The Auswine Forum

I was wondering what the etiquette is with on-line ordering (wine or otherwise) where there is a price advertised which is so low that it probably is an error. Do you:

a) contact the retailer first to confirm the price
b) order and hope that you get it for the advertised price but willing to cancel if it is higher
c) insist that they stick to the advertised price.

Scott

PS Gavin this does not relate to anything on your site at the moment. Not that your prices are high - just saving you from double checking things.

scottv wrote:I was wondering what the etiquette is with on-line ordering (wine or otherwise) where there is a price advertised which is so low that it probably is an error. Do you:

a) contact the retailer first to confirm the price
b) order and hope that you get it for the advertised price but willing to cancel if it is higher
c) insist that they stick to the advertised price.

Scott

PS Gavin this does not relate to anything on your site at the moment. Not that your prices are high - just saving you from double checking things.

Best approach is to PM me the details and I can fix the problem

I would go for B) but I am a bad man...the ethical man would do A)

scottv wrote:I was wondering what the etiquette is with on-line ordering (wine or otherwise) where there is a price advertised which is so low that it probably is an error. Do you:

a) contact the retailer first to confirm the price
b) order and hope that you get it for the advertised price but willing to cancel if it is higher
c) insist that they stick to the advertised price.

Scott

PS Gavin this does not relate to anything on your site at the moment. Not that your prices are high - just saving you from double checking things.

From experience, it happens.

I have had

a) much appreciated

b) contacted the customer

c) yes

In any case, I believe it is ethical to honour the lower price if the customer wishes.

I have occasionally had the same wine with two prices (one a temporary special I forgot to remove, one the usual price).

In this case I always charge the lower price.

That said, if the price is clearly an error, way lower than competitors and cost price, I would hope customers would contact retailer first.

Accidents happen.

A few years ago I struck the same thing with Wineplanet, with what appeared to be a pricing mistake on a magnum of 1991 Bin 707, so I rang them up.

They said that if I was still online they would honour the cheaper price, otherwise it would be changed immediately when I logged back in. Unfortunately I had to log out to use the telephone to ring them up!

From this experience I would ring them up to check, but also stay online to take advantage of the cheaper price if they are kind enough to honour it.

Cheers
Ian

I would like to say I chose a) but like Adam I am a bad man.

After a few hours I got an e-mail saying: "However we regret to inform you that due to above expectations of sales of the product that it is out of stock with our supplier and we are unable to fulfil your order."

I just looked and it has been removed from the site.

For those interested, the wine was Petaluma Shiraz 2002 for $9.99 a bottle.

Scott

.....when the price tage is clearly wrong.

I remember I got a 6 pack in Coogee bay Hotel cellars of the Seppelt 1998 reserve shiraz for $11 each as they priced it as per the Seppelt generic range.

scottv wrote:I would like to say I chose a) but like Adam I am a bad man.

After a few hours I got an e-mail saying: "However we regret to inform you that due to above expectations of sales of the product that it is out of stock with our supplier and we are unable to fulfil your order."

I just looked and it has been removed from the site.

For those interested, the wine was Petaluma Shiraz 2002 for $9.99 a bottle.

Scott

Scott,

It it is not out of stock with their wholesaler (which is unlikely) and they are telling porkies, they cab get into big trouble. If they came clean and said it was an error, they could probably get away with it but when you blame others as the reason, you leave yourself wide open for big trouble.

scottv wrote:I would like to say I chose a) but like Adam I am a bad man.

After a few hours I got an e-mail saying: "However we regret to inform you that due to above expectations of sales of the product that it is out of stock with our supplier and we are unable to fulfil your order."

I just looked and it has been removed from the site.

For those interested, the wine was Petaluma Shiraz 2002 for $9.99 a bottle.

Scott

I'll bet they get some more in a couple of days time .


Jamie

Not long ago at the local barn, the new checkout person with absolutely no knowledge of wine couldn't get a price from the scanner for a bottle of Lindemans Limestone Ridge 91 that I'd selected from a specials bin. I pointed to the bin that was marked $35 but it seems she didn't see the price and consulted her slightly more experienced fellow at the next checkout.

Result - Limestone Ridge for the price of Cawarra.

Sue me!

daz