decolores9
New Member
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I purchased copper pipe from a hardware store. The price sticker on the shelf listed a description "1/2" x 10' copper pipe", a part number, and a price. There was no reference I saw to a "per foot" price and no discussion about this being a per foot price. I told the sales associated I wanted 8 pieces of pipe, and asked him if he had a cart to carry it on. He said he would get it for me, and wrote up a slip that had the part number, quantity (8), and price.
I took that slip to the cashier, who rang up the sale, told me the cost was 8 times the price on the price sticker, and accepted my credit card payment.
The sales associate carried the pipe out ot my car, but he brought the wrong pipe. I pointed this out and he took that pipe back in and brought out the correct pipe.
The next day (after I had installed the pipe) I received a call from the store owner saying that there was an error in their system and the price on the tag should have been a per foot price. He said the cashier had made a mistake. He wanted me to pay the difference, which was about 10 times the price at a box store. I offered to buy the pipe at another store or pay him their price, but he did not want to do that.
At that point I looked at my receipt, and I do see that the pipe quantity is followed by "FT", which presumably means feet. I also noticed that the type of pipe listed on the receipt is not what I received - the receipt shows a more expensive type of pipe, I received a less expensive type of pipe. In addition, the quantities are reversed - I received 5 pieces of size A and 3 pieces of size B, but the reciept says 3 pieces of size A and 5 pieces of size B.
He called yesterday and now says his sales associate says he told me it was a per foot price (which is NOT true). I told him that was not correct, and he accused me of lying to the cashier about the quantity I received. He now says I stole from his store, and is threatening to go to the police. He says if I do not pay the few hundred dollars he claims to be owed he will sue me and I will have to pay his court fees as well as the retail cost of the pipe.
What do I do? I can't really afford to pay his price, and I don't think I should be fully responsible for his error. If the price had been clear, I would not have bought the pipe there - his "per foot" cost is in the same range as the price for a 10' length at other stores. If this goes to court, does he have a realistic chance of winning? Seems like it will be his word against mine - and the sales associate and cashier are apparently prepared to lie to make it look like I was complicit.
Thanks.
I took that slip to the cashier, who rang up the sale, told me the cost was 8 times the price on the price sticker, and accepted my credit card payment.
The sales associate carried the pipe out ot my car, but he brought the wrong pipe. I pointed this out and he took that pipe back in and brought out the correct pipe.
The next day (after I had installed the pipe) I received a call from the store owner saying that there was an error in their system and the price on the tag should have been a per foot price. He said the cashier had made a mistake. He wanted me to pay the difference, which was about 10 times the price at a box store. I offered to buy the pipe at another store or pay him their price, but he did not want to do that.
At that point I looked at my receipt, and I do see that the pipe quantity is followed by "FT", which presumably means feet. I also noticed that the type of pipe listed on the receipt is not what I received - the receipt shows a more expensive type of pipe, I received a less expensive type of pipe. In addition, the quantities are reversed - I received 5 pieces of size A and 3 pieces of size B, but the reciept says 3 pieces of size A and 5 pieces of size B.
He called yesterday and now says his sales associate says he told me it was a per foot price (which is NOT true). I told him that was not correct, and he accused me of lying to the cashier about the quantity I received. He now says I stole from his store, and is threatening to go to the police. He says if I do not pay the few hundred dollars he claims to be owed he will sue me and I will have to pay his court fees as well as the retail cost of the pipe.
What do I do? I can't really afford to pay his price, and I don't think I should be fully responsible for his error. If the price had been clear, I would not have bought the pipe there - his "per foot" cost is in the same range as the price for a 10' length at other stores. If this goes to court, does he have a realistic chance of winning? Seems like it will be his word against mine - and the sales associate and cashier are apparently prepared to lie to make it look like I was complicit.
Thanks.
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