• expired

[ERROR] Linksys WRT610N Dual Band Wireless-N Router $20.90 DELIVERED (Usually around $160)

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This post contains affiliate links. OzBargain might earn commissions when you click through and make purchases. Please see this page for more information.

UPDATE from Dell Corporate Affairthis is an email that I have received. —scotty

OzBargain users should be aware that while every effort is made to check for errors in typography and photography on the Dell Australia online store, inadvertent errors may occur. In this instance, an inadvertent error caused a Linksys Wireless N Router to be listed on Dell Australia’s website at an incorrect price of AUD$20.90, including delivery and GST.

As soon as Dell Australia recognised this inadvertent error, the router was removed from its website. Dell Australia is also proactively contacting customers who placed an order at the incorrect price.

As a gesture of goodwill, Dell Australia is offering each customer whose order was not accepted the option to purchase one router at a special price of AUD$229, including delivery and GST.

While Dell Australia has made it a priority to contact its customers directly, Dell Australia apologises for any inconvenience or confusion that may have been caused to OzBargain users.


Original Post

As the title says, the Linksys Dual Band Wireless N Router for only $20.90, get it while you can, it might not last for too long, as it usually retails for something like $170. CNET gives it a 4/5 stars so it ought to be good.

Enjoy :D

(P.S This is my first submission :p)

Mod - just moved the Error to the front of the title and used all caps. Remove "confirmed".

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closed Comments

  • +3

    Thanks Liberty, there is nothing to lose for trying.

  • +2

    i agree, no one should get angry at LibertyPrime about this, its not his fault that dell committed a pricing error. Dells fault once again, like i said be4, people that got angry at the poster in the dell pricing fiasco, will cause these people maybe not to share deals again.

    • +1

      totally…

  • +2

    Why not give it a try, nothing would we loss right? Paid one with credit card and if Dell honour it I am happy, if not just forget it.

  • +2

    I just ordered a couple…
    Nothing to loose… why not.

  • +2

    This isn't new for Dell..

    http://news.cnet.com/Dell-sued-over-bait-and-switch-charges/…

    http://strategicit.co.nz/?p=3

    etc.

    Someone needs to start a class action suit in Australia..

  • +1

    excellent. order it, then see what happen if u got jackpot tomorrow. hahahaha

  • +2

    I know that Dell won't honour it, but what have you got to lose?

  • +2

    For those wondering you probably won't kniow till Tuesday because the Terms and Conditions say that they officially confirm it in 2 business days

  • +4

    this might be an interesting read:

    http://techgeist.net/2009/07/dell-forced-sell-19inch-lcd-mon…

    Long story short:

    Dell makes pricing mistake on 19 inch LCD ($15 instead of $150).
    26,000 orders were made.
    Taiwanese g'vment forces Dell to honour every one of them.
    Dell refuses and cops a US$30000 fine.

    • +3

      Dell either had to honour the price of face a $30,000 American dollar fine
      http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/30/dell-fined-30-000-by-taiw…

      • +1

        looks at ground
        oh wait, this is Australia, not Taiwan

        • +2

          must agree we don't live in taiwan, nonetheless it doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go, you never know Dell might just stuff up twice in a row and forget to not honour the prices lol

          • +3

            @LibertyPrime: sorry dude, but i disagree. This happens too many times.

            1. Dell advertises an item at a ridiculously low price
            2. Everyone says why not and pays for the item
            3. everyone gets an email about the order not being fulfilled
            4. everyone is pissed off and has a cry to the ACCC
            5. everyone gets their money back…eventually.

            6. (wait a month or so - rinse and repeat)

            • +5

              @Davo1111: This could be a tactic by Dell to get free money (not saying it is for sure), which is why the ACCC should get involved if it keeps on happening. It is also reasonable for consumers to expect this to happen much less frequently than it does.

              Imagine if someone lent you $10 million for 30 days - you could make serious money during that short period from interest alone, let alone short-term investments etc. So if lots of people pay for this via bank-deposit, that is free money for 30-60 days (depending on how quickly they refund).

          • @LibertyPrime:

            forget to not honour the prices

            +1 cookie.

      • I bet it's cheaper for them to pay the fine than to honour the price

  • +4

    if they dont honour it just Begin the complaints process with the Australian Consumer Watchdog http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml?itemId=815327&Go.…

    • +1

      and just like last time Dell will win. The Terms and Conditions clearly state that they can refuse the purchase. Google "invitation to treat" if you dont understand

      • If you paid for the product, no matter by direct deposit or credit card, you are entering into a "legally enforceable" contract.

        What Dell claimed "pricing error" or "did not actually intend to enter into agreement" is irrelevant.

        Pricing error is solely a sign of weak corporate governance.

