ManofGod
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Amazon Sellers Threatening Customers With Collections Over Pricing Error
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ManofGod
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Which side is this side of the pond? The issue is in the UK after all.
faugusztin
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If someone has not read the article, I will give you a heads up: This is a UK issue, not a USA issue.For those who think it would not happen on their side of the pond, Europe, go get some coffee and wake up, that is exactly where it is happening.
It's not going to happen in UK or Europe either. It is a wishful thinking of the seller to recover some losses, but it still has no legal grounds.
Yeah I have to agree, that is an obvious fuckup, and while the company doesn't have a leg to stand on trying to use illegal intimidation tactics, that's pretty low.
I love great deals as much as the next guy, but to buy bulk on a pricing error is douchey.
faugusztin
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Items got shipped because they were shipped from the Amazon warehouse, where the 3rd party sellers had their items.
I kind of wonder about Amazon's automation and programming.
Just last week I ordered 18 ipad cases from them all from the same merchant by typing 18 in the little quantity box. On the next page, I checked the free shipping link. Over the next few days, they proceeded to send me 18 separate shipping confirmation emails each with a different tracking number and often separated by a good amount of time, which of course resulted in 18 large shipped boxes which each could hold 10 of the things. The inefficiency is just mind-boggling.
Just last week I ordered 18 ipad cases from them all from the same merchant by typing 18 in the little quantity box. On the next page, I checked the free shipping link. Over the next few days, they proceeded to send me 18 separate shipping confirmation emails each with a different tracking number and often separated by a good amount of time, which of course resulted in 18 large shipped boxes which each could hold 10 of the things. The inefficiency is just mind-boggling.
And what does one do with 100 boxes of pens, exactly? Just curious.
Carbon_Rod
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A LOT of writing of course!
Zepher
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I didn't want the pens, I was just seeing if it would actually ship. I ended up selling a bunch of pens to people. then giving boxes of pens away.
I actually took 3 cases back to OD since they were taking up so much space, and they credited me back 40 something cents, lol
lucidrenegade
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Buying one for you and a couple for friends I could see. Buying 100 to resell makes you an asshole.
This is what happens when one of the "performance metrics" your warehouse employees are rated on is boxes packed per hour. Sure they could pack everything in 1 box and then move on to something that might take longer to box and ruin their metrics. Or they could throw a bunch of easy things in individual boxes and boost their numbers because it doesn't take as much time. This isn't an amazon problem, this is a management problem that plagues a number of different fields. It is especially bad in call centers.
the people at the wherehouse do not know the price of the item normally and lot of this stuff is already pre boxed
another issue what would of prevented this issues is that the sellers on amazon there is an Option that you can DISABLE (its enabled by default) that turns off the notification where you must agree to the drastic price change most of them had that Turned off (small changes are auto allowed)
also sellers that are using Amazon automated shiping can have the item on hold until they agree to have the item shipped (amazon should have better protection from these types of money grab issues) if they had it enabled they would never had pressed ship button
UK is a small place only takes max 8 hours to get to the farest place, so repercussions unofficially as a buyer is a lot higher (i would not hesitate to have all items returned one way or another) return it or well return it or pay for it that is the 3 options (i could imagine collectors having a field day)
4th option is say bugger it and fold the limited company and re setup a new one (under different person name)
people should be prosecuted (and can if they do not return the item) for taking advantage of mass glitch like this and its not the same as walking into a shop and getting a silly cheap price due to incorrect price as this was an automated bug online the people buying it fully well known the correct price of the item and still got it any way, with limited scope is classed as fraud of some sort (amazon automated shiping should caught this and not Shipped them not when its 1p or less then shipping costs witch is not free to the seller)
be interesting what happens in 1-2 weeks the seller can not charge or trigger a return process as a seller as Amazon is who taken the money not the seller, only the buyer can star the returns process (amazon fulfills the payment the the seller seller only has the address name and how much they paid) they can only do option 2 and 3 (as amazon will most likely remove them from them just for sending that email out)
most of these people are small companies and not like supermarkets that can eat 100k like its nothing
