As per title. LBS just released the new Specialized range on their website and I noticed they had a £2k bike incorrectly priced at £200. Thinking it was just a typo, I clicked on the buy it now button and it still said £200 at paypal checkout. Being an honest person, I cancelled the sale and took a screen shot of the ‘shopping cart’ and notified the bike shop of their mistake. They read the message, corrected the price and can you guess what they did next????

Nothing. Not even a “Phewwww, thanks for the heads up”

If you had seen the incorrect price what would you have done?

I’d have bought it. Just for snits n’ giggles…then sat back and awaited their response. 😈

Just for the record,

The laws have been slightly firmed up around this now. Traders aren’t legally obliged to fulfil an obviously incorrectly priced order (like a brand new product at a tenth of the price) just because an automated system has accepted a purchase request.

It’s a bit crap that they didn’t say thanks though; been me I’d have given you a discount code or something, unless there were hundreds of reports.

The laws have been slightly firmed up around this now. Traders aren’t legally obliged to fulfil an obviously incorrectly priced order (like a brand new product at a tenth of the price) just because an automated system has accepted a purchase request.

It’s not so much as the law has changed, just how traders impliment their sales process and the associated case law.

Basically rather than accepting your order they say “thanks for your order” and only accept it when they take the money.

Once they take the money it’s yours.

Big online sellers have software which flags unusual activity on a product such as if a pricing error goes viral so they can then reject the orders before they have accepted them.

A small LBS may not be aware of this nuance so you may have just saved them £1,800.

spot on.. i collect something obscure the prime exampls of which are very limited so its a regular thing for dealers esp on line to advertise at a price.. you select, checkout but only when you have done so you get a message like i did last night. ”thanks for buying X, when we have stock and are in a position to mail to you, we ll email and ask your permission to deduct from your card..”

I’d have bought it. Just for snits n’ giggles…then sat down and my PC and put a nice big PSA on STW!

It’s not so much as the law has changed, just how traders impliment their sales process and the associated case law.

Basically rather than accepting your order they say “thanks for your order” and only accept it when they take the money.

That’s correct, but I’m fairly sure precedence has been set with test cases over mistakes now too.

Closest I could find is this,

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_common_problems_with_products_e/consumer_problems_with_price_or_payment_e/prices_of_goods_are_changed_on_the_website_or_at_the_shop_till.htm

If a price is unrealistically low, you might realise the trader had made a mistake. For example, if a brand new television was advertised at £2.99 instead of £299. If this is the case, the law allows the trader to argue that they made a mistake and it should have been obvious to the buyer. If the trader argues this and is successful, they do not have to give you the goods at the advertised price.

That’s all very well and good for a tv which everyone knows would sell for more than that price.

But for some one who knows nothing about bikes it is highly feesable that they could buy a bike for £200.

You did the right thing and karma will reward you, if it was my store i’d have offered you a discount or some free goodies if you were to go and buy the product anyway.

I’d have bought it.

I’d have bought 2

one for me and one for you

If you had seen the incorrect price what would you have done?

I’d have bought a few, one to keep, others to sell.

My question to the OP is if the same thing happened again, what would you do now?

“My question to the OP is if the same thing happened again, what would you do now? “

does it really matter ? emailing him a screen shot of the wrong price or ordering it at the wrong price – the result will be the same , you get no bike and the shops owner is informed of a mistake in his pricing he needs to correct.

That’s all very well and good for a tv which everyone knows would sell for more than that price.

But for some one who knows nothing about bikes it is highly feesable that they could buy a bike for £200.

Not claiming you didn’t know the full price isn’t going to work.

In answer to the question, what would I do if the same thing happened again? If it was another indie bike shop, I would do exactly what I did with Pitsford Cycles and tell them.

If it was the large independent bike retailer in derby I would happily order one – worst shop I have ever been into for customer service