Online pricing errors - Fair game or what?

[aeonf242]

I just thought I'd try to poll opinion of the subject of online pricing errors, you know when Dell have a projector on their website for £20 when it's really worth £2,000.

There seem to be roughly 3 camps :

1. Those who take advantage of the error and if it works cool, if not nevermind

2. Those who think that the error is very fair game and indeed the company involved has a legal and moral right to honour the error. (Normally words used like, Trading standards, Lawyer, etc)

3. Those who hink the errors is just that and that people who take advantage of it are being immoral.

What do you think?

[Howard]

Errors are good if you end up with the bargain, and if not then fair enough

[silent ben]

If a company makes a mistake then it should be their choice wether to honour it as long as they have something in the disclaimer saying "we reserve the right not to sell a product if the price is wrong". If they dont, then they should legally pay up. I'm in the "if it works its fair game" camp

[MAS]

Everyone makes mistakes, it's pretty unfair for individuals to try and force a company to honour a mistake just so they can get a bargain which they know they're not really entitled to, especially when it will cost the company a fortune.

I think it's fair to deplore a company for making basic pricing errors - it's not a very good reflection on their competence. If they choose to honour a price, good on them, I think it shows a commitment to customer service. But I also understand if they cant/wont do it, especially where it's obviously a mistake (£20 vs £2000).

You have to look at it from both sides, companies have to be fair to consumers but the reverse also applies IMO.

[MAS]

By the way, as far as option 2 goes, a company is never legally obliged to honour a price, regardless of whether they have a disclaimer. A price is just an invitation to treat, not a legally binding offer.

People who start giving it the lawyer/trading standards nonsense are just poorly-informed and trying to get something for nothing.

[5cupa]

no-one likes a greedy guts. its worse when people order more than they need and spoil it for others.

but if a company wants to honour its mistake and give me stuff then i'm all for it. i just wouldent want to be the web-designer who forgot to add the two extra zero's

as for trading standards etc etc as usual people dont actually know the law they just like to mis-quote it

[TiG]

By the way, as far as option 2 goes, a company is never legally obliged to honour a price, regardless of whether they have a disclaimer. A price is just an invitation to treat, not a legally binding offer.

People who start giving it the lawyer/trading standards nonsense are just poorly-informed and trying to get something for nothing.

I Thought the invitation to treat was in shops that you visit?. The rules are slightly different in terms of mail/internet order.

E&OE is the order of the day. And its only fair tbh. You are just conning yourself if you think you'll ever end up with a £2000 project for £20 unless they take payment and send you a confirmation of the order...

TiG

[Paul Adams]

I Thought the invitation to treat was in shops that you visit?. The rules are slightly different in terms of mail/internet order.

MAS is right, an advertised price is an invitation to treat, not an offer.

A contract has to have an offer and an acceptance for it to be legally binding - the retailer may have to actually take your money to fill their side of the contract, and even then there are cases where the money can be refunded if the item is not available for any reason.

If an advertiser deliberately puts the wrong price, or an incorrect description of the item for sale, then they can be reported to Trading Standards.

(An American trick is to advertise a fixed number of an item at a low, low price to pull punters into the store and buy other stuff, or pay the full whack for the item.)

[Swafe]

id like them all to be honoured, so i get a load of bargains


had to vote option 1 tho, tis only fair