PlayStation 3 On Sale at Amazon for $40? Probably Not!
By Ed Oswald | Sunday, January 16, 2011 at 7:04 pm
[New information: Target has issued a statement, saying all orders will be cancelled. See it here]
I’m not sure whether it’s an error on Amazon’s part, or an unannounced sale: Sony’s PlayStation 3 is on sale at the site for $39.99. The retailer itself is not offering the console at this price, instead Target appears to be the source.
Obviously people have rushed to take advantage of this, and it is already appearing out of stock. I am viewing this skeptically: the deal seems too good to be true, and the PS3 is nowhere near to being discontinued.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this pans out. That said, I have ordered myself one just in case.
Update 1: People are noting that Target’s website is also showing this, but the weight is off and appears to be a Move accessory. Still, the error means Somebody’s going to get a stern talking to Monday morning…
Update 2: The order when placed comes as a confirmation that you’ve purchased the Move “shooter grip” accessory, a reader reports. However, the cancellation notice shows you’ve canceled a 60GB PlayStation 3.
Update 3: Looks like as of 3am ET, the item has been removed from Amazon, and on Target’s website there’s no more $39.99 PS3. More reports coming in indicate that in some cases, the confirmation e-mails do say that it is the console, and not the accessory as others have seen. We have mails out to both target and Amazon for comment on the matter.
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January 16th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
congrats, you just bought the move accessory. the devil is in the details.
January 16th, 2011 at 7:30 pm
The description on amazon's page is not for the move accessory… it describes the console.
January 16th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Yea but not on Amazon's website. It actually says I purchased the console
January 16th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
i saw the same thing, ive ordered one as well and even if it is a mistake they have to honor what they have posted once you pay. At the very least they will have to do a refund. Im in if this works out that will be amazing
January 17th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
Yes, but you havent actually paid nor has the order been filled, you dont get charged until the order is completed and shipped… amazon has full right to cancel the order unfortunately. I ordered one but as soon as i figured out what was going on i cancelled it.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:02 pm
I just got my notification email and it says that I ordered a Playstation 3 console for $40.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
I just ordered two, but I'm sure they'll just end up giving my money back. Wish I would've caught wind of this sooner.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:12 pm
well it says you wont be charged until item is shipped so i imagine none of uss will be charged.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
When this has happened in the past Amazon cancels the orders. Pricing errors are covered in their terms for using the site. I bought one two though.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
it also says that
"With respect to items sold by Amazon.com, we can't confirm the price of an item until you order; however, we do NOT charge your credit card until after your order has entered the shipping process. Despite our best efforts, a small number of the items in our catalog may be mispriced. If an item's correct price is higher than our stated price, we will, at our discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of such cancellation."
January 16th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
When you look at this item on the Target website, it has a PS3 picture and name, but when you look under the description of the item it is the sharp shooter controller. When you add it to your cart on the Target website, it is the controller. It is not the PS3.
January 16th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
The price is showing up at Target.com.
January 16th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Jk
January 16th, 2011 at 9:02 pm
There's a dead bird in my PS3 right now, I was hoping I could get this one to replace my old one.
:((((((
January 16th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
sucks about the dead bird 🙁 maybe u should get rid of it
January 16th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
notgonnahappen
January 16th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
I ordered one just now and it was the console and the same in my confirmed e-mail. E-mail copied and paste ———–>1 "PlayStation 3" Console; $39.99 Sold by: Target.com/ITC
January 16th, 2011 at 10:49 pm
i think they should honer all the people that got this that was their mistake.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
What's the worst they can do? Give you a refund? I have a confirmation email, from Amazon, saying "Playstation 3". Checked on Amazon's site again, my order number shows "Playstation 3 [console]". Looks like this error has been online for quite some time Sunday and still is now. Original Price shows $499.99. I don't know many video game accessories that sell for $500.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:49 am
It will be interesting to hear what caused this error, whether it be a keystroke error, glitch, or what have you. My bet is on someone at Target attempting to enter in this accessory into inventory and accidentally put it under the wrong SKU.
Another thing: the SKU for this PS3 is one that apparently has been discontinued for some time.
January 17th, 2011 at 5:14 am
Unfortunately I do not see this working out, at all. In Amazon's terms and conditions they explicitly say they reserve the right to cancel an order if the actual list price is significantly higher and there was a pricing error. In short, they've protected themselves in the event their employees make a stuff up and put in the wrong price.
Not only that, it's for a 60GB standard (not slim) edition…which unfortunately has been discontinued for a long time. As much as I prayed Amazon/Target would honor this, it's becoming less likely by the hour as they have numerous avenues to get out of this issue smelling like a rose.
January 17th, 2011 at 5:38 am
Thanks for the updates, I appreciate it.
January 17th, 2011 at 5:44 am
If they don't honor the deal then you would think there would be coupons handed out to all the people that made the purchase through Target and Amazon.
