Should retail send what was in Order description even if an error?
Posted by brainSo0p@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 58 comments
so i googled a perfume and found Harvey Nicks selling it for £120 for 75ml (which i think was an error as it seemed cheap!) so i jumped on it and ordered.. now the item is unavailable to order at all..but still listed with the same info. Theres a second listing for the same item for like £235.
my klarna confirmation says 30ml. But my order confirmation and dispatch all say 75ml.
If they send me 30ml i’m assuming they either need to -
offer a free return cause i wanted 75ml
or honour that price for the 75ml?
PracticeNo8733@reddit
They almost certainly won't need to honour the price for 75ml, but you can return it since it's not as described (or just under distance selling regulations generally).
I'll refrain from commenting on the idea of using Klarna for perfume...
boojes@reddit
There's no problem with using klarna as long as you know you can afford to pay it back. What's wrong with using it to buy perfume?
Betelgeaux@reddit
It affects your credit rating whether you pay it back on time or not.
househelpuk88@reddit
Credit rating is there to be used and if its 0 percent its always worth taking providing you'll pay it back
This_Suit8791@reddit
They said credit rating as in your own score, not credit rate with Klarna is as they take a commission.
househelpuk88@reddit
Yes, what's the issue? If they're offering 0 percent and you are going to pay it back youd be an idiot to not use it unless you had a significant finance application coming up
This_Suit8791@reddit
I’m just telling you what they mean, which it affects credit rating even if paid on time.
househelpuk88@reddit
Fair, I thought that was a given. There seems to be a consensus of just building a meaningless score in this country (not directed at yourself)
slippery-pineapple@reddit
Honestly Klarna is a predatory company which is selling people loans which they are well aware they can't afford. No issues with OP using credit to buy perfume per se but I personally won't ever support Klarna. I think the commenter above though is pointing out that it's a luxury item and judging OP for splitting payments on an item they probably don't need.
Sensible thing to do is to buy with a credit card that's paid off at the end of every month as that will come with far more protections than something like Klarna, but generally there is a trend of people racking up lots of debts with companies like this that people can't afford to pay off
Acceptable-Split6348@reddit
That's the opposite of their business model. How would they make money by doing that?
slippery-pineapple@reddit
By can't afford I mean can't afford to pay back on time, not that they have nothing at all. They purposely target people who will default on the 0% payments and end up having to pay back ridiculous interest rates. Same was credit cards make money, except they do it to a far greater degree.
Acceptable-Split6348@reddit
No, that's not how they make money.
They make money from fees that retailers pay them.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
captainfishpie@reddit
I.e. im a judgemental snob
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Jesus. I think Klarna is a predatory lender who induces people to over-use credit and who skirts around the law to avoid providing the consumer credit protections that a credit card provider has to. With predatory lenders in general (eg Payday Loans before the reforms) there are always cases where they're genuinely the best option for some people (who have a critical need and no better options) even if they are a small minority. Howver, the nature of this particular purchase seems to exclude that possibility in this case.
I grew up poor and it's not snobby to think that certain courses of action (eg, touching Klarna with a 10 foot pole) are unwise just because people who aren't poor don't tend to fall into them.
boojes@reddit
So you're judging OP for using it to buy something that you think is frivolous. Gotcha.
It is snobby to assume that people don't know what they're getting themselves into. If you know you can afford to pay it back, then there's is nothing wrong with using klarna.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
No, that's not what I wrote. I realise that I have to keep quoting myself in replies to you so maybe it would be better just to read my comments the first time. I am perfectly capable of thinking that someone's actions are a bad idea without judging them as a person.
Not specifically that it's frivolous - that it isn't a critical need. And Klarna still probably wouldn't be the best option for most people even if it was a critical need but it excludes the minority of "good" uses.
I'm not assuming anything, I'm simply not assuming that they do, or that everyone else does who reads my comment and otherwise might read it as normalising use of Klarna.
If you've actually been reading my comments then you should be able to come up with at least three reasons why I would disagree with this.
boojes@reddit
"I'll tell you I'm judging but won't explain why".
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I'm explicitly refraining from commenting to avoid implicit endorsement. Not that I think it's a moral issue (from the consumer side) anyway.
boojes@reddit
Why even mention it, then?
PracticeNo8733@reddit
boojes@reddit
🙄
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Do you not understand the concept or are you disagreeing with it?
LeadershipAble773@reddit
"Do your own research"
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
I mean.. the perfume was like £120 .. 😂 and it was a treat.. didn’t ask for your opinion on my finances 🤷🏻♀️
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Which is why I was refraining from commenting until other people insisted on having a discussion about it. I just wanted to make sure that no-one who read my comment would take it as me normalising it.
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
I’ve commented on the post to explain why i use it just so shed light on it
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Ok, and I'm not interested in arguing about it or trying to convince you of anything, but personally I'd rather use a credit card for that. With a credit card you get all the protections of the Consumer Credit Act, whereas Klarna avoids being covered by it. Sensible credit card usage also likely looks a lot better on your credit report to most lenders, service providers, etc.
LegInternational8469@reddit
Personally I find it useful when companies (as they often do) send the wrong item, something faulty or clothing that doesn’t fit. Either you haven’t paid anything and aren’t out of pocket or have just paid a bit, which you won’t miss as much as a full chunk of change.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
Yeah, I much prefer a credit card for that.
geniusgravity@reddit
Good, because they didn't ask for some moral grandstanding.
shartingmaster@reddit
It’s not morality policing to say it’s silly to buy perfume you can’t afford outright lmao
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I don't think there's a moral issue at all.
