I Just Bought a $3,000 Rooftop Air Conditioner for $1.89, but The Order Was Refunded for an Illegitimate Reason

Lausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 11:47
Last edited 23/03/2023 - 12:21 by 1 other user

Zippay are running a deal today, and as I was browsing those deals I noticed this Roof Top Air Conditioner

I noticed that it was on sale down to $1.89, so I bought one.

Here is a screenshot showing that I purchased it today

I was preparing to go pick it up, but then received an email to say that the order was cancelled, with the following reasoning:

"Unfortunately, the seller had to cancel your order due to the following reason: I'm out of stock or the item is damaged."

However - the listing continues to show, but now for a higher price, proving that this is a lie.

What do I do about this? If it was a mistake, should this be my problem? I paid for this and was making preparations for pickup.

Edit: thanks for all your replies. OzBargain is a fun place. I've learned that even though most people on here would have no issue jumping on some crazy loophole of a deal that was obviously a mistake in judgement by someone working at a company, it's generally frowned upon to want to take a deal that was another kind of a mistake.

Also learned that people seem to be really worried about how they are perceived on here. It's a forum about bargains - lighten up 😂

Thanks again for the laugh everyone… I'm off to enjoy my non-air-conditioned day!

Poll Options expired

  • 27
    I should take this to the high court of Australia
  • 4
    I create a picket around this business until I have my air conditioner
  • 17
    I should contact A Current Affair and Netflix about this story of injustice
  • 300
    All of the above
  • 6
    I should sue eBay as this really is their fault - someone must and will pay
General Discussion

Comments

  • kekw on 23/03/2023 - 11:49
    +43

    get your arse ready for the incoming comment mate :)

    • avoidfullprice on 23/03/2023 - 11:50
      +6

      OP wished seller admit it was a pricing error and refund the dollar-fifty

      • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 11:55

        hehe does this kind of thing happen often on OzBargain? All I want is my air conditioner… or a "Pepsi, Where's My Jet?" style Netflix docco… either or

        • kekw on 23/03/2023 - 11:58
          +41

          Na IMO all you need is some arse whooping to think that you are entitled for a $3000 AC that you paid $1.89 for and have the audacity to post it.

          • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:03
            -8

            @kekw: hehe this is where it gets murky IMO. I see a lot of people posting about deal loopholes and jumping on crazy deals on OB, and this really isn't much different to some crazy loophole that was a mistake by a company running a competition. But in terms of audacity to post it - who cares bro. This is a forum about deals - are you serious

          • CyberMurning on 23/03/2023 - 13:03
            +1

            @kekw: and maybe as the RRP is high $3k then it should come with free installation, take out the old unit, and throw in house cleaning steam mop carpet…. and maybe free dog wash for a year just as bonus.

        • avoidfullprice on 23/03/2023 - 12:47

          Your new poll options are just trolling the internet. Good luck

        • enforcer on 24/03/2023 - 00:15
          +2

          All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me. Just a Pepsi!

        • Cheap Gamer on 24/03/2023 - 10:27
          +1

          Where's my elephant

        • Franc-T on 25/03/2023 - 23:14

          They should have not promised the Jet!

  • Muzeeb on 23/03/2023 - 11:50
    +32

    You deserve CoMpEnSaTiOn for sure.

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:04

      More than that - eBay, Where's My Documentary!

      • timthetoolman on 23/03/2023 - 12:14
        +10

        You're really rolling with this joke aren't you

      • Serapis on 23/03/2023 - 21:35
        +1

        I'm just disappointed you didn't put an option to hire bikies in your poll

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 23/03/2023 - 12:05
      +11

      op in court arguing to judge: It's the vibe of it. It's the Constitution. It's Mabo. It's justice. It's law. It's the vibe and ah, no that's it.

        • GrueHunter on 23/03/2023 - 19:02
          +9

          So you're thick and a c*^% and you think you're hilarious

          Big surprise, such a rare combination

    • CyberMurning on 23/03/2023 - 13:04
      +2

      maybe muzeeb is working for that company now, selling aircon..
      because DELL is too hot for him

    • meong on 23/03/2023 - 18:15

      why didnt you honour this price like how you honoured my AW38???