January 17th, 2011 at 6:38 am
@Neil: Probably for 10% off the new PS3. *laughs*
January 17th, 2011 at 8:01 am
Seriously, you’re just gonna get refunded. If Amazon have it clear in the rules and regulations that’s gonna happen, that’s gonna happen.
January 17th, 2011 at 8:20 am
How do they get away with making an error such as this, if you go in the store and something has an incorrect price on it they honor it. how is this any different?
January 17th, 2011 at 8:30 am
here is what is in my order confirmation and on my invoice that i printed 10 copies of.
1 "PlayStation 3""
Console; $39.99
Sold by: Target.com/ITC"
now, i clearly ordered a playstation 3, i'd like to see how target fixes this lol.
January 17th, 2011 at 8:52 am
i screen capped everything before they took down the site. hope you folks did too if you bought one ( or 2+). EVIDENCE MY FRIENDS! MUAHAHAHAHA!
January 17th, 2011 at 9:02 am
or you can use google cache? lol but still its good idea. i belive all you need as evidence is the confirmation email bc it says you bought a playstation 3 (console)
oh by the way guys around 11 central time they changed the description on amazon to that its the 120gb version and includes 2 games too.
January 17th, 2011 at 9:27 am
ordered 3 off amazon..i just dont see this working, as i have ordered games for the wii before and they have cancelled on me because they went out of stock.
January 17th, 2011 at 9:31 am
Amazon's looked 100% legit compared to Target's. Target's website clearly looked weird with their description of the Move Shooter Grip controller item, 2.4 lbs, etc.
Amazon's ABSOLUTELY looked like a discounted console (no mention of a controller catergory at all, 11 lbs., CORRECT specs for the console, many photos of the PS3, usually purchased with Blu-ray remote, etc.) There was even a drop down window with other console options at different gigabyte levels and prices to select from!
Why did such a huge corporation leave it up over 6-7 hours with hundreds of people calling to verify their orders? For that, I say they owe people something. That was way too long. I'll take a PS3 slim in place of this one. LOL!!
January 17th, 2011 at 9:35 am
It really doesn't matter what Amazon's descrption says. It's sold through a third party merchant so whatever Target decides is what is going to happen. Amazon has no say in what Target decides to do.
January 17th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Just an additional note, I've just read on another site that Amazon will sending out an email to all people who ordered the ps3 within 24 hours: http://techie-buzz.com/gaming/target-amazon-plays…
January 17th, 2011 at 10:42 am
thanks for that update.
no email for me either. looks as if they are determining how screwed they are but to be fair the odds of getting the ps3 are higher than everyone thinks because at about 11pm they changed it to the 120gb ps3 that actually still is being manufactured. still 50/50 chance tho…
January 17th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Happy to be of help!
January 17th, 2011 at 10:52 am
This would be awesome I should have bought more. I ordered two
January 17th, 2011 at 10:59 am
I ordered off Amazon and in the end the total price with shipping, was $58.03 and it confirms Console!
January 17th, 2011 at 11:35 am
We ordered the PS3 from Amazon last night. We called after ordering to confirm this was legit. We were told that they were honoring the price (approved by Target's CEO) and will be sending an email out within 24-48 hours with an expected ship date. This price was going to be good until they got the link down. Additionally, we were told that they put the item as “out of stock” to deter people from ordering them.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:42 am
Sorry to question this, but is anyone able to confirm this statement?
January 17th, 2011 at 11:56 am
i asked them about it. will post here when i get a post back. from reading in many other places it seems that there are assorted responces from tech support but one thing stands true. they don't charge your account until its delivered.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
*don't charge your account until its shipped –is what I think you mean.
Also that is great news lisa, I hope it comes through!
January 17th, 2011 at 11:51 am
Wow Lisa, I hope that is true. That'd be incredible.
January 17th, 2011 at 11:58 am
Lisa, do you have the name of the person you spoke with and what time you called? That would be wonderful!!
January 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Actually Amazon HAS to honor the listing/purchases (as they have already stated). I didn't see the error, but if the item photo was that of a ps3 and the item listing said "PS3" and you paid that price for what they claimed to be a PS3, you are entitled to your PS3 despite what the item description says, as that is not official.
So Target has 1 of 2 choices…they can honor the purchases and send everyone their cheap PS3s and take a HUGE hit financially, or they can send a Move (or whatever the heck the apparent item was) to everyone and undoubtedly face a number of lawsuits against them…My guess, they will send you your PS3s!
Nice grab to those who purchased!!
January 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I was just told they are going to be canceled. BOO!
January 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I don't have the name here with me, but we called around 9:00 p.m. central time last night. My brother in law called this morning and got the same information as well.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
Checked my orders, the page for the PS3 was taken down on Amazon. Oh no.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
If you purchased one from Target.com it may have stated that it was a controller, but if you bought it from Amazon, it was listed as a console, with the proper weight and dimensions, screenshots, shipping prices, categories, and reviews. It even states Category: "Video Games > Playstation > Hardware > Consoles." And the page that I actually went to showed a release date of December 2010. The review order form and invoice also state that it is a Playstation 3. I have screenshots of every page as well.