another issue what would of prevented this issues is that the sellers on amazon there is an Option that you can DISABLE (its enabled by default) that turns off the notification where you must agree to the drastic price change most of them had that Turned off (small changes are auto allowed)
also sellers that are using Amazon automated shiping can have the item on hold until they agree to have the item shipped (amazon should have better protection from these types of money grab issues) if they had it enabled they would never had pressed ship button
UK is a small place only takes max 8 hours to get to the farest place, so repercussions unofficially as a buyer is a lot higher (i would not hesitate to have all items returned one way or another) return it or well return it or pay for it that is the 3 options (i could imagine collectors having a field day)
4th option is say bugger it and fold the limited company and re setup a new one (under different person name)
people should be prosecuted (and can if they do not return the item) for taking advantage of mass glitch like this and its not the same as walking into a shop and getting a silly cheap price due to incorrect price as this was an automated bug online the people buying it fully well known the correct price of the item and still got it any way, with limited scope is classed as fraud of some sort (amazon automated shiping should caught this and not Shipped them not when its 1p or less then shipping costs witch is not free to the seller)
be interesting what happens in 1-2 weeks the seller can not charge or trigger a return process as a seller as Amazon is who taken the money not the seller, only the buyer can star the returns process (amazon fulfills the payment the the seller seller only has the address name and how much they paid) they can only do option 2 and 3 (as amazon will most likely remove them from them just for sending that email out)
most of these people are small companies and not like supermarkets that can eat 100k like its nothing
faugusztin
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And again. The seller set the 0.01GBP price with a non-Amazon tool. From Amazon and customer standpoint, the seller decided to clear stock for 0.01GBP. He didn't mean to do that ? Well, bad luck, they need to recollect their losses from the one who created the problem, and that is the software company they bought/licenced the software from.
The sellers have absolutely zero legal ground for trying to get any money from customer. Even that email could land the companies in huge legal trouble, trying to sell it to debt collection agency or ruining customers credit at rating agency could result in criminal charges.
Harsh learning experience of the negative side of automated software. Stock trading had lots of these over the time - smart people learn from others mistakes, stupid from their own.
MrGuvernment
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Then search for items from Amazon only.
the seller did not set the price, the computer did tocks and shares are not the same thing (even thought it does happen) none of the items should of been shipped any way
they lose the business if they do not reclaim the money or get the stock back (unopened), i agree the software company going to get put into court for this, if customers do not return the items,, they probably do it anyway
the rate setter company should of really made sure that Amazon option to confirm large price changes was always enabled as thats whats got most of the companies this issue (really there should not be able to disable it in the first place)
they lose the business if they do not reclaim the money or get the stock back (unopened), i agree the software company going to get put into court for this, if customers do not return the items,, they probably do it anyway
the rate setter company should of really made sure that Amazon option to confirm large price changes was always enabled as thats whats got most of the companies this issue (really there should not be able to disable it in the first place)
If it was Target Austrailia. I'm okay with it.
faugusztin
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From Amazon and customers side, the seller did set the price. Automated or manual, that is not the customers or Amazons problem.
And yes, they will lose the business if they won't go after the correct target - that Repricer company. And yes, they will lose business, and will maybe even serve jail time, if they will start threatening the buyers and/or sell those imaginary debts to collection agency and/or damage customer credit based on falsified data.
ManofGod
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If people actually cared about one another, this kind of stuff would not be happening. But hey, one for one and all for me, amirite?
On a more positive note, Merry Christmas. faugusztin
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Look, Amazon is bound by laws. If it is shipped, then it is a legal contract. Also it was the seller, or 3rd party contracted by seller who set the price, so Amazon is not at fault here and has no obligations against the sellers outside of cooperation to stop the remaining orders (which is a questionable move from legal standpoint in first place). While the customer could see that 0.01 euros for a 700 euro camera lens sounds like a too good deal, customer had no way of knowing if it is a clearance sale or a mistake. So while you could ask the customer to return the item, he has no legal obligation to do so.
