NewEgg accidentally sends 5 Eee PCs instead of 1 (from the Reg)

[jlee]

I'd send them back. It's sad that so many people would consider doing otherwise.

 

[1prophet]

Send them back.

 

[aphex]

Another vote for send them back. Out of all the companies people would contemplate ripping off, I think Newegg would be pretty darn low on the list.

 

[Vette73]

Looks like one person only got $30 and another got nothing. So the $50 was not a given it seems.

 

[BoomerD]

As much as I don't think it's my job to do a company's bookkeeping for them. teh Egg has always treated me fairly, so I think I'd send them back...especially since they know they fucked up and where they sent too many...shipping errors don't always give you the right to keep things that are sent in error.
Now if they sent you one or 5 that you didn't order at all, then yes, you have the right to keep them (legally) but if you order one and get 5, that's a bit different.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: CadetLee
I'd send them back. It's sad that so many people would consider doing otherwise.

Agreed.

And for those whining about shipping cost, I'm quite sure Newegg would cover it.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: se7en
Uh yeah I would keep them. Its not the "right" thing to do but its not like Newegg hasn't crapped on people before. Rewind 3-4 years when they had top notch service valuing loyalty and yes I would have sent them back.

My first thought would be to return them also but I've had similar declining thoughts about newegg. It seems like they've sucked us in and are now going for the kill. I hear that some people are abusing their goodwill but I haven't and don't appreciate having to suffer the follies of a few.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: CadetLee
I'd send them back. It's sad that so many people would consider doing otherwise.

Agreed.

And for those whining about shipping cost, I'm quite sure Newegg would cover it.

yeap. if newegg covers shipping (wich they will) then of course send them back.

if not then they need to come pick them up. i sure in the hell would not pay for a mistake they made. they try to charge my CC i would dispute the damn thing.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
I thought these were going to be $200? Not worth $400 at all.

I think it's $200 for it's original market.. poor countries/education. But for the general public, they need to profit. And get something back, heh.

I agree, not worth it.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Looks like one person only got $30 and another got nothing. So the $50 was not a given it seems.

That in itself seems shady to me.

If a customer has that much $$ of you merchanside make the offer across the board dont try to swindle people out of a coupon.

 

[mugs]

I'd send them back. Even if you lack ethics, it's NEWEGG.

 

[seemingly random]

Morally right? We're talking about a business here right? Is it morally right for newegg to add a surcharge to newly released products?

Have you ever gotten home from the grocery store to find something in your bags you hadn't purchased? did you return it? Ever found that something wasn't there that you had paid for?

Has anybody returned something to a store that had a sale shortly after the purchase?

Has anybody returned an expensive tool that was only used once and would never be needed again?

I'm not advocating thievery here - I recently returned a pen to a bank that I unconsciously walked out with - but the morals here are rather murky.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: se7en

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Looks like one person only got $30 and another got nothing. So the $50 was not a given it seems.

That in itself seems shady to me.

If a customer has that much $$ of you merchanside make the offer across the board dont try to swindle people out of a coupon.

The article says the one who got "nothing" never even had theirs delivered - Newegg recalled the shipment before it arrived and told him they'd overnight one to him.

The one who got $30 may have discovered the error before it was realized that it was a widespread problem, so Newegg hadn't decided how to handle it yet.


Edit: Wow. These threads always make me sad.

 

[adairusmc]

They have done somthing similar to me.

in 2003 when I was building a new rig, they sent me two Pentium 4 3.2 Northwood chips instead of just the one I ordered. I waited for a few weeks waiting for them to contact me about it, then I sold it.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

If I gotta take the time to box them back up and leave work early to go to the post office....I guess they better give me something if they want them back.

 

[AmberClad]

*wonders what the poll numbers would be like if it were TigerDirect instead of NewEgg*

I wonder if people are influenced by actual morals in this case, or fear of being banned from NewEgg forever. I also wonder if the poll numbers would be different if those crates fell out the back of a NewEgg truck and teh Egg wasn't aware of who had their goods...

