• expired

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

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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

  • Has anyone received an email from Dell to inform them that there was an error?

    • not yet into my inbox :{ plz dont expect!

    • not me either money is at dells possession

  • dell does it again

    • not me either

    • don't know if that was necessary

  • +2

    WOW i hate dell

  • +3

    called Dell today. they said that they will not honour this deal. i ahve lodged a compained to ACCC.

  • +3

    Sevusal mind posting your letter to ACCC, so we could use it as a template to make a complaint?
    I believe more people make a noise about it the more bargaining power we have (like the union)

  • So Dell won't honour the price as it's a mistake. I wonder if they've ever overcharged a customer and then repaid the money. Gotta work the other way, surely.

  • +1

    Dear Dell Customer

    We are writing to let you know that there was an inadvertent error on the www.dell.com.au online store on 7 November 2009 that saw Dell list the Linksys WRT610N Dual Band Wireless-N Router for $20.90.This was a genuine mistake and the correct price is $280.90 including GST. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.
    While we make every effort to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time. For this reason our standard terms and conditions of sale on the www.dell.com.au store state that Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors.

    As your order has not yet been confirmed, your order has been cancelled and we will not process your credit card payment.

    As a gesture of goodwill, Dell would like to make the router available to you at a special price of $229 including GST. If you wish to buy the router at this price, please contact Dell by phone at 1800-810-289 by 8th December 2009. Please note that there is a limit of one router at this special price.
    We again would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused.

    Regards,

    Dell Australia

    BAIT and SWITCH!!!!!

  • +1

    Bargain….not

    Dear Dell Customer

    We are writing to let you know that there was an inadvertent error on the www.dell.com.au online store on 7 November 2009 that saw Dell list the Linksys WRT610N Dual Band Wireless-N Router for $20.90.This was a genuine mistake and the correct price is $280.90 including GST. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.
    While we make every effort to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time. For this reason our standard terms and conditions of sale on the www.dell.com.au store state that Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors.

    As your order has not yet been confirmed, your order has been cancelled and we will not process your credit card payment.

    As a gesture of goodwill, Dell would like to make the router available to you at a special price of $229 including GST. If you wish to buy the router at this price, please contact Dell by phone at 1800-810-289 by 8th December 2009. Please note that there is a limit of one router at this special price.
    We again would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused.

    Regards,

    Dell Australia

  • yeah just got that email too

    oh well, if anyone has any success let us know here, otherwise eh bugger it!

  • dupe - ignore

  • Received email from DELL, they offer a special price of $229 including GST for that router, funny. And they indicated they would make mistakes "from time to time".

    Dear Dell Customer

    We are writing to let you know that there was an inadvertent error on the www.dell.com.au online store on 7 November 2009 that saw Dell list the Linksys WRT610N Dual Band Wireless-N Router for $20.90.This was a genuine mistake and the correct price is $280.90 including GST. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.
    While we make every effort to check pricing and other errors, inadvertent errors do occur from time to time. For this reason our standard terms and conditions of sale on the www.dell.com.au store state that Dell reserves the right to decline orders arising from such errors.

    As your order has not yet been confirmed, your order has been cancelled and we will not process your credit card payment.

    As a gesture of goodwill, Dell would like to make the router available to you at a special price of $229 including GST. If you wish to buy the router at this price, please contact Dell by phone at 1800-810-289 by 8th December 2009. Please note that there is a limit of one router at this special price.
    We again would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused.

    Regards,

    Dell Australia

  • +1

    Took there time getting the calculator out to work out the profit on the $299!

  • +3

    anyone has send email to current affair or today tonight? or smh? or news.com.au? thats must be pretty good news for them. i love it. lets dell decide.

  • +2

    Shame, Dell, shame.

    I will proceed with a Fair Trading complaint.

    Has someone contacted the media?

  • +2

    Scammers. Inadvertent error my foot! This company is run by amateurs. you would have to be a fool to do business with them given the abhorent way they treat customers.

