Item worth $1000 on amazon for $490

[Azadina]

I bought an item on amazon marketplace for $490 everywhere else sells it for $1000
This is a message I got from the seller "Please withdraw your order as this is not a product of ours. The product was hired by a hacker or by a third party access to our account. We have nothing to do with this product"

Of course I want the item, I have contacted amazon and they said all they can do for me is issue a refund, the seller is not responding to my messages, shouldn't amazon be obligated to ship me the item (they also sell it) for that price since it's listed through their website and they're allowing possibly compromised sellers to sell with them?

Take the refund. If it's an item the hackers want to sell under that companys name, then you realize it's most likely stolen? It's a crime to buy and posses stolen goods, and gets worse if you knowingly do it. And, trust me, but "I didn't know it was stolen", is not going to fly later, when you yourself knew the item was half price for no good reason, and you were informed by the company that the sale is illegitimate.

[Mad_Murdock]

I never used ebay that much, but I seen such behavior like this before. People posted items for dirt cheap hoping for a bidding war and people would over pay and when the auction was near ended if it didn't meet a desired price they would just cancel it. This was way back for they added that reserve price feature.

I think in these cases, it's just a shitshow at times where posters are hoping for a bidding war and have no intentions of letting it go for less than full value. I doubt there are any rules that require them to actually sell the items if a auction is won.

[lockedout]

shouldn't amazon be obligated to ship me the item (they also sell it) for that price since it's listed through their website and they're allowing possibly compromised sellers to sell with them?

Wouldn't you ask Amazon that?

- - - Updated - - -

They are not obligated to sell it to you for that price.

If I put a 5 dollar sticker on a brand new TV at best buy with my sticker maker, are they obligated to sell it to someone who sees it listed for 5 dollars?

I was able to buy 2 drop cams ($199.99) each because they had the shelf price marked at $99.00. I got them for the $99.00.

- - - Updated - - -

Yes, and this has happened where I used to work, pricing error had a multi room speaker worth $250 at $10 and we had to sell it for that price.

Yeah same thing for me.

- - - Updated - - -

Then your store is idiotic. There is no law that forces you to do so unless you advertised that price.

Well it's an illegal practice called bait and switch.

[belfpala]

Take the refund. If it's an item the hackers want to sell under that companys name, then you realize it's most likely stolen? It's a crime to buy and posses stolen goods, and gets worse if you knowingly do it. And, trust me, but "I didn't know it was stolen", is not going to fly later, when you yourself knew the item was half price for no good reason, and you were informed by the company that the sale is illegitimate.

The bold is usually a perfectly good defense, especially when purchasing through a known legitimate source such as Amazon.

I wouldn't test the limits.

For the OP, take the refund. Take it, walk away. Walk away fast. Your other option is to pay a lawyer more than the difference in the price to come up with some kind of theory about how you were damaged.

[fangless]

Wouldn't you ask Amazon that?

- - - Updated - - -



I was able to buy 2 drop cams ($199.99) each because they had the shelf price marked at $99.00. I got them for the $99.00.

- - - Updated - - -



Yeah same thing for me.

Most times the store just does, to avoid pissing you off.

They certainly wouldn't have to. They aren't forced to sell you an item because you want you want to buy it, even just something normally priced.

[vindicatorx]

I bought an item on amazon marketplace for $490 everywhere else sells it for $1000
This is a message I got from the seller "Please withdraw your order as this is not a product of ours. The product was hired by a hacker or by a third party access to our account. We have nothing to do with this product"

Of course I want the item, I have contacted amazon and they said all they can do for me is issue a refund, the seller is not responding to my messages, shouldn't amazon be obligated to ship me the item (they also sell it) for that price since it's listed through their website and they're allowing possibly compromised sellers to sell with them?

it's third party item they aren't responsible. I'm sure you've heard that proverb if it's too good to be true, then it probably is. That's the situation here, you aren't getting it for the price you only hoped of getting it for so stop making things hard on everyone else.

[Azadina]

The bold is usually a perfectly good defense, especially when purchasing through a known legitimate source such as Amazon.

I wouldn't test the limits.

For the OP, take the refund. Take it, walk away. Walk away fast. Your other option is to pay a lawyer more than the difference in the price to come up with some kind of theory about how you were damaged.

Usually, yes. But after the store informed him it's illegitimate listing, it won't be working anymore as excuse, if he were to get the item now.

[vindicatorx]

Well it's an illegal practice called bait and switch.

That's not what they did here so it's irrelevant. Bait and switch is when they advertise something you come in to buy it they claim it's been sold and have a similar model that costs more. The seller said they were compromised and asked him to cancel his payment, he thinking he is going to get the item for next to nothing refuses to do so and now wants Amazon to lose money. It won't happen no matter how much OP wants it to.

[belfpala]

Usually, yes. But after the store informed him it's illegitimate listing, it won't be working anymore as excuse, if he were to get the item now.

I'm not speaking as a lawyer in any capacity, but there is a $5000 cutoff. The relevant code would be 18 U.S. Code § 2315 - Sale or receipt of stolen goods, securities, moneys, or fraudulent State tax stamps.

Compliance in a criminal act is not something I will type words about, beyond saying that I believe a person has a moral obligation to GTFO when a situation is clearly sketchy.

[MonsieuRoberts]

No, it is not the facilitator's obligation or responsibility to enforce price changes made by a seller. You do not walk into a flea market, slap a $5 sticker on a $200 TV, then complain to the flea market management about the seller not honoring the price.

Slightly related: Sometimes I feel that working a retail/customer service job for X amount of time should be made compulsory so that people may potentially game some understanding and humility by dealing with some of the most cyclical and fallacy-driven logic humanity has to offer.

You gain so much knowledge and perspective when dealing with the public. You gain a lot of resentment for Joe Everyman, professional consumer as well.

