Tie-in sale
Also called: Tying, Tie-in arrangement, Tied selling · Topic: Consumer Rights and Consumer Protection · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 5 "Consumer Rights"
Meaning
A tie-in sale lets you buy the product you want only if you also buy another product. This takes away the consumer's right to choose. A seller can do this when it has market power. It can also be an anti-competitive "tie-in arrangement" under the Competition Act 2002, Section 3(4). Anti-competitive means it harms fair competition between sellers.
Example
A gas dealer gives a new LPG connection only if the customer also buys a stove from the dealer. Another example is a shop that sells toothpaste only together with a toothbrush.
Don't confuse with
- Combo offer: in a combo offer, the buyer can still buy each item separately and chooses the bundle freely. In a tie-in sale, the buyer is forced to take both.
Related concepts
- Consumer rights
- Right to safety
- Right to information
- Product labelling
- Maximum Retail Price
- Right to choose