Update in OP. Target and other stores canceling our orders!

[wendibird22]

They finally offered DH a $15 reduction on the price. I was wrong in my post that the price difference was $25 but the store said they couldn't discount it $25 because that was 1/3 off and she just couldn't do it. DH said, he'd take the $15 because he doesn't want to disappoint his daughter on xmas but that he was still taking the issue to the attorney general's office and the local media. She said she understood, didn't blame him, and that her hands were tied.

I've had great CS at a local car dealer (DH ordered winter floor mats that they never ordered) and a local picture place (huge issue with family pics). Both are part of a chain (so not local-independent). Both have gone above and beyond to fix the issues w/out us having to demand. Both will have our business again. It's amazing what good CS can do.

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Ugh. DH ordered a princess barbie set from Target on Thanksgiving. Today, 3 business days later, Target emailed a cancelation notice after we already received an order confirmation with shipping date. And turns out the item is now back to full price and available in stores. Lots of stores. In stock in every store in a 100mi radius. So why cancel our order? My guess, so that we have to pay full price to get it. DH and I are so pissed. DH is going to our local store with a print out of our confirmation and asking for the sale price. This is total BS.

Same thing happened to me with TRU yesterday. Got a shipping confirmation and then a cancellation. What the heck!

[MamaMolly]

And these were advertised sale prices? Like black Friday prices? That doesn't seem right to cancel an order on an advertised deal. IIWY I'd call cs and see
What they have to say. Please update!

[SnuggleBuggles]

That would really make me mad. If the item is in stock, in the company, then what leg do they have to stand on to cancel?? Of course, the morons seem to be running Target right now. Well, I should say newbies, really, though some didn't give me much hope yesterday when I was there. They were messing up left and right when I was there yesterday and customer service was laughable. Good luck!!!

Beth

[crl]

If they refuse to honor the sale price, I'd call your state's attorney general's office. That sounds like it may be a violation of some consumer protection statutes.

Catherine

[Melaine]

Did they say it was a pricing error? Most stores have a clause giving them an out if it's a "pricing error".

[R2sweetboys]

As long as it wasn't a pricing error, I would push hard to get your items for the sale price you paid. Over the three days it took for Target to cancel, you could have been missing out on deals on that item from other retailers. I'd be mad!

[wellyes]

Tell them you are calling the attorney general and writing to http://consumerist.com/ to rally others if they will not honor the deal.

[PAfirsttimemom]

Ugh. DH ordered a princess barbie set from Target on Thanksgiving. Today, 3 business days later, Target emailed a cancelation notice after we already received an order confirmation with shipping date. And turns out the item is now back to full price and available in stores. Lots of stores. In stock in every store in a 100mi radius. So why cancel our order? My guess, so that we have to pay full price to get it. DH and I are so pissed. DH is going to our local store with a print out of our confirmation and asking for the sale price. This is total BS.

Same thing happened to me with TRU yesterday. Got a shipping confirmation and then a cancellation. What the heck!

It does seem like this is happening a lot this year. I was mad that I ordered very early after the M&D unit block JC Penney deal was posted here, and my entire order (two sets) was canceled. Others who ordered later received one set and had the other set canceled. How did JCP decide who was getting a set and who didn't? In this case there was a pricing error involved, but I still think it is wrong that some people had orders (or partial orders) fulfilled while others had them canceled.

[Multimama]

I was going to post a BP about canceling orders! It's crazy. I had my Anthropologie order cancelled, my Kamik boots from Nordstroms, and another order too. Only the last of the three was a pricing error. The others just said "unable to fulfill." I think they should offer some kind of compensation if it's their mistake/error. And if it turns out they can fill the order and it wasn't a price error they definitely should. I hope you get your sale price, OP.

[amldaley]

I know this is not what anyone wants to hear, but....

Most "mega" sales like Black Friday have caveats such as "while quantities last" or they have seperate quantities online vs instore or they will limit the way in which you can get an item.

For example, Best Buy did alot of "in store pick up only, not available for shipping" on their website. So it looked like you were ordering, went all the way through with it saying the item was instock, only to discover your local store, and every other store in the state, was sold out.

Also, many large companies have seperate operations between online and brick & mortar so they can legally say, "Sorry, that was available through the website, not the store" or vice versa.

I would still try to take the print out in to the store. And as Catherine said, you can call the state Attorney General or you can see if your state has a Dept of Weights & Measures (they are the ones who regulate pricing compliance, etc).