ImFamousYoghurt@reddit
They have to do one of the two options, and as a free returns label is much cheaper, they’ll likely go with that.
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
Their returns are .. £7!!!!! I’d be fully expecting they cover that cost 🫣
ImFamousYoghurt@reddit
They will if what you receive does not match the email receipt
Betelgeaux@reddit
This comes under an invitation to treat. The retailer does not have to honour the price and can cancel the order. However if you have ordered what you think is 75ml but they supply 30ml then it gets complicated. If they send you 30ml and you demand 75ml technically you are committing fraud as you know that is the wrong price and are actively trying to profit from a loophole. Some retailers will honour it as they see goodwill as more valuable than their financial loss but it depends on who seals with it.
panic_attack_999@reddit
How is it fraud to insist on getting the item you bought?
Betelgeaux@reddit
Because he knows the item should never have been at that price and he is trying to get it cheap as the store has made a mistake, it is a deliberate act which makes it fraud.
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
I ordered and then suspected after the order. I didn’t know until after as i clicked a link from google for said perfume 75ml.. and i bought it.. then was looking online and noticed the second listing for the same (inc same picture and same ml) for more.
Hardly fraud? 😂
Betelgeaux@reddit
It would be fraud when and if you try and get the store to honour the price after you find out they made a mistake knowing full well the offer should never have been made. Refer back to my first sentence, this falls under an invitation to treat and either party can cancel the transaction at any time. I am not saying you have committed fraud at this moment. Think of it this way, the store sends you the product as advertised then you decide to order more knowing it's an exploit, would you not see that as fraud?
PracticeNo8733@reddit
I'm not sure how asking them to, eg, send the larger size as listed would be fraud because - where's the deception in it?
Betelgeaux@reddit
The deception is that at that point you know it was a mistake.
PracticeNo8733@reddit
What would the deception be, though? Unless you say something like "This is the normal price"? If you just say "I ordered a 75ml and only received a 30ml" that's just what happened.
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
I purely asked if they would honour it.
You’re pitching.. something that isn’t whats happened. I’ve not bulk ordered to benefit from their mistake.
One bottle of perfume which i realised they’ve probably listed wrong AFTER i ordered it.
I only realised klarna confirmation saying 30ml after the HN shipment email said 75ml.
I used to work in fraud department for John Lewis. A website making a mistake on a listing and someone buying the item in good faith and then asking if people think they’ll ship the item or if they’ll need to offer a return isn’t fraud.
panic_attack_999@reddit
No. He didn't do anything wrong. It was their mistake.
They don't have to honour the sale, but they do need to cover the return postage and refund him.
Betelgeaux@reddit
Read the post again. If they send 30ml OP is wanting to know if he can insist on getting the 75ml - this is where the fraud would come in as OP is perfectly aware what he has paid is not the correct price. That is a clear attempt to defraud the company.
panic_attack_999@reddit
Nope. They listed it as 75ml. It's not fraud on their part because it was a mistake. It's not fraud on his part because he paid the listed price.
Betelgeaux@reddit
Yes he has paid the listed price in full knowledge that it is wrong. There is a long history of people trying their luck with this kind of thing. Most of the time the transaction gets cancelled.
brainSo0p@reddit (OP)
Thanks for all the views! Will see what i get in the post as it is shipped!
For everyone having a melt down over me using Klarna , my credit is fine.
I use Klarna because i was diagnosed as bipolar this year and when i go wild shopping ; i can return the items i impulsively bought when “ill” without using my money i need.
It’s actually been a good tactic as means i don’t need to wait on refunds on items i send back.
If you’re not sure how bipolar and spending go hand in hand.. google can help 💪🏻
Alert_Mine7067@reddit
I studied contract law many years ago, I haven't done anything with it so I may be a bit rusty.
By agreeing to buy the item as described and offering the requested payment, then you're agreeing to enter a contract, if they have accepted the order then the contract has been agreed and accepted by both parties, as they have sent a different item (based on volume) then they're in breach of the contract.
Like I said, I may be a bit rusty and I'm happy to be corrected. I would wait to see what arrives and then complain, to avoid any hassle they'll probably honour what's on the order, they'll maybe even let you keep the smaller bottle as a goodwill gesture.
Whithorsematt@reddit
Listing it online is an offer to treat, not a contract. If you buy it and the seller accepts the order then there is a contract.
Alert_Mine7067@reddit
That was my thinking, I forgot to mention invitation to treat being the seller inviting the buyer to make an offer
PracticeNo8733@reddit
IANAL but two problems with that. Firstly, they'll almost certainly be an "Errors and Omissions" term in the T&Cs. Secondly, the customer's remedy will be a return and refund - not specific performance.
VictoryAppropriate68@reddit
Yep, I work in retail similar, their website will have a clause. The option will be keep what they send or send it back for refund. They won’t honour what you saw online as their website will protect them
HistoryAntique2658@reddit
Usually if it’s a pricing or listing error, retailers don’t have to honor it, but they should at least offer a refund or free return if you didn’t get what was advertised.
hunsnet457@reddit
What will happen entirely depends on what part of the system the error happens on, no-one’s going to manually make sure you received the item you’re expecting they’ll just follow the packing slip.
From experience of working for online retailers, Klarna is abysmal to deal with when mistakes happen, so if you need to contact them re getting the wrong item or being charged the wrong price they’ll likely ask you to return it rather than honouring any price/item errors.
At which point you’ll probably have to contact them a second time to get your refund because again, Klarna is abysmal to deal with.
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