  • +1

    Typical Dell, currently firing off a complaint to WA's Department of Commerce as we speak. For those in Western Australia, you will need to allege the offence of Bait Advertising, under the Fair Trading Act 1987.

  • Has anyone who paid with direct deposit received an email yet?

    I placed 2 orders. The first was with a credit card and I received this email. The second was paid with direct deposit under a different account name and email address. They haven't emailed me about the direct deposit order but I assume they will.

  • Got my email as expected, with so called goodwill offer of $229

    • Check again, it's a similar model number.

      • yep noticed that after I posted.

  • +2

    Come on someone post their complaint letter here as a template, so more people are willing to make such complaint to get more exposure.

  • +1

    Filipowski et al “and we (have) reviewed the process to prevent future mistakes”. 14 November 2008, 12:00 PM

    http://apcmag.com/Content.aspx?id=3192

    Sic 'em Rex!

    • +1

      Yep, I'll be using that statement in my action against Dell.

  • +2

    If you're in WA, I've pre-written your complaint to the Department of Commerce for you - which you can download from:
    http://rapidshare.com/files/304834200/Consumer_Complaint_cop…

    Just fill in your contact details, print it off and send it in. If you're a really smart cookie, use the electronic signing features of Adobe Acrobat, and email it off to them with all your documents attached to the email (just what I did about three minutes ago).

    • +1

      I would advise people to send a strong message to Dell before making any complaint, and I've placed one I've drafted in your thread. The authorities would barely do anything unless you've already attempted resolution directly.

  • +1

    Hi everyone I have spoken to dell and they wont offer router at $20.90, I told dell that i will be reporting them to the dept of fair trading, accc and ive contacted a current affair by email. what a bait and switch if i ever saw one

    • What was their response when you told them?

  • this is not the first time from Dell, they did the same thing last time for the Logitech MX Revolution mouse:

    Dear XXX

    Re: Dell Reference Number - AU0000-3105-XXXX

    An error on the www.dell.com.au online store on 27 March 2009 saw Dell offer the Logitech MX Revolution Rechargeble Cordless Laser Mouse for $34.10

    Dell would like to advise you that this was a genuine mistake; Dell has not accepted your order or gone into contract with you. If you have paid by direct deposit (e.g. Internet Banking) or by credit card we will decline your payment and return the payment to you. If you have not yet made payment, please do not proceed to pay Dell this incorrect amount, as your payment will be returned.

    Dell offers to either cancel your order or if you would like to proceed to purchase the product at $119.00 including GST, please respond via email, and we will get a Dell representative to call you at the earliest and take you through the ordering process. If we do not hear back from you within next two business days by 3 April 2009, we will consider the order cancelled by you.

    The standard terms and conditions listed on Dell's on-line store state that 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.

    We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

    Regards,

    Dell Australia.

  • +1

    Thread updated with more info from Dell Corporate Affair.

    • Thanks. It's a shame but I'm not surprised really. I'd be more inclined to be annoyed if the price had bee $100+ where it would have been good but not unrealistic like the $20 was.

  • +2

    "As soon as Dell Australia recognised this inadvertent error, the router was removed from its website."
    What a joke.

    • +7

      As soon as Dell Australia was informed that consumers were aware of its bait, it waited for a couple thousand more clicks before the router was removed from its website.

  • +1

    Dept Consumer Affairs in Perth said:
    if it is a genuine mistake then all they have to do is place you back in the position you were prior to the sale - ie give you the money back.
    When I mentioned that they have had 'genuine mistakes' previously, she said that if this is a regular thing, then they would definitely take a complaint and look into it.

    • +1

      yeah, repeat offender should get punishment. :)

      • Yeah but what's the magic number?

  • +2

    I will file this matter with ACCC Victoria branch tomorrow.

  • -3

    I got a similar mail.
    Well, 229 for a LINKSYS WRT610N Dual Band Wireless-N Router is not bad ;-)
    <smirks>
    Cheers,

    • Is a 1095% bait and switch bad?

    • It is $20 cheaper than the cheapest on staticice, but still over $200 more than some people amazingly thought they would be paying.