  • onetwothreefour on 23/03/2023 - 11:51
    +5

    Getting popcorn, be back later.

    • jv on 23/03/2023 - 11:58
      +40

      My popcorn order just got cancelled for an Illegitimate Reason…

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 23/03/2023 - 12:05
        +10

        u can share mine @jv i bought enough for the whole class

      • FireRunner on 24/03/2023 - 14:23

        But how do you know the Reason was born out of wedlock?

  • Fredfloresjr on 23/03/2023 - 11:51
    +50

    Take that $1.89 refund and move on. You know from the very start it was a price error.

    • Steakz on 23/03/2023 - 11:53
      +11

      /end thread.

      • CrowReally on 23/03/2023 - 12:10
        +14

        You're such an interesting person, I can't wait to see a whole documentary that centers around you and this event :)

      • avoidfullprice on 23/03/2023 - 12:43
        +2

        Except this A/C unit wasn’t advertised on media to be $1.89. The jet, on the other hand, was advertised to be claimable with finite pepsi points

      • Eeples on 27/03/2023 - 01:11

        Why didn’t you at first realise that $1.89 was a pricing error?

    • cunningdrew on 24/03/2023 - 14:58
      +1

      Correct, only way to beat the system is to run to the shop and hope the person picking has their head in the clouds.

      This doesn't work for an eBay item that is 3k down to a buck. Lighten up OP. :)

  • Stopback on 23/03/2023 - 11:52
    +5

    Should of bought 20 mate

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:16

      No comment 😂

  • jv on 23/03/2023 - 11:55

    proving that this is a lie.

    That is not proof.

    Anyway, they don't even need a reason…

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 11:56
      -1

      Here's the seller's reply after telling them I'm heading over to pick it up: "sorry, the order has been cancelled, if you really like it, please reorder it, cheers!"

      Still not proof?

      • jv on 23/03/2023 - 11:57
        +1

        Still not proof?

        nope… just speculation.

        • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 11:58
          -2

          Won't be pushing it, as it seems from the comments already that this kind of thing happens often, so I'll let it go. Was just curious as you do see a lot of loopholes being exploited on OzBargain, and really…. this isn't much different.

          • jv on 23/03/2023 - 11:59
            +6

            @ausse777: read up on consumer law…

            they can just refund your purchase cost… no reason required…

            • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:01

              @jv: Fair enough. No issue then

            • caitsith01 on 23/03/2023 - 17:33
              -3

              @jv: There is absolutely nothing in the consumer law saying that sellers can randomly void contracts of sale so long as they refund your purchase cost. They would need a condition of the contract of sale to allow them to take this step. Otherwise if they breach the contract by not supplying the goods, the loss is not the purchase price but the value of the bargain (which here is a lot more than the purchase price).

              The reason this stuff flies is that no-one is going to court over a cheap air conditioner, not because companies are entitled to just decide which deals to honour.

              • jv on 23/03/2023 - 22:24

                @caitsith01:

                There is absolutely nothing in the consumer law saying that sellers can randomly void contracts of sale so long as they refund your purchase cost.

                Read up on the ACCC website.

          • cheng2008 on 23/03/2023 - 15:24
            +3

            @ausse777: Assuming you want a serious reply: yes, there are a lot of loopholes being exploited, but if they get rejected then a rejection's a rejection, people suck it up and move on. Just because it's not your mistake and you "made preparations" doesn't mean that you deserve to get it. Doesn't work that way.

  • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 11:56
    +8

    obvious error won't hold up in court. move on

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:07
      -7

      But I'm entitled and I have rights

      • SBOB on 23/03/2023 - 12:22
        +24

        But I'm entitled

        You sound it.

      • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 14:29
        +2

        yes get a solicitor then and watch them take your money.

        your rights don't exceed obvious errors.