        • f you paid for the product, no matter by direct deposit or credit card, you are entering into a “legally enforceable” contract.

          Not quite.

          If you are paying with credit card and dell charge your card they have accepted you offer of $20 for the router.

          If you have paid them with direct deposit you have offered them $20 for the router, it is up to them if they will accept your offer of $20

  • +1

    Perhaps its time to order 999 units and makeup the difference in credit card points ;).

    • What happens in case of a refund?

  • +1

    I think some of you need to look up what "bait and switch" actually means.

    • +2

      Dell offers a router at $20.90 to bait the hundreds if not thousands of people making orders.

      Then they send an apology letter, stating it's a pricing error and offer a 10% discount of the original price of $309. In most peoples' books, this is the switch.

      Surely, they will get successful orders from some people who would take up on the 10% discount. However at $278.10, it is still more expensive than what you could get from other stores.

      So I guess that is why people are accusing dell of the deliberate bait and switch advertising. And who's at the advantage side at the end? You do the math. :)

      • I didn't get an email advertising this as a special this time. This appears to be a misprint found deep within the bowels of the Dell website, so it's hardly bait and switch. Had they emailed me with this offer and then switched it to a different item or wanted to charge 3x the price, that would be bait and switch.

        I don't trust Dell's clearance specials anymore, and am liking the Asus and HP hardware (notebooks) even though it's not as convenient to order and customise them online - I just don't trust Dell to honour the specials in their mailouts.

    • Pauly's summary is pretty spot on. Did you look it up first yourself, westical?

      • Anthony below has already explained why it isn't.

        There is no second product you are being switched to. Offering a goodwill discount on the original product is not switching.

        • And to which I responded.

  • +2

    its funny how commonly dell have these 'pricing errors'..

    • +1

      Free publicity as far as they are concerned

      • +2

        All they're doing is getting a bad rep. It's bad for the company image, having so many embarrasing situations before.

    • +4

      Doubt more than a tiny fraction of price updates involve errors like this. It probably seems otherwise because in the online world, there's a broad base of hopeful bargain hunters who will swoop en masse at a moment's notice and turn every instance into a major event.

      • +2

        The frequency at which Dell pricing errors occur (compared with other online retailers), combined with the delay in fixing errors once notified (compared with other online retailers) makes it seem doubtful that these are all accidental.

        They're either really incompetent (a negative) or fraudulent (a bigger negative). We bargain hunters have a right to be suspicious.

  • to good to be true. i dont need one but can't let this one go. GbE switch.. uuhuuu! :)

  • just ordered 3, see how it goes..

  • 1st off - if all you morons keep hating on the people who post these great deals, guess what? they wont bother posting them next time, so stfu

    2nd - its clearly a major cock up - even on ebay, the cheapest is $280 with $15 postage

    so now its entirely up to dell if they honor this. i would say that they wont, as the item is way way below cost, and it would be much cheaper for them to copy (any) fines then to actually make an even bigger loss by sending out the items. and no, dell wont care if you crack the sads and say you will never buy dell again, because they will survive.

    • it's not a "deal" dude, its a pricing error. It shouldn't be on ozbargain. People (like myself) keep neg-ing these deals because they're not a deal - weve seen it so many times on ozbargin. There is no way whatsoever dell will honour this, i guarantee it.

    • +2

      What on earth is it with people here being so defensive of the original poster? No one is attacking him yet theres all these posts about "be nice to him" or whatever as if people are on a vendetta to get him.

      I really hope when people vote on this site they are doing it because they like or dislike the deal, not because they want to reward or punish the original poster. Well at least I always thought I was voting for the deal and not the person….maybe I completely missed the point of this place but.

      Your 2nd point basically justifies all the negative votes and reasons why people have been cynical so I don't see where your first point is coming from.

    • +1

      I don't think anyone here has raised a bad word against LibertyPrime (the poster) directly, only at Dell.

      Thanks again for posting this LibertyPrime!

  • +20

    Hands up those who think Dell's "pricing errors" are intentional and deliberate.

    • my hand is up. shows that they're slowly losing market-share.

      • i completely agree, i bet if they get 2 people to buy laptops while on the site today from this advertising, the will make money from this "pricing error"

    • +1

      It is not bait and switch.

      Bait and switch is advertising a product cheaply however as that product is not available they offer you a different and similar product at a more expensive price.

      Where is the second item which they are offering.

      There is no SWITCH happening.

      • +1

        I'll concede that you're right in that it's the same product.

        Yet that's much like the financing bait-and-switch case they lost, wherein they claim that customers are eligible for an advertised interest rate (in some cases, they entered into contract without mentioning the new interest rate, and actually congratulating them for attaining such a low rate – equivalent to the confirmation Email we receive), where in fact the vast majority (in this case, potentially everyone) were ineligible and were signed up at a different, much higher, interest rate.

