CompUSA: This Video Card Is $114. Whoops! Just Kidding!
Joe was browsing through his CompUSA catalog and noticed a good deal on a video card, but when he tried to order it he was told that it was a misprint and that CompUSA wouldn't be honoring the advertised price.
I've always been a good customer for Compusa, even after their local stores here closed and they went to catalog and online sales only. I've ordered a full computer for my inlaws less than 3 months ago, and several parts from their online or catalog advertising they send me via mail or email.
This week I received a catalog in the mail from Compusa. The front says Vol. I Issue 6BE. I was paging through the catalog like I normally do to see what they have. I noticed a videocard that looked to be a good deal and I was interested in it. I tried to order this card yesterday morning.
The videocard is a Visiontek Radeon HD 3870 X2 Overclocked Edition which is advertised in the catalog on page 54 for $114.99 twice including a picture of the actual card. When I went to their website I saw the card was $399.99 at this link:
I thought, wow, what a good deal. I must have to call into the # on the catalog to get this pricing they are advertising. So I called into the # on the catalog (1-800-COMPUSA) and waited to talk to a sales rep. A guy answered the phone and I told him I received the catalog mailer and would like to order a video card. He asked for the part # and I said V261-3874. He said ok, and asked for the priority code listed on the back of the catalog I received. I told him that info was KFE-2801. He said ok, I see we have that card for $399.99, how many would you like? I said I am interested but the catalog pricing shows $114.99 not only once, but twice in the ad with a picture of the videocard.
I was put on hold for several minutes. He returned talking frantic and said that it was a misprint in the ad and that their cost for the card was much more than the advertised price. I said ok, but I want the advertised price, it wasn't an error in one spot, you show this card part # for $114.99 twice on the same page. He said they would not honor the mistake and that if I wanted one I would have to pay $399.99 for it. I said, what are you doing for those who got the mailer with this pricing. He became rude and told me I was one of about 600 people who tried to call in and get this deal and they are not helping anyone for that type of price. He immediately went on to ask me if there was anything else I would like to order instead. I asked again if they were honoring their advertised pricing and he said no and have a good day.
Typically, stores aren't required obvious misprints such as a car for $200.00, etc. Things get a little foggy when the misprint isn't obviously a typo. Usually what a reputable store will do in a situation like this is to post a notice informing their customers that there's been a misprint. For example, placing a notice on the CompUSA website would have been the appropriate thing to do in this case. What's not ok is to wait for their customers to call about the mistake and then offer to sell them the video card at a higher price. CompUSA should be making an effort to inform their customers that there's been a misprint in their catalog.
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Comments:
In any case it's pretty obvious that the ad is a misprint. Just because it's in 2 places doesn't change that. They have a clear policy on how misprints work as well:
Typographical Errors
In the event a product is listed at an incorrect price or with incorrect information due to typographical error or error in pricing or product information received from our suppliers, CompUSA.com shall have the right to refuse or cancel any orders placed for product listed at the incorrect price. CompUSA.com shall have the right to refuse or cancel any such orders whether or not the order has been confirmed and your credit card charged. If your credit card has already been charged for the purchase and your order is canceled, CompUSA.com shall immediately issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge.
Yawn.
Why do they have an "Add to Cart" button in a print ad?
@testsicles: I was thinking the same thing! The only thing I could come up with is "because it's CompUSA"
I dont see how that is an obvious mistake. Now if it was $39.99 then I can see that as a problem.
@satoru: Its policies like that, that lets them do whatever they want with the price makes me mad because they can get away with anything.
@midwestkel: Unless they feel like just pointing out that the lower end of the same model number is $80ish more than the mispriced card.
"and thus begins the Tigerdirectification of the old CompUSA brand."
Great line!
@midwestkel: But the problem is CompUsa doesn't make,typeset, and print the catalog. This is why ads in the paper and catalogs have the typographical error warning. Also, as long as they post a sign or something in store, they have alerted you that there was an error, and don't have to honor it. Signs IN STORE, however, are produced by the store, so they have to honor them.
