OFT warns food shoppers to double check prices at the till 

Several food retailers found to be misleading customers

People are being urged to check the price of their shopping at the till after the Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading (OFT) identified a number of issues during recent inspections.

The OFT says its staff recently inspected 31 food retailers across the Island to ensure customers were charged the prices advertised and that special offers were honoured.

Businesses are legally required to communicate prices clearly, including VAT where appropriate, to prevent misleading indications such as false reductions or hidden charges.

However more than half of those inspected were issued with advisory enforcement notices for issues including:

• Prices paid differing from those displayed on shelves or products
• Expired promotions still advertised when full price was charged
• Poor or misleading labelling

It confirmed around a third of the premises have been re-inspected and all but two had made the necessary changes to meet the required standards.

OFT Chairman Tim Glover said: "It is disappointing that so many problems were identified, and our team will continue visits.

"However, it isn't possible to monitor all retailers at all times, so it’s important that the public contact the OFT when they encounter pricing errors or regularly mispriced goods."

Shoppers can report incorrect or misleading prices, confusing offers, or false advertising by calling 686500 or emailing general.fairtrading@gov.im.

Reports can be made anonymously.