[Cassidin]

Then your store is idiotic. There is no law that forces you to do so unless you advertised that price.

Agreed. It may however have been company policy based on the expected frequency of such an occurrence and the "good will" it afforded the company.

In general though - at least in some countries - items in a store, or advertisements, are not "offers" but "invitation to treat" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_treat) Its more of a "Are you willing to pay me X for Y?" Someone says yes, and the originator can then say "Ok, lets do this" or can say "Sorry, not for sale". There is no obligation to sell a product just because it has been listed.

However this doesn't mean that this can (or should) be used to trick people to buying things for higher prices than listed - if they are shown to be advertising things for one price and then selling them for another - and it can be shown that they are purposely deceiving potential buyers then that is misleading advertising, misrepresentation and that is a different matter.

[baskev]

I bought an item on amazon marketplace for $490 everywhere else sells it for $1000
This is a message I got from the seller "Please withdraw your order as this is not a product of ours. The product was hired by a hacker or by a third party access to our account. We have nothing to do with this product"

Of course I want the item, I have contacted amazon and they said all they can do for me is issue a refund, the seller is not responding to my messages, shouldn't amazon be obligated to ship me the item (they also sell it) for that price since it's listed through their website and they're allowing possibly compromised sellers to sell with them?

Its kinda hard to understand..but my guess is:
espg-1 bought item from a person selling it on amazon. But the original maker says it was sold while their account was hacked or the product was hacked ( espg-1 is very weird about this). Please cancel your order.

If there account was hacked: amazon should refund you ( and they will knowing them).
If the product is a hacked product ( digital goods) then the same apply's.

but
If the product was miss priced by them ( the original sellers) then there are these options:
A. you paid already, they should ship it at that price..or amazon should sell a same product at that price ( but i do not know the fine print of amazon)
B. you did not pay yet, or its still a option for either party to cancel the sale..then you get your money back.


But a weird story thanks to the weird way it is told.
Things we get: you bought something at a very low price.

They say their account was hacked.....or the product??? What has hacking of a product have to do with the price on amazon??? nothing?? Or they have nothing to do with the product...

He says 3 things there. All 3 conflict with each other.

[God Save The King]

Right, as advertised. This is the equivalent of changing a price tag in store though.

What? I explained why it was different that a store. Amazon cannot be forced to sell an item because someone on their site offered an item at an unrealistic price. This is different then a price tag in a brick and mortar store, and still different than an advert for something on Home Depot's website. The item was sold by a third party, and Amazon has no real influence beyond refunding the item. They did not advertise it, they only provided a medium for advertisement.

Think of it like a flea market. If someone offers to sell you something for a lower price, and then says it was an error, you cannot force the city who provided the land, nor the person who organized the flea market to sell you said item. The only course of action is the vendor themselves, which isn't actually a real vendor, and generally does not have to follow the false advertising law.

[RicardoZ]

Unfortunately for you OP, pretty much this. On a similar note, when I worked at Target, you have *no* idea how many people legitimately thought this way.

I used to work in retail at a clothing store and people would switch tickets all the time. They would take the price tag from a cheap item and affix it to a more expensive item. A lot of the time the cashiers wouldn't notice, they'd just keep scanning and shoving things into the bags.

We had a training session on it because it was becoming such a problem and after that it was easy to spot them.

[breadisfunny]

ebay is different, ebay doesn't actually sell their own items

which is why i use amazon.

[lockedout]

That's not what they did here so it's irrelevant. Bait and switch is when they advertise something you come in to buy it they claim it's been sold and have a similar model that costs more. The seller said they were compromised and asked him to cancel his payment, he thinking he is going to get the item for next to nothing refuses to do so and now wants Amazon to lose money. It won't happen no matter how much OP wants it to.

I wasn't referring to the OP but someone else's comment. What's also possible is the seller didn't realize market price or accidently put the wrong price and is claiming he got hacked. I mean if you were hacking someone why list something for 1/2 off makes no sense.

[Super Kami Dende]

Yes, and this has happened where I used to work, pricing error had a multi room speaker worth $250 at $10 and we had to sell it for that price.

Pricing Error made by their own staff Vs some Random changing the pricing is a lot different.

[Stop Pretending]

I bought an item on amazon marketplace for $490 everywhere else sells it for $1000
This is a message I got from the seller "Please withdraw your order as this is not a product of ours. The product was hired by a hacker or by a third party access to our account. We have nothing to do with this product"

Of course I want the item, I have contacted amazon and they said all they can do for me is issue a refund, the seller is not responding to my messages, shouldn't amazon be obligated to ship me the item (they also sell it) for that price since it's listed through their website and they're allowing possibly compromised sellers to sell with them?

How the fuck do you expect someone to sell you an item they A. Didn't list B. Was listed by a hacker. I'm literally amazed that this whole concept eludes you, and you're basically mad because you fell for a scam.

[lockedout]

How the fuck do you expect someone to sell you an item they A. Didn't list B. Was listed by a hacker. I'm literally amazed that this whole concept eludes you, and you're basically mad because you fell for a scam.

I mean as long as OP didn't lose money I don't see what the problem is.

[Stop Pretending]

I wasn't referring to the OP but someone else's comment. What's also possible is the seller didn't realize market price or accidently put the wrong price and is claiming he got hacked. I mean if you were hacking someone why list something for 1/2 off makes no sense.

It's quite simple. You hack someone's account, list high dollar items for cheap, get paid, remove money from fraudulent bank account, then move on. It makes perfect sense.

- - - Updated - - -

I mean as long as OP didn't lose money I don't see what the problem is.

He's whining about getting something that the seller can't give him because the listing was fraudulent. So he expects Amazon just to ship the item at a huge loss.