Department store chain Sears is facing the music after it accidentally let its website display a $69 iPad 2 for sale.
Customers thought it was too good to be true when they found Apple’s latest and greatest product on Sears.com at an advertised price of $69.
Listed near the price were the words “Reg Price: $99.99.” So something went completely screwy with the iPad 2 16GB WiFi product listing, leading to deal sites all across the Web to point to it, while customers crossed their fingers in the hopes of getting the deal of a lifetime.
Of course, the real price of an iPad 2 WiFi with 16 GB should be around $500.
Alas, customers’ dreams were crushed when shortly after receiving e-mails confirming their order, they were notified that their order was canceled.
In small print on the product page, it noted the $69 iPads were being sold by GSM On Sale, a third-party company that has a contract with Sears to advertise its prices when they’re lower than what the store itself wants to charge.
The retailer said GSM “mistakenly posted incorrect pricing” for the product.
“If you purchased either of these products recently, your order has been cancelled and your account will be credited. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have been caused and we appreciate your feedback,” Sears wrote in consolation.
Of course, every online retailer has fine print that allows them to back out of their obligation to fulfill an order if there’s a typographical error or for any reason at all, really. So now customers are left with $70+ pending charges on their credit card and have nothing to show for it.
