Maplin...A Cautionary Tale...

[petermcleland]

I have used Maplin for computer related purchases for some years and they always send me their special offer brochures.

A few days ago one of my external hard drives failed after good service and I needed to replace it...I looked at Maplins latest brochure and saw that there was a Seagate 3TB drive offered there for £129.99.

I always deal with Maplin on the telephone so I rang them and enquired about this drive (noting that the special offers were only valid till the 1st November and it was now the 5th November). The lady on the phone informed me that the price was now £199.99 and cited the "Floods in Thailand" as the reason. I told her that I did not want to pay that much so I would "Shop Around" and I thanked her for her time.

I thought I would try Amazon first as I buy all my books from them and various other things over the years...I always shop "Online" with them so I went to their site and found the same drive being sold for £129.99...So I ordered it, paying by credit card, and soon got this confirmation by email:-



I noted that it would be supplied by "Maplin Webdeals".

A few days later the drive arrived and it had this dispatch note in it:-



Note that it contains a credit note for MINUS £70.00

Bearing in mind that I purchased the drive from Amazon and PAID the asking price of £129.99 and they took the money from my credit card company, I don't feel like paying another £70.00 to Maplin.

What do you guys think?

[WhisperJet]

No, you're relying on the deal with Amazon -
so their order confirmation is legally relevant for you.

Moreover a dispatch note is a dispatch note - not an invoice.
If I were you I would do nothing at all.

(Just my 2c...)

All the best,

Nick

[AllanL]

As Nick says your contract was with Amazon. Now a price listing is like a tag in a shop, only an offer to treat in legal jargon, so if the check out price had suddenly jumped by £70 due to an error on the web listing they would have a right to expect that payment - but it didn't and you paid the asking price and they accepted your payment through the credit card transaction.

Potentially the only grey area is the matter of whether Amazon are acting as an agent for their suppliers but even then the transaction has gone through. I would hang on to both the drive and the packaging, and if Maplins cut up rough demand a repayment through Amazon and then tell them that the drive is available for them to pick up from your address at their expense. Possession is ten tenths, just watch out for unauthorised additional credit card transactions.

If it does come to that let your credit card supplier know, as they may have to get involved in the credit issue(s).

Not a shining advert for their corporate ethics whatever the outcome.

I needed a drive for the sister-in-law's PC that she wants rebuilding and after a quick search found the cheapest 250GB SATA drive at PCW home delivery for £40. If you know anywhere cheaper I don't want to know now.

I'm just hoping now that it arrives at the same price and works...........

Could be off her xmas card list if this goes wrong - talking of which some staff were putting up a christmas tree in Glasgow airport when I got in last night. Didn't have the energy to growl Bah Humbug at them.

[Garry Russell]

Could it be tied in with this??

http://www.cbfsim.org/cb-bb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=22401

If that were the case then Amazon owe the extra to Maplins...you paid the full retail price as advertised and that was accepted...if the 'wholesale' price increases, that can hardly be your concern as the deal has been closed.

I have no idea where the law of the land stands, but the laws of common decency and fair play seem clear to me.

[petermcleland]

Well I think I will just ignore it...I'll let you know if anything happens

[TobyV]

Amazon seem to sell a lot of things whereby they are not the actual end vendor. Even half the books and DVDs seem to come from other companies nowadays.

However:

Your contract was with Amazon. You paid what they asked.

If they advertise something at a certain price and you purchase it at that agreed price, that's a done deal.

If there's any issue with Maplins, I would say legally they have to take it up with Amazon.

It may be all the wonderful electronic wizardry went wrong and the Amazon price wasn't updated to the new higher price when it should have been. I know that some years ago RAM prices went up and down almost by the day and earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters in asian countries often played a large part in that.

My tuppence worth (one 3 month module in contract and tort law as part of my engineering studies about 10 years ago, whatever that's worth )

[Airspeed]

From several decades working in commerce and accountancy, (which I retired from 10 years back), I can say that a credit note is like a negative invoice. These are usually issued to correct for over pricing, omission of discounts, short delivery etc.
Maplin have issued the credit note because of your deal with Amazon, and it offsets the computer generated pricing.
You may rest easy, Peter, all is well in your financial world.



Oh, before I go...
Peter Mcleland esq.
3 Milesup
INTHESKY

16th November 2011

Professional fees

For advice given regarding credit notes,
including virtual attendance, photocopying, telephone calls: 100 pounds
to you, say 70 POUNDS

e&oe (Direct deposit to my account no 340-98765-215560098634 preferred)

[Airspeed]

Or you can give me a ride in your jet.

[cstorey]

Peter: I agree absolutely with Airspeed . It seems to me that there is an invoice and a credit note which have to be coupled together, producing a net debit of 129.99 . The only thing I would do if I were you is check your next statement to ensure that you only receive a net debit of 129.99 . I would expect that it would show merely as a debit in favour of Amazon for 129.99, but I suppose it is just conceivable that it could show as a debit of 199.99 and a credit of 70.00 .

[Garry Russell]

Or you can give me a ride in your jet.

Hi Mike

You might have to settle for a ride in a Smart Car