People urged to check food prices charged at till

Some 31 food retailers were inspected on the Isle of Man

People have been warned to check the prices being charged at the till when food shopping after a consumer watchdog found issues with advertised prices and special promotions not being applied.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it had issued advisory enforcement notices to half of the 31 stores recently inspected.

Issues identified included prices paid by customers differing from those displayed on shelves or products, which included expired promotions still being advertised, as well as the use of poor or misleading labelling.

OFT chairman Tim Glover MHK said it was "disappointing that so many problems were identified".

'Offence'

Businesses were legally required to communicate prices clearly, including VAT to prevent misleading indications such as false reductions or hidden charges, the OFT said.

The inspections, which were conducted by trading standards staff at the OFT, aimed to check that customers were being charged the prices advertised and that special offers were being honoured.

However the consumer watchdog confirmed that about a third of the premises have been re-inspected and all but two had made the necessary changes to meet the required standards.

Glover said while the watchdog would continue visits, it was "impossible to monitor all retailers at all times" so it was "important that the public contact the OFT when they encounter pricing errors or regularly mispriced goods".

"Misleading price indications are an offence," Glover said, and the OFT "works with retailers to prevent this, with enforcement action for repeat offenders".

However, if there was a genuine mistake, shops were not legally required to sell something at an incorrect price, he added.

Customers have been encouraged to report incorrect or misleading prices, confusing offers, or false advertising, which can be done anonymously.