JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The price tag at a Lowe's store off Lenox Avenue showed a refrigerator was being sold 90 percent off the original price, but when a military couple went to buy it, the store told them the price was mistake and the store wouldn't honor the price.
The tag showed the $2,999 price was lowered to $298 and even displayed the savings of $2,701.
The store told them price shown was a technical inaccuracy and offered the couple a different discount, even a gift card. But the couple contacted an attorney to help them get the low price, saying it's about the principle.
Amberlei and Mitch Franklin are about to be transferred to a place with limited stores, so they went to Lowe's Wednesday looking for appliances to ship to their new home.
They were shocked by the price. They looked for fine print and even checked the calculated savings to see it it was right.
"I was thinking this is crazy; this can't be right," Amberlei Franklin said. "We found a man working at Lowe's on the floor and flagged him over and said we're ready to purchase this, so we give them the tag and he immediately says, 'Oh, no, we're not going to sell it for this.'"
Amberlei Franklin said that salesman and other managers at the store told her the price was wrong; a misprint; a mistake.
"I asked him, 'Why did you post this if it isn't the right price? Like why did you put this about the fridge if you're not going to honor it?' she asked. "And he said they don't look at the price, they only look at the item number and then they tag it where it needs to go."
Amberlei Franklin decided to call Lowe's corporate office but got the same response: The price tag was a technical inaccuracy.
She says Lowe's offered to sell her the fridge for $1,700, then offered her a $100 gift card. She declined both offers, saying at this point there's only one right way to handle it.
"Getting it for the price that they advertised, and then they should remove it if it's wrong," Amberlei Franklin said. "But they should definitely honor that situation."
Late Thursday, Lowe's corporate spokeswoman Karen Cobb sent News4Jax a statement:
"We strive to be accurate, however unintentional errors may occur. We reserve the right to correct any error. In the interest of customer service, we've reached out to Ms. Franklin to explain our policy. We offered an apology and resolution which Ms. Franklin refused."