Hornbach refunds customers if prices drop

Hardware store chain Hornbach is launching a remarkable stunt in the Netherlands: customers are refunded if the product they buy becomes cheaper within thirty days of their purchase.

Proactive refund

The new version of the chain’s lowest price guarantee goes into effect next week. From then on, the company will guarantee consumers the lowest price at the time of purchase and in the thirty days following the purchase. If the purchased product’s price drops during this period, the customer will automatically be refunded the difference, as a credit on future purchases at the retailer.

“Nothing is as annoying as finding out that the paint you bought yesterday has dropped in price today”, Evert de Goede, managing director of Hornbach Nederlands, explains. “As a customer, it makes you feel a bit cheated on.” The lowest price guarantee is valid on the entire Hornbach assortment, which consists of approximately 120,000 products.

To be eligible for the refunds, customers have to open an account through the website or app. Online purchases are automatically registered, while purchases in physical stores can be linked to the account by scanning the barcode on the receipt. The refunded credit will be valid for three years.