November 26, 2008:
Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Thousands of Target online shoppers are getting an apology and a gift card after ordering car seats that were mismarked and later having those orders cancelled by the company.
The car seats, regularly priced at $279, were listed as being on sale for $42.99, which Target says was a mistake.
Target e-mailed everyone who ordered the seats saying the company printed the price incorrectly. Shoppers could pay the correct price or cancel the order.
Target has agreed to give a $25 e-Gift Card, along with a letter of apology, to those who placed an order for less than five of the car seats. That includes about 2,000 New Yorkers.
Many who ordered the car seats were angry, but there’s a disclaimer on Target.com: “Despite our best efforts, a small number of items on our website may be mispriced... If an item's correct price is higher than our stated price, we will, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you.”
The Attorney General’s office looked into the incident, but said it appears to have simply been a mistake.
Statement from Target:"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the pricing error on Target.com. Target.com experienced a system pricing error that affected some items on the site, including the Britax car seat. Most car seat orders labeled with the incorrect price have been cancelled. Most guests whose purchase was cancelled will receive a $25 Target e-GiftCard to use on their next purchase at Target.com.
Target.com strives to consistently offer our guests the best values and accurate prices when shopping online. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. It is never our intention to disappoint our guests and we sincerely regret the error."
Email by Target to affected customers
We are sorry for the pricing error you experienced with your order recently on Target.com. We know this was disappointing.
We want to assure you that this was an unusual technical issue. Target.com discovered the situation during our price verification, which is a routine part of our shipping procedures. As soon as we discovered the error, we corrected our system and notified guests of the error and cancelled orders, according to the pricing error policy listed on our website.
Target.com strives to offer you the best value and accurate prices on all of our merchandise. Our teams will continue to monitor our pricing systems to ensure we deliver the experience you should expect
from Target. Although our online pricing policy was followed, we know you were disappointed when your order was cancelled.
As an apology for your experience, we'd like to provide you a $25 e-GiftCard to use on Target.com.
By redeeming this e-GiftCard, you acknowledge full satisfaction and release of any claims against Target relating to this pricing error.
As a valued guest, your business is very important to us. It’s our hope to be given the opportunity to serve you again as a Target.com guest.
Sincerely,
The Team at Target.com
www.target.com
November 18, 2008:
Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Dozens of upset mothers say they won't shop at Target any more after the company cancelled their online purchases, claiming the car seats they bought were mismarked. The moms are saying it was false advertising – but what’s The Real Deal?
Sam Hooper thought she hit the Black Friday jackpot a bit early on Sunday, when she went to Target.com and found a regularly priced $279 car seat for a mere $42.99.
At that price, Sam was going to buy three car seats -- two to replace the ones in her car, and one for her husband’s.
“These are top-of-the-line car seats, so I was just excited we got them for so cheap,” Hooper says.
She and a few of her friends placed the orders, and thought nothing more about it until an email arrived from Target the next day.
“They just said it was listed for the incorrect price and they won't send it out -- and if I'd like to pay $279, I could buy it,” says Hooper.
Sam and several other moms who've contacted us think Target should own up to the mistake and offer them something a little better than full price.
“I feel like customer service isn't important to them…I kind of feel like they should have taken this hit and sucked it up and given people the car seats that they ordered,” Hooper says.
But buried in the fine print of Target.com is this disclaimer: "Despite our best efforts, a small number of items on our website may be mispriced... If an item's correct price is higher than our stated price, we will, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you.”
Typically, unless a store has a pattern of mismarking items or ad misprints, the attorney general's office doesn't step in.
Sam's not getting the car seats – “It definitely makes me not want to shop there,” she says -- and after getting her hopes up, she's a lot more skeptical of a good deal.
It wasn't just the car seats that were mismarked; Target says there was a pricing feed malfunction that affected several of their online items. They claimed the problem was corrected as soon as it was identified, and they apologized for the inconvenience.
Going holiday shopping? Get your magnifying glass
UPDATE (Nov. 19) - So that's what happens if a store makes a mistake -- but you'll really need a magnifying glass to decipher all the holiday ads.
A lot of stores only get a few of the sale items. In the ads, it'll say "a limit of 4 per store" or something similar -- which means if you're not in the front of the line, you're not getting one at that price.
There's no rule saying a store has to have a set number of sale items available, so pay attention for that.
And keep an eye out for misleading ads. A K-Mart ad from 2007 fooled a lot of people; it was promoting a sale on DVDs -- but, only the movies touching the $14.99 "bubble" on the ad were actually that price.
Also, make sure you know the store’s return policy before you buy. Stores can come up with whatever policy they want -- and it's perfectly legal, as long as it’s posted either in the store or on the receipt.
