Remember Dell’s really bad “typo” in Taiwan involving 19-inch monitors on sale for $15 (£9)? Well, the jury is in and the verdict is not looking good for the computer manufacturer.
Dell has been fined $30,000 for repeated mispricing, suggesting that instead of some guy in the backrooms not being able to find the zero key, it’s more a case of Dell employing sneaky marketing techniques to lure buyers in with ridiculously low prices, as an array of mispriced goods have appeared on its Taiwanese website.
According to the Taiwan Consumer Protection Commission, Dell pulled the misleading ad for 19-inch monitors after 26,000 people placed orders for nearly 140,000 products. None of these orders have been honoured by Dell.
Dell was ordered to sell the monitors at the advertised price, but the company decided that fair compensation would be to provide disgruntled customers with discount vouchers instead.
Buyers thought their flimsy bit of paper was a poor substitute for a new monitor though, (surprise) and opted to report Dell to the police for fraud, resulting in the company’s bank account being suspended for 2 days.
As a result, Dell has copped the fine and have been ordered to go back to the creative drawing board and conjure up a better compensation deal. Perhaps something along the lines of providing customers with the monitors they bought in the first place.
Do you think Dell is being treated harshly? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Source: Bitter Wallet