03-19-2003, 05:30 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Amazon Cancels Cheap iPaq Orders
"Amazon.com says it won't fill the orders of customers who took advantage of a pricing mistake on its U.K. site to buy iPaq handheld computers for less than $12 on Wednesday. The company said that its terms of use strictly state that no contract for sale has been formed until customers receive an e-mail stating that their order has shipped, meaning it has no obligation to hand out Hewlett-Packard iPaqs at rock-bottom prices. "We will be canceling orders made for the HP iPaq Pocket PCs at the incorrect price this morning," the company said in a statement."
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03-19-2003, 05:32 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Re: Amazon Cancels Cheap iPaq Orders
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Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
Source: 874 different people
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Oh! Wait! I think we just got an 875th submission. :lol:
Seriously, people make mistakes. This is nothing new. There was a big hullabaloo when a company put up the then-brand-spanking-new GeForce4 Ti4600 for something like $99, when it was retailing for $499 or so. A friend of mine tried to order one, but it never actually went through.
--janak
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03-19-2003, 05:47 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 224
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Seriously, I think people should know well enough that this is a price mistake. And it's fine if you placed the order, but don't be surprised if it does not ship.
Amazon makes it very clear that they have no obligation to sell/ship the product to the customer since the customer has not been charged yet. They have the policy that "we don't charge you until your order has shipped".
I placed an order for a free Handspring Treo (it was supposed to be free AFTER rebates when you sign up for service). They made a mistake and sold the item for $0. Well, not too long after, I receive an email saying that this was a price mistake and that it would not ship. Duh. I mean, if I get it for $0, great. If not, well, I wasn't expecting them to sell it for that price anyway.
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03-19-2003, 06:31 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 17
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seems amazon.co.uk dont stock ANY ipaq 54xx's right now.. in fact the only ipaqs listed are second hand ones... go to electronics and do a search for ipaq...
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03-19-2003, 07:00 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 11
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I got PoQuick (now MasterSoft) Money from Handango for $3 this way a couple months ago. At the time I wasn't sure if it was a promotion or a mistake. I don't think I would have had any right to be bitter if they had cancelled the sale or even forced a return within a reasonable time.
I mean, how would you like it if you handed over too much money for something, and when you caught your error the company said they had accepted the money in good faith and had no intention of returning it? Isn't that essentially what is happening (in the other direction, of course) when your deal is a steal and you refuse to allow a correction?
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03-19-2003, 07:12 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DanNotDan
I got PoQuick (now MasterSoft) Money from Handango for $3 this way a couple months ago.
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Note that, though, this is software, which is a substantially different beast than hardware. I do believe that was a promotion, but I might be wrong.
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I mean, how would you like it if you handed over too much money for something, and when you caught your error the company said they had accepted the money in good faith and had no intention of returning it?
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There are various channels to file complaints with. However, this only works if you are truly being gouged. Note that MSRPs are just that - "suggested". You'll see a wide variety of prices in the market, including those that are above if the item is hard to get.
--janak
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03-19-2003, 07:13 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,060
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Legally, Amazon would not even be required to have that clause in their policies. It has been established that an advertised price is simply an "offer" to trade and does not constitute any kind of contractual agreement. Otherwise, all the numbskulls out there who put up signs with ".99�" when they meant "99�" would go out of business.
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03-19-2003, 07:30 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 416
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Does anybody remember a while back the airline that had a price error online and several people got round-trip tickets to Paris for about $100? The airline originally refused to honour it (which makes sense) but then decided to go ahead and eat it and honour the tickets.. :werenotworthy:
Now that's my type of company! 
I don't expect that however... and wouldn't be upset if they cancelled my iPaq order...
__________________
"And then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies' plan. By mixing a little truth with it they had made their lie far stronger."-C.S. Lewis
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03-19-2003, 09:17 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,264
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by lurch
Does anybody remember a while back the airline that had a price error online and several people got round-trip tickets to Paris for about $100? The airline originally refused to honour it (which makes sense) but then decided to go ahead and eat it and honour the tickets.. :werenotworthy:
Now that's my type of company!
I don't expect that however... and wouldn't be upset if they cancelled my iPaq order... |
Quesiton for discussion, Is it morally/ethically right to place an order for something that you have good reason to know is a pricing error?
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03-19-2003, 10:01 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Goldkey
Quesiton for discussion, Is it morally/ethically right to place an order for something that you have good reason to know is a pricing error?
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Hmm, that's indeed an interesting question. I'll guardedly say "yes", because retail prices are suggested, not mandatory.
--janak
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