Jump to content
The Inquirer-Home

Users fume as Dell claims half-price offer a mistake

Makes the same mistake twice
Tuesday, 18 November 2008, 08:01

USERS ARE FUMING after Dell twice advertised a computer for sale at less than half the usual price last week, but then abruptly pulled the offers.

Bargain hunter websites in Australia were all a buzz with word that Dell was offering a Aus $799 Vostro 220ST computer on its website for $240.

Dell said it was all a terrible mistake and pulled the deal. Not only that, it refused to honour those people who had placed orders.

But the same model was also involved in a similar problem earlier in the week. This time Dell accidentally offered the machine for $350 and also pulled out of the deal in exactly the same way.

Punters are saying Dell deliberately advertised at an impossibly low price as a marketing ploy, knowing it could pull out at any time and claim the offer was a mistake.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald Dell believes it is justified in refusing to honour the sales, saying it did not send customers a notice accepting the orders and therefore no contract was created.

Dell Australia spokesman Marty Filipowski claims the offer was simply a mistake and stemmed from Dell accidentally allowing customers to delete certain accessories from their orders.

The NSW Office of Fair Trading says traders such as Dell are generally obliged to deliver goods only if customers have paid for them, which creates a binding contract.

Filipowski insisted that no cash had been accepted.

ACCC spokeswoman Lin Enright, when asked if Dell had breached laws related to false advertising, said: "I'm advised that if it was a genuine mistake, and it seems to be, no action would be taken."

However the question is, how seriously are you going to take Dell advert if it can make the same mistake twice in the same week. µ

L'Inq
AP

Share this:

Comments
Dell, Dell, Dell -- pants on fire.

Mysteriously expensive delivery charges. Installing trial copies of MS Office that expire in a few weeks.

Dell just seem determined to undermine trust in the brand and in online buying.

posted by : fihart, 18 November 2008 Complain about this comment
Dell irony...?

You do realise that directly below this article, sitting like an innocent little thing, was an advert for.... a Dell!

posted by : Chris Smith, 18 November 2008 Complain about this comment
2:1 or 1:2.

Heres perfect example of my blunderings of Mourn. Dell dosn't care if Customer got expectations. Its Money Issue.

Intel throws expectation Towel at Bloomfield, asking twice usual value, well its Big & Early. Yet, Little AMD could still make money, How? Stock Split 2:1 or double number of shares.

Dell be Better Advertised if Kept Deal. AMD Do as Well as Most by doubling Shares in Total, Cann't go much under $1 for long time, getting that last dollar of rise or buy back, is point.
As when stock hits ~$15, NOBODY Remembers that extra dollar, Stock soars with News that Did upward cycle., so value, is twice as large with teice shares outstanding, & Painless, as AMD gathers up wheat. 

In Dells case, as customers are reminded, its dube & dude Cos. While Intel, Well, Intel, Someone Had To Make Real Monies.
STeWie drashek

posted by : Bettin'Ultee, 18 November 2008 Complain about this comment
Shutup Drashek - You Plonker!

@Bettin'Ultee
So, they let you out eh?

Please call them now and say you have been a plonker and written some more utter crap on a website and pissed all of their readers off, yet again, and you wish to be taken back into care immediately before more readers consider self-harm, hunting you down, blocking your IP with a DDoS attack, bulk spam or simply ripping your head off and crapping down yout neck (I didn't use capitols and did a run on the sentence so you thought it was him....) Ha, Ha.... You are rubber I am glue.....

Lots of love,

Dave Drashi xxx


posted by : Dave_The_Rave, 19 November 2008 Complain about this comment
Filipowski almost right...

Thanks for the article.

I wish to just add, that despite what Marty Filipowski claims, Dell have held money of those that paid by EFT for up to 10 days now. According to our information up to 75% of consumers still have not been contacted by Dell.

See the stats here: http://www.dodgydeals.com.au/2008/11/group-stats.html

posted by : Ben Alexander, 19 November 2008 Complain about this comment
Advertisement
Subscribe to the INQ Newsletter
Sign-up for the INQBot weekly newsletter
Click here to sign up Existing user
Advertisement
INQ Poll

Browsers

Who will win the next round of browser wars?