Target Marathon deal...Did you get a shipment notice???

[grins88]

I am sitting on pins and needles today to see if my Marathon order will be cancelled or will ship. I know some people have gotten a shipment notice already (I've only heard of the Cowmooflage pattern shipping so far), so I thought I would post a thread for people to post if they get a shipment or cancellation notice. My guess is the bulk of the orders will be cancelled, but we can all hope.

[Jenn850]

Hi there. I am in the same boat! It seems too good to be true, doesn't it? I think I was one of the last to get the deal. I went back to get 2 more for friends and it was sold out, so I would imagine you would get your shipping notice before me... keep hope;)

~Jenn

[momtoclaire]

I just received a shipping notice this morning. I purchased the cow pattern. Keeping fingers crossed.... Hopefully all will orders will ship.

Juli

[Melbel]

I just received a shipping notice this morning. I purchased the cow pattern. Keeping fingers crossed.... Hopefully all will orders will ship.

Juli

No notice here yet. What time did you place your order? Did it say available for immediate shipment? Thanks!

[heidiann]

i ordered two of the cow print and got a notice this morning :)

[ECMom]

i ordered two of the cow print and got a notice this morning :)

Heidiann,

What time did you order? EST?

[JBaxter]

I got a ship notice on my cow print :)

[Tondi G]

Hmmm I ordered a Cow print and didn't get a ship notice. I did get an email shortly after I ordered that stated it might not arrive for 4 to 6 weeks (which is fine with me). I ordered another item from Target too so maybe that is what's holding my notice up?

I hope I get the seat!

[mommabear]

When I ordered it said item arriving in 4 to 6 weeks.
My order confrimation email gave an estimated delivery date of Dec 18- Jan 6
I haven't recieved any more mails

So we'll see

[Mrs.MJP]

A friend of mine posted this on another board I'm on...thought I'd post this here FYI...

"I just called customer service and was told that they will NOT be shipping any of the Britax seats that were sold last night - even those that were given shipping confirmation! The woman was VERY rude, and told me that they are literally pulling them off trucks because they cannot let them go at that price. She also said that they would be calling everyone who tried to order one and offering them the correct price. WTH!?"

[Ceepa]

never mind.

[o_mom]

A friend of mine posted this on another board I'm on...thought I'd post this here FYI...

"I just called customer service and was told that they will NOT be shipping any of the Britax seats that were sold last night - even those that were given shipping confirmation! The woman was VERY rude, and told me that they are literally pulling them off trucks because they cannot let them go at that price. She also said that they would be calling everyone who tried to order one and offering them the correct price. WTH!?"

If you get a shipment, they cannot ask you to pay a different price. However, if they catch it before it ships, they have every right to cancel the sale - it is in the terms of service.

[ohiomom1121]

My sister in law just called Target and they said they are working on a cancellation email right now and trying to decide if there will be any type of reimbursement/offer. Everyone seems to be getting different stories, but though I'd post what she was told! I'm bummed, would have been nice to upgrade DS.

[kbud]

My sister in law just called Target and they said they are working on a cancellation email right now and trying to decide if there will be any type of reimbursement/offer. Everyone seems to be getting different stories, but though I'd post what she was told! I'm bummed, would have been nice to upgrade DS.

Never, never call. Of course when someone calls and draws their attention to it then the orders get canceled.

I'm sure your SIL isn't the only one calling but I'm always so surprised that people call and ask. Let them catch their mistake.

My orders are not canceled yet but I've not received a shipping notice. Mine says shipping in mid Dec.

[kijip]

I can't imagine that they will able able to fill but a fraction of these orders, if they fill any. When I ordered last night I figured I was essentially buying a lotto ticket (except in this case if I don't get it, I am not out even a $1). Seriously, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Sounds like they have not gotten their heads on straight with giving people the right/consistent answer or about canceling the order. Honestly I am surprised they did not catch it and shut it down faster. Still, they are in no way obligated to be out millions of dollars because of a pricing error or glitch.

[ohiomom1121]

Never, never call. Of course when someone calls and draws their attention to it then the orders get canceled.

I'm sure your SIL isn't the only one calling but I'm always so surprised that people call and ask. Let them catch their mistake.

My orders are not canceled yet but I've not received a shipping notice. Mine says shipping in mid Dec.