[wendibird22]

DH is taking the printed confirmation and cancellation notice along with a print out showing that 24 stores in a 100mi radius list the item in stock. I called our local Target and they have 4 on the shelf. There was nothing in our cancellation to indicate it was a pricing error. It just said it was unable to fulfill the order. It was a thanksgiving sale, not black friday, and it was about a $15 price reduction. It wasn't advertised in a circular, just something we happened upon while online. We'll see how DH makes out.

I'm surprised with today's technology that they can't get online shopping right. If it says "in stock online" and I'm able to put it in my cart and pay, that should mean that item is coming to me. There shouldn't be a problem with people ordering more than they have available.

[wendibird22]

DH is battling target and winning. The store had them call the .com saying that they are "independent." The .com said well the item is back in stock online and you can certainly reorder it...get this...for the current price. So yeah, at 5am this morning they cancel the order as out of stock and now 5hrs later it's magically back in stock online but they won't honor the sale price. WTF! I think DH has managed to get them to give us the $15 credit. Target is the worst!

[AnnieW625]

Target has been having issues with their stock lists that are on the computer so it may not even be in stock at the other stores. I was looking for a Leapster Leap Pad yesterday and online it listed stores near me that had them so I went to one and the lady at store said you have to call the store directly. She told me another store that had one 10 minutes away and it was gone by the time I got there 15 minutes later. The item wadn't even on sale. My mom has also been trying to get a Fisher Price doctor kit for DD1 for weeks and their Target says it is in stock on the computer but once she gets to the store it is stil OOS.

I hate to say it but dealing with this kind of stuff is why I don't hinge all of my Xmas shopping on Black Friday deals. Good luck with Target and I think that a $15 credit is more than fair; I'd take it even if I had to rebuy the item.

[gatorsmom]

I'm sorry you are going through this but I'm so glad your DH is fighting it. I think too many people (like me) get screwed and don't fight it for whatever reason. But stores shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.

I had my Barnes and Noble order canceled. Good thing it wasn't an essential Christmas gift. Just a stocking stuffer.

Rooting for your DH over here! :cheerleader1:

[wimama]

Thanks for posting this. I bought my DS an explorer game and Beyblades on Black Friday because they were a better deal than the one I bought at Toysrus with the intent of returning the Toysrus items. I will hold off with my Toysrus return until I receive my items from Target.com.

[wendibird22]

DH has spent HOURS on the phone with Target.com. So far they essentially want to make the deal happen but can't figure out how. The item is available online one minute and not the next. The CS was willing to purchase the item for us online and ship it to us and recharge our CC but can't figure out how to do it when the item keeps disappearing/reappearing. The store is washing their hands of the whole situation despite having 10, yes 10 of them in stock. DH is on his way back over to the store right now (thankfully he works just 5min away) to settle it with a threat to contact the Attorney General and our local media (which has been running stories on this sort of thing the past few days). They keep saying that they want to do it but don't know how. Um, can't you override the price at the cash register? Can't you issue us a $15 gift card and then use the gift card to bring the price down? I don't see why this is so difficult.

[s7714]

DH is battling target and winning. The store had them call the .com saying that they are "independent." The .com said well the item is back in stock online and you can certainly reorder it...get this...for the current price. So yeah, at 5am this morning they cancel the order as out of stock and now 5hrs later it's magically back in stock online but they won't honor the sale price. WTF! I think DH has managed to get them to give us the $15 credit. Target is the worst!

In most cases the B&M stores and the .com store are actually separate entities. DH worked for a .com version of a B&M and while we got a employee discount at the B&M, that was considered generous as there was really zero ties between the two other than the name. Stock from the B&M belongs to them and likewise the same for the online version. The ONLY reason many online places allow in store returns is simply because the customers demand it (as we should ;) ) It's a messy, gray area when it comes to dealing with B&M vs. .com logistics unfortunately IME.

[wendibird22]

In most cases the B&M stores and the .com store are actually separate entities. DH worked for a .com version of a B&M and while we got a employee discount at the B&M, that was considered generous as there was really zero ties between the two other than the name. Stock from the B&M belongs to them and likewise the same for the online version. The ONLY reason many online places allow in store returns is simply because the customers demand it (as we should ;) ) It's a messy, gray area when it comes to dealing with B&M vs. .com logistics unfortunately IME.

Exactly what they told DH...Target.com is a separate company. But when the online ad for the item said sale price available online AND in store they should honor that price in store. We could have gone to the B&M and bought it but chose online because it said in stock and free shipping so that saved us a trip.

What a fiasco. Update in OP.