QLD Australian Consumer Law - Incorrect Pricing of Goods?

[QUESTIONTIME]

Hi.

I recently made a purchase from a jewellery company (8 items), while they were having a sale. I put all goods into the basket and completed the transaction and I noticed that 4 items came up with $0.00. I assumed it had to do with the sale (maybe they were offering these for free).

They have since sent the remainder of the goods but omitted the items that stated $0.00 and have just simply crossed out the line on the invoice where I had purchased these. They provided no explanation as to what has happened.

Does anyone know where I stand under Australian Consumer Law?

Thanks

 

[Sophea]

Hi Questiontime,

Generally if its a genuine mistake on the store's part they are not bound to follow through on the sale. I think that's probably the case here. Check out this article on incorrect pricing though it may provide further insights.

Australian Consumer Law Rights – Incorrect Pricing - Legal Blog - LawAnswers.com.au

 

[QUESTIONTIME]

Hi Questiontime,

Generally if its a genuine mistake on the store's part they are not bound to follow through on the sale. I think that's probably the case here. Check out this article on incorrect pricing though it may provide further insights.

Australian Consumer Law Rights – Incorrect Pricing - Legal Blog - LawAnswers.com.au

Hi Sophea,

Thank you for your reply

I have read the article and it sort of leaves it a bit ambiguous with regards to where I stand. For now I will just leave it and just remember to not shop with them again.

I finally got a response from them today and they said they had tried contacting me via phone and email (which did not happen) to say that they are sold out of said pieces now. Convenient I would think after I raised my concern, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but will know better in the future.

Thanks again

 

[Sophea]

For now I will just leave it and just remember to not shop with them again.

From how it sounds, there is no great deceit that this online store has engaged in. You can't be angry at the store simply because the windfall you thought you were going to get, didn't eventuate. Its like finding a wallet and then getting angry because someone claims it. And it sounds as though you were prepared to pay for the "free" items and didn't know that they would show up as "$0.00" in your shopping cart until you were checking out.

So the shop actually did nothing wrong, even if it did omit those orders that were free because its simply uncommercial to expect stores to honour mistakes in pricing. Especially in the online environment wiht technical glitches etc, the law is clear that where a genuine mistake is made a consumer can't hold a store to the advertised mistaken price. Businesses would be going out of business left right and centre.