I know, I didn't call either because I didn't want to give my order #. She played dumb asking if they were sold out and never gave her info. According to tons of websites they've had tons and tons of calls, so we're way past drawing their attention to the problem! Mine still says shipping in Dec. too, although I highly doubt it will.

[wendibird22]

I'm sure the thousands of people who ordered them, or ordered dozens of them to sell on Ebay, was all the attention drawing that Target needed. :wink2: I'm sure some big alarm sounded last night causing the red bat phone to ring at the Target CEO's house!:ROTFLMAO:

[mommy111]

They are in no way obligated, BUT, it would be great customer relations if they shipped at least the orders for 1 or 2. Last year, Amazon did these crazy price drops off and on, and even though they cancelled quite a few, they also shipped quite a number at a huge discount...some people thought that it wasn't really price mistakes but that it was a great Amazon marketing ploy.

[lynnea6]

I'm sure some big alarm sounded last night causing the red bat phone to ring at the Target CEO's house!:ROTFLMAO:

:ROTFLMAO:

I should have ordered the cowmooflage instead of the gray. Oh well, hindsight is 20-20.

[whitkyle]

I purchased two cowmooflague and they both have been shipped and left the facility. I tracked them through UPS.

So Super Excited!!
Whitney

[AuGoldie]

Whitney that is super exciting! Looks like yours shipped out before they could pull them off the truck. When did your conf. e-mail say yours would ship?

[geophne]

I did not get any email from Target, but I just checked my account online and it says my order was cancelled. Oh well :cry:

[Melbel]

I logged on to my account at Target and my 1st order for the Graphite states that it has been cancelled. My 2nd order for a Cowmooflauge, placed a couple of minutes later, still shows a ship date of 12/15-12/29. At this point, I would be shocked if I actually receive it. No emails yet.

[westgre]

I got a confirmation from Amazon. It states "Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit". I also have a tracking number for UPS. I won't believe it until I see it, though.

[fortato]

I just checked my order and the two car seats I ordered arent there... just the Camooflage one...

No notice or anything.

[ILoveLucy]

My order is showing as cancelled now.

[theloo]

My Target account shows my order for the granite ones still there.

[infocrazy]

My order is showing as cancelled now.

Mine too. I knew it was too good to be true... :nodno:

[lilhilly]

Mine (2 granite) was still showing up in my account on Target's website 30 minutes ago and is gone now. No e-mail, at least as of yet.

[jjordan]

I ordered 3 granite (1 for us, 2 for grandmas) and 1 cowmooflage. My online Target account no longer has the granite ones listed, but the cowmooflage is there with the est delivery of Dec 18-Jan 6. So we'll see.

Jill

[TwinsItIs]

I think the stupidest thing people can do is call.

[theloo]

Okay, my order is gone now too! :(

[Twoboos]

Yep, this order has been cancelled. I should have ordered the Camooflague and said too bad dh!!!

[JBaxter]

Ship Method: UPS
Tracking Number: i deleted the number
Status: IN TRANSIT
Shipment Date: Nov 17, 2008
Destination: HAGERSTOWN, MD, US
Order ID: 602-8952591-xxxxxxx
Estimated Arrival: Jan 06, 2009


Date Time Location Service Area Checkpoint Details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nov 17, 2008 03:28:00 PM SHARONVILLE OH US SHIPMENT RECEIVED BY CARRIER
Nov 17, 2008 11:42:51 AM US SHIPMENT HAS LEFT SELLER FACILITY AND IS IN TRANSIT

[nrp]

No email yet, but my account shows that both my orders were cancelled :irked:

[jennifer2saint]

Mine canceled too.....

[jerigirl]

my order was cancelled as well. boo.

[Pennylane]

Mine was cancelled too. No email, I just checked the staus online. I sent them an email about cancelling and not even notifying me.

Ann

[ewan's mama]

Oh well, mine was canceled as well. Just checked on-line with the order number, and it also says canceled.

[researchedout]

@#!$#!

Greetings from Target.com.

Due to an unexpected error, the following item(s) you have ordered
were incorrectly priced at the time of your order.

Britax Marathon Convertible Car Seat - Granite

We're sorry, but we are unable to offer this item for the incorrect
price. The correct price is $279.99. We have canceled your order for
this item. If you would like to order this item at the correct price,
please visit Target.com to check for availability.

