Your Neighbors

Yet another Internet pricing error, yet another tumult.

This time around, Best Buy erroneously listed a $400 video card for $130.

I’m going to give those who feel horribly injured by this a chance to speak. Be forewarned that you’ll be addressing a hostile audience.

Answer the following questions (any ducking will be deemed proof of great mental and/or moral retardation, and will be called that).

1) Why do you think you’re entitled to a $400 video card for $130 due to an error? Would you feel the same way if you were the person making the error, it cost the company a half-million dollars, and they got a legal judgment requiring you to hand over half the money you make until you paid it?

If not, how is that any different? Why would anyone else outside of yourself be wrong in calling you a hypocrite? Is there some overpowering reason why what applies to Best Buy shouldn’t apply to you, and if so, why, outside of you wanting it?

If you say they’re a corporation and can afford it, that money ends up being taken away from the owners of the company, the shareholders. Why should they pay for somebody else’s innocent error?

2) The website clearly says as a condition of sale that they have the right to right to “revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions (including after an order has been submitted).” That’s all perfectly legal, and no court in the country would say otherwise. Why do you still think you deserve this?

3) If you say that you should get the card as a gesture of goodwill, since when is a company required to do that? Maybe they don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for your goodwill, or think the continued goodwill of the owners of the company is more important than yours. Again, would you be insisting on goodwill if it were coming out of your pocket?

4) Do you feel it does not matter what happens to other people so long as you get what you want?

5) Do you feel that you are somehow owed something, or that getting this is a way of getting even for something that happened to it in the past? If so, please explain why.

I will paraphrase representative statements, and comment on them, though I’m saying in advance that those comments are not likely to be the typical kind, sweet gentle tactful comments from Ed you’ve all grown to cherish and love. 🙂

Indeed, unless something miraculous occurs, the most likely result will be a redefinition of the word “insulting.” You have been warned.

Hopefully, this will be educational to some, and entertaining to the rest. 🙂

We’ll put this up Monday.

Email Ed