Amazon Adjusts Prices After Sales Error

An anonymous reader writes "On December 23, Amazon advertised a 'buy one get one free' sale on DVD box-sets, but apparently did not test the promotion before going live. When anyone placed two box-sets in their cart, the website gave a double discount — so the 'grand total' shown (before order submission) was $0.00 or some very small amount. Despite terms stating that Amazon checks order prices before shipping, Amazon shipped a large number of these orders. Five days later (December 28), after orders had been received and presumably opened, Amazon emailed customers advising them to return the box-sets unopened or their credit cards would be charged an additional amount (more threads). Starting yesterday, Amazon has been (re)charging credit cards, often without authorization. On Amazon's side, they didn't advertise any double discount, and the free or nearly-free box-sets must have cost them a mint. But with Amazon continually giving unadvertised discounts that seem to be errors, is 'return the merchandise or be charged' the new way that price glitches will be handled?"

Re:Many similar cases exist

[$pearhead]

In Soviet Russia, you have to pay even if nothing has been sent to you.

Re:Fraud protection anyone?

[Lockejaw]

You really think a multimillion-dollar company would risk its reputation and livelihood to earn a few hundred dollars in some poorly thought out scam? Please.

Yeah, what a crazy thought [wikipedia.org].

Re:Sale has already been completed

[Kintanon]

Whenever that happens to me I tip the amount that was left off of the check. So if they gave me my 5.99 appetizer for free, I tip an extra 6$.

Kintanon

Re:The wise customer

[Hijacked Public]

Know what it would be even more like?

It would even more like if Amazon.com advertised a 'buy one get one free' promo on box sets, but their shopping cart screwed up and didn't charge anything at all, and then several days later Amazon.com tried to buyers what they should have charged in the first place.

Be Merciless Amazon! Crush Your PUNY Customers!!!

[mkcmkc]

I for one hope that Amazon will not hesitate to grind their customers under the Amazon Wheel of Bureaucratic Justice. They are big, they are powerful, and they should listen to no one--no one I say!--on their path to world domination.

Re:The wise customer

[miskatonic alumnus]

Well, to continue the analogy, the customer runs outside, stands by the door, and tells all the other customers about it. Then he calls all his friends and family on his cell phone and tells them to come grab some cheap pickles.

Re:The wise customer

[UbuntuDupe]

Kind of a convoluted analogy there, dude ... when has that kind of thing ever happened? I mean, considering how advanced Amazon's IT is, you'd think they'd have some kind of failsafes to make sure they didn't accidentally discount a full purchase to zero before shipping, right?

Why not think of something that's actually likely to happen?