Despite our best efforts, a small number of items on our site are
occasionally mis-priced. We do, however, verify prices as part of our
shipping procedures. If we discover that an item's correct price is
higher than our stated price, we will either contact you for
instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of
the cancellation. This pricing policy is posted in the Help section
on Target.com.

Again, we're sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused
you. Thank you for being our valued guest.


Sincerely,

Guest Service Department
Target.com
http://www.target.com

Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address
that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this
message. If you have further questions, please visit our online Help
department.

[crayonblue]

I got the cancellation email.

[army_mom]

I got the cancellation email too :-(
My email only said the granite one was cancelled (I ordered one of each) but when I link to Target, it says the whole order was cancelled. Figured it wasn't going to ship but can't say I didn't try!!

[Melaine]

I can't believe they didn't offer a code or coupon or SOMETHING to apologize for this mistake.

[mommabear]

My order is cancelled as well. Wonder if we will get cancellation emails or not. I hope no one lost their job over this.

[kdeunc]

I just got my cancellation email. Bummer!

[clc053103]

I didn't order one- but I did give the info to two friends who ordered 5 total, so I am bummed for them. I think they both ordered the Granite, not the Cowmooflage, so I am assuming they are getting cancellation notices as we speak.

I can't get over Target- i realize that their policy states they can cancel the orders for the error- but that price was up for the entire DAY. anyone going on the site could find it, it wasn't a "trick" like the PB 68's. I have to agree with PP that you would think Target would do SOMETHING for the people who ordered the seats for the inconvenience.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I have to agree with PP that you would think Target would do SOMETHING for the people who ordered the seats for the inconvenience.

Especially before the holidays, even. Wonder if any amount of "drama" would warrant a courtesy something-or-other...

[MontrealMum]

I just got a cancellation email for both the Granite and Cowmooflage. I'd ordered them separately, the Cow earlier in the day. Strangely, though, the Granite cancellation email came first. Oh, well :(

[eda]

I got an e-mail too. Can we do anything about it? Don't they have to honor a listed price?

[kijip]

I got an e-mail too. Can we do anything about it? Don't they have to honor a listed price?

Not if the payment was not charged and the item not shipped. It was an error, they can hardly be expected to be out the kind of money they would be out to fill all those free shipping, 85% off prices. If they ship it to you they can not charge you more or require you to return it but they are well within their rights to double check prices. Otherwise imagine the financial havoc any random employee mistake or prank could cause.

[grins88]

I got the cancellation email also from both of my orders (I ordered one of each on 2 separate orders). I am so sad...we were really needing another MA. Oh well.

I am also surprised at no % off coupon for a car seat or something. As much as I have loved Target over the years, they've been going WAY downhill in my book for a while now.

[Melbel]

I got the cancellation email also from both of my orders (I ordered one of each on 2 separate orders). I am so sad...we were really needing another MA. Oh well.

I am also surprised at no % off coupon for a car seat or something. As much as I have loved Target over the years, they've been going WAY downhill in my book for a while now.

Same situation here.

[Emmas Mom]

Yep, I got the cancellation e-mail too. I'm not loving Target these days.

[JBaxter]

UPS has mine as scaned in OH.

[kijip]

UPS has mine as scaned in OH.

Looks like you got the winning lotto ticket! :love-retry: Enjoy your seats!

[emschwar]

I got the cancellation email too. Bummer. I figured it was too good to be true, but still worth a try!

I do think a coupon code or something would be a nice gesture from Target, since it was their screw up. Especially in times like these when everyone is cutting back spending, you'd think they'd do what it takes to make sure everyone remains happy customers. (Even if they can't give us all $42 car seats, which I totally understand.)

[shawnandangel]

At first I thought perhaps the seats were listed at cost but then realized the cost would not be so different just for a different pattern on the carseats.

I'm calling target cs tomorrow and will ask them to explain their mistake to me. I will also demand they give me another gift card since I used a gift card to pay for the order and then threw the card away when my order was confirmed. That is if they haven't credited my account already but I don't see how they could since payment never went through. . .

Well, congrats to the mama's who are getting their carseats! I guess I will just pay the 275 for mine when the time comes. . . bah humbug

[jjordan]

I read somewhere else that Target people were meeting to figure out what (if anything) to do to compensate customers for the mix-up. So, we may still get coupons or something. I'd give it a couple of days.

