Welcome to the Community @Myki2009,
First I encourage you to search the Community for ‘misleading advertising’ and ‘deceptive advertising’.
You will find many companies engage in the same practices yet very few are acting contrary to law for various reasons.
Catalogues often cover large areas and include small print provisos (Aldi being a prominent one) stating any store may have lots or none of the product.
There are also a few of the opinion that consumer affairs offices are essentially window dressing for government to look good, yet when there is a problem with a business they only step in when the consumer has exhausted all options, and then can only offer relief when they agree the business is ‘at fault’ and the business is willing; when consumer affairs finds against a business and the business does not pay the consumer then has to go to court for an order, and for small amounts that is often not worthwhile so companies learn how to play the game.
Online inventories are notoriously spotty; some companies do it well, others incompetently, and most in-between. They cannot be relied on without ringing the store and if there is stock, the store will often reserve one for you.
If the product was available online you could have purchased it, albeit for the delivery fee. Sometimes delivery fees are not much more, and for regional buyers sometimes less, than the cost of petrol or a public transport fare.
While based on your post you will not agree, but I side with CA of SA, and at the same time agree ‘the system’ needs improving. Some examples posted elsewhere on the Community include but are not limited to
I suggest you consider your poor experience educational at this point and move on. On the day you might have been able to negotiate for free delivery or a backorder if amenable, but after the fact such theoretical options are not helpful.
Other Community members will likely respond with their own views.