  • any one got email from dell with dell email address [email protected] ? thats mean u can't reply their email

  • +1

    Is there a repeat offenders register? Why two comments? How do I delete repeated comment?

    • +2

      I think Dell deals should be black listed unless posted by a Dell rep. These amateurs have got it wrong too many times to be taken seriously anymore. Then again I don't think I will ever buy or advise friends or family to buy Dell again just on principle. They have zero respect for their customers and cowardly hide behind some loose T&C's despite categorically stating after the Dell Vostro fracas that they had checks and balances in place to ensure pricing errors didn't happen again.

      • +2

        Sadly, no repeat offenders register. I would support anything to black list Dell, because they have history on bait and switch tactics and they deserved to be sin binned.

  • -1

    Can someone tell me, does this site receive a commission for sales made from referrals from here? Genuine question.

  • +3

    Hmmm, I still don't see how it was an "obvious mistake" just because it was a bargain price. I mean everything posted on here is a bargain price right?

    I also don't see how it's a forgiveable mistake. How hard is it to check a price-list against cost-price before publishing it? Anything more than x% below cost should be flagged…..hello????? Dell should honor this to penalise themselves against such a pathetic mistake.

    OP - props to you for finding it, ignore the negative scores - I think they're aimed at Dell :o)

  • +1

    If any of you feel like you've been badly treated over this offer by Dell, remember that in most states in Australia you can get a free half hour consultation with Legal Aid on any legal topic, including this one. Consultations aren't means tested (meaning you can be rich or poor, they still give you a free half hour). At the very least, whichever lawyer you talk to will be wondering WTF is going on at Dell; and it's just weird enough to be worth sharing with their colleagues. Maybe Dell will see a decrease in orders from legal practices?

    Another option is to take Dell to the small claims court in your state - costs you about $50, and you get the satisfaction of seeing Dell cough up for a fancy lawyer to defend themselves. I'd recommend talking to Legal Aid first, just to see if there's a downside; you may or may not be eligible for Dell's costs.

    Finally, Dell Australia are registered in NSW as a business, so they should be in the NSW Dept. of Fair Trading's domain. The NSW OFT have an online complaint form right here:
    http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/icms-public/complaint/regi…
    …so don't hesitate to lodge a complaint. You might also be covered by your local state's DoFT; feel free to call them and have a yarn.

    PS No, I'm not a lawyer.

    • +1

      PPS My local paper has a "Consumer Affairs" section, where they take up cases like this on behalf of consumers. Does yours?

    • +7

      Please do not waste Legal Aid's time with this. They are poorly funded, in high demand, and people with little spare cash actually need to use them for important things.

      If you really need to get legal advice, then most legal firms allow for a free first consultation.

  • +2

    You're all a bunch of whingers. I have no sympathy for people who get fooled in a nigerian scam and and even less for people who had their eyes wide open and jumped in knowing this 'sale' was too good to be true and yet have the gall to complain that they didn't get what should have been 'theirs'. This is not a black and white world. Not everything goes to plan. Mistakes happen. Deal with it! There's more to life than busting a gut over an unintended and false bargain. Avoid Dell as you might avoid an unreliable eBay seller and let it go. And those conspiracy theories that Dell does this on purpose, get real! They have no need to tarnish their name any more than any other pricing mistake would have done.

    • +1

      I think everyone here is on the lookout for good bargains, not everyone thought they were going to get this one….good luck to anyone that did.
      Dell can hardly be defended for these types of mistakes and their slow, insincere attempt to still sell you the product.
      If a dodgy used car salesman sold you a lemon, would you go back to him?