        No doubt there will be some who agree to purchase the product at their "goodwill discount" who would otherwise have not considered buying this particular product from Dell at all, just like some continued to pay the higher interest rate.

        And sure, those who are in the know will decline this "goodwill price", which is still higher than other retailers, just as those who were savvy with fineprint declined the high-interest financing. Dell still lost that court case due to "bait and switch" practices, false advertising, fraud and deceit in sales and advertising, and breach of contract, all fo which can apply in this situation.

        Same product [router / financing], different cost [price / interest], can still be considered "bait and switch".

        • i may have missed it, but has dell actually emailed everyone with the 10% discount on the full price? or is everyone getting ahead of themselves?

          PS +1 for using lmgtfy

  • Come on, by now everyone should know that this is a pricing error. Dell won't honour the price and it'll take you 3 months to get your money back. Why are people even bothering to buy it knowing this.

    • +4

      More administrative work = will cost Dell money

      I'm doing it to teach them a lesson

  • +5

    This happens to Dell way too often to be a genuine mistake. Consumer watchdog needs to get involved.

    • -1

      It only 'happens often' because dell is a big company with lots of visitors so there is a greater chance of someone spotting the error and telling everyone about it

      • Nope. It happens for other reasons.

        Dell has previously & publicly stated that it has implemented systems to prevent such errors yet it continues to make them.

        Dell has done this in Australia and in many countries many time. The behaviour is not excusable.

        • Dell has previously & publicly stated that it has implemented systems to prevent such errors yet it continues to make them.

          No system is perfect

  • +2

    we should make a facebook group for boycotting dell or something lol

  • +1

    dont waste your time.

    • +2

      Yeah it would be a waste of time - People just vote with dollars.
      If it isn't honoured do you think I'll be encouraging my IT manager to stick with Dell for our next PC refresh?
      Notice how Dell has slipped from 2nd to 3rd biggest worldwide - no surprise if this is a deliberate tactic.

      • You're right - people do vote with dollars. But I've tried buying Dell's pricing errors in the past and the same result (refund) happens each time.

        Yes, everyone please do it if you want to cause an administrative headache for Dell, but don't buy it expecting to actually get it.

        My neg is to be clear and set off a warning light to those who were not active users/members during the previous Dell sagas. Think about it, I'm sure if everyone had voted positive, with not one negative vote, many would jump in on the offer without reading the "fine print" (i.e. the discussion below).

        • Ummm… I bought before reading anything
          TnC's assumed for a company of the size of Dell.

        • "everyone please do it if you want to cause an administrative headache for Dell" <— thats more like my aim then getting the actual thing for DELL's dodgy bait and switch

  • +1

    its on the site:

    MISTAKES: While all efforts are made to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time and Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors.

  • stupid Dell

  • +1

    If they charge your credit card then they have entered into a buy/sell agreement. If it is a pricing error then they should not charge your credit card.

  • +6

    Yes, Dell has had one too many so-called pricing errors. This is clearly bait & switch.

    If my order is declined, I will pursue this via Fair Trading NSW. It will cost Dell more to defend the action than to sell them to me at the advertised price.

    Also people, be sure to take screen prints every step of the way. You may need this information later on.

    • Read on the bottom:
      "MISTAKES: While all efforts are made to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time and Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors."

      You can try, but most likely won't go through. It will cost Dell more to accept your threat, since they will have to honor everybody else's order, and knowing it was posted on ozbargain, there would be like 1290382130821302180 orders. Depending on the fines (if any) imposed on them, they might be more beneficial to pay off the fine than to honor the 102830218312830 orders.

  • +2

    oh happydays.. another one of these..

  • +3

    Chill guys! How many times have you seen Coles, Woolies, Harvey Norman, etc have an apology next to the cashier saying there was a mistake on this week's catalogue? Mistakes happen. If you can't handle it, don't buy from Dell nor from your local supermarket.

    • +1

      Yes…but until they put the correction up they honour it. I got a video card a few years ago from Harvey Norman after they published the wrong price in a national magazine. Got it for 1/3 the price.

    • An advertisement in a catalogue is an invitation to treat (legal term) and not legally binding.

      You make the offer of the advertised price, it is up to the store if they accept your offer or make you a counter offer.

    • scanning code in supermarket in Australia, if wrong price. first item is free, the second item will be the lowest price. read that term and condition on the scanner.

      I have done many times with my local supermarket that something put wrong price and i always get full refund and get the item for free.

  • +4

    this reminds me of the "Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass" case..
    ps. just finished my corporation law exam.. =D

    • +4

      Corporations law, you poor soul.

    • Haha me too! Monash perhaps?