I never was confident that I'd actually get the seats - would have been nice, though.

Jill

[WatchingThemGrow]

I guess I will just pay the 275 for mine when the time comes. . . bah humbug

Travelingtikes.com has a bunch for 199 and Amazon still has a few for 186. I've ordered MA's from both of them.

[tnrnchick74]

I also used a gift card...which has not been reset or recredited. I BETTER not be out THAT $$$ as well! I also wrote letters to the editors. I understand that there was a mistake made, but what happened to customer service? They have lost a LOYAL Target customer in me.

[Tondi G]

I got the cancellation email too. Bummer!!! I figured it was too good to be true, but still worth a try! Maybe they will offer us coupons... maybe they won't!

[daniele_ut]

My orders were both cancelled as well, but no big deal. We all really had to know that this was a pricing error.

I understand being sad that about missing out on a deal that a *very* few people mistakenly got, but Target clearly states their pricing error policy on their website so there is no deception on their part, and no poor customer service. They responded within 24 hours with a politely worded email and apologized for the error. When I was the sales manager for a company that does about $1,000,000 in sales each year we would have responded similarly to such an error. Something like that would have cost us a small fortune. I realize that Target is larger but really, when errors like this are allowed to go uncorrected, the loss will just be made up in higher prices across the store. There is just no way that Target could have honored all those orders and maintained their relationship with their vendor. Britax is very strict about sales, as we all know, and something like this could likely cost Target it's dealership with Britax if the error hadn't been fixed quickly. This is just my opinion, btw, I'm not looking to start a debate about Target's response.

That said, Target's strict return policy is a little annoying, but I've just decided that I never pay cash there and only pay with one card so that I can always have them look up my purchases.

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

I got my cancellation email this evening. And while I can understand the too good to be true angle to it and I really had my doubts from the beginning I can now sadly say that I will never shop target.com again in my lifetime. If I can't trust the sales and what's on their website then I might just as well go to the store where I can see,touch,smell and when needed try on merchandise. I've never been a fan of online shopping and this just confirmed my feelings towards it. Phooey on target.

[amycoh]

I am not trying to be all political - but since when are we 'entitled' so make a store honor its ridiculously low price? I knew it had to be a price mistake - although I ordered anyways in case I was surprised - and just counted the minutes until the cancellation notice. I also had looked at slickdeals and saw how some people ordered 30 of the seats - and I knew there was no way they could honor that - or any of the orders. I still will shop from target because of the selection, convenience, and most occasions their real sale prices.

Signed,
Not Surprised, depressed, or dissappointed

[jgenie]

I understand being sad that about missing out on a deal that a *very* few people mistakenly got, but Target clearly states their pricing error policy on their website so there is no deception on their part, and no poor customer service. They responded within 24 hours with a politely worded email and apologized for the error. I realize that Target is larger but really, when errors like this are allowed to go uncorrected, the loss will just be made up in higher prices across the store. There is just no way that Target could have honored all those orders and maintained their relationship with their vendor. Britax is very strict about sales, as we all know, and something like this could likely cost Target it's dealership with Britax if the error hadn't been fixed quickly. This is just my opinion, btw, I'm not looking to start a debate about Target's response.

I completely agree with this. I ordered 2 seats on the outside chance that maybe we would get them. Most everyone that ordered them knew it was a mistake when they ordered them. As far as inconvenience, they were all ordered online and cancelled online. It took no more than a few minutes. I'm surprised so many people feel they need to be 'compensated'. I will continue to spend my money at Target. I love the cleanliness of the stores, the helpfulness of the employees, and the prices and selection. No debate JMHO.

[veronica]

I had two cancelled as well and agree that I don't feel the need to be compensated. It would have been nice to recieve them for our grandparent's car but I had little hope.

I can say I am a bit jealous of those of you with shipping notices but in no way am I looking for target to make things up to me. After all, computers and websites are maintained by humans , and we all make mistakes.

[mommy111]

While I understand that stores don't have to honor price mistakes, and are under no obligation to, I still think it is good customer service to do something to compensate (and by something, it could be a simple gesture that does not involve giving anything to the customer but is more than a generic email). While some people may have bought 30 seats, most people who bought ordered 1 or 2 for their own needs.
A lot of the sales that the stores generate are based on perceptions and perceptions and customer loyalty are definitely affected by incidents like these.