(yes, I am a bit cynical)

 

[Injury]

I'd send them back, but IIRC, anything sent to your residence that you didn't order is legally considered a gift and you *CAN* keep it with no legal repercussion. So to say it's dirty and thieving to keep them... not really. It's a more a matter of "do unto others".

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
fear of being banned from NewEgg forever.

They can't disable the ability to look at their site. They could disable a username but then one could just create another. Seems unlikely they could ban based on IP with most people using DHCP. The fear of being banned from newegg is troublesome - tends to give them more power than they really have. Their user reviews are sometimes useful but, with a little shopping around, better prices can almost always be found. It's also likely to be illegal for them to decline to sell to anyone.

I've been in enough back rooms with business owners hearing them talk about getting all they could out of customers to be cynical. I still try to be honest in my personal dealings though. And btw, I voted to send the EE's back.

---

Other moral ambiguities:

Has anybody ever found money on the ground? how hard did you try to find the owner?

Is it morally right for newegg to offer mail in rebates in the hopes that the customer will blow it off or get caught up in the machinery such that they can deny the rebate?

 

[AmberClad]

By banned, I meant from buying anything from NewEgg. (i.e. banned by your name, address, credit cards, etc.)

I suppose you could rely on ZZF, TD, Buy.com, and the smaller shops for the rest of your life, which could work for most things. But there are certain things that are cheaper at NewEgg than anywhere else (RAM, for example), or are harder to find elsewhere.

You could also get someone else to buy the stuff for you, I suppose.

(I guess you might ask -- wouldn't NewEgg still want your business, to make up some of the loss? Well, if you get caught shoplifting from a store, they're probably not going to welcome you back...)

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
Has anybody ever found money on the ground? how hard did you try to find the owner?

About 9 years ago, I found $20 on the floor in the place I worked (retail). I handed it in and they gave it back 6 months later when no-one claimed it.

The Eee's would collect dust until NewEgg sent a courier for them. It's their screw-up so they can expend the effort to get them back.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Lots of theives here. I hope you guys get something significant stolen from you soon.

God I hate sanctimonious wankers who take the internet to seriously

Except many here seem to look for ways to exploit and rip people off a la the guy that bought a stolen powerbook and got screwed out of the extra iPod and wanted advice how to handle it.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Injury
I'd send them back, but IIRC, anything sent to your residence that you didn't order is legally considered a gift and you *CAN* keep it with no legal repercussion. So to say it's dirty and thieving to keep them... not really. It's a more a matter of "do unto others".

I believe that only applies if the delivery method is USPS. And I'd still call you a thief for keeping them, because this sort of situation is not what that law was intended to address.

 

[Jeeebus]

I'd actually be surprised if it was legal in any state to capitalize off the shipping mistakes of a merchant. The person in the article says it's legal in his state, but I'd have to question the sincerity of the statement.

 

[StevenYoo]

if it were a small item (ie. less than $30 in value) i'd probably keep it.

I sure as hell wouldn't keep 4 extra Eee PC's around like that

 

[Pantoot]

Originally posted by: Jeeebus
I'd actually be surprised if it was legal in any state to capitalize off the shipping mistakes of a merchant. The person in the article says it's legal in his state, but I'd have to question the sincerity of the statement.

Good question, the Mail Fraud Statute (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341) states:

Federal law prohibits the shipment of unordered merchandise. Such a practice may constitute an unfair trade practice.

Merchandise mailed in violation of United States Code may be treated as a gift by the recipient without any obligation to the sender. The laws governing this practice are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. If you believe that you have received unordered merchandise in violation of federal law, contact the Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection

So they cannot "accidentally" ship you merchandise then threaten to charge you for it. It appears that legally you can keep it, but morally and ethically - you are stealing.