Shopping around in a liberalised marketplace

I am receiving many letters from consumers complaining about finding that items which they have bought for a certain price are being sold more cheaply from another outlet.

Well, I must point out that we have been and are still moving towards a liberalised economy. There is no place for price control in a liberalised marketplace, with the exception of medicines. In this scenario we must shop around and compare prices. The end result is a 'market-friendly' environment wherein competitive pressure encourages manufacturers to reduce costs and improve quality.

If you do not shop around and buy the item you want from the first outlet you see which supplies it and subsequently you see the same item being sold cheaper in another outlet, you do not have the right to go back to the relevant outlet and demand a refund of the difference in price. I appreciate that this can be frustrating.

"What can we do?," you may ask.

We can share the information with fellow consumers in our column. Are there any readers who are interested in setting up a group of consumers who do most of the shopping in the household with a view to compiling information regarding situations wherein there is a difference in price of the same item between one outlet and another?

If you are interested, write to me.