Samsung Price Smash - PB Tech refuse to supply alt product

Forums › Off topic › Samsung Price Smash - PB Tech refuse to supply alt product

keewee01

1743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 204

Trusted

#323507 9-Dec-2025 20:47

PB Tech event Samsung Price Smash was on Oct 21. [promoted as Factory Direct Deals, Hugh Savings Free Shipping]

21 Oct - I ordered a Samsung T7 2TB Portable External SSD drive (Blue) because it was a great Price at $299

Order was accepted, Payment (via AfterPay) taken/accepted. Expected shipping dates 10 Nov

23rd Oct - email notification expected shipping 10 Nov

31st Oct - email notification expected shipping 10 Nov

08 Nov - email notification expected shipping 17 Nov

16th Nov - email notification expected shipping 17 Nov

18th Nov - email notification shipping dates overdue

26th Nov - email notification shipping dates overdue

04th Dec - email notification shipping dates overdue

05th Dec - email from PB Tech advising that the product was end of life and no more stock was expected.

I've been watching the stock levels that PB Tech have and the pricing. Right through from prior to the Samsung Price Smash event the PB Tech website has shown the Samsung T7 2TB Portable External SSD drives as being run out stock, likely not to be restocked - at a normal price of around $420 (can't remember the exact price but it was around this). The only stock was in Titan Grey, not the blue I ordered.

On Dec 3rd PB Tech massively hiked the retail price of the Samsung T7 2TB Portable External SSD drive (Blue) to $540ish dollars - still over 30 units in stock, and still the same run out stock.

When PB Tech asked on 4th Dec what i wanted to do it asked them to swap it for a Titan Grey unit - knowing these had already been in stock so they had then. They refused!! They offered it to me at a heavily discounted price of $399.

I want the drive i ordered and paid for, I don't mind which colour, but I want them to supply the drive at the contractully agreed price. Am I right that PB Tech are in breach of the CGA at this point? How do I get the drive, rather than them canceling the sale. Is that my choice or theirs?

xpd

Geek of Coastguard
14115 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4574

Retired Mod

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3442175 9-Dec-2025 20:54

Think you forgot something.

XPD / Gavin

LinkTree

kiwifidget

"Cookie"
3640 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1969

Lifetime subscriber

#3442176 9-Dec-2025 20:57

ghost post

Delete cookies?! Are you insane?!

mrgsm021

1538 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 310

ID Verified

Trusted

#3442177 9-Dec-2025 20:58

It's a guessing game post

keewee01

1743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 204

Trusted

#3442179 9-Dec-2025 21:17

Sorry - phone decided hit, but not knowingly

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3442188 9-Dec-2025 22:17

keewee01:

I want the drive i ordered and paid for, I don't mind which colour, but I want them to supply the drive at the contractully agreed price. Am I right that PB Tech are in breach of the CGA at this point? How do I get the drive, rather than them canceling the sale. Is that my choice or theirs?

No it's not a CGA issue, it's a Fair Trading Act issue and basic contract law. You would also need to check the PBT terms and conditions.

A retailer can generally cancel a deal if they can't fulfill it due to error. They need to have reasonable grounds that they can fulfill the order but if they have been let down by their supplier their terms may allow them to cancel the deal.

Bung

6733 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2926

Subscriber

#3442190 9-Dec-2025 22:32

"Factory direct":, are they playing the "sale stock is a limited number supplied by Samsung not including existing stock" game after the event?

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

lNomNoml

1842 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 521

ID Verified

#3442194 9-Dec-2025 23:21

I personally would take it further, you could post on LegalAdviceNZ on Reddit and maybe someone could help further there?

loceff13

1089 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 340

#3442200 10-Dec-2025 00:20

You can buy it for $315NZD on Amazon AU(via Amazon UK)

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B087DFFJRD

Downside no local warranty and the long shipping timeframe(dec 24th estimate)

and yeah prices are brutal and will be for a long time to come, my 2TB xs1000r(kingston 2tb portable ssd) went from $161AUD in March to $330AUD today

SaltyNZ

8862 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9539

Trusted

2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#3442220 10-Dec-2025 07:52

I'll be keeping an eye on a similar situation as I ordered a 2TB NVMe drive which at checkout was reported as "we don't have live pricing for this so we don't know if we have any". It is currently marked to ship around the end of January. This is a bit annoying as it was for a Christmas present but given the price it is not the end of the world. But if they start making a habit of advertising stuff that is not clearly marked up front as not in stock I think they should get spanked for it.

If it had been marked as not in stock right there on the store page - like most other stuff is - I either would have ordered it with eyes wide open or, probably, chosen a different one.

