Users fume as Dell claims half-price offer a mistake
19 November 2008
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USERS ARE FUMING after Dell twice advertised a computer for sale at less than half the usual price last week, but then abruptly pulled the offers.
Bargain hunter websites in Australia were all a buzz with word that Dell was offering a Aus $799 Vostro 220ST computer on its website for $240.
Dell said it was all a terrible mistake and pulled the deal. Not only that, it refused to honour those people who had placed orders.
But the same model was also involved in a similar problem earlier in the week. This time Dell accidentally offered the machine for $350 and also pulled out of the deal in exactly the same way.
Punters are saying Dell deliberately advertised at an impossibly low price as a marketing ploy, knowing it could pull out at any time and claim the offer was a mistake.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald Dell believes it is justified in refusing to honour the sales, saying it did not send customers a notice accepting the orders and therefore no contract was created.
Dell Australia spokesman Marty Filipowski claims the offer was simply a mistake and stemmed from Dell accidentally allowing customers to delete certain accessories from their orders.
The NSW Office of Fair Trading says traders such as Dell are generally obliged to deliver goods only if customers have paid for them, which creates a binding contract.
Filipowski insisted that no cash had been accepted.
ACCC spokeswoman Lin Enright, when asked if Dell had breached laws related to false advertising, said: "I'm advised that if it was a genuine mistake, and it seems to be, no action would be taken."
However the question is, how seriously are you going to take Dell advert if it can make the same mistake twice in the same week.
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Bargain hunter websites in Australia were all a buzz with word that Dell was offering a Aus $799 Vostro 220ST computer on its website for $240.
Dell said it was all a terrible mistake and pulled the deal. Not only that, it refused to honour those people who had placed orders.
But the same model was also involved in a similar problem earlier in the week. This time Dell accidentally offered the machine for $350 and also pulled out of the deal in exactly the same way.
Punters are saying Dell deliberately advertised at an impossibly low price as a marketing ploy, knowing it could pull out at any time and claim the offer was a mistake.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald Dell believes it is justified in refusing to honour the sales, saying it did not send customers a notice accepting the orders and therefore no contract was created.
Dell Australia spokesman Marty Filipowski claims the offer was simply a mistake and stemmed from Dell accidentally allowing customers to delete certain accessories from their orders.
The NSW Office of Fair Trading says traders such as Dell are generally obliged to deliver goods only if customers have paid for them, which creates a binding contract.
Filipowski insisted that no cash had been accepted.
ACCC spokeswoman Lin Enright, when asked if Dell had breached laws related to false advertising, said: "I'm advised that if it was a genuine mistake, and it seems to be, no action would be taken."
However the question is, how seriously are you going to take Dell advert if it can make the same mistake twice in the same week.
Article Source
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Thanks for the article.
I wish to just add, that despite what Marty Filipowski claims, Dell have held money of those that paid by EFT for up to 10 days now. According to our information up to 75% of consumers still have not been contacted by Dell.
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