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Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

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Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#111

Post by deanstag »

danso wrote: post #103
mrep wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that a good thing? A "price match" with a bunch of exclusions isn't really a price match.

But price matching is predicated on realistic economic competition, not we'll-match-it-no-matter-what-based-on-principle. There are already exceptions based on only dealing with "major online retailers" – i.e. retailers that operate on making stable revenue/profit from selling things – as well as disqualifying certain kind of discounts, like clearances and Black Friday prices. And in any case, Best Buy's qualifying r…

Any Nathan For You fans here?

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#112

Post by fma »

kls wrote: post #108

Sounds to me like someone at Amazon is good at marketing. Let a few things go for an insane deal, knowing it will hit the front page of every blog. Then reap the rush of next years prime day with people scouring the site for pricing "errors". Pretty cheap and effective marketing. Kind of like a raffle but without having to get all the lawyers involved to make sure you comply with raffle laws.

Or someone on slickdeals is good at marketing because that's what half the article talks about.

I'm surprised Amazon honored such a big price mistake. A few weeks ago, some Western Digital drives were priced incorrectly. About half off. Everyone got cancelations. And yes, I heard about it on front page of slickdeals...

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#113

Post by digitaltrees »

kls wrote: post #108

Sounds to me like someone at Amazon is good at marketing. Let a few things go for an insane deal, knowing it will hit the front page of every blog. Then reap the rush of next years prime day with people scouring the site for pricing "errors". Pretty cheap and effective marketing. Kind of like a raffle but without having to get all the lawyers involved to make sure you comply with raffle laws.

Ding! Ding! Ding! This feels like the right explanation. And if not, I am going to use it for future marketing efforts.

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#114

Post by zeta0134 »

danso wrote: post #31

> Others also reported that they successfully price matched gear at retailers such as Best Buy and Walmart. Wow, this is incredible if true. Not just as a sign of how much these traditional retailers will stick to their promises, but also how the ostensible safeguards of brick-and-mortar/human-touch can still be subverted by algorithmic error. I've never worked at retail but if I saw such a drastic reduction I'd call…

When I was working at Best Buy at least, the register wouldn't let you price match if it fell below a certain margin. If that's still the policy, that means that managers were likely involved, and very likely approving the price match.

I guess that's going to inspire some serious good will in those customers, but geeze, that's a $12,000 loss in the day's profit. Is it worth it?

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#115

Post by samstave »

bogwog wrote: post #77
ericmuyser wrote: post #45

I doubt they will cancel the orders. Amazon lives by customer service. They seem to just write off their mistakes directly from revenue. I learned this when I was scammed for a $5000 and Amazon let the scammer keep, refunded me and closed the issue in one fell swoop.

They'll definitely cancel the orders. I once got a coupon from them for 50% off my first Prime Now order, and tried to buy $1000 worth of electronics for $500. They just canceled it and didn't even let me keep the coupon.

I canceled my prime subscription, but they charged me anyway..

I called and got a refund, but I also told them I wanted a $25 'convenience fee' --

They paid it.

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#116

Post by mensetmanusman »

Kye wrote: post #109
mensetmanusman wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s unethical about taking advantage of another human who made a mistake?

This is not some over-burdened shop owner on the corner. I doubt any people were involved in setting these prices. Some algorithm messed up somewhere in a company for which this is a rounding error.

I agree. But you have to admit it is unethical.

People justify stealing $16 million from the government because it is just a rounding error every day :)

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#118

Post by SantalBlush »

Rapzid wrote: post #88
WalterBright wrote: post #9

Amazon would be within their rights to refuse to honor such purchases. I also don't think it's ethical to take advantage of such mistakes. What if it was you who accidentally listed your house for $60,000 rather than $600,000? What if you accidentally included an extra 0 on the check you wrote?

I guess we found the common ground in the USA; pulling one over on Amazon to the tune of $10,000. Years of virtue signalling rendered moot by the shot at getting something unearned at the expense of somebody else. There is hope yet.

How is it unearned? They offer to pay the price, and if the transaction goes through, they get the product. This is exactly what businesses do when they offer the lowest possible wages to workers. There is zero difference.

If a businessperson does it, they are shrewd. If a customer does it, they are unethical.

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#119

Post by Kye »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #116
Kye wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not some over-burdened shop owner on the corner. I doubt any people were involved in setting these prices. Some algorithm messed up somewhere in a company for which this is a rounding error.

I agree. But you have to admit it is unethical. People justify stealing $16 million from the government because it is just a rounding error every day :)

>> "But you have to admit it is unethical."

No, I don't. Buying something for the listed price is perfectly ethical.

Your ethics are different. That's okay. People have different perspectives. My ethics don't require me to pay more than the asking price. I'll tip people who undercharge to the point that it's harmful to them (like albums on Bandcamp), but Amazon will be fine.

>> "People justify stealing $16 million from the government because it is just a rounding error every day :)"

I don't have the slightest idea what you're referring to here, but buying something for the price it's listed at is in no way stealing.

Re: Amazon Accidentally Sold $13k Camera Gear for $100 on Prime Day

#120

Post by thelittleone »

WalterBright wrote: post #9

Amazon would be within their rights to refuse to honor such purchases. I also don't think it's ethical to take advantage of such mistakes. What if it was you who accidentally listed your house for $60,000 rather than $600,000? What if you accidentally included an extra 0 on the check you wrote?

Are you sure this is the law? You advertise something for a price, the item is paid for, invoiced and delivered. At what point does such a law kick in? If I sell something 5% can I claim it was a mistake? What about 25%, 50%? Where is that line?
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