Price errors: will the store honor it?

Sometimes. Often not. Here's how to think about it before you click.

What a price error is

A price error is a price the store didn't mean to set: a misplaced decimal, a sale applied to the wrong item, a coupon that stacks when it shouldn't. They happen because big retailers change millions of prices automatically, and occasionally a bad update slips through.

What usually happens after you order

• Many stores cancel price error orders, usually within a day or two, and refund you
• Some honor small errors, or honor orders that already shipped
• Store terms of sale usually reserve the right to cancel orders placed at mistaken prices

How to approach one

• Use a payment method that refunds quickly if the order is cancelled
• Don't buy anything you'd regret if it shows up at full price, or not at all
• Don't order unusual quantities; large orders are the first to be cancelled
• Keep your order confirmation until the item arrives

How we label them

Our alerts mark price errors as a price error, separate from ordinary deep discounts, so you know which is which. Deep discounts are the deals stores intend to honor.