[tnrnchick74]

While I'm dissappointed in the outcome, what I'm MOST upset about is the lack of customer service. In fact, I found the email rather patronizing, not polite. In this economy stores (even the big ones) can't afford to be patronizing or make mistakes like that without keeping their loyal customers happy. I WAS a very loyal Target customer, but that loyalty is quickly dissolving. Save for a few people, the service associates in my local store are rude and obnoxious. The store is not as clean as Walmart, but I do shop there because they generally have things in stock. Their prices are not the cheapest around, but the quality is better than Walmart.

[JamiMac]

I completely agree with this. I ordered 2 seats on the outside chance that maybe we would get them. Most everyone that ordered them knew it was a mistake when they ordered them. As far as inconvenience, they were all ordered online and cancelled online. It took no more than a few minutes. I'm surprised so many people feel they need to be 'compensated'. I will continue to spend my money at Target. I love the cleanliness of the stores, the helpfulness of the employees, and the prices and selection. No debate JMHO.

:yeahthat:

[Ceepa]

This will not stop me from shopping at Target.

"Target, I wish I could quit you..."

[Carrots]

I got the cancellation email too, but I am not disappointed. Like many others, I knew it was too good to be true, but ordered one anyway so I wouldn't kick myself if it DID go through. No biggie.

On a similar note, I once checked the market value of my investment account online and my eyes almost popped out of my head to see an extra $200,000 in securities sitting in my account. I immediately called my husband and told him we should cash out and run to Mexico :wink2:. After a call to Fidelity I found out one of my client's accounts (I was an APM for an asset management company before becoming a mom) had been mysteriously attached to my personal account through my SSN. We cleared it up, but Fidelity was in no way responsible for awarding me the 200k, or any other denomination, since it was a mistake. Those things happen.

[clc053103]

While I totally agree Target is well within their policy to cancel the orders, I still have a big problem with them leaving it up all day, yanking it with a tersely worded email, and offering nothing for the trouble of those who did believe it was for real. Again, I didn't even order a seat- I just followed the post because I forwarded it to two friends who were in teh market for convertibles.

they could have given something as small as a coupon for 10 or 15% off a car seat purchase and I think people would have been pleased.

While I will continue to shop at Target, I would avoiding shopping Target on line.

[EXPECTINGMAY]

I honestly thought that it was possible that those prices were real since I bought a Marathon for $60ish & Roundabout for $50ish a couple of months ago (at a Target B&M).

[maybeebaby08]

I think Target needs to get their act together, I really thought this price was real, a few months ago my sister went to target and saw the exact britax on clearance for 47.99, there was a few of them at that price she picked one up and put it on hold til she could call me and see if I wanted it well she went back and it scanned wrong so the manager came over and said that s the wrong price we would never sell them that cheap, well my sister said a bunch of them were marked that way but of course there were none left and the manager said sorry I cant give it to you at that price. Then I read on the boards that a bunch of people were getting them at this price. I spend thousands at Target a year and I like their deals and merchandise but this is only one of the problems I ve had over the past few months with them. And I understand they can't give thousands at that price but they should have honored the ones ordering one or two, I personally think it would have helped them in the long run. And I cant stand the ones who were ordering ten twenty and thirty iy ruins it for everyone.

[mommy111]

While I'm dissappointed in the outcome, what I'm MOST upset about is the lack of customer service. In fact, I found the email rather patronizing, not polite. In this economy stores (even the big ones) can't afford to be patronizing or make mistakes like that without keeping their loyal customers happy. I WAS a very loyal Target customer, but that loyalty is quickly dissolving. Save for a few people, the service associates in my local store are rude and obnoxious.

:yeahthat:

[westgre]

Here's my tracking info.
Track your package

Date Time Location Event Details
November 18, 2008 08:53:00 AM SOUTH CHARLESTON WV US Arrival Scan
November 18, 2008 08:07:00 AM SOUTH CHARLESTON WV US Arrival Scan
November 18, 2008 04:18:00 AM COLUMBUS OH US Departure Scan
November 17, 2008 11:57:00 PM COLUMBUS OH US Arrival Scan
November 17, 2008 09:25:00 PM SHARONVILLE OH US Departure Scan
November 17, 2008 07:00:00 PM SHARONVILLE OH US Shipment received by carrier
November 17, 2008 11:42:54 AM US Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit

I'm anticipating getting the seat either today or tomorrow, as South Charleston is just a few miles from my house.
FYI: It shipped from an Amazon warehouse.