As noted above, this is not the CompUSA that you used to deal with. As lame as they were before they were far more inept than shady. Tiger Direct is the opposite and that's who you're actually dealing with. Why do you think they wanted the CUSA brand to hide behind? Because so many people have learned to not deal with Tiger that the only way they could stay in business was to make people think they were dealing with a reputable company.
Cry me a river. You got pwned. No, they're not going to give you a $400 product for $114. Would you go into business and basically pay for something and effectively give it out to people for a FOURTH of the price you paid? No, that's not good business. I think it's funny that the first place you complain is here. Move along, nothing to see here.
Human error is allowed. More courteous customer service should be expected, though if "600 people" have called, the operator should have more of a rote answer at the ready.
@Git Em SteveDave has a crush on the Swedes:
That's not entirely true. Ad's are not offers (generally), thus they don't HAVE to honor them. There might be a state law saying they get fined if they don't, but they won't be compelled to sell it at the wrong price.
In Quebec, they'd have to. If you got a flyer with a price on it, and the store has the item they HAVE to sell it to you at that price. Same with a mis-print in store.
@Jbball: It's bad business not to check your ads, or as some have said, post "mistakes" to lure customers in.
The funny thing is that if I noticed a place constantly made such "mistakes" on hot items I wouldn't give them any business, so I can't see how (even if this is a conspiracy) it would work to bolster business - most people I know would boycott such establishments.
First of all, I have to say, I love how people like you always have to talk about how much business you have given the company. Even if you spent $100,000 all in one trip, life still goes on for that company and they still have to make money and pay bills. Next, as a CSR working in the same type of business (catalog and online sales), it's sucky that they wouldn't honor the price after you rolled on the floor crying making a scene, but too bad. It was a mistake probably made by the catalog printing company.
How is a misprinted price (or intentional misleading advertising) news?
How do sales call representatives get paid? Is a portion of it by the number of calls they handle? Because a misprint like this would likely increase the number of calls received.
funny, I never heard all the TD bashing until now. I've had nothing but excellent service from them for years. I just got a new HD and some RAM a few days ago.
@heavylee-again: Because the senior editor of the site thinks it is interesting. And I agree with her.
It allows consumers to make a well informed decision when they are looking for a reliable vendor to deal with.
Tiger and CompUSA have a long history of not being completely honest.
@Jbball: Welcome to Conusmerist, you must be new here.
Seriously, if it's printed at $114, they damn sure better honor it, and we as the consumer have every reason to believe that they should. Compensation should at least be offered for their mistake.
Blaming the consumer is a time honored tradition here, but when a company openly fucks up like this, Consumerist is the first place we have to go when no compensation is offered.
Seriously, buzz off you corporate shill.
I guarantee in the disclaimers section of the catalog, there's a clause allowing CompUSA to not honor any misprints.
If you're the one to bring it to their attention first, maybe they should give you the price, then post a notice and not honor it again.
But this isn't Consumerist material - it's just a price mistake. If they have language in their catalog saying they don't have to honor price mistakes, then they don't have to.
That is a pretty glaringly obvious misprint. I would certainly have called to try to order one, but my surprise level would have been very low upon being told it was a mistake.
...Which it obviously is.
Mistake does not automatically mean customer profit.
"Typically, stores aren't required obvious misprints such as a car for $200.00, etc. Things get a little foggy when the misprint isn't obviously a typo."
Ummmm, that isn't true whatsoever. I typically support Consumerist, but it is this kind of misinformation that is so dangerous, and creates an attitude of entitlement that isn't supported by case law.
This blog should be about accuracy, and promoting consumerism, not sensationalism, attitudes of entitlement, and misinformation that I am starting to see more of lately.
For the record, I think they should have honored the price as a gesture of good will to the customer, because that is good business, but your assertion that they are legally bound to is garbage.
I implore you to do a bit more research before recklessly running your mouth.