  • +3

    I paid by direct payment, and the payment was taken from my bank account yesterday.
    I also ordered one by credit card. I got the standard e-mail about the credit card order this afternoon, but nothing about the direct debit one.
    Dells T&Cs state "These Terms and Conditions are subject to the laws of Australia including without limitation the Trade Practices Act 1974 (the Act)."
    According to the TPA 1974…

    "TRADE PRACTICES ACT 1974 - SECT 58
    Accepting payment without intending or being able to supply as ordered

    A corporation shall not, in trade or commerce, accept payment or other consideration for goods or services where, at the time of the acceptance:
    (a) the corporation intends:
    (i) not to supply the goods or services; or
    (ii) to supply goods or services materially different from the goods or services in respect of which the payment or other consideration is accepted; or
    (b) there are reasonable grounds, of which the corporation is aware or ought reasonably to be aware, for believing that the corporation will not be able to supply the goods or services within the period specified by the corporation or, if no period is specified, within a reasonable time. "

    Sooo… given that they knew it was a mistake & took the offer down on Sunday (with no intention to supply?), and then took my payment on the Monday….do you think I have a leg to stand on??

    • did you finally get your money back?

    • +2

      and then took my payment on the Monday….do you think I have a leg to stand on??

      No.

      Dell did not take your payment.
      Your bank removed it from your account and placed it in Dells bank account.

      Dell had no way of preventing your payment, it was forced upon them by you.

      If you had provided dell with your bank account information and they had taken the money from your account it would be different. The same applies to them charging your credit card.

      Even if dell did accept your payment you placed your order knowing that the price was an error on the Dell website so you have acted unconscionably (dell had a disadvantage which you knew about and took advantage of) which would be grounds for termination of the contract.

  • +2

    You most certainly can demand they supply you with your router. They have entered the contract of sale once they charge you, and you are now legally entitled to what you paid for.

  • don't expect DELL will send you the router, they will just refund the money back to your account - that happened before on the Desktop case and the Logitech mouse case already

  • +1

    I do expect them to honour the deal and send the router - they have accepted my offer by their actions (accepting payment), and hence a contract is in place. That is the law of the land..
    My post reference accepting payment without intending to supply is a fallback position…and probably/hopefully not needed.
    The question is, can I be bothered….

    • If you paid with bank deposit they did not accept your payment.

      If they charged your credit card it can be argued that there is a valid contract however chances are you knew it was an error when you placed your order which is an unfair disadvantage so there is no contract.

  • +5

    Whether or not they have breached any laws,

    THIS PRICING 'ERROR' WAS INTENTIONAL

    It worked at least 3 times in the past, most recently with the Logitech Mouse, and they will do it again.

    At the end of each 'pricing error' they don't seem to be punished in anyway, and have THOUSANDS more email address' to send their weekly 'specials' email to.

    It seems they have found the easiest way to increase their subscriber base.

    and like has been said many times, "any publicity is good publicity" and someone also mentioned if just 2 people out of the thousands ordering the Router finally decided to order that Laptop or Desktop computer while being directed to the Dell site, they are ahead.

  • :(

    daymn now i gotta spend an extra 200 bucks to get another wireless router.. hhehe

  • They obviously dropped an 8 from the price. And I thought that was a lucky number for the chinese. Any chinese members here get one? :p

  • +1

    anyone report this to media?

    if need to complain as group I will add my name in.

    • -6

      anyone report this to media?

      To achieve what?
      Dell made a mistake. Get over it

      • +1

        try to make dell honour the deal :)

    • +1

      why don't u just send email directly to current affair and today tonight. then see what happen then.

  • -ve

  • +1

    I saw this one coming.

    • agreed
      ordered with just hope (but expected little to nothing) and therefore lost nothing. Now moving on. thanks ozbargains for the warning/heads up :)

  • +1

    any one accept Dell offer?

  • so? is it the end of dell story? no one complaint to ACCC? news? CA? TT?

    • Do you go to ACCC, ACA, TT when your local supermarket prints an incorrect price in their letterbox flyers?

      • -1

        They never have incorrect prices.

        Dell has a history of so-called "price errors".

      • +1

        if the supermarket put the wrong price, i got free for the first item. so i don't need complaint to ACCC, TT & CA, coz i got compensation already from my supermarket. but dell not giving me free item. sooo? what is ur next comment?

  • Has anyone else received a phone call from Dell? They rang me yesterday.