[jjordan]

Here's my tracking info.
Track your package

Date Time Location Event Details
November 18, 2008 08:53:00 AM SOUTH CHARLESTON WV US Arrival Scan
November 18, 2008 08:07:00 AM SOUTH CHARLESTON WV US Arrival Scan
November 18, 2008 04:18:00 AM COLUMBUS OH US Departure Scan
November 17, 2008 11:57:00 PM COLUMBUS OH US Arrival Scan
November 17, 2008 09:25:00 PM SHARONVILLE OH US Departure Scan
November 17, 2008 07:00:00 PM SHARONVILLE OH US Shipment received by carrier
November 17, 2008 11:42:54 AM US Shipment has left seller facility and is in transit

I'm anticipating getting the seat either today or tomorrow, as South Charleston is just a few miles from my house.
FYI: It shipped from an Amazon warehouse.

That's great! Congratulations!!

[Melaine]

Target has disappointed me over the last few years. Their return policy, especially in regard to registries, is absurd. This situation certainly should have been handled differently. It's still way above Walmart though so I guess I'll stick with it.

[Frauchen]

What bugs me is that I would have bought the Cowmooflage (to match the other seat we have) at the $249 sale price (+ 10% discount from DH's work) and ebates, which would have been a great price! Now they are sold out!

But I still love Target...

[mommy111]

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/target-to-slash-prices-as-sales-slide.aspx

Interesting article there :)

[JMS]

I just received two emails (b/c I placed two orders from Target) from ebates with the rebate credit from the car seats.. funny :)

[westgre]

My carseat was sitting on the porch when I got home from work. :)

[ett]

I just received two emails (b/c I placed two orders from Target) from ebates with the rebate credit from the car seats.. funny :)

Same here. My order was cancelled and I also got an email from ebates for the Target cashback.

[emschwar]

I just received two emails (b/c I placed two orders from Target) from ebates with the rebate credit from the car seats.. funny :)
Now THAT'S funny!

(And now I'm kicking myself a little for not going through ebates. I was in a hurry to get the order in before it went dead, so I didn't bother going through ebates. I figured the car seat deal was good enough even w/o ebates.)

[jgenie]

My carseat was sitting on the porch when I got home from work. :)

:yay: :yay: Wow - Congrats!! :yay: :yay:

[EXPECTINGMAY]

Same here. My order was cancelled and I also got an email from ebates for the Target cashback.

Same here. Will ebates actually give us that money?

[taraalissa]

I think that somebody will probably bring it to their attention and they will remove the rebate.

[Carrots]

My carseat was sitting on the porch when I got home from work. :)

:yay: This is great! I am so happy someone was able to squeeze through and get the deal! :yay:

Enjoy!

[HannaAddict]

I got my cancellation email this evening. And while I can understand the too good to be true angle to it and I really had my doubts from the beginning I can now sadly say that I will never shop target.com again in my lifetime. If I can't trust the sales and what's on their website then I might just as well go to the store where I can see,touch,smell and when needed try on merchandise. I've never been a fan of online shopping and this just confirmed my feelings towards it. Phooey on target.

I don't get this (and other posters outraged emails). You didn't get "something for nothing" after seeing a posting on an internet message board about a too good to be true price and so you can't shop there again?? Truly bad customer service I can understand being upset at, Target's return policy for baby registry items sucks. But for everyone to be mad because they didn't get one of the car seats at an obviously crazy low price that was pretty clearly a mistake, that is nothing to be mad at. Disappointed to not have it ship, yes, but mad, no. Online shopping is not the problem but human nature is . . .

[iaam]

I don't get this (and other posters outraged emails). You didn't get "something for nothing" after seeing a posting on an internet message board about a too good to be true price and so you can't shop there again?? Truly bad customer service I can understand being upset at, Target's return policy for baby registry items sucks. But for everyone to be mad because they didn't get one of the car seats at an obviously crazy low price that was pretty clearly a mistake, that is nothing to be mad at. Disappointed to not have it ship, yes, but mad, no. Online shopping is not the problem but human nature is . . .

