original price and the new price).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mouthshut, Team Core and the Lifestyle team. I hope this is the last instance of such oversight. I am closing the complaint raised with CORE too.

Thanks for reading!

Sale! That word evokes different emotions in different sections of communities and genders! I have beena member of Lifestyle Inner Circle Loyalty member since 2002 or 2003 (its been so long, my memory fades!) and have always patronized SPAR Hypermarket and Lifestyle for what was a good range of products and fair prices.

Now thats where my trust was shattered on Saturday August 7, 2010. We went to purchase a cabin baggage and in the travel section spent about 45 minutes getting convinced and confused on the different brands and the features. We shortlisted VIP and Aristocrat given that the models on display boasted of nearly 30% discount. Then the salesman offered a Delsey cabin bag which, as the tag in the picture, displayed a pre sale price of INR 7, 000 and a sale price of INR 6, 200.

Having already used a Delsey product before, we felt this was a good price and an INR 800 discount was fair for all the features that was being offered. Happy with our choice we proceeded to bill and closed the transaction.

When we reached home to remove the product trimmings inside the bag and keep the price tag and the warranty card together, we were in for a shock. The label on the most insignificant product trimming read MRP Rs. 6200 for the 'Expandream Strolly 55AGR" bearing the model number STEX55AGR and a bar code that ends with 58! So whats this whole sham of a SALE!! This incident showcases the complete lack of ethics and transparency in all these so called reputed stores.

On heading back to the store and confronting the manager, he just shrugged his shoulders and said there is no discount on this bag and could not explain why the tag read INR 7000 as a pre sale price when the MRP was always INR 6200!!

I am fulfilling my promise to the Lifestyle team that I would share this on https://mouthshut.com and send a copy to the Consumer Forum and then share it with the Lifestyle Customer Service team and other folks.

So watch this space, as I attempt to get somewhere with this prominent display of lack of ethics.

Core complaint ID: 15686/3/2010