MediaWorld mistakenly sold iPads for €15 and asked to return them: ‘It was an obvious mistake’

On November 8, An offer for loyalty card holders has appeared on the website of MediaWorld, a European electronics retailer. The deal: The iPad Air for 15 euros (about $17) instead of the usual price of 879 euros (about $1,012). No fishing, no strings attached. The proximity to Black Friday made the offer even more palatable. Many consumers therefore purchased the product immediately by choosing the “pay and collect in store” option, which was the safest option on paper to avoid unexpected problems.

The process was smooth, even for those ordering online. According to the accounts of some users on Reddit, their request was accepted, and after about 40 minutes they received an email confirming the availability of the product.

At the store, the €15 payment was successful and MediaWorld delivered the iPads as expected. The terms and conditions attached to the order do not include any clause related to pricing errors or the possibility of the company requesting later additions.

MediaWorld about the face

However, eleven days later, MediaWorld sent a simple email — not a formal communication via certified mail — stating that the posted price was “manifestly incorrect.” The company then asked affected customers to choose between two solutions: keep the iPad and pay the difference to match the price, but with a €150 discount, or return it and receive a €15 discount voucher and a €20 discount voucher for their inconvenience.

MediaWorld response

Following the incident, WIRED contacted MediaWorld for comment. “We confirm that, in a very short period of time, due to a clearly identifiable technical error due to an unusual and unexpected malfunction of our e-commerce platform, some products were erroneously displayed at prices that were never intended to be displayed due to their clear and objective disconnect from the true market value and the correct promotional price. This was a clear error, which made it economically unsustainable and not representative of our commercial offering,” explains a MediaWorld spokesperson.

Regarding the subsequent intervention to try to recover the sold products, the representative added: “Under 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 offer solutions that go beyond the mere application of the law. For this reason, we immediately contacted all affected buyers, proposing two alternatives.”

A MediaWorld spokesperson also confirmed to WIRED the two solutions first highlighted by Reddit users. “We offer product retention: the customer has the option to keep the purchased item, paying the difference between the paid price and the correct promotional price. We have also offered an additional discount on the amount to be paid. Or return the product: the customer can choose to return the item for free, receiving a full refund of the amount already paid. In this case also, we have introduced a MediaWorld shopping voucher. We firmly believe that these proposals demonstrate our desire to support customers and maintain transparency and fairness. We continue to work to improve our shopping experience and provide maximum protection for our customers.”

Legal issue: Can the error really be identified?

Many lawyers on the Internet point out that Article 1428 of the Italian Civil Code allows the contract to be invalidated if the mistake is fundamental and recognizable. But the issue, according to consumer lawyer Massimiliano Donna, is more nuanced than it seems.

“The premise is that the November 19 letter — in which MediaWorld demanded the return or purchase of an iPad at a near-real price — is not a formal warning or notice, especially if sent by regular mail, because it is a proposal for a bilateral agreement. “If the consumer ignores that, MediaWorld will evaluate whether formal action should be taken,” Donna says.

“For this reason, the key issue is whether MediaWorld’s claim is well-founded or not, from a legal point of view. To invalidate a contract, it is necessary to prove the consumer’s awareness of the misuse of a seller’s error. But to obtain this proof, it is not enough to claim that a 98 percent discount makes the error obvious in the eyes of the customer.” Moreover, Donna also points to the fact that “today’s prices are not as standard as they used to be. Between limited-time offers, flash sales, promotions, and contests (which are mainly offered on social media sites or in Apps), everything has become more changing, plus we are now in the middle of the Black Friday sales season and looking at these elements, perhaps we can consider it reasonable for the consumer to think that it was an advertising technique.”

How does MediaWorld test consumer awareness?

Donna also claims that there is no minimum threshold beyond which the customer must necessarily notice the error: “There are other factors that must be taken into account. If the buyer is Ms. Maria, who finds deal And he decides to take it, that’s one thing. On the other hand, if it’s someone who buys five tablets and then immediately puts them up for sale again, or even someone who resells electronics for a living, that’s another matter. In this case, awareness of the error will be more apparent.

The crucial issue, he says, is whether the error can be identified: “From a legal point of view, it’s all about the buyer being able to realize that the price was incorrect. That’s the real deciding factor, which has to be put into context in terms of the sales channel used by MediaWorld and the professionalism of the buyer.”

For now, the picture is still evolving: a completed public offer without dispute, a full turnaround that came days later via email, and a legal evaluation around whether the consumer was able to recognize the error.

This story originally appeared on Wired Italy It was translated from Italian.