Quick, Grab This $10 HDTV Before It's— Oh Never Mind
It looks like Best Buy's servers decided to call in sick this morning—Casey writes, "This was on their site this morning for about 45 minutes before they corrected the ad." We have a feeling Best Buy isn't going to pull a neat "just keep it, our bad" maneuver like ThinkGeek, however.
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Comments:
If someone bought one at this price, can they legally refuse to complete the transaction?
@JennQPublic: I'm sure their terms of service is riddled with clauses that allow them to cancel any order for almost any reason they can think of.
@JennQPublic: yes. it's not considered false advertising or bait & switch if it's an honest mistake.
Not true on the purchase comment. I saw this at 5am (CT), ordered two, got confirmation e-mails, etc. The purchase still shows in my "track orders" on their site, but they recently changed it to "delivery Date not available; contact Customer Care" on the shipping information.
They state the following on their website now:
8/12 Samsung 52" LCD Pricing Error
08-12-2009 10:26 AM - last edited on 08-12-2009 10:33 AM
This morning, BestBuy.com listed the Samsung 52" LCD HDTV (sku 8749287/model LN52A650) with an incorrect price of $9.99.
We sincerely apologize for this error and make every effort to ensure issues like this do not happen. While we are truly embarrassed that this occurred, Best Buy will not be able to honor the $9.99 price indicated for the TV on our website as it is an error. All current and previous orders made for the TV at this price on BestBuy.com will be cancelled, and customers will be refunded in full for the purchase.
Please refer to our Conditions of Use on BestBuy.com, which include the following:
Errors on Our Site
Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Best Buy reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted and 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 cancelled, Best Buy will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge. Individual bank policies will dictate when this amount is credited to your account. If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, you may return it in accordance with Best Buy's Return Policy.
Again we apologize for any inconvenience.
~Elizabeth
Community Supervisor
Best Buy® Corporate
Yeah, I don't know where that whole, "This TV was marked $9.99 so they HAVE to sell it to me for that price" thing got started. Stores don't have to sell you anything at an obviously mismarked price, people.
When I used to work retail people would constantly pick up an expensive item, then set it back down on the shelf in the space reserved for an inexpensive item-- think $60 videogame sitting where a dollar item should be. Other people would see this and then want to buy the videogame for $1, and be incensed when the store would refuse. "But that's what the tag says, so you HAVE to sell it for that!"
No tin foil hats here, but this is a great way to mine for customer info.
reminds me of the $99 palm pre thing
Directly from Best Buy's web site regarding errors on their page:
"Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Best Buy reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted and 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 cancelled, Best Buy will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge. Individual bank policies will dictate when this amount is credited to your account. If you are not fully satisfied with your purchase, you may return it in accordance with Best Buy's Return Policy."
So, yes, they can and will cancel the orders that were completed for the erronious pricing. Not many people are going to be happy with Best Buy today.
@redskull: actually some states require that if a price is mismarked, you must give the lower of the two prices. so if the price tag says 34.99 but for whatever reason it's in the computer as 24.99, you get it for 24.99. on the other hand if the price tag says 24.99 but it's in the computer as 74.99, you get it for 24.99
Not quite 45 minutes. I checked out and received a confirmation 2.5 hours after the deal was first posted on slickdeals.com (and it began hours before that). It looks like the deal was still on for at least 4 hours, although no one actually expected to get the item.
@redskull: collary to that is that you can't force me to pay $60 if i thought it was only $1. [i always have the right to not buy it]
Not many people are happy with Best Buy anyway.
@redskull: The only time I ever fight about something like that is when there are dozens on the rack/shelf/whatever.
It doesn't surprise me that people would do that... common sense is dead.
I sort of miss the Buy.com Price Mistake of the Day.
@JennQPublic: Yes they can refuse to sell you one, even if the purchase was completed online. It's because of the fact that if a purchase price is so grossly unfair that any reasonable person would understand it to be a mistake, the contract is voidable.
@gStein: You do have a choice not to buy, but a lot of customer's try to use the "oh I fooled you" routine in trying to manipulate businesses into giving them freebies and great deals. It's not a one-sided deal. It is amazing how dishonest people become when they "feel" they are "owed" a lower price just because they discovered a mistake. Their colors change quickly.
Noooo! Don't buy it. It's a Samsung.
@oslick: A reader reported getting through checkout and to the point that his card was charged, but they will probably cancel the order later.
a similar thing happened to me a few years ago when Amazon had a 55" Projection TV for like 400 bucks. It was like 75 percent off, and I had ordered one for kicks to see if it was a real deal. Alas it wasn't meant to be. Amazon had denied all purchases for the TV, saying that there was a "glitch" in the system.. all well.. Didn't need it anyhow..
