Lenovo pricing error upsets customers with dishonoured deals
Company refunds website glitch that saw computers offered at abnormally low prices
CBC News Posted: May 27, 2014 9:47 AM ET Last Updated: May 27, 2014 10:16 AM ET
Some Canadian customers are upset that Lenovo is refusing to honour a weekend deal erroneously posted on its website, a deal for a high-end laptop for $279. (Ron Harris/Associated Press)
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Computer manufacturer Lenovo is in hot water with some of its customers for refusing to live up to a deal — laptops at extremely low prices — that was erroneously posted on its website.
On the weekend, Lenovo's website offered a "door-crasher" special for the Y410P laptop of $279 — the regular price is $1,389.
Consumers were asked to enter the rebate code "DOORCRASHER" to access the deal. Many did, and received emails confirming their orders and processing payment, only to receive another email from the company the next day informing them that the deal had been offered in error, and their money was refunded.
'Not only did Lenovo charge people's credit cards, but [they] have baited consumers.'- Emilio Lutchman, customer
"Due to a pricing error on our website, we will have to cancel your order," the email reads. "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, and would like to help you place a new order."
But customers are upset about feeling duped, and insist that the company must live up to the bargain it had promised.
"Even upwards to 12 hours afterwards, the website was still fully functional and allowing more orders to be placed," customer Calvin Leung told CBC News.
"We believe that Lenovo should honour their pricing advertisement since they have already taken our money and kept the advertisement up for longer than an acceptable amount of time considering it occurred on business days," Leung added.
"Not only did Lenovo charge people's credit cards, but [they] have baited consumers to get their credit card and personal information," customer Emilio Lutchman said.
More than 2,700 people have signed an online petition asking Lenovo to live up to its end of the bargain. Many customers have complained to Canada's Competition Bureau — under Sec. 74.05 of Canada's Competition Act, companies are liable for a fine of up to $10 million for failing to prohibit "the sale or rent of a product at a price higher than its advertised price."
But the act specifies the provision does not apply if the advertised price was a mistake and the error was immediately corrected.
Lenovo Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment from CBC News.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/len...ts-customers-with-dishonoured-deals-1.2655392