I completely agree with your very level-headed comments. I think that as consumers, our sense of entitlement has gotten a little out of control. I can understand feeling unlucky/jealous because your order didn't ship but being mad at Target because they made a mistake and then caught (most of) it doesn't make any sense to me.

[dukie41181]

I don't get this (and other posters outraged emails). You didn't get "something for nothing" after seeing a posting on an internet message board about a too good to be true price and so you can't shop there again?? Truly bad customer service I can understand being upset at, Target's return policy for baby registry items sucks. But for everyone to be mad because they didn't get one of the car seats at an obviously crazy low price that was pretty clearly a mistake, that is nothing to be mad at. Disappointed to not have it ship, yes, but mad, no. Online shopping is not the problem but human nature is . . .



AMEN SISTER!

[Corie]

I am not trying to be all political - but since when are we 'entitled' so make a store honor its ridiculously low price?


I totally agree with you!!

I was reading through this thread and I can't believe that people
feel they should get something in return from Target for being
"inconvenienced". I seriously laughed out loud.

It was a pricing mistake and everyone tried to take advantage
of it.

[JamiMac]

No kidding. I'm sure now that people have complained so much and the media has been alerted that some poor person has lost their job too, from making a computer error.

[EXPECTINGMAY]

No kidding. I'm sure now that people have complained so much and the media has been alerted that some poor person has lost their job too, from making a computer error.


I really hope not.

[mommy111]

I don't get this (and other posters outraged emails). You didn't get "something for nothing" after seeing a posting on an internet message board about a too good to be true price and so you can't shop there again?? Truly bad customer service I can understand being upset at, Target's return policy for baby registry items sucks. But for everyone to be mad because they didn't get one of the car seats at an obviously crazy low price that was pretty clearly a mistake, that is nothing to be mad at. Disappointed to not have it ship, yes, but mad, no. Online shopping is not the problem but human nature is . . .

Its a capitalist society. No one is MAKING anyone honor a price mistake. Target is perfectly entitled to not honor their price mistake. And consumers are perfectly entitled to take their money and go elsewhere. I don't understand criticizing someone for being disappointed or angry or deciding not to shop at Target. Its a huge corporation and giving out a few carseats on the cheap wouldn't have caused them to go bankrupt.
And I'm saying this from the perspective of someone who ordered a car seat for a friend's shower and so am not particularly bothered about not getting it, 'cuz I have $50-100 to spend and will spend it on something else that she will like equally well. If Target gives me a good deal on something, they will get that money. If not, elsewhere I go (most likely amazon.com which allows me to sit on my lazy butt and get things shipped to my home for free year round :)......now THAT is smart marketing strategy)

Edited to clarify

[kijip]

Its a huge corporation and giving out a few carseats on the cheap wouldn't have caused them to go bankrupt.
But it's not a few seats. Seriously, honoring all the orders they received would have cost them millions of dollars (if in some magic land they even COULD get enough seats to fill all the orders).

I totally think feeling entitled this super low price is really odd. Though I will say people are much tamer on this board than on others I have read--- people thinking it was a conspiracy, people wanting to sue, people calling their attorneys general, calling the media...wth?!

[iaam]

Its a huge corporation and giving out a few carseats on the cheap wouldn't have caused them to go bankrupt.

I don't think that should even be the point - it doesn't matter whether it was 10 or 10,000. The bottom line is that there was a pricing error. Consumers tried to take advantage of it -- nothing wrong with that. Target, equally rightly (and according to their stated polocies), rectified the error when they found it and cancelled the orders.

A question to all those feeling so cheated: what if you were the seller? Say you were selling your car and accidently left off a '0' in the price when you advertized it. Does that mean that you are obligated to sell the car to someone for $2000 instead of $20,000? It's the same principle....

[BargainMomforLuke]

How about everyone who did not get their car seat file a class action law suit & see how far you get? The people who are stewing are seriously spending way too much negative energy on this deal.

It is good entertainment value, though.

[mommy111]

I don't think that should even be the point - it doesn't matter whether it was 10 or 10,000. The bottom line is that there was a pricing error. Consumers tried to take advantage of it -- nothing wrong with that. Target, equally rightly (and according to their stated polocies), rectified the error when they found it and cancelled the orders.

