A flatscreen TV for $9.99! Best Buy really is the best buy -- or not
Filed under: Shopping, Technology, Consumer Ally
Psst. How'd you like to get a 52-inch Samsung flat-screen TV for $9.99? Hot off the back of a truck? No way. How about from BestBuy.com?If you popped onto Best Buy's Web site overnight that's the price you would have found instead of the actual price of $1,699.99. Word got around fast and the item became a hot-seller -- showing up as "sold out" by morning. Some customers commented about ordering several at that new low, low price.
But, alas, Best Buy replaced the missing digits -- adding another $1,690 to this seemingly amazing offer. And shortly thereafter, the TV and the comments apparently were pulled from the site altogether.
So what about all those people who ordered at the special price?
No dice. You're not getting the TV, not for that price.
"It was an unfortunate human error," Best Buy spokeswoman Susan Busch told WalletPop. "As you probably noted, the erroneous info was quickly taken down. We are not processing orders for the TV at that price. We apologize to our customers for any confusion or inconvenience caused by this pricing error."
Busch said she didn't know how long the erroneous price was online or how many orders were placed at that price.
Talia Ran, 23, an executive assistant in Washington, D.C., got a call from her brother -- who notified everyone he knows -- at 5:32 a.m. alerting her to the price. She doesn't have much room for such a big TV in her apartment, but for 10 bucks she'd find a spot.
Even though she realized the price was a mistake, she said still hoped her order would slip through.
"I kind of hoped they would forget about me and send them anyway," Ran said.
Then she got an email canceling her order.
"I know there isn't any legal recourse but there has to be something that Best Buy can do to ease our loss," Ran said. "I would think they would want to do something to honor the commitment made between the consumer and Best Buy when we clicked 'continue with purchase.' At the very least shouldn't Best Buy feel compelled to offer the same TV for a discounted price to those who did order?"
It might seem unfair, but Best Buy and most online retailers have error policies buyers agree to (usually without reading the terms) before making a purchase.
Here's an excerpt of Best Buy's policy: "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."
A few years ago, Amazon.com was sued after canceling 6,000 orders for a $1,000 TV mistakenly priced at $99. Amazon won because the error was considered unintentional and shoppers agreed to the terms of its error policy before making their purchase.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
8-12-2009 @ 2:15PM
srv said...
The night nurses at my hospital ordered 100's last night. One nurse alone ordered 40. My boss ordered 5. By the time day shift showed up the site had been shut down. I would have ordered a 100 myself.
Reply
8-12-2009 @ 4:02PM
Jonitia said...
Who was caring for the patients while it seems everyone was doing their internet shopping?
8-12-2009 @ 4:45PM
Gary said...
I hope I never have to come to your hospital. No wonder there is a health care crisis!
8-12-2009 @ 6:04PM
Lynn said...
I am a nurse and believe it or not we do get lunch breaks and we have blackberrys and other mobile devices that have internet access. At least that is what we do...
8-12-2009 @ 7:15PM
Daniel said...
It's no wonder why people get the wrong medicine, the wrong sirgerys and die in hospitals. They are too busy shopping online on hospital conmputers that are meant to run a hospital. WTF!
8-12-2009 @ 8:06PM
Susan said...
Come on, guys. Get off the nurses' backs. While the patients are sleeping at night they have a lot of downtime. Like many other jobs there are times when there is so much to do it's panic time, then there are horrible boring lulls.
8-12-2009 @ 9:05PM
pigpan02 said...
Life is so cool !!! a good place for us Seeking for the stimulation------Wealthyconne c t -C O M ----i think u would like it,,,trust me u may find something make u excited.now join free
8-13-2009 @ 12:40AM
mickey said...
