allheart55 (Cindy E)
Administrator
Following a major software glitch that allowed consumers to purchase hundreds of items on the Amazon UK marketplace for mere pennies, it appears that some retailers are trying to recoup their lost income from customers, even going as far as to threaten debt collection if purchasers don’t pay full price.
Bitter Wallet reports that one third-party seller sent a message to customers early this week asking them to pay the difference between the bargain price and the regular retail cost of products purchased during the glitch.
A reader says they received an email from the store that claims Amazon urged retailers affected by the pricing fiasco to contact customers for full payments, despite the fact that the discount charges have already been processed and the goods dispatched by Amazon.
The company, which says it could face liquidation as a result of Friday’s events, writes that it plans to recharge customers’ credit cards for the goods. And if customers don’t go along with the request, the company is threatening serious financial consequences.
“We understand that you think you may have grabbed a great bargain, but we have instructed amazon to revert the prices to our usual prices and recharge your card with the correct amount owed,” the email states. “We would like to offer customers a grace period of 7 days to create a return request and return any stock incorrect priced and dispatched. If this action isn’t carried out, we will seek to recover sums owed:
1. By recharging your credit/debit card
2. If funds are not available, passing to a debt collection agency
3. Informing Experian and getting your address added to the mail order black list.”
While Amazon has yet to respond to Consumerist’s request for comment regarding the matter, a representative did reply to a UK customer’s query about the seller’s request.
The rep assured the customer that Amazon will not be charging customers any extra than what has already been paid for the goods.
“Further, Please understand that the payments for these orders are through Amazon and there is no need to return the item which you have received,” the rep says in the email.
Friday’s hour-long buying free-for-all reportedly occurred when software used by third-party sellers to ensure their products are cheapest on the UK Amazon marketplace malfunctioned and reduced prices drastically, in some cases to just a few cents.
Officials with Amazon said at the time, that they had no choice but to fulfill orders in which consumers were already charged.
Being chased for full payment after 1p Amazon ****-up? [Bitter Wallet]
