Apple to deliver cut-price computers to Taiwan after error
US computer giant Apple agreed on Tuesday to deliver computers to customers at massive discounts after mistakenly offering them at bargain prices, according to a Taipei consumer watchdog.
The error occurred last Friday when the company accidentally discounted a desktop computer and a server on the Education Apple Store's Taiwan website, with one on sale for a little over 40 percent of what it should have been.
Apple corrected the prices but not before over 41,500 units had been ordered by bargain-hunters, according to figures provided by the company to Taipei's consumer protection authorities.
Apple did not specify the number of customers who will receive the products at the low prices.
The US company's response came after the city's government stepped in on Monday, threatening to slap a fine on Apple if it did not act on the dispute.
"The company agreed to deliver products to customers," Yeh Ching-yuan, head of the Taipei city government's Law and Regulation Commission, told reporters.
"But only those who ordered the products and are eligible for Apple education pricing will be able to get the products at 19,999 Taiwan dollars (625 US) apiece," he said.
Local media said Apple listed its Mac Mini at 19,999 Taiwan dollars, about 42 percent of its original price tag of 47,710 Taiwan dollars.
Also, the 8-GB version of Mac Mini Snow Leopard Server was priced lower than the 4-GB version, which costs 34,900 Taiwan dollars.
Dell was hit by similar pricing error last year and is still mired in a series of lawsuits with local consumers.
Dell twice mis-priced its products on its Taiwan website last year resulting in some 200,000 online orders. Early this month Taiwan's economic ministry rejected an appeal by Dell and ruled that Dell should pay a fine of one million Taiwan dollars for the errors.
(c) 2010 AFP
