Do online stores have to honour pricing mistakes?

[*trish*]

Hi,

I just ordered a pair of shoes from a legitimate website. The total came to 0.00$. I proceeded to checkout, and it charged me $10 shipping. So now I have a email reciept with this transaction, both from the online store and from paypal.

Does the online store have to honour this obvious mistake? I believe if a similar price error happens in store you are supposed to recieve the product for that price, no?

[gilboman]

no

[*trish*]

no

Ah........... ;)

Well hopefully they will refund my shipping then. If not, I suppose I will pay for my ignorance.

[Hunter316]

no

+1

Stores do not have to honour a price if it comes up cheaper in their checkout system than advertised especially when it comes up at a price like $0 which is obviously an error. Although if their shipping system is automated you might end up getting it delivered without someone knowing about it.

I am sure that if you post which site it was they will have their busiest day ever when everyone on RFD tries to get the same deal.:rolleyes:

[*trish*]

Just a question then: Am I right that physical stores have to honour pricing errors, or is that not true?



+1

Stores do not have to honour a price if it comes up cheaper in their checkout system than advertised especially when it comes up at a price like $0 which is obviously an error. Although if their shipping system is automated you might end up getting it delivered without someone knowing about it.

I am sure that if you post which site it was they will have their busiest day ever when everyone on RFD tries to get the same deal.:rolleyes:

[Hunter316]

Just a question then: Am I right that physical stores have to honour pricing errors, or is that not true?

As far as I am aware a store would have to honor a pricing error if that error is on a price tag for the product that has been put up on the shelf where a customer can see it or if it is in an ad for which a retraction has not been printed. In the case of a price coming up wrong in the system when a customer is at the till ready to buy the item then no, a store would not have to honour that price since it is not actually an advertised price and the customer did not have a resonable expectation to be able to purchase the item at that price.

[Ojam]

As far as I am aware a store would have to honor a pricing error if that error is on a price tag for the product that has been put up on the shelf where a customer can see it or if it is in an ad for which a retraction has not been printed.

You would wrong. Stores do not have to honor pricing errors from a price tag. Price tags are an invitation to do business, not an offer.

[sillysimms]

Just a question then: Am I right that physical stores have to honour pricing errors, or is that not true?

No, it's not true. Some stores voluntary go by the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code. You can see a list of some stores that go by it here:
http://www.retailcouncil.org/advocacy/cp/issues/scanner_acc/print/scanner_accuracy02_eng.asp

If you're at one of those stores, and the price scans wrong, you get the item free if it is under $10. If it is over $10, you get $10 off.