@Captain_Collide:
Compensation? Compensation for WHAT? The OP wasn't inconvenienced in anyway, they didn't rely on the ad to their detriment, why in god's name should they be compensated? There was no injury to compensate for!
Under what authority do you make these claims? A moral authority that the company owes it to the consumer? How do you quantify your damages? Were they reliance damages? Why does the company OWE the consumer money.
If they want to provide something to the consumer, then they do so in a gesture of good faith and good will, but they sure as hell aren't forced within the bounds of moral authority to do so.
Your sense of entitlement is fabulous though. Are you on welfare by any chance?
Anyone who tried to cash in on that typo knew damned well that it wasn't the REAL price for it (an not just some crazy sale) so seriously, suck it up and pay the actual price or don't complain when the company tells you it's a mistake.
No company has to honour a mis-printed price, no matter how good a deal the typo presents.
@dialing_wand: If you are correct (not saying you aren't), Canada would have quite a bastardized interpretation of contract law. Ads aren't considered advertisements. A lot of that is for consumer protection as well. If ads or prices were really offers, at what point is acceptance? When you pick up the item? If you put the item back, would that be a breach of contract etc?
The price itself is considered an invitation to negotiate, and your attempt to purchase the item is an offer. The company receiving your money and giving you the product is acceptance of that offer.
Come on guys. This is simple, yet people seem to get it wrong so much...and consumerist is promoting this misinformation.
Did this reader really think he was going to get that card for that price? If he did hes a straight up jackass. If he knows anything about graphics cards he would have automatically known this was a misprint.
@etc: Sorry buddy, they put it in print. They can't just decide to not honor their claim; Where does it stop after that? Companies need to be held accountable for their mistakes like this.
I'm more upset at the people who think that this consumer was unreasonable in his expectation for CompUSA to honor their own price.
Nice personal attack by the way; no I'm not on welfare. Why are you so committed to defending their decision to not honor their own advertisement? You're obviously on the wrong website.
No, you just have a very puerile and elementary grasp of our legal system, and what constitutes reliance damages etc. Who say they can't decide not to honor their claim? You? Because the law doesn't say that.
As consumers, it is a give and take. You are the type that feels entitled, so it is all take take take. The price being in print is irrelevant. If they honored the price, they would be going above and beyond. Companies make mistakes too, and in a catalog of millions of products, it is to be expected. I have had company's honor their price mistakes before, and I view it as a gesture of good will, and I am impressed, but they are by no means obligated to do so.
Captain, it is people like you that give consumerist.com a bad name. It is entitled sensationalists like you that make consumerist seem like a mob. You ultimately do consumers and consumerist a disservice with your attitude.
Snide as it might be, it wasn't meant solely as an insult...it was a legitimate question.
I am not on the wrong website at all. I am hear to defend consumer rights and privileges. You are hear just to bitch and troll. Who do you think does consumers more service?
Anyone with half a mind would realize that the card price was a typo. If dell had an offer for a $50 laptop that was top of the line, would you expect them to honor it?
Printed ads are not a contract, and not an offer. Had he seen that in the store, then he would have a leg to stand on. But trying to call the store to cash in on a blatant typo deserves nothing at all.
Just because they printed it and you got it in the mailbox, does not mean they are obligated to give you the price.
@Captain_Collide: Oh please. The ad was wrong. If they printed $389.99, and somebody wanted to order it, I'd say they were dicks for not honoring it.
Nobody was shocked when Wal-Mart cancelled tens of thousands of orders for Super Smash Brothers a few months ago when it was listed on their Web site for $20, because it was obvious that it was incorrect. This is the same thing. The company doesn't owe anybody shit beyond an apology. It was an error, plain and simple.
The 3870 X2 would never ever be offered at $114, it normally retails for 4x that. This is like seeing a plasma tv on sale for $100 and bitching when you find out its a mistake.
Well let's say they purposefully make these errors because they know that people who call up to order, often "bundle" things together. Like, well, the video card is a good deal so I'll order that and while I'm at it, I'll order the X and Y thing I need too. A good percentage of these people, upon hearing there's a typo, will go through at least with the other order since they're ready to make a purchase.
