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Do online websites have to honour price mistakes?
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| Atho |
If something on a website is obviously a typo and the price is significantly lower than it should be, and you purchase that product for that price, does the store have to honour it?
I'm not talking on a huge scale like on Aamzon or something, just something smaller with a few orders. |
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| rabbitjoker |
| How they deal with price discrepancy is up to the discretion of the retailer. |
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| exstasie |
| quote: | Originally posted by Atho
If something on a website is obviously a typo and the price is significantly lower than it should be, and you purchase that product for that price, does the store have to honour it?
I'm not talking on a huge scale like on Aamzon or something, just something smaller with a few orders. |
nope.
That's happened to me several times w/ best buy and stuff.
They just say it was a mistake and cancel your order or something like that...
They have ways around everything. |
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| Abercrombie |
| My company's site has a terms of use clause at the bottom of every page, that can list that sometimes errors may occur, and such. Did your site have something like that or Tc and Cs? |
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| Atho |
nothing in the terms/conditions. Its a small site, with local stores. Nothing about price being subject to change, nothing about them having to verify orders before they are accepted.
I think without the clauses/terms they have to. Or at least they should, since they did not take measures to protect themselves from it. |
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| rabbitjoker |
| quote: | Originally posted by Atho
I think without the clauses/terms they have to. |
No. Caveat emptor. |
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| Cosmic Fur |
| Hehe, don't try to over a business or a bank. They're always the ones doing the ing. Somehow, someway, but you'll either come out even, or with a sore . |
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| MarkT |
it's been quite a while, so someone correct me if this is wrong or outdated, but my understanding is that the basic underlying legal principle is one of "offer and acceptance" in contract law. One party makes an offer, the other accepts or declines it.
What most consumers don't realize is that the 'offer' side of the equation is NOT the store offering (advertising) a product at a certain price and the consumer then accepting it (which would then become a valid contract)...but rather the consumer is offering to purchase something at a particular price with the store then either accepting that offer or declining it. The advertised price is merely the store indicating what offer will generally be accepted.
In the case of price errors or cancelled orders, the store is therefore justified in declining to accept your offer.
some companies and industries have a policy in place whereby consumers are given the benefit of the doubt in cases of dispute...but that's their perogative, I think. |
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| rabbitjoker |
Bottom line is that good companies have public operating/pricing policies and make them easily accessible so that the consumer knows the score.
As a consumer - we can reward good companies with our business. |
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| MarkT |
absolutely!
and as a good consumer, one should recognize the difference between an honest mistake and shady business practices.
taking advantage of an obvious, honest mistake, just because it's a 'big company' (and especially if it's a little one and hurts them even more) isn't terribly cool.
as RJ mentions, most good companies will have something in place...and hopefully will at least offer some compromise in return for your business. |
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| TO guy |
| quote: | Originally posted by MarkT
it's been quite a while, so someone correct me if this is wrong or outdated, but my understanding is that the basic underlying legal principle is one of "offer and acceptance" in contract law. One party makes an offer, the other accepts or declines it.
What most consumers don't realize is that the 'offer' side of the equation is NOT the store offering (advertising) a product at a certain price and the consumer then accepting it (which would then become a valid contract)...but rather the consumer is offering to purchase something at a particular price with the store then either accepting that offer or declining it. The advertised price is merely the store indicating what offer will generally be accepted.
In the case of price errors or cancelled orders, the store is therefore justified in declining to accept your offer.
some companies and industries have a policy in place whereby consumers are given the benefit of the doubt in cases of dispute...but that's their perogative, I think. |
That's true. The store is "inviting" you not "offering" the product to you. That doesn't rule out misleading advertising though, it has to be an actual mistake, not a gimmick.
There is a "Scanner Price Accuracy Code", the is voluntary, many retailers subscribe to it. If the item is physically marked with a price ticket, they must honour that price.
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...temID=1262&lg=e |
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| MikeyN |
| Section 54 of the canadian pricing act. |
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