On other side, threatening the customer if he doesn't return the item or pay the difference towards a price which was not presented to a customer is a criminal matter, and people sending these letters clearly aren't thinking.
The only solution for these sellers is to go after the one who made the mistake - RepricerExpress. And if RepricerExpress folds, then eat the loss or go bankrupt. It is the price they pay for trusting someone else to act on your behalf and having no insurance against such thing, either in the contract with RepricerExpress or with an insurance company.
On other side, threatening the customer if he doesn't return the item or pay the difference towards a price which was not presented to a customer is a criminal matter, and people sending these letters clearly aren't thinking.
The only solution for these sellers is to go after the one who made the mistake - RepricerExpress. And if RepricerExpress folds, then eat the loss or go bankrupt. It is the price they pay for trusting someone else to act on your behalf and having no insurance against such thing, either in the contract with RepricerExpress or with an insurance company.
ManofGod
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Yeah, I am sorry but you are fired and we are closing shop, but hey, all those people got this cheap stuff, to bad, boo hoo and all that, amirite? Personally, I would have not let the stuff ship out at all and cancelled all orders but hey, I would like to stay in business and pay my employees if it where my business.
There are exceptions but not if it where to cause a business to close its doors. Greed is the name of the game I guess.
Yeah, that's exactly right. That's the great thing about free markets - poorly run business aren't likely to stay in operation, many times they go "boom" as repercussions of their decisions. This is one of those times. They gave pricing power to a 3rd party without any type of contractual liability or insurance. What type of moron at the helm gave the green light to that plan? I don't feel sorry for the business. For the rank-and-file worker that will lose their job, yeah I feel bad for them, but as a consumer none of that stuff is any of my business.
As a consumer I determine if the asking price is worth paying, if I have enough money, if a product fits my needs/goals, etc. If so, I'll buy the item and I really don't give a shit if it's profitable for you or not - those are your concerns as the business owner/management, not mine. Once an item is paid for, shipped, and delivered the transaction is over. If you made a pricing mistake you don't get to come back and demand I pay you more or return the item, it's just a tough break for you.
If people actually cared about one another, this kind of stuff would not be happening. But hey, one for one and all for me, amirite?
It works both ways. Corporations could give less that a shit about you or your well being. All they care about is money, not even people dying. There are mountains of examples, so here's one of them:
Essentially they knowingly let people die because it would be cheaper to pay the death lawsuits than to fix all of the cars. Corporations ONLY, care about making as much money as they can, period. They'll fuck you over and let you die if it will make them a dime. Yeah, so I'm supposed to care about them when they cry about their own mistake and all the while they'll try to screw me three ways to Sunday? Yeah, go pound sand.
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not every red blooded American is looking to profit off of the mistakes of others...Thankfully its only a select few who can justify it to themselves.
faugusztin
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Here's my deal.
I would have probably ordered a couple as gifts and one for myself, I would have assumed it was inventory reduction , something obselete aand on clearance.
Had the seller contacted me, said there was a mistake and politely asked for the items back, I would have sent them back.
Had the seller contacted me with a threat, they would NOT see their merchdise and the second they attempted to turn me over to collections I'd have sued.
Hope the seller loses their Amazon license permanently as well for going straight to threaten mode.
I would have probably ordered a couple as gifts and one for myself, I would have assumed it was inventory reduction , something obselete aand on clearance.
Had the seller contacted me, said there was a mistake and politely asked for the items back, I would have sent them back.
Had the seller contacted me with a threat, they would NOT see their merchdise and the second they attempted to turn me over to collections I'd have sued.
Hope the seller loses their Amazon license permanently as well for going straight to threaten mode.
aShrubbery!
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