BEST BUY SUCKS BIG. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS AND THEY CAN'T EVEN GET THE FREAKING PRICE OF THE TV CORRECT. THEY WILL PROBABLY BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. IT ALREADY SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE BLAMING THE CUSTOMERS FOR BUYING THEM. SHAME ON YOU CUSTOMERS, HOW DARE YOU VISIT OUR WEB SITE AND BUY SOMETHING!! BEST BUY SUCKS AND WILL NOW BECOME THE NEXT CIRCUIT SCHITTY. ITS INEVITABLE.
8-12-2009 @ 2:27PM
Liz G Lewis said...
I thought it was illegal advertise an item for a certain price & not sell it at that price?
BESTBUY you suck... but we already knew that.
Reply
8-12-2009 @ 2:43PM
JeGa said...
Did you not read the whole article? People have to agree to terms & conditions before they make the purchase, and most people don't even begin to read them. If they had, they would've seen Best Buy said if there was ever an error in pricing, they could correct it whether or not the order was already processed. I'm not a fan of big business or anything but the real idiots are the peole who thought they could get that tv for $9.99. I mean come on.
8-12-2009 @ 2:46PM
belle said...
Only if you intentionally advertised the price do you have to abide by it. An accidental listing can be voided without even providing an apology. "Caveat Emptor" (let the buyer beware) and "To err is human, to forgive devine" both seem to apply here. This is a prime example of why you should always read the fine print policy information, whether online, in print or in person.
8-12-2009 @ 3:23PM
Mr. Retail said...
Liz,
I am wondering if you ever made a mistake? Best Buy is run by responsible leaders/adults such as yourself, and this occassionally does happen in retail. We are not free from mistakes. Also, look into the law; best buy did nothing wrong but make a "mistake" and due to your own greed and others' need for excess, you want them to honor this OBVIOUS mistake. The law reads that you ONLY have a case it is obvious to one that the price of that item "COULD" be the price represented. It is NOT OBVIOUS to the NORMAL person that this t.v. would/could cost this to the consumer.
Really, find something else better to do than complain about others' mistakes.....I am sure you as well as the rest of us have made MANY and haven't had to pay the price for most of our mistakes.....such as the one Best Buy made.
8-12-2009 @ 3:28PM
rickywear1689@aol.com said...
uhh did u read the news article, it was a mistake, they werent advertising it at that price...ur just mad about that..but thats why they have a policy to cover them incase that happens.I guess u didnt read that either huh?
8-12-2009 @ 3:49PM
jrzy said...
yup,looked it up in business and law,they have to sell it to the people who ordered it before it was fixed,however I wouldn't be surprised if they can make it so that no more then one per household
8-12-2009 @ 4:01PM
Staci said...
It is actually very illegal. I come from a lawyer family and there is law if a retailer advertises a certain price, they are supposed to honor and what not. This is total crap.
8-12-2009 @ 4:12PM
Diana said...
What did Best Buy ever do to you? Moreso, what did all the 100's of employees who work there to support their families do to you?? Because they are the ones who would suffer the most if Best Buy could actually be legally held to this deal. There is no doubt this was a MISTAKE and anyone who ordered one or many more is a very dishonest person...they were willing to take from someone else to benefit themselves with no regard or concern for how it could hurt others...that is SICK! There may be a few people at the top of Best Buy who you think make too much money and maybe they do....but they will be fine....it is going to be the single mom whose ex isn't paying his child support busting her butt off to make ends meet for her kids sake that will suffer. Yeah the people who ran out there and ordered 100 should be so proud!
8-12-2009 @ 4:18PM
gregg said...
only a complete moron would think the advertised price was legit. anyone with any common sense would know that it was an error. furthermore, any reasonable, rational person would not expect best buy to honor the price. get real, everyone makes mistakes!!!!
8-12-2009 @ 5:11PM
Sam said...
Please give best buy a break....you probably believe in Santa and the toot fairy..... Maybe the Gov will give everyone a rebate for TV next!
8-12-2009 @ 4:59PM
earl said...
it was a honest mistake, and they have the right to refuse the orders.
8-12-2009 @ 6:14PM
shane said...
They must have thought it was part of Obama's wealth redistribution......free health care & $10 TV's.......