Recent Amazon Price Error: You'll be charged unless you return!!
01-04-07 | 02:51 PM
#551
Originally Posted by Shap
I think you're missing my point. While the B1G1 deal was an obvious mistake that people (including me) took advantage of, deals like this Forbidden Planet DVD are unclear. This is EXCATLY why I can't shop at Amazon anymore. Now that Amazon has demonstrated that they are willing to charge my credit card after a completed sale when they have a misprice, how can I ever buy a DVD from them? How can I determine if the item I'm buying is on sale or is a price mistake, if it's not as obvious as a free DVD?
Maybe it seems like I'm trying to justify the B1G1 free deal.. which I'm not. I should be more clear: I'm just explaining why I can't shop there anymore due to how they are handling their mistake with the B1G1 deal.
Maybe it seems like I'm trying to justify the B1G1 free deal.. which I'm not. I should be more clear: I'm just explaining why I can't shop there anymore due to how they are handling their mistake with the B1G1 deal.
01-04-07 | 03:16 PM
#552
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No, the totalling was correct, too -- this is what caused my first CSR so much confusion. The only indication of an error was the high promotional deduction, but there are also a great many valid reasons for a promotional deduction of that size. I don't even know whose side this argument works for, but it needs be said.
-Toilet Dcuk
-Toilet Dcuk
01-04-07 | 04:54 PM
#553
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by orangerory
I have stayed out of this thread but been following it with interest. I did not get in on this order, nor was I even aware of it. Not that it matters much, but I am an attorney. I can say without equivocation, as numerous others have also stated, that had I made such an order, and had it been SHIPPED (which I think is key), I would fight and dispute any attempt to charge my credit card for any money beyond that which showed on the original receipt. Having disputed such payments before (though never in the exact same context), I am fairly certain I would win. There does not seem to be grounds (even in that law review article) which I can see that Amazon can use to charge anyone's card. I think they are probably just trying to scare folks into returning the product. If they attempt to charge your card, I think it could be deemed a criminal act - I am not sure why they would risk that.
If I had purchased the box sets and gotten this deal, I would keep them and ignore Amazon's threatening letters. If they charged my card, I would dispute it, send letters to the BBB, and possibly file charges with the police or other authorities.
If I had purchased the box sets and gotten this deal, I would keep them and ignore Amazon's threatening letters. If they charged my card, I would dispute it, send letters to the BBB, and possibly file charges with the police or other authorities.
01-04-07 | 05:09 PM
#554
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by ctyankee
The problem is that there it's NEVER going to be a perfect. You can't pay some clerk 12 bucks an hour to do price adjustments and not expect some errors per every 1,000 changes. Nor is there going to be a system that will totally stop an eligible but disgruntled employee from 'getting back' at a company.
Nor do I think we want Merchants to put in a buffer zone of new employees to approve EVERY order before they ship. That will only add to the merchant's cost that they will have to pass on to us.
Nor do I think we want Merchants to put in a buffer zone of new employees to approve EVERY order before they ship. That will only add to the merchant's cost that they will have to pass on to us.
Misprices are sometimes a tough thing to catch as sometimes clearance items are drastically reduced. Promotions gone bad seem are something that some simple error detection software could catch. Flag orders for review if the promotional value exceeds a certain percentage of the pre-discount purchase price. Duh! Nothing that some decent quality control could catch.
The Amazon fiasco was especially absurd as every order made as part of that promotion seemed to screw up. Here's an idea - have somebody send a test order or two through the system when a major promotion goes live or just spot-check the initial batch of orders. I work in IT and that's a no-brainer every time we touch a financial system.
01-04-07 | 05:42 PM
#555
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Originally Posted by cpgator
A criminal matter? I would love to hear that phone call to the cops about Amazon overcharging your card... What type of law do you practice?
01-04-07 | 06:26 PM
#556
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Looks like I got hit with customs charges for these, too.
I haven't collected the one that arrived so far, but I can only assume that it's from the Amazon orders, as I'm not expecting anything else.
I don't fully get why, since standard practice is to declare the actual value as what I paid before postage. Which would be $0.00. So it looks like they just threw the whole amount on there.
So returning them is completely out of the question; I'd be expected to pay the initial postage costs, return postage costs, and customs fees for items I don't get to keep? Umm...No thanks.
Still waiting on another CS reply...
I haven't collected the one that arrived so far, but I can only assume that it's from the Amazon orders, as I'm not expecting anything else.
I don't fully get why, since standard practice is to declare the actual value as what I paid before postage. Which would be $0.00. So it looks like they just threw the whole amount on there.
So returning them is completely out of the question; I'd be expected to pay the initial postage costs, return postage costs, and customs fees for items I don't get to keep? Umm...No thanks.
Still waiting on another CS reply...
01-04-07 | 06:36 PM
#557
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by orangerory
If a merchant has my credit card number and bills it without my permission, it is credit card fraud - just as if you or anyone else did it. I can file a dispute but it also against the law.
If you have any doubt, call the police and explain the situation, then see what they say.
01-04-07 | 06:40 PM
#558
I haven't even received one of mine yet so I can't return them if I decide to. The package left the Post office 20 miles from my house on December 31 but hasn't made it to me yet.
01-04-07 | 07:30 PM
#559
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Originally Posted by NeptuneHigh
Looks like I got hit with customs charges for these, too.
I don't fully get why, since standard practice is to declare the actual value as what I paid before postage. Which would be $0.00. So it looks like they just threw the whole amount on there.
I don't fully get why, since standard practice is to declare the actual value as what I paid before postage. Which would be $0.00. So it looks like they just threw the whole amount on there.
