Highlights
- Italian retailer MediaWorld mistakenly sold the 13-inch iPad Air worth ₹79,990 for just ₹1,500 (€15) to loyalty program members due to a technical error.
- The error went unnoticed for 11 days, during which many buyers had already received or collected their iPads.
- MediaWorld asked customers to either pay the price difference or return the device for a refund plus a €20 voucher.
Caption – iPad Air. (Image credit – Apple)
A technical glitch can sometimes create bizarre situations for online customers and retailers. Recently, Italian electronics retailer MediaWorld landed in an unusual controversy, thanks to a major pricing glitch. Here’s the full story.
iPad Airs for €15 (around ₹1,500) Only?
A glitch at the retailer’s end allowed members of its loyalty program to purchase the 13-inch Apple iPad Air for just €15 (around ₹1,500). This becomes amusing when you realise that the device normally costs around ₹79,990.
What’s more amusing is how the retailer detected the error only 11 days later. As reported by Wired, by the time the retailer realised, most customers had already received their online orders or collected the tablets from physical stores.
MediaWorld later contacted all affected customers to fix the situation. The company asked customers to either return the iPad or pay the remaining amount to match its actual promotional price. However, the company is now facing challenges retrieving the devices due to the absence of clear terms addressing pricing mistakes in the original purchase agreements.
In emails sent to buyers, the retailer explained that the listed price had been “incorrect” and offered two choices. Customers can either keep the product by paying the price difference or return it in exchange for a full refund of €15, along with a €20 (approx. ₹2,050) voucher as compensation.
Caption – iPad Air. (Image credit – Apple)
What MediaWorld Said?
In a statement to Wired, a MediaWorld spokesperson described the situation as a “clearly identifiable technical error” caused by an unexpected glitch on its e-commerce platform. The incorrect price, they said, was clearly unrealistic and “economically unsustainable,” leaving the retailer no option but to take corrective action.
The spokesperson elaborated, “We confirm that, in a very short period of time, due to a clearly recognizable technical error caused by an extraordinary and unexpected glitch on our ecommerce platform, some products were mistakenly displayed at prices that, due to their clear and objective disconnect from the true market value and the correct promotional price, should never have been displayed. This was a manifest error, making it economically unsustainable and not representative of our commercial offering.”
They added that the retailer had to intervene based on legal principles meant to preserve contractual balance in case of such significant errors. MediaWorld emphasised that it tried to go beyond strict legal requirements by offering customer-friendly solutions.
The spokesperson further said, “By virtue of the provisions of the current regulations, we found it necessary to intervene, resorting to a legal principle aimed at preserving the contractual balance in the event of an error of this magnitude. Our approach was to prioritize the relationship with the customer and to offer solutions that went beyond the mere application of law. For this reason, we promptly contacted all affected buyers, proposing two alternatives.”
MediaWorld highlighted its intention to resolve the issue transparently and fairly. Customers can retain the device by paying the difference between the mistaken price and the correct promotional price. The retailer says it is also offering an additional discount on the revised amount. Otherwise, buyers can return the iPad free of charge, receive a full refund and get a MediaWorld shopping voucher for the inconvenience.
As the spokesperson stated, “We offer product retention: The customer has the option to keep the purchased item, paying the difference between the price paid and the correct promotional price. We have also offered a further discount on the amount to be paid. Or return the product: The customer can choose to return the item free of charge, receiving a full refund of the amount already paid. In this case too, we have offered a MediaWorld shopping voucher. We firmly believe that these proposals demonstrate our willingness to support customers and maintain transparency and fairness. We continue to work to improve our shopping experience and maximum protection for our consumers.”
FAQs
Q1. What caused the iPad Air to be sold for just ₹1,500?
Answer. A technical glitch on Italian retailer MediaWorld’s e-commerce platform mistakenly listed the 13-inch iPad Air at €15 (~₹1,500) instead of its actual price of around ₹79,990.
Q2. How did MediaWorld respond after discovering the error?
Answer. The retailer contacted affected customers 11 days later, asking them to either return the iPad or pay the price difference to match the correct promotional price.
Q3. What compensation did MediaWorld offer to customers who returned the product?
Answer. Buyers who chose to return the iPad received a full refund of €15 plus a €20 voucher (~₹2,050) as compensation for the inconvenience.