Flybuys and iPads - the latest online pricing mistake. Here we go again...

Forums › Off topic › Flybuys and iPads - the latest online pricing mistake. Here we go again...

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#1475513 20-Jan-2016 16:03

Behodar:

surfisup1000: Noel Leeming had plenty of opportunity to fix this before it got to actually collecting goods.

Does the "coupon" list the price (ie. 1 point) or is it more generic than that? Could NL actually tell that there was an error?

I think it does as the last redeption I got shows the points, but whether it is something staff check for. They don't necessarily know how many points something is worth, as the validation and purchase is done on the flybuys website. They then take the voucher into the store to collect it.

Stu

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#1475519 20-Jan-2016 16:17

If money is deposited into your bank account in error, that doesn't make it your money. Why should this be any different?

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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mattwnz

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#1475527 20-Jan-2016 16:26

Stu: If money is deposited into your bank account in error, that doesn't make it your money. Why should this be any different?

Not the same thing at all, and not even comparable. This is a sale and purchase contract.

Your example is more akin to someone losing something or something being delivered to the wrong place. The person who gained didn't enter into any contract, nor paid any consideration, and infact has no connection at all to the gain. So has no documentation to show that they own it.

loceff13

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#1475546 20-Jan-2016 16:37

Mindboggling that there's presumably no verification for orders of a certain value via the flybuys website, asking for trouble.

Stu

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#1475574 20-Jan-2016 17:17

mattwnz:

Stu: If money is deposited into your bank account in error, that doesn't make it your money. Why should this be any different?

Not the same thing at all, and not even comparable. This is a sale and purchase contract.

Your example is more akin to someone losing something or something being delivered to the wrong place. The person who gained didn't enter into any contract, nor paid any consideration, and infact has no connection at all to the gain. So has no documentation to show that they own it.

A sale and purchase contract, based on what is obviously an error. Taking advantage of an obvious error, just like spending money wrongly deposited into your account.

People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

Keep calm, and carry on posting.

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gregmcc

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#1475581 20-Jan-2016 17:29

So flybuys messed up, some people took advantage of it, good on them, tough luck for fly buys, maybe they need to have a double checking system in place so it doesn't happen again.

This is the real world, if you make a mistake and it costs you, you grin and bear it and get on with things learning from the mistake, no point complaining and moaning about it all it does is make you look like a spoilt brat.

tripp

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#1475583 20-Jan-2016 17:35

Well the real problem (and the same as HN) is companies have this thing about starting "sales" etc at midnight when no one is around to make sure it works correctly and catch errors early.

However have notice the last major online sale for HN was started at 6pm and not midnight so looks like they have learnt.

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#1475596 20-Jan-2016 17:54

To answer the multiple "Why" questions, because I'm sick of companies making stuffups like this (most of which are NOT as obvious as a $1 ipad), and simply not caring or bothering to double check things on their public facing websites, because they know that if they do stuffup, there are no consequences for them.

The CGA is very good at ensuring consumers win over retailers in many ways, but lagging here. Either start forcing them to provide at the price advertised, or start whacking massive fines on them. If they got fined 10% of their annual gross profits every time they made these mistakes, they simply wouldn't make these mistakes.

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mattwnz

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#1475597 20-Jan-2016 17:55

Stu:

mattwnz:

Stu: If money is deposited into your bank account in error, that doesn't make it your money. Why should this be any different?

Not the same thing at all, and not even comparable. This is a sale and purchase contract.

Your example is more akin to someone losing something or something being delivered to the wrong place. The person who gained didn't enter into any contract, nor paid any consideration, and infact has no connection at all to the gain. So has no documentation to show that they own it.

A sale and purchase contract, based on what is obviously an error. Taking advantage of an obvious error, just like spending money wrongly deposited into your account.

I can see you point. However one is based on an actual contract, and laws regarding the FTA. Money wrongly deposited into an account isn't based on any contract between the sender and receiver. Sure both revolve around people taking advantage. But people also take advantage of clearance sales when there is 90% off clearance sales, and those sales are 100% valid.

antonknee

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#1475599 20-Jan-2016 18:01

This was a muck up by Fly Buys from what I understand. As far as I know Noel Leeming just see what the item is not what was paid for it when you redeem them. This is solely on Fly Buys I would say - Noel Leeming will bill Fly Buys for the iPads that were picked up and Fly Buys will have to do what they have to do.

I don't think people should be able to take advantage of an obvious mistake and expect it to be honoured. A Fly Buys point is worth, what, about 20 cents? Do people really think they can get a $1300 piece of technology for the equivalent of 20 cents? At least the Harvey Norman mistake was an order of magnitude or two more realistic, but the same thing applies. No way a business should be forced into that!

tripp

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#1475606 20-Jan-2016 18:12

Lias:

To answer the multiple "Why" questions, because I'm sick of companies making stuffups like this (most of which are NOT as obvious as a $1 ipad), and simply not caring or bothering to double check things on their public facing websites, because they know that if they do stuffup, there are no consequences for them.