  • +2

    You know what, this may be a Dell bait & switch - but no harm, no foul. If you don't get it, you don't lose any money and you can just keep it for something else. If it does come off, then you've scored a primo router for less than you'd spend at the pub on a Friday night.

    Having said that, Dell does have form in this area and it might be worth a few hundred complaints to your local consumer affairs agency if this is another of their stunts.

    • +3

      I suspect that Dell does this to get a lot of sign-ups to its newsletter.

      • +2

        That's why you untick the subscribe box when you sign up. Read sign up forms carefully boys and girls so you know what you're getting into.

  • +6

    I'm sure it's not just one person responsible for posting prices on the Dell website.

    Like all large organisations, there are many steps to go through before something reaches the public.

    This has clearly been approved every step of the way.

    Dell needs to pay the price.

    Australian consumer protection authorities need to stop being piss-weak.

  • +10

    Let's give the news agencies a heads up on this. If Dell, yet again, refuse to honor a web site price then let the papers have a go at them. I can give a retailer like Officeworks or similar a bit of slack as internet retailing is a side line to their main business, a bricks and mortar store. But Dell specialise in internet retailing and there should not be reason for error regardless of the crap they will undoubtedly come out with.

  • +3

    Waste of time, Dell needs to get it's act together, or honor the oh so regular price errors.

  • check the user reviews on CNET … they're saying it's cr@p

    • Need to check the settings in the wireless N adapter in the laptop as well.
      E.G. Intel 5100 will only transmit at Wireless N speeds using WPA2-Personal (AES-CCMP). Not WEP or WPA!
      Too many blame no wireless N on the router when they haven't changed to the correct settings for Wireless N in the adapter.

    • Find me something at $20 that performs better.

    • Umm, who cares for $20?

  • +2

    Dell Vostro scam…
    It's déjà vu all over again…

  • If my credit card is charged then they have accepted the price and have entered a legally binding contract. So if you card gets charged you have a reason to challange them. I think this has been mentioned here before as well. No fault of the guy posting this offer.

    • it doesnt work dude, just look at all the old threads where this happens time and time again. You can argue all you like, but they will say you were not sent a order confirmation email, so its not an acceptance of a contractual agreement.

      • It does if the card has been charged then a contract has been made. If the card is not charged then a different story. So if my card gets charged then I will pursue the cause otherwise not. I cannot argue my case upon old threads some one has to take it to them to make them understand what a contract legally means, disclaimers are only valid to a certain point and if the company is known at doing such stunts not sure how long the justice system will let them go.

        • +2

          but your card won't be charged until they have verified the order. your card will never be charger. so you can't win as they haven't taken your money. as davo said, read the old threads.

          • @quackster: ^^ what quackster said. Thx dude :)

          • @quackster: if you remember the mx revolution deal, there were 1 or 2 people who recieved theirs at that price due to it being charged on their card.

  • even though they're a regular baiter, they've still got a disclaimer a bit down…

    IMPORTANT DELL DETAILS:
    MISTAKES: While all efforts are made to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time and Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors.

  • if u go to supermarket, they put the wrong price on the item. the first item will be free, the subsequent item will be the lower price.

    why Dell doesn't implement this policy? if they always do this, they never learn and take responsibility to make sure that their price is accurate.

    • because dell would lose money? lol. We're talking about products ranging in hundreds to thousands of dollars lol, not $3.60 worth of bananas

      • -1

        sorry mate, i purchase coffee from woolies in the past, on the ads said $8, but when i paid on the cashier still as normal price $15. I realized when i arrived at home. Back to the supermarket, they give me full refund and get the item for free.

        Other occasion bought item from kmart, for item with the price $50 on the catalog, paid on the cashier for normal price, same as woolies. i went back to kmar, get full refund and free item.

        That is the law in here mate.

      • -1

        sorry mate, i purchase coffee from woolies in the past, on the ads said $8, but when i paid on the cashier still as normal price $15. I realized when i arrived at home. Back to the supermarket, they give me full refund and get the item for free.

        Other occasion bought item from kmart, for item with the price $50 on the catalog, paid on the cashier for normal price, same as woolies. i went back to kmar, get full refund and free item.

        That is the law in here mate.

    • That is the bar code scanning code of practice.

  • If you paid for the product, no matter by direct deposit or credit card, you are entering into a "legally enforceable" contract.

    What Dell claimed "pricing error" or "did not actually intend to enter into agreement" is irrelevant.

    Pricing error is solely a sign of weak corporate governance.

    I couldn't believe any retail consumer would enforce the contract by legal prosecutions.

  • Just ordered 5… lets wait and see

  • +2

    well I've just finished talking to a Dell rep and it is a pricing error, the real price is $309. It's a version 1 as well.

    Look up bait and switch, and find a picture of the Dell logo

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