At what point does that become a problem for consumers?
For instance, look at the price list.
3870 - $194.99
3870 X2 - $114
A 3870 X2 is exactly what it says it is - its two 3870 chips on one card. Why would it be offered up for half the price of a single gpu card? That's mad.
@tripR6: I dunno. I sometimes have to buy older electronic equipment for my job due to compatibility issues and many times the rep will tell me I can get the new and improved model for cheaper but that's not what I need, I need the older, not-as-good model and it's often more expensive.
@etc: It's not a matter of legality. I'm by no means saying that CompUSA is criminal for not giving up the card.
But I think it's shady when a company claims a price in print, and makes no effort to redact that claim unless someone goes all the way to buy the product, only to be told that it was a mistake.
How are you defending consumer's rights and privileges by dismissing a store's widely published mistake, and subsequent unwillingness to rectify the situation, either by compensation, or simple correction of their mistake, as a simple error that has not inconvenienced the consumer in any way?
The simple fact of the matter is that the consumer was lied to, and the company made no effort to make right on their mistake. Big companies like this aren't on the level of the Burger King cashier who bungled your order. When they make a mistake like this, it is up to them to try to appeal to their consumer base, not shift blame and refuse customer service.
What's sick is what you view as 'above and beyond' should be the standard in business these days, but we've become so willing to swallow the bitter pill of average customer service.
I normally don't accuse the consumer, but ARE YOU F**KING STUPID? It was a misprint. Let it go. No need to give the guy on the phone a hard time, and most def no reason to post this to the consumerist?
The consumerist used to be about valid complaints where is a buisness was really screwing the consumer. More and more ofteen the consumerist is a place where people whine about there not so perfect customer expieriences, or they not getting what they want.
If I saw that cataloge I would of called comp usa to ask if that is the correct price. On hearing misprint I would of just hung up. What a freakin idiot. When the phone rep says it is a misprint and you keep hasseling him about it? YOU'RE A JACK ASS! It isn't like you paid for the card and then didn't get it because it was priced wrong. All you did was call a number, they don't owe you anything.
MORON!!!!!!
All I need to do is quote your post to refute it.
In one sentence you concede it was a mistake, in another you accuse them of lying.
From the looks of above, your fellow "consumerists" aren't exactly concurring with your entitlement attitude.
The question was posed earlier, which you fail to respond to. What compensation do you think is justified?
On one hand you characterize their corrective actions as "appealing to their consumer base", but that seems to be far different than the moral standard by which you are holding the company.
They made a mistake. You don't get to get your product for 25% of the retail price. Tough shit. Having been on both ends of the spectrum, I know that this stuff happens. Maybe perspective is something that YOU lack.
The fact is, you hold the company duly responsible for a mistake, and that is demonstrative of your way of thinking. Just know that your entitlement sentiment isn't shared by most of your fellow consumers.
If you made a mistake, would you be so bold as to blame yourself? If you overpaid your phone bill, wouldn't you demand the disparity to be refunded?
If you have proof that they did it intentionally, please share it. I am not willing to swallow any pills, period, but I am not going to hold a company to some ridiculous standard because of some self-created moral authority.
Hey $399 is a pretty good deal!
$50 off the retail price!
This is a top of the line ATI chip and it's just stupid for thinking you could get it for $115.
It is an obvious typo.
It is like selling a top of the line car for 1/4 of the MSRP price. But regardless of that they do have a typo disclaimer so I think Consumerist should remove this article.
Ah, this is nothing compared to the Intel e8400 processor fiasco in which C-USA took orders at $139.99 and shipped them, only to have UPS do a package recall. They claimed that they sent the wrong items when in fact it was a price mistake. Some people got them, others did not. Others were able to complain (like I did) and ended up with the processor(s) re-sent to them at the $139.99 price. It was a complete mess.
A purchase is a business transaction. For it to work right, both parties need to feel ok with the deal.