Additionally, the listing was available for over 8 hours and was wildly talked about on twitter, facebook, blogs, and forums…even their own Amazon forums. On top of THAT, people were calling both Amazon and Target. If it was an error, it was brought to their attention, and it was not addressed in even a remotely timely manner. This was not a five minute error or something intricate that needed hours to be edited. On top of this, 24 hours later, there has been no communication from either vendor.
I'm sorry, Amazon and/or Target should be honoring any purchases made.
January 17th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I contacted amazon via email and they said they didn't know anything about the situation with the ps3 but typically if products are underpriced they will cancel it within a few days. Nothing really helpful there since this deals with target.
January 17th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
i bought one last night and got the confirmation email saying i bought 1 40gb playstation 3 console
January 17th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
40 gb? It should have been a 60gb
January 17th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
If target were to honor this blunder, I can guarantee I would be quick to purchase all my PS3 games from target.
January 17th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
@Austin: Seconded. This would make me a Target customer for life when it comes to video games.
January 17th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
This company followed through on their error and they are owned by Amazon if memory serves me correctly. There are some good guys out there in the corporate world.
http://www.walletpop.com/2010/05/24/pricing-error…
January 17th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Shipping Method: Standard Shipping
Shipping Preference: Group my items into as few shipments as possible
Subtotal of Items: $39.99
Shipping & Handling: $15.69
——
Total before tax: $55.68
Estimated Tax To Be Collected: $4.51
——
Total for this Order: $60.19
Delivery estimate: We'll notify you via e-mail when we have an estimated delivery date for this item. It will ship separately. You can cancel at any time. 1 "PlayStation 3"
Console; $39.99
this is my confirmaton, I want my ps3
January 17th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
Addendum: This PS3 pricing situation really isn't Amazon's problem. This is probably why Target hasn't released a statement. Amazon has no obligation and no reason to cancel the orders – a right they reserve – and Target doesn't want a stain this big on their name. Notice no news networks have reported it. The only loser in this whole debacle is Target. Sony makes boatloads off the massive amount of bulk ordering Target is going to have to do, and Amazon doesn't make or lose money either way.
January 17th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Knew this was coming:
[quote]We are contacting you regarding your order ###### from the Target store at Amazon.com. We recently became aware of mismatched price and product information which resulted in the discontinued Sony PS3 Hardware System and the PlayStation 3 Move Advanced Shooter Grip being displayed incorrectly.
We are sorry, but we are unable to offer you either of these items at this time and have canceled your order. Your credit card was not charged.
We sincerely regret this inconvenience.
For more details on our pricing and cancellation policy please see Target.com:
http://www.target.com/Pricing-Policy-Pricing-Tax-…
January 17th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
UPDATE: Target is cancelling orders made on their own site.
January 17th, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Christian,
We just received my email from amazon that our order was canceled (it’s the same email that Target is sending out). We have a printout of our order summary for the PS3 Console – it doesn’t state that the console was out of order, just that they will notify by email with an estimated delivery date. What are your thoughts? Seems as though although amazon has their “so-called protection clauses” that this would also be some type of false advertisement??
January 17th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
UPDATE: Amazon has cancelled all orders. I received this message.
Dear Amazon Customer,
We are contacting you regarding your order #102-2410202-7894614 from the Target store at Amazon.com. We recently became aware of mismatched price and product information which resulted in the discontinued Sony PS3 Hardware System and the PlayStation 3 Move Advanced Shooter Grip being displayed incorrectly.
We are sorry, but we are unable to offer you either of these items at this time and have canceled your order. Your credit card was not charged.
We sincerely regret this inconvenience.
For more details on our pricing and cancellation policy please see Target.com:
http://www.target.com/Pricing-Policy-Pricing-Tax-…
Sincerely,
Amazon Customer Service
Amazon.com http://www.Amazon.com/
January 17th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Mine was caaaaancled. Go figure. lol I like to see who actually freaks out and sues because of this when it was so obviously a mistake.
January 18th, 2011 at 2:35 am
yeah it was obviously a mistake, but in my experience working in retail i've never heard of a single company not honoring a price no matter how big the mistake.
January 17th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/TargetHonor/
Please sign! we demand the ps3
Please share this everywhere credit to johnny
January 17th, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Please help me make a story that I can send to amazon complaint department, already opened up a case. Please reply by stating what I should add inaddition, also please sign up to this petition : http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/TargetHonor/
January 18th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Target does have an out, from their pricing policy which says something to the effect of if the correct price is higher than the stated price, they will cancel the order and refund the money.
However, I think that Amazon should push Target to do the right thing and honor these prices. Assuming that they can still get these discontinued PS3's. (Heck Sony probably has thousands and thousands of these units in a warehouse…that they'd love to get rid of. Cheap.)
a) it's great PR.
b) think Gillette model…so they lose money on a product that they weren't going to sell, they'd have a ton of loyal customers who would be buying tons of games…probably from Target.