Order cancelled then prices changed

[Sterabe]

What is the name of your state? New Jersey. They're located in IL.

I recently ordered a large number of items from a site which advertised very low prices. A few days after I ordered them I received an e-mail saying "Due to a system error, some item prices were listed incorrectly on the website. Your order has been adjusted by having the incorrectly listed item(s) canceled from your order. All correctly listed items will remain
on your order. We have since corrected the error and truly apologize for the inconvenience."

They canceled my entire order and now on their site the items are listed at their full price. I don't believe that it was a "system error," as none of their other items are at full price, and they do jump from cheap to really cheap from time to time. Also, the sale prices seemed too precise. Do they have a legal responsibility to sell the items I ordered at the price they advertised? Are they breaking any merchant laws? This doesn't seem right to me. Thanks a lot for any advice.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state? New Jersey. They're located in IL.

I recently ordered a large number of items from a site which advertised very low prices. A few days after I ordered them I received an e-mail saying "Due to a system error, some item prices were listed incorrectly on the website. Your order has been adjusted by having the incorrectly listed item(s) canceled from your order. All correctly listed items will remain
on your order. We have since corrected the error and truly apologize for the inconvenience."

They canceled my entire order and now on their site the items are listed at their full price. I don't believe that it was a "system error," as none of their other items are at full price, and they do jump from cheap to really cheap from time to time. Also, the sale prices seemed too precise. Do they have a legal responsibility to sell the items I ordered at the price they advertised? Are they breaking any merchant laws? This doesn't seem right to me. Thanks a lot for any advice.

They are allowed to correct their mistakes. By law, and (I'll bet), by their own terms and conditions.

 

[Sterabe]

They are allowed to correct their mistakes. By law, and (I'll bet), by their own terms and conditions.

Thanks a lot for the quick response. You're correct, it says that in their terms of service that they can change the price. But my problem is that I don't think it's a mistake because they have similarly priced items, and they bumped up the prices of the items I ordered to full price, which is not something I have ever seen on that website. I can't see how they can advertise prices that are on par with their other items, then after I order them they cancel it and bump the prices up to way more than anything else. I don't want you to think I didn't listen to your first response, because I did, but I'd like to stress that I REALLY don't think that there was any "mistake" on the prices they advertised. There's not anything I can do about this? I don't even really care that I'm not receiving the items. It bugs me that there seems to have been a very unethical move done on their part.

 

[Zigner]

With all due respect...asking the question again won't change my answer:

They are allowed to correct their mistakes. By law, and (I'll bet), by their own terms and conditions.

 

[Sterabe]

Haha, didn't mean to give you that impression. Thanks a lot for the fast responses. Have a great day.

 

[BoredAtty]

I can't see how they can advertise prices that are on par with their other items, then after I order them they cancel it and bump the prices up to way more than anything else.

In most circumstances, advertising a price is not considered an offer to sell the item at that price. Instead, it's considered an invitation to accept an offer made by a potential customer. You offered to buy the item at the advertised price, but the merchant declined your offer.

Search Google for "invitation to treat."