The CGA is very good at ensuring consumers win over retailers in many ways, but lagging here. Either start forcing them to provide at the price advertised, or start whacking massive fines on them. If they got fined 10% of their annual gross profits every time they made these mistakes, they simply wouldn't make these mistakes.

I agree. Just look who have stuffed people around on this site alone, JBhifi with tablets, HN in October and now Flybuys (i am sure there are many more).

All the retailers do these days are "our t&c's cover us so there" Even if you report them them to the Commerce Commission they don't really do much and slaps the companies with a wet paper ticket.

There are a few outstanding companies however that if they make a mistake they will still honour it, the warehouse group of companies comes to mind.

On another note, it does sound like some of the people from the HN issue are getting their goods after taking the issue to disputes tribunal

mattwnz

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#1475614 20-Jan-2016 18:33

tripp:

I agree. Just look who have stuffed people around on this site alone, JBhifi with tablets, HN in October and now Flybuys (i am sure there are many more).

All the retailers do these days are "our t&c's cover us so there" Even if you report them them to the Commerce Commission they don't really do much and slaps the companies with a wet paper ticket.

There are a few outstanding companies however that if they make a mistake they will still honour it, the warehouse group of companies comes to mind.

On another note, it does sound like some of the people from the HN issue are getting their goods after taking the issue to disputes tribunal

The JB Hifi one was a less obvious mistake, as it was an old model, and was being sold for about $50 from memory, which could have been a clearance price. I believe it retailed for about $300-400 at the time, so about a 70-90% discount, so not unheard of, especially as it was older tech. Dick smiths had deals just as good last year when they were doing their big clearance, that were legit. The HN and flybuys ones were far more obvious due to the magitude, and the fact that in the case of the ipad, it was almost a free giveaway. So there is no way that people could believe it was legit. The HN maybe slightly less obvious due to the context of being in a big sale, but the flybuys one wasn't in that context.

Are people really getting their goods from HN after taking it it the DT, that is surprising?

antonknee

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#1475625 20-Jan-2016 18:52

mattwnz:

The JB Hifi one was a less obvious mistake, as it was an old model, and was being sold for about $50 from memory, which could have been a clearance price. I believe it retailed for about $300-400 at the time, so about a 70-90% discount, so not unheard of, especially as it was older tech. Dick smiths had deals just as good last year when they were doing their big clearance, that were legit. The HN and flybuys ones were far more obvious due to the magitude, and the fact that in the case of the ipad, it was almost a free giveaway. So there is no way that people could believe it was legit. The HN maybe slightly less obvious due to the context of being in a big sale, but the flybuys one wasn't in that context.

Are people really getting their goods from HN after taking it it the DT, that is surprising?

I really think you nailed it with these comments. If I was a customer I wouldn't think I was getting an iPad for 1 Fly Buys point or a $3000 couch for $300 (although I agree that is slightly more realistic given how much they promoted 'the biggest retail sale ever'.

I'm also really surprised people would be getting their goods after taking it to Disputes Tribunal, especially given the Fair Trading Act specifically allows for genuine errors and mistakes in its wording.

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#1475654 20-Jan-2016 19:27

I just can't believe people feel they are so entitled to the goods at these prices, I blame social media.

Forever seeing reposts of fake giveaways, get an iphone for $1, etc that people seem to think are real!

They see these items at stupidly low prices and think it is real so buy, often more than one so they can sell some at a profit, then when the company says it was a mistake they cry like a baby and jump up and down, and some even take the company to the disbutes tribunal!

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eftpos

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#1475659 20-Jan-2016 19:38

I seriously disagree with the extreme black or white views against fly-buys and the Harvey Norman debacle.

If you flip this around to an example like this.

You're self-employed plumber or sparky and you are engaged to provide a service. You've had a long day and get around to invoicing them for your 30 hours of work but because its late you accidentally charge your hourly rate as $ 10.00 an hour as opposed to $ 100.00 an hour. Show me the self-employed person who says "ahh well my mistake" and settle for a payment of $ 300 instead of $ 3000. (Reasonable person goes to the customer and points out the error; apologies. Reasonable customer accepts genuine mistake and pays for services)

Show me the employee who accidentally fills in a time-sheet and leaves out out several hours worth of work. That same employee goes to the boss and says he/she made a mistake and asks to rectify it and the boss turns around and says no. (Reasonable employee goes to boss to point out mistake. Reasonable boss accepts a mistake has been made, verifies it and then pays)

How about the occasional trader on TradeMe accidentally loading their car worth $ 30 000 with a Buy Now of $ 3 000 by accident and then getting upset when someone buys it. (Reasonable seller goes to bidder and TradeMe to point out error; apologises for the oversight. Reasonable buyer accepts that $3K for a $30K car was a great deal but accepts a genuine mistake was made)

I agree that consumers should be protected from bait-advertising and being screwed over but in all honesty you have to apply some sort of "common sense argument" to these instances.

These people who are saying they truly believed the deal was genuine; are they the same ones clicking on email links from the Prince of Nigeria sitting on a US$10 million deposit that needs to be claimed? Or the pop-up ads saying you can buy a 75" TV for $ 9.99 if you buy $ 100.00 of 1 cent bids.

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