They just canned my order for one. I knew I probably wouldn't get it and I might be out $10 but I ordered it anyways for a laugh.
It will be worth $10 to see my brothers face later today when I show him my confirmation number for a $10 52" LCD when he just bought a $799 42" LCD yesterday.
I'm also expecting a broken nose as well...
Its sad sites publish this .. people who got the deal before it went away might have got a sweet present before it went mainstream ..people who say "oh that's stealing" are just bitter
I went one step further and tried to order it then went to the store as soon as it opened and confirmed that they were denying me the product, then contacted the BBB. I also called their corporate headquarters and got them to admit that they think their "terms and conditions" are above united states law. Either way they're going to get bad PR. And it IS bait and switch because it is clearly specified that you can indeed pick it up in store. and that it's in stock at many locations. Not to mention I was denied the product when i showed up at the store. well, poor business practices won't get my money, they never have.
They should at least give the people a $25 giftcard
@JennQPublic: Yeah, the story I saw in my feeds this morning had a screencap of the relevant portion of the terms of service.
The gizmodo story this morning indicated a shipping charge of $80, so I figured that since BB wasn't likely to honor what is so obviously a mistake, I'd be better off not taking this ride. I'd guess that it would take them and my bank a few weeks to sort this out.
My husband ordered 7 of them. Figured it was at least worth a try. His didn't charge anything for shipping though. ;)
One time I ordered a laptop from ABt.com was an amazing price on a Sony Vaio, it even shipped and my CC was charged. Then 1 day later they did a delivery intercept and canceled the order. I was pissed.
@redskull:
This would only set a precedent for retailers to retract any special deals or sales. This will just let ignorant employees and ego-tripping managers take away your coupons or retract whatever special deal advertised in the mail or on TV because it's simply a "computer error". It's like places that pledge to price match, but don't price match if you try it. And just like sponica mentioned, that's exactly why some states have that law to prevent retailers from screwing consumers.
@JonThomasDesigns: So Best Buy would have honored the $10 price if we'd all just hush up about it? Pfft.
@Laura Northrup: I can second that. My friend ordered one and convinced me to attempt the same. I tried half an hour after he did but received an error at the shipping page.
This story made some very small waves and will end with many unhappy customers. If they honored it, not saying they have to or even should, I'm just saying if they CHOSE TO honor it, they'd have some extremely happy customers and more press than the money they lose in the transactions could have bought.
@neko613:
I disagree with your use of the phrase "prevent retailers from screwing customers." Correcting a price mistake isn't "screwing customers."
Is there not any consolation for consumers rights in this sort of situation?
Although it is obviously a mistake and Best Buy protects themselves with a clause relating to erroneous pricing, it is still an act of deceptive fraud regardless. Consumers have the right to know what they are buying, and that all necessary information is included before authorizing a transaction.
If a consumer were to consent to said represented price and electronically signs a contract relating to such transaction - they may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because an electronic signature or electronic record was used in its formation (As per the Global and National Commerce Act, Title 15 Ch. 96 United States Code).
An organization of the Federal Trade Commission called the Bureau of Consumer Protection mandates deceptive acts or practices in commerce.
What, if any other legal rights does the consumer have in such a situation? Share your comments!
@kduhtoe: I ordered one. I have an order confirmation from Best Buy listing the price.
I'm waiting to see if it shows up on my credit card. We'll see what happens.
$90 after shipping if you were wondering.
My friends and I ordered about 30 of these (very early) this morning.
All of the orders went through, and even a couple of them had cards charged and delivery dates confirmed.
Oh well... I knew there was no chance this would slip through.
@sponica: Sponica:
I'm not talking about an item with an actual mismarked price, I'm talking about a pricey item wrongly shelved in the place of an inexpensive one.
@JonThomasDesigns: I'm not expecting anything.
Anyone who legitimately expects a 52 Inch TV for $10 is a jackass.
I ordered an HD camcorder from Amazon for $7.99, actually 3 of them. When I got them they were 25ft headphone extensions. But the good news is that I called the company to tell them that, because it was not my fault, I'd return the cables but not pay for return shipping. They said "keep 'em". So now I have 75 feet of headphone extensions in my closet.
So is it a 52" TV or is it in a class of 52" TVs? Is there a difference?! God I hope not.
Think geek never pulled a you keep it thing. They had already shipped the items. They had no choice. If Best Buy accidentally ships tv sold for 10 bucks, they would be forced by law to do the same thing as thinkgeek.
Doesn't matter. They wouldn't let you actually purchase it. It would fail at every attempt to check out.