EDIT: it was not a Samsung, it was a Crucial.

EDIT 2: Right now, they are showing it as collect from Queen St today.

EDIT 3: OMG no, that's a different model, PCIe 4...

Goddamnit can't they use a different name for a different product...

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

keewee01

1743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 204

Trusted

#3442818 11-Dec-2025 16:58

Right - I've just emailed PB Tech the following so hopefully...

Or am I being unreasonable??

Hi [removed],

Sorry for my delay in responding to the last email, I've been looking into the details around the Samsung Price Smash event, and looking at the Fair Trading Act. Timeline
21 Oct - I ordered a Samsung T7 2TB Portable External SSD drive (Blue) for $299 in Samsung Price Smash event
Order was accepted, Payment (via AfterPay) taken/accepted. Expected shipping dates 10 Nov
23rd Oct - email notification expected shipping 10 Nov
31st Oct - email notification expected shipping 10 Nov
08 Nov - email notification expected shipping 17 Nov
16th Nov - email notification expected shipping 17 Nov
18th Nov - email notification shipping dates overdue
26th Nov - email notification shipping dates overdue
04th Dec - email notification shipping dates overdue
05th Dec - email from PB Tech advising that the product was end of life and no more stock was expected.

I entered into a sales contract via an online purchase with PB Tech for the device (Samsung T7 2TB external SSD Blue) in confidence that PB Tech had the stock and were going to be able to supply it - because PB Tech accepted the sale and accepted payment. As far as the Fair Trading Act is concerned that is a binding contract.

I was giving PB Tech the benefit of doubt by not chasing the order as those weeks since ordering dragged on as I had no reason to think that you would not supply the item as it was still listed on your website until only a few days ago!

Had I chased and asked it to be swapped for the In Stock Titan Grey version earlier then I am absolutely confident that PB Tech would have supplied a Titan Grey version of the device - but because I was giving PB Tech the benefit of doubt I am now being the one penalised!

The Titan Grey devices you have In Stock are the same ones you had In Stock at the time of the Samsung Price Smash (they (the Blue and Titan Grey models) were listed as Limited Supply at the time, as the Titan Grey still are now) - so to now be claiming that you cannot change my order over to the Titan Grey units unless I pay another $100 is HIGHLY disingenuous, and would be coming damn close to falling under the definition of Unconscionable conduct in the Fair Training Act because you are now in effect price gouging as you've increased

So please supply a Samsung T7 2TB Portable External SSD (Titan Grey) a.s.a.p. to fulfill this order. If this requires to be escalated to make it happen, then please do escalate it.

I'm happy to talk a phone call to discuss, if needed. My number is [removed].

Thank you.

Regards,
[removed]

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3442822 11-Dec-2025 17:32

You’re going to struggle with the approach you are taking. Errors happen and providing when they accepted the order Pbtech had a reasonable expectation of being able to fulfil the order they will likely be able to cancel the order.

Given you can but an alternative from Amazon I’d be cutting my losses and moving on.

Dyson

Shop now for Dyson appliances (affiliate link).

Bung

6733 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2926

Subscriber

#3442825 11-Dec-2025 18:03

Handle9:

You’re going to struggle with the approach you are taking.

I agree with that part but unless their inventory control is rubbish they had 8 emails to say sorry we oversold. They shouldn't stretch the mistake that far.

keewee01

1743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 204

Trusted

#3442832 11-Dec-2025 18:38

Bung:

Handle9:

You’re going to struggle with the approach you are taking.

I agree with that part but unless their inventory control is rubbish they had 8 emails to say sorry we oversold. They shouldn't stretch the mistake that far.

Exactly!! 8 emails, over 6+ weeks, and then they advise they won't supply it. But what really, really annoys me is that they waited until roughly 24 hours after they added $130 to the price! (Prior to Samsung Price Smash $419, after $448.99, 24 hours before the email notice $549)

keewee01

1743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 204

Trusted

#3444615 16-Dec-2025 16:35

It looks like SUCCESS.

PB Tech have not told me of any outcome from my last email, heck they've not even acknowledged the email, but I've recieved (via email) a paid invoice for a Samsung T7 2TB external HD shipping from one of the stores that still have stock of them. YAY.

I'm really happy that it looks like PB Tech are honoring the sale, at the special pricing.Thank you PB Tech!

ETA - I've also now had an email from PB Tech about this with an apology, so my faith in them is restored.

richms

29098 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 10208

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3444622 16-Dec-2025 16:53

I'm just glad I got my ram order at the price they clearly set up some time before the sale started.

Richard rich.ms