Note: I'm not actually angry. But my mother was. And there's really nowhere else to put this.
12 August, 2009
'Round about last night, people started discovering a deal too good to be true at this Best Buy page which is now gone. Not to worry -- I thought ahead and got a screenshot and web archive for your enjoyment. You may need to right-click the web archive link and select your Save [Target] As option first.
While the TV was impossibly cheap, many people found it easier to believe once they saw the shipping charge of $70. Now, it probably does cost $70 to ship a 52-inch TV anywhere, but if you try to think of anyone you know who would actually know how to figure that, you'll see how we came into a problem here. I'm not up on all the laws on false advertising, failure to deliver what's been paid for at the agreed-upon price, and how they're affected by human or database error, but it's surely going to hit the fan before the day is out.
My mother bought the TV last night (like anyone with enough money laying around) and received confirmation:
Order Date: 08/12/2009 Order Number: *BBY01-297446027515* *Order Summary* Qty. Product Description Delivery Information Total 1 *Samsung - 52" Class / 1080p / 120Hz / LCD HDTV* LN52A650 SKU: 8749287 Scheduled for Delivery: *08/20/2009* [address removed] *$9.99*
Much to no one's surprise, she received another e-mail from Best Buy today:
Dear [MOM], There was a pricing error on the Samsung 52" LCD HDTV; as a result, your order will be cancelled and you will not be charged for this item. We are sorry for this error and apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions concerning our policies, please review the "Conditions of Use" which are found at www.BestBuy.com. Please note that while your credit card hasn't been charged for the cancelled item(s), the authorization for funds may still reserve available account funds. Authorizations for funds generally expire after 7 days, but some credit cards may keep them open for a full billing cycle. Please contact your credit card company with questions you may have on their process. If you used a gift card for this order and no longer have it, please call us toll-free at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289) and we will send you a replacement. Please do not hesitate to contact us with additional questions. We are sorry for this error and apologize for any inconvenience. The Customer Care Team
My mother is a bit more stubborn than I thought, and sent this:
*Order Number* - if applicable BBY01-297446027515 (BBY01-9999999999) *Questions or Comments* I ordered this item in good faith and you sent me an email saying this item had a pricing error. I'm sorry for your pricing mistake but I still expect to receive the item I ordered, at the posted price at the time I ordered it. Please confirm my preferred delivery date of August 20, 2009. Thank you. [name removed]
And in good faith it was. My mother and I are both fairly fans of Best Buy. We could do nothing but assume that this was some brilliant marketing strategy. Wow, ten-dollar TV? Well, who wouldn't go for that? Seventy-dollar shipping? Aha, that's where they get you, but it's still a nice deal -- and people who don't keep up with the prices of TVs wouldn't know better.
"There was an online pricing error on a 52-inch Samsung television this morning," a Best Buy spokeswoman said. "We have corrected the issue and apologize for the confusion this may have caused. We will not be honoring the incorrect price and, again, apologize for the mistake."
Best Buy's online policy claims the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors -- but after the fact? Legality aside, Best Buy are going to have a fun PR ride here. Also, "Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice." But, again, after being paid for? This has the uncomfortable feeling of a bait and switch, but they are fortunately making refunds. This isn't good enough for some people.
In possibly related news, Best Buy's stock fell by twenty-four twenty-seven cents today.
According to Personal Money Store, Best Buy circulated this message:
To recent victims for our price error on BestBuy's Samsung LCD monitor, we will only allow the first 5 orders to be delivered. The following orders for the model LN52A650 will be canceled and BestBuy will reimburse your payment and follow our 'Errors on Our Site' procedure. Best Buy will issue a credit to your credit card account in the amount of the charge. BestBuy, Inc. apologizes for this inconvenience.
Now this is something. The first five orders? What's stopping them being refunded? Now we have a discrepancy and inequality. Now we have real basis for bitching and grounds for disgruntlement.
Said website also mentions the possibility that some TVs were shipped before the error could be corrected and the news circulated. As my mother ordered hers in the wee hours of this morning, I highly doubt she'll be getting one unless she fights for it, but even then a company like Best Buy has more time, money, and lawyers than my mother does.
This should be fun. I'll update as it updates.
Current Comments
2 comments so far (post your own)
The "Only the first five orders" makes me think this may have been originally intended as a promotion of some kind. The physical store analogy would be "The first five customers in the door get a 52" TV for $10!"
Posted by Zimmie on 31Aug09 @ 2219 EDT | #57
Ha, wouldn't that be a stampede to behold!
Posted by Jack Aviado on 31Aug09 @ 2221 EDT | #58