A question to all those feeling so cheated: what if you were the seller? Say you were selling your car and accidently left off a '0' in the price when you advertized it. Does that mean that you are obligated to sell the car to someone for $2000 instead of $20,000? It's the same principle....

But that's just it, I don't hear anyone on this board saying that they HAVE to honor the price mistake. Just that they're disappointed that they're not and may shop elsewhere in the future. If I saw someone selling a car at $2000 that I would consider buying, and then they told me the price was $20,000, I would not buy from them because I cannot afford to pay that much for a car (or for anything else, for that matter :( ). As simple as that. Noone would force them to sell the car.....
I think both of us can agree that Target is not obligated to honor the price mistake. I just differ in that, if, as a consumer, this disappoints some people, it is perfectly within their rights to say that they will never shop at Target/shop online again and not be criticized for it. Its like when I've seen people say they will not shop at a place because a particular CSR was rude to them. Well, that's not the store's fault....but it does make for a suboptimal shopping experience and if someone opted to shop elsewhere because of that, its their money.


Though I will say people are much tamer on this board than on others I have read--- people thinking it was a conspiracy, people wanting to sue, people calling their attorneys general, calling the media...wth?!...

Katie, that I agree is totally wacky. I don't see how anyone expecting to sue can even expect a lawyer to take them seriously. Except apparently some people do :)

[JBaxter]

My cowmooflauge came today. I only ordered one I wasnt trying to buy for resale. They must have shipped what was in stock ( which looks like the cowmooflauge)and cancelled everthing else.

[mspersnickity]

It is good entertainment value, though.

So true! I was, let's say, "mildly miffed" about losing the deal. But people going on and on and on about the inconvenience (not here, but on a fairly high profile bargain blog) are really cracking me up. Their main arguments seem to be the inconvenience and what basically boils down to hurt feelings. And yet they're spending all of this time stewing over it, so at this point they've caused themselves so much more distress than Target ever did. It's just silly.

(Says she who refuses to shop at TRU because they canceled part of an order without notification and then overcharged me on shipping for the rest, and I couldn't get a refund without calling them on the phone. Yep, I am a hypocrite.)

[amldaley]

Just to be clear:

Most states have laws protecting both consumers and sellers in this type of situation. Usually managed by a state dept of weights and measures. It is usually the case (in most states) that a seller has to honor the price UNLESS the price difference is such that it is an obvious mistake. A new car for $2500 instead of $25,000 etc. You can have an opinion one way or the other as to your entitlement to the price, but the law may disagree with you.

Had this happened in store, a manager might have honored it once, but then pulled the product from the floor, changed the sign, etc. It would take an online vendor more time to notice and they would not get such opportunity.

Additionally, not all states have similar laws governing e-commerce yet, especially when, unless you are in Minnesota (Target HQ), it is considered inter-state commerce.

And having worked for Target for 7 years, I found them to be a wonderful employer and doubt anyone was fired as long as it was a mistake and not intentionally malicious.

[heidiann]

Heidiann,

What time did you order? EST?

I just wanted to let everyone know that my order was cancelled after a false shipping notice :( not a suprise but still disappointing.

[amldaley]

Target has disappointed me over the last few years. Their return policy, especially in regard to registries, is absurd. This situation certainly should have been handled differently. It's still way above Walmart though so I guess I'll stick with it.


Off topic, but Target is price matching Walmart aggressively now. Article in news just yesterday.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I think to expect Target to offer something for a mistake, just doesn't make business sense. I mean tons of people ordered more than what THEY NEEDED trying to profit at the big corporations expense. I am sure the cost for that would have made it to consumers somehow. I would be a bit frustrated, too if I ordered one and it was canceled. But, I wouldn't never not shop from Target.com again because someone, a human being, typed something in wrong. We all new it was caused by human error, and just hoped that they would honor it or they would ship it out before they caught it. If it was a small business would people be more sympathetic??? Target still has employees to pay, and their profits are down this year like everyone else. I will still shop at Target. I saw the deal, and didn't bother, as I don't need a seat. To get one just to sell it, doesn't seem right. Profiting at the mistake of another....

[Tondi G]

My cowmooflauge came today. I only ordered one I wasnt trying to buy for resale. They must have shipped what was in stock ( which looks like the cowmooflauge)and cancelled everthing else.

I ordered a Cow and got cancelled! I'm glad a few people managed to get that fantastic price!