        Imagine you employ a software developer on 100k a year but your secretary who drafts up the contract missed the decimal point and instead on paper has agreed to pay him $10 million a year, would you be happy to pay that first weeks wage when he/she complains they didn't get 20k pay

      • Nillionaire on 23/03/2023 - 16:18
        +1

        I will take your rights away from you for $1.89

      • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 18:49
        +4

        no there is not

        look up unilateral mistake.

        if someone made a contract to supply you with 600cm of pvc piping for $50 but the cotnract had 600m, do you think it would be honoured, or a judge would go… wait even though it was the mistake of one party, the other knew it was and failed to speak

        lets see OP and others if so confident crowd fund his solicitor and take it all the way to court.

        I will sit with pop corn

  • DarkOz on 23/03/2023 - 11:58
    +3

    $3,000.00 -> $1.89.00 and if that's NOT an obvious pricing error then what is? WTFROFLMFAO!

      • DarkOz on 23/03/2023 - 12:00
        +13

        Dude, that's NOT a discount. That's a BANKRUPTCY!

        • mbck on 23/03/2023 - 12:02

          Lmao

          • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:07
            -3

            @mbck: haha. That reminded me of that cupcake place who ran a $1 cupcake deal on Groupon…. they had to close their business after tens of thousands of orders flooded in 😯

            • DarkOz on 23/03/2023 - 12:11
              +3

              @ausse777: That's would have been funny if it wasn't so sad to happen to honest ordinary people/businesses.

              • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:15

                @DarkOz: Yeah true. But you also have to think about those who didn't get their cupcake - this isn't a one-way street

      • cookie2 on 23/03/2023 - 13:51
        +1

        When it was an error and not the intention.

  • scrimshaw on 23/03/2023 - 11:59
    +12

    When you cancel an order on eBay, you have to choose from a list of reasons in a drop-down box. I don't remember seeing "Price error" in the list of reasons. So they just had to settle with "item damaged / OOS"

    However you should note that when a seller cancels an order on someone who already paid for the item, they'll get a strike against their account, after a certain number of strikes the account gets a penalty.

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:00

      Yeah ok, interesting. Have to be careful when setting your prices on eBay it seems

  • jv on 23/03/2023 - 12:02
    +1

    If it was a mistake,

    Obviously they put a full stop instead of a comma in the price…

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:05

      Yeah good point. Looks like that's what may have happened.

    • DarkOz on 23/03/2023 - 12:07
      +10

      Or maybe they were selling Roottop Hair Conditioner for $1.89 a bottle.

      • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:14

        Would be happy for that also

  • FloatingPoint on 23/03/2023 - 12:04

    What do I do about this?

    I don't know, sue them for mental damage compensation?

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:06
      -4

      The way things are going… especially in Victoria where this item is - you may actually have a case 😂

    • jv on 23/03/2023 - 12:26
      -5

      Can we sue Dan for that?

  • USER DC on 23/03/2023 - 12:07
    -8

    i also once scored a $5000+ reverse ducted aircon for $0 + $130 shipping.

    Seller afterwards messaged me saying shipping is gonna cost more, like another 150 or something. I said okay I will pay $150 extra shipping.

    a day later he demands me to pay him $5000, saying i haven't paid for item. When his I placed order successfully on his website in good faith.

    I was more outrage by the fact he demanded me to pay him full price of $5000+, and not even like offer some sort of discount, because I could have shared over placed, and caused more chaos to him and his business.

    Next time stop worrying about him honoring stuff let him suffer damage for not honoring one a good discount at least.

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:11

      It's weird he just didn't admit that he made a mistake, and maybe yeah offered you some kind of discount. You're right, you never know what kind of damage it could do to your business. Maybe yours and mine are extreme cases, but in other circumstances I can see situations where a business could suffer from trying to hide their mistakes.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 23/03/2023 - 18:31

      /s ?

  • lostgoat on 23/03/2023 - 12:08
    +1

    It's a bloody unfair world where people don't honour their prices and lie !

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:09

      Agreed! This legal case is expanding by the second

      • lostgoat on 23/03/2023 - 12:11

        I don't get why they can't just say the truth and say it was a pricing error .

        • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:12

          Me either. Obviously I'm not taking it any further, but I guess it's just the nature of people… you want to hide or cover up your mistakes

      • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 14:32

        the only thing that would expand is your solicitors wallet

  • ThithLord on 23/03/2023 - 12:11
    +7

    Might I suggest lodging a case here, The International Court of Justice. The Hague seems like a reasonable step. If you want to go higher than that, you can go straight to the tippy-top by making a Facebook post about it.

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:13
      -5

      Good point. Do you think Greta Thunberg would consider representing me?

  • Baysew on 23/03/2023 - 12:16
    +1

    OP needs to cool down.

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:17

      I'm worked up. I'm taking this all the way

      • cunningdrew on 24/03/2023 - 15:06

        My guy Dennis Denuto will look after you.

  • holdenmg on 23/03/2023 - 12:20
    +1

    E&OE?

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:25
      +2

      What is this crazyspeak. Are you reall going to make me put this in to ChatGPT. Arggh… fine

      • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:26

        Bah - ChatGPT is still down. This is the worst day ever - I'll use DuckDuckGo.

        • holdenmg on 23/03/2023 - 12:27

          sigh…
          "Errors and omissions excepted"

        • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:27
          -1

          Ahh… "Errors and omissions excepted". Yes, they made an obvious error thinking they could get away with this

  • GordonD on 23/03/2023 - 12:26

    offer + acceptance = contract

    Has the invention of the interweb changed contract law?

    • ausse777 on 23/03/2023 - 12:30

      Now you're speaking my language. Can I pin this reply? Are you a lawyer by any chance?

      • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 14:35

        if you seriously think you will win this law case you dream of, why aren't you down at the solicitors right now instead of whinging on ozbargain.

        I know a good lawyer called Jackie Chiles if you want his number

    • Donaldhump on 23/03/2023 - 14:32
      +1

      but obvious unconscious unilateral errors don't form part of a contract

    • caitsith01 on 23/03/2023 - 17:40
      +2

      It's changed the fact that you don't get the goods when you pay, so it's easy for them to walk away from the bargain. Funnily enough, the retailer would have a different view if you paid for the goods and later decided you'd made an 'error' in your assessment of whether you wanted to buy them.

      Most of the bush lawyers in here have absolutely NFI what they are talking about, though. If someone is stupid enough to offer you something valuable for a very low price that doesn't mean they can just cancel the deal later, despite the advice of OzBargain, OzBargain & Associates.

      • happydude on 24/03/2023 - 18:54

        If someone is stupid enough to offer you something valuable for a very low price that doesn't mean they can just cancel the deal later, despite the advice of OzBargain, OzBargain & Associates.

        It does if it is part of the terms and conditions which form part of the contract of sale. Very common for the contract not be be completed until delivery. This means up until then the seller can terminate the contract with an escape clause.

        Officeworks terms for example:

        We reserve the right to reject your order for products or services purchased through the Website for any reason, including but not limited to if the products or services are not available, if there is an error in the description or price of the requested products or services as advertised on the Website or if there is an error in your order. If we reject your order, we will notify you by email of our rejection at the time you place the order or within a reasonable time thereafter and give you the option of reconfirming your order, changing your order or cancelling your order. If we are unable to contact you, we will treat the order as cancelled. If your order is cancelled and you have already paid for your purchase, you will receive a full refund.

    • lunchbox99 on 24/03/2023 - 14:46
      +1

      They argue that that placing the order is your offer. Seller acceptance is the order confirmation email, not the confirmation that you submitted your offer.

      I kind think it's BS because as far as the buyer is concerned the transaction is complete, in many cases the seller also accept payment which further indicates acceptance. Nevertheless, your chance of enforcing the contract is virtually nil.

      • nedski on 25/03/2023 - 11:27

        Unless there is something in Ebays terms and conditions that allow sellers to void transactions due to price errors, I would disagree that the contract could not be enforced.

        There has been offer and acceptance and when OP paid the $1.89, he has offered consideration. A contract has been executed.

        I was going to put the following point under my own head comment, but what if the purchaser accidentally purchased something. Ebay and the seller would sure as hell try to get them to complete the sale. Once again, as long as there were valid terms and conditions in play.

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