    • -1

      …and said what? Why just tell half a story?

    • Yeah I put the details of my discussion with their quasi-lawyer here:
      http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/18721#comment-119441

      • I got a call from a sales person, she called at a bad time so it was a little hard to talk but basically she asked had I paid and when I said no she said oh good because the price should actually be $250ish? so I just told her to cancel the order. I wish I had told her to call back at a better time but I just did not have time to deal with her there and then so ended the call.

  • Full of crap imo

  • +4

    Okay, while I agree that we should move on etc, if anyone's interested I've drafted the following which can be pasted in the ACCC online complaint form and conforms to the 1500 char limit:

    Product description: Linksys WRT610N Wireless-N Router
    Product provider: Dell Australia Pty Limited (ABN 46 003 855 561)
    Complaint description:

    On 7 November 2009, Dell’s website listed this Linksys WRT610N Router for $20.90. I placed an order and received an acknowledgement email. Online forums lit up with speculation that Dell is committing another intentional pricing error as a means of bait and switch, and certain competitors matched or beat Dell’s offer under their price-match policies. The item however remained unaltered on Dell’s website until that evening when it displayed “The product you have selected is not currently available”, but it did not give any indication that it was an error, and it may have been that the item sold-out.

    On 10 November 2009, Dell advised by email that it was an “inadvertent error” and “genuine mistake” and my order has been cancelled. They requested that I pay further “goodwill” monies in order to receive the item. Their “special price” was in excess by some 1095%.

    I submit that Dell has a has a clear history of false prices which are contraventions of trade practices law, and I trust that you have received previous complaints to highlight their similarly misleading claims about the Logitech MX Mouse for $34.10 (29/03/2009), as well as the Vostro for $240 or $350 (10/11/2008).

    As Dell’s purported pricing errors are not uncommon in Australia and abroad, I am concerned that this emerging pattern demonstrates a blatant disregard for the law and warrants further action.

    Please let me know if you require further details.

    …Anyway, I'm not sure if more complaints means they'll do something but it would only take anyone 30 secs to paste that into the form, and it'll then be in the ACCC's system for next time Dell dishonestly baits us. Plus you might get the satisfaction of a 'nice' letter with ACCC letterhead. Change it around if you like.

  • I've not actually received any communication from Dell since the first Order Acknowledgment email. No apologetic 'your order was canceled email' or phone call from salesman.

  • So, any of you going to revoke your positives, now it's clear (lol, as if it wasn't in the first place) that this isn't a bargain?

    It's kind of funny seeing all these negative comments right next to a big fat green plus sign… :)

  • atlas voted positive overnight? Dude you gotta stop drinking while on this site.

  • -

  • -1

    Complaint sent to Dell and ACCC.

  • I have recieved a call and denied the upgarde option. I have asked them to honour the deal as it is their problem and they call center said that she well esclate it the manager , but nothing upto now came up!!!

    Has anyone recieved refund back or any update from Dell?

    • no one call me just got the email only.

    • Has anyone recieved refund back or any update from Dell?

      Have you given them your bank account details so they can give you the money back?

      • -2

        No need to, it would seem.

        Posts on Whirlpool http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1316278 indicate that Dell has provided direct credit refunds even to customers who didn't provide their bank account details to the Dell telephone caller.

        Never give bank account details over the phone unless you can positively identify the caller via a publicly verifiable telephone number. It could be a phishing exercise.

        • Never give bank account details over the phone unless you can positively identify the caller via a publicly verifiable telephone number. It could be a phishing exercise.

          If the person on the phone can tell me what i have ordered from dell and the order number i think i can be pretty confident i am speaking to dell and not some phishing scam.

          Identifying the company through a phone number is pretty hard.
          It is not like the number they call you will be displayed as 1300 DELL (or whatever their number is)

      • i have even give my acc details over the phone but i have not receive any money back

        • Dont know why you guys paid with Direct Deposit knowing Dells track record with errors and deep down you must have known this was a mistake aswell :P

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