You may be able to talk yourself out of paying taxes by showing them the original invoice, though. At least here post officials declare a value by actually looking at the invoice.
01-04-07 | 07:50 PM
#560
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I have had "free" orders before, using coupon codes, sales, and gift certificate codes. It can happen.
Got a reply.
"I can explain what happened. We screwed up. Give us more money."
This was from "Neelima." Her English is pretty good, I just don't like the words she's using.
I'm not sure if I want to hassle with chargebacks or anything like that. However, if I do send this stuff back, I'm going to put it in the biggest box I can possibly find.
Got a reply.
"I can explain what happened. We screwed up. Give us more money."
This was from "Neelima." Her English is pretty good, I just don't like the words she's using.
I'm not sure if I want to hassle with chargebacks or anything like that. However, if I do send this stuff back, I'm going to put it in the biggest box I can possibly find.
01-04-07 | 09:09 PM
#561
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally Posted by cpgator
Credit cards are missed charged all the time - usually in error. This is not fraud. Amazon would bill the cards as a correction - again not fraud. They might not have the right to do so, but that would be a civil matter - not criminal.
If you have any doubt, call the police and explain the situation, then see what they say.
If you have any doubt, call the police and explain the situation, then see what they say.
01-04-07 | 09:12 PM
#562
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Originally Posted by cpgator
Credit cards are missed charged all the time - usually in error. This is not fraud. Amazon would bill the cards as a correction - again not fraud. They might not have the right to do so, but that would be a civil matter - not criminal.
If you have any doubt, call the police and explain the situation, then see what they say.
If you have any doubt, call the police and explain the situation, then see what they say.
01-04-07 | 10:36 PM
#563
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by Jah-Wren Ryel
My uncle is a cop, so I asked him. He said sounds like fraud to him. Got any higher authorities you want to appeal to?
So did he leave to arrest Amazon?
01-05-07 | 09:18 AM
#566
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Originally Posted by dtcarson
However, if I do send this stuff back, I'm going to put it in the biggest box I can possibly find.
01-05-07 | 11:54 AM
#568
DVD Talk Legend
I filed a complaint with the BBB, and the response they submitted was pretty much the "copy & paste* email once again. I replied to the email asking for an actual response instead of being sent that same thing once again, and here is what they replied back with:
Hello again from Amazon.com.
Please note, we will not be sending any information differing from
what you have received thus far.
As stated, if we do not receive the return of the items by January
28th, we will charge your credit card for them.
Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] if you
have any further questions.
Regards,
Jennifer L. Hanner
Executive Customer Relations
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com
Please note, we will not be sending any information differing from
what you have received thus far.
As stated, if we do not receive the return of the items by January
28th, we will charge your credit card for them.
Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] if you
have any further questions.
Regards,
Jennifer L. Hanner
Executive Customer Relations
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com
01-05-07 | 12:35 PM
#569
Originally Posted by Jah-Wren Ryel
He just got back from perp-walking Bezos.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010400027.html
01-05-07 | 12:47 PM
#570
DVD Talk Special Edition
Bezos' written message included an appeal for "a hardworking, technically gifted, team-oriented, experienced aerospace engineer..."
He needs to get a hardworking, technically gifted team to work on fixing his glitch problem.
He needs to get a hardworking, technically gifted team to work on fixing his glitch problem.
01-05-07 | 01:47 PM
#572
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by orangerory
If I had purchased the box sets and gotten this deal, I would keep them and ignore Amazon's threatening letters. If they charged my card, I would dispute it, send letters to the BBB, and possibly file charges with the police or other authorities.
While Amazon shouldnt be able to charge the credit card. What about the aspect of Unilateral mistake? They could require that the items be returned, if the buyer refuses to pay the intended cost.
This is only a legal journal, but it makes some interesting points, would like to know as a lawyer, what you thought of this section?
http://www.lctjournal.washington.edu...2groebner.html
When online retailers make honest, good-faith pricing mistakes that result in huge losses to the benefit of opportunistic online shoppers, their mistake could be grounds for rescinding the unfavorable contract under the doctrine of unilateral mistake. One party’s mistake can make the contract voidable when the mistake concerns a basic assumption on which the contract was formed and has a material effect on the agreement that is adverse to that party
01-05-07 | 01:53 PM
#573
DVD Talk Special Edition
Beyond the point that they have no right to place additional charges on the card, I think they run into problems by demanding the return of unopened merchandise when they waited until after most people received their orders to even email them.
Even if Unilateral Mistake could be applied, how can Amazon require the packages to be returned unopened when they didn't even send out an email about the problem until the evening of Dec. 28th, when they knew about it on the 23rd???
Even if Unilateral Mistake could be applied, how can Amazon require the packages to be returned unopened when they didn't even send out an email about the problem until the evening of Dec. 28th, when they knew about it on the 23rd???
Last edited by leeta; 01-05-07 at 08:50 PM.
01-05-07 | 03:36 PM
#574
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From: Oregon
Originally Posted by leeta
Bezos' written message included an appeal for "a hardworking, technically gifted, team-oriented, experienced aerospace engineer..."
He needs to get a hardworking, technically gifted team to work on fixing his glitch problem.
He needs to get a hardworking, technically gifted team to work on fixing his glitch problem.
01-05-07 | 04:06 PM
#575
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From: Malvern, PA
Originally Posted by Shap
If the Forbidden Planet tin was indeed a price mistake, there is almost NO difference. A mistake caused the price to be lower than Amazon intended. The only difference is the amount of money Amazon is losing to the mistake. One could argue that $15 cheaper than any other online store is an "obvious mistake" and anyone ordering the tin is a thief for exploiting a mistake. Again, where is the threshold for determining a sale or mistake?