Medina man battled to get Target to honor its lowest price guarantee

MEDINA, Ohio - Rob McCulloch of Medina is like many of us, he's always looking to find the best price on merchandise, especially during the holiday shopping season.

"I love Target, I've spent thousands there in just the past year," said McCulloch. But two weeks ago, McCulloch said he got into "a little price battle" with Target store management over a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner.

"I paid $44.99 for the vacuum on Novemebr 24, but two days later it was listed in a newspaper advertisement for just $28," said McCulloch. "I took my receipt and the ad to the store, but mangement refused to give me the lower price."

McCulloch cited the Target  "price adjustment policy" to store customer service personel, a policy currently posted on the Target Corporate website . 

The policy on the website states; "If you see a lower price listed in one of our Target Weekly Ads, we will adjust the price of your order to match the advertised price if you purchased the item within 1-7 days prior to the ad."

Despite his effort, store management still refused to give McCulloch the lower price on his vacuum, so he contacted "guest services" at Target Corporate headquaters.  

Guest services quickly confirmed the Target "price adjustment policy" posted on-line, and McCulloch was given the discount he had been fighting for.

"Keep your receipt, the advertisement and be persistent," said McCulloch. "It's important consumers know store policies, it can save them significant time and money."

Five On Your Side contacted Target Corporate Headquarters about this case and the company quickly responded with this statement:

"Target’s ultimate goal is for our guests to have an exceptional shopping experience." " We apologize for any inconvenience in this case and can confirm the guest was given a price adjustment for the purchase." "Target’s policy is designed with the guest in mind and our stores are routinely educated on policies and procedures."

Shoppers should feel free to contact a merchant's corporate customer service hotline if they aren't getting the help they need at the store level.  Store policies are almost always posted online on the retailer's national website.

A comprehensive list of store "price gaurantee" and "price adjustment" policies can be found by logging onto the Pricepinx.com . The site also gives consumers "price drop alerts" at dozens of retail outlets.