If a shop advertise a item at a certain price and then say it was a misprint are they obliged to sell it at the advertised price if so why?

Answer 1

Actually the above answer is incorrect. Basic Law 101: An advertised price is simply a solicitation for an offer, and is not a binding contract. If a shop advertises an item at a certain price and says it is a misprint, it is considered a unilateral mistake, and no court would hold them to the incorrect price.AnswerYes they are obliged, if they refuse cause a stink and threaten with trade descriptions

No, they do not have to sell it at the advertised price. The price tag is what's known as an "Invitation to treat" Which means the the seller is making an offer to sell the item at this price. It might sound crazy, but he still doesn't have to accept the offer. probably the best way to consider is it's a bit like Ebay. An item is advertised to be sold for 1p, but the seller does not need to accept that offer.

Further more, the sale of an item creates a legal contract between the two parties, i.e suitable for purpose, trade description, ect... and one of the first rules of a contract is Agreement, this is formed when one party accepts the offer of another. And a wrongly priced item means the first rule of contract is broken, so it's not legally binding, and therefore the vendor does not have to accept the offer, which is the price tag.