From "The Inquirer"

Kodak finds itself in grey area over �100 camera offer

But consumer law untested
By Mike Magee, 07/01/2002 12:29:19 BST

HUMAN ERROR CAUSED a glitch on a Web site that meant a camera normally
offered for �329 was displayed for some days at a knock down offer of
�100.

That could means that a heap of disappointed would-be buyers of the
digital camera may find they get no camera and no redress in consumer
law either. Maybe.

A representative of Kodak UK told the INQUIRER this morning that human
error had caused the DX3700 to appear on a Web page in a bundle that
cost �100.

Some people who thought they had secured a bargain have even started
advertising their prize on Ebay, we learn.

The Kodak representative said that the price should have been �329 and
that although orders for the camera have been taken, to the best of her
knowledge none of those orders have been processed. The error, she said,
was corrected within 24 hours.

It was never supposed to have been listed at that price, Kodak said.

But the case is a very grey area, a representative from the Consumers
Association told us today.

Whether hundreds of buyers are now out of luck is debatable. Although
Kodak said it was checking with its own lawyers and would issue a
statement later today, the UK Consumers Association has a view on the
case.

The press office told us that if the camera was offered as a result of a
mistake and was obviously not meant to be offered at that price, it
could be that people who had received confirmation of that order might
not "have a leg to stand on".

But she added that if buyers reasonably thought the camera was being
offered at that price - and she said with prices being as competitive as
they are today, particularly in electronics goods - that might be
argued, Kodak might have to stump up, particularly if the firm had
confirmed the order.

The particular page which we linked to yesterday suggested that the deal
was a "special offer", so this is where it could get interesting.

She said online transactions were a grey area and every new case that
happened was in effect a test case.

It looks as though we'll have to wait to see what Kodak says in its
statement. We've had dozens of emails from people who have had
confirmations.

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