Purchasing Products as Employees

[evenmonkeys]

I work for a very large retail store in Iowa. I made a purchase at the place that I work. We get a discount on the majority of the products we sell and they are set prices rather than 10% or 20%. The item I wanted to purchase was set at $100 employee, down from $199.99 retail. I purchased this product under my employee discount for $100 plus sales tax. Now the company is coming back saying that they made a mistake with the employee price and it should have been set to $198.00 rather than $100. They are demanding that all employees who purchased one at $100 return them or pay the difference.

Can they legally do this?

 

[Ozark_Sophist]

I work for a very large retail store in Iowa. I made a purchase at the place that I work. We get a discount on the majority of the products we sell and they are set prices rather than 10% or 20%. The item I wanted to purchase was set at $100 employee, down from $199.99 retail. I purchased this product under my employee discount for $100 plus sales tax. Now the company is coming back saying that they made a mistake with the employee price and it should have been set to $198.00 rather than $100. They are demanding that all employees who purchased one at $100 return them or pay the difference.

Can they legally do this?

Is your job worth more than $98+ sales tax?

 

[evenmonkeys]

I can only assume that you make a lot more money than I do. So that being the case.. I understand your comment.

However, that is not the question at hand. The question is.. can this company legally force me to return the product or pay the difference?

 

[cbg]

What law do you think exists that requires them to provide employees with a 50% discount?

 

[BL]

Are you telling us that they do not want to give you 10 to 20 % discount ? Because according to your/their math they think that you should pay $1.00 less that the price .

 

[justalayman]

If you can support the sale was valid at $100 (you didn't scam them in any way), no they are out of luck but as another said, is your job worth it?

 

[BL]

If you can support the sale was valid at $100 (you didn't scam them in any way), no they are out of luck but as another said, is your job worth it?

Awhile back on another forum I visit , Wamart made a mistake on line pricing for a large flat panel TV.

One member on there bought one or two at a big discount .

There loss once they sent it and the buyer received it.

 

[evenmonkeys]

Aright. More information then.

I work for Best Buy. Best Buy has an employee discount set at 5% above cost. If an item is retail for $100, but Best Buy paid $30 for it.. I will pay $31.50 for it (5% above cost). In this situation, the item at hand was set to $100 employee price and the retail was set to $200. So what did I do? I bought the item for $100. I approached a person at the register. They ring it up. I give them my employee ID. It automatically changes to $100. I give them money. Done deal.

Four days later, my manager says I have to pay the difference because it was a mistake on Best Buy's behalf. I'm not asking what the right thing to do is. I'm asking what's legal versus illegal.

 

[justalayman]

Four days later, my manager says I have to pay the difference because it was a mistake on Best Buy's behalf. I'm not asking what the right thing to do is. I'm asking what's legal versus illegal.

You would have to review any employee handbook, manual, policy guide, or anything else that might address the situation. If they did not provide for a remedy in any policy you are required to follow, the item is yours.


be sure to file for unemployment even if you do not believe you would qualify. The state is who makes the decision as to whether you qualify or not.

 

[BL]

You would have to review any employee handbook, manual, policy guide, or anything else that might address the situation. If they did not provide for a remedy in any policy you are required to follow, the item is yours.


be sure to file for unemployment even if you do not believe you would qualify. The state is who makes the decision as to whether you qualify or not.

Seems like there was a change in 2011.

http://www.insidebestbuy.com/2011/07/best-buy-employees-to-see-their.html

 

[swalsh411]

You can be legally fired for refusing to comply. Is this what you want?

 

[Mass_Shyster]

In short, no, they cannot force you, in a court, to pay the difference. They have no legal grounds to do so, and if they take you to court over this, they will lose.

On the other hand, they can fire you for refusing to return the item, and you would not have a successful wrongful termination lawsuit against them.

So, as others have said, is it worth your job?

You can always return the item and say "Sorry about the original packaging - yesterday was trash day".

 

[evenmonkeys]

You can be legally fired for refusing to comply. Is this what you want?

Yeah.. I guess I just don't understand why. I made a purchase, I gave them money and they gave me a receipt. Now they're telling me I can get fired. Sounds completely insane.

 

[swalsh411]

Yeah.. I guess I just don't understand why. I made a purchase, I gave them money and they gave me a receipt. Now they're telling me I can get fired. Sounds completely insane.

The "why" is that there is no law saying they cannot.

 

[ecmst12]

Because they don't need a reason to fire you for one thing. And because insubordination is valid grounds to terminate you even if they DID need a reason.