Angry customers have rounded on Apple over its handling of cancelled sales of a digital camera bought on the company's Web site.
While Apple remains tight-lipped on the debacle, aggrieved customers have been quick to speak out about the company's failure to deal with the situation effectively.
Many have criticised the fact Apple took payment for the items and in some cases took almost a week to refund the money. This is despite the fact Apple claimed it didn't have the stock and would not be able to honour the orders at any point when cancelling the sales.
The fact Apple still offered the same camera elsewhere on its site led many to believe the company had actually cancelled the sales because the offer price was a blunder. Some customers claim Apple staff even told them the camera was no longer manufactured.
ZDNet UK sister site silicon.com reader Henry Carey said: "Not only did we get a confirmation email we also had payment taken. If that's not a deal-sealer then someone please tell me what is."
In cases such as this the initial offer and subsequent order confirmation by the retailer are not necessarily binding, depending on terms and conditions, according to legal experts. Apple's terms and conditions state the sale is not confirmed until payment has been taken and the transaction confirmed.
In this instance the sales were cancelled after money was taken but before the sales, rather than the initial order, had been confirmed.
So while Apple may legally be on firm footing, aggrieved customers believe the way the company has handled the situation is far from sound.
Carey added: "Apple's customer services told so many different stories to people over a 24-hour period that it's impossible to ever know what the truth of this whole fiasco actually is."
Another reader, who chose to remain anonymous, said: "The total stonewalling by Apple is the worst thing."
Talkback
Well, I had the same problem with a major US online store but after all I, and if I got it right, all customers got their money back.
By Apple they at least canceled the orders and you knew where the problem is. I had to wait about 10 days and first after I asked where my shippment is, I was told that the item was "out of stock". After that I had to wait about a week. Buggy the e-commerce business can be.
Almost a week is a good time when I think that a bank transfer (one direction) takes about 2-3 days...
E-Commerce isn't really perfect yet and I do not see why such a thing has to be a major article - it's happening all the time. Fiasco?... well, not really :)
My Apple online store experience were always great and I will continue to shop there.
Best Regards,
Lenny
Slow News Day????
Seriously. What a slanted piece of garbage journalism. The online Apple Store had an obviously incorrect price listed for a digital camera, a large number of scammers attempted to buy the product, and at some point the people at Apple realized they had a major typo on their hands and canceled all the orders. There is NO WAY that anyone with half a brain would think that the price on Apple's web site was a "sale" and not a data entry error.I wonder how many of these jerks CALLED or EMAILED the Apple Store and told them that their web site listed an expensive digital camera for approx. 10% of the usual price or less.
Of course, I can't remember the exact "real" price and the "advertised" price right now, because your "reporter" was too lazy to even put those figures into the article, and I don't feel like going surfing right now to come up with them.
Wankers.