They aren't going to take a loss on a product, and if you feel they didn't do the right thing, buy nothing, and decide if the offense was enough to cause you to never shop there ever again.
Please these companies pull this crap daily. I have no sympathy for them. They should have honored the price and done a write off, then employee training on how to correctly price items.
CDW pulled this on us at work. We saw an HP color printer on a mailer THEY sent us and then they claimed that the mailer didnt exist!!! We faxed them a copy and argued until we were blue in the face no dice.. BUT IT DOESNT END THERE!!! CDW sent us the printers ANYWAY at the full marked up price! We refused delivery and they were returned. CDW could not understand why we were unhappy paying 400-500$ for a printer that is 185 at Sam's club.
Go on Pricewatch. Try to find the prices that match the listed prices AFTER going to the website to buy some of those products... Try Amazon... Prices always seem to be higher for the ones that actually have the product in stock.
Kmart, Sears, Staples, circuit city and Best buy have been playing fast and loose with prices for a while now.
The right thing to do would have been to sell it at the listed price... But after doing business with Comptiger he is lucky to have not purchased what was probably a used and damaged product.
V
@etc: Since we're obviously not changing each other's mind, ill share my last thought, then stop polluting the board with arguments.
"If you made a mistake, would you be so bold as to blame yourself? If you overpaid your phone bill, wouldn't you demand the disparity to be refunded?"
The difference is that the customer is not representative of an organization, nor are they trying to keep anyone's loyalty. If i go over on my AT&T bill, I would love for them to give me the benefit of the doubt, since I made a mistake. However, if THEY make the mistake, I 100% demand a correction. Now I realize that that example involves me receiving personal damage, but there is the difference. I am not a huge multi-million dollar organization.
I recognize that the consumer was not damaged irreparably, nor terribly inconvenienced, but I do think it comes down to accountability. If companies aren't required to honor a print error, then what's to stop them from also refusing to honor sticker prices in store that were carelessly mislabeled (which happens quite a bit from what you can read here.)
I'm trying not to come off as being too entitled, as that usually irritates me as much as my rabble is no doubt irritating you (such as people who make a fuss about getting their receipt checked, and cause more trouble over nothing) but I do think that the company is in the wrong here.
To answer your question, appropriate compensation would be something as simple as an additional 10% off of the sale price of the card for people who were mislead by the print ad. Acknowledge that there was a mistake, and take the next step to offer some discount since they inadvertently advertised a price that they cannot meet.
@Captain_Collide:
Being "misled" is not injury, and deserves no compensation. While it would be nice if they offered it, one should not expect it.
@etc: Whoa dude! Back off the personal attack already. He posted the one comment as an opinion, not as fact.
@dialing_wand: Bullshit. The law concerns only merchandise in-store, only and only if it's not labeled with the price individually, while there is a general price tag for this product, that shows a erroneous price at the cash.
Flyers/other typed of advertisements do not apply at all.
I've seen assholes demanding that a young sales rep at a local pop and mom electronics shop, gave them a price (which was obviously wrong in the flier). Luckily for him, I know well this law, and I manage to nag them about EXACT terms. (Also, not being store's employee permitted me to be veeery snarky and short with those 2 jerks.)
@Captain_Collide: Have you ever noticed, occasionally companies pose disclaimers near cashes in-store, stating the typing mistake in the latest advertisement, that they won't honor.
If it's an occasional mistake, a company still has its credibility. And it does not ENTITLE anyone to ''free-for-all''. (Remember fake ads on Craiglist that wrote ''open doors, come and take stuff for free.'' How many people came and STOLE items, even with real owners on the premises, whining ''it was advertised, you own us'')
And you are acting entitled. Greed is not a nice quality, since in this case NO transaction took place yet.
And thus begins the Tigerdirectification of the old CompUSA brand.
TigerDirect has ALWAYS done this. They have been posting price "mistakes" for years, and it is obvious that itis done on purpose.
CompUSA sucked, but TigerDirect will manage to make it even worse.