Every now and then the internet delivers a story that feels too wild to be real. This week, it is all about an outrageous iPad Air pricing error that saw a major European retail chain selling 13 inch iPad Air models for the price of a fast food meal.
Yes, people actually walked out of stores with brand new iPad Airs for around seventeen dollars, receipts and all.
And now the retailer wants them back.
So How Did a $1,012 iPad Air Turn Into a $17 Deal?
According to Wired, MediaWorld, a massive electronics chain in Italy, accidentally listed the new 13 inch iPad Air for just 15 euros. This was a loyalty card offer, not some shady glitch hidden in a corner of the website. Customers placed orders online, payments went through, and in store pickups were honored without hesitation. Staff literally handed over sealed iPad Air boxes and wished customers a nice day.
For 11 days, nobody questioned it.
Then the company suddenly realized what happened and sent customers a casual email stating the price was “clearly incorrect.” No formal legal notice. No certified communication. Just a quick email asking people to either:
- Return the iPad and get their 15 euros refunded plus a 20 euro voucher
- Keep the iPad and pay almost full price, with a 150 euro discount
That is not exactly the message anyone wants after scoring what looked like the deal of the decade.
The Legal Twist Nobody Expected
Here is where things get interesting. MediaWorld’s own terms and conditions did not include a pricing error clause. Usually companies protect themselves with a line saying “we reserve the right to cancel orders if a price is obviously wrong.” But not here.
Consumer lawyers in Italy say the situation is not so clear cut. With the amount of extreme flash sales, viral marketing stunts, and loyalty exclusives floating around, a random customer cannot be expected to instantly know whether a deal is a mistake or a publicity push.
And since MediaWorld has not sent any formal legal notices, customers technically do not have to act on anything yet.
If you walked out of a store with a legally purchased iPad Air that you paid for at the price listed, it is hard to argue that you did something wrong.
Should Customers Return the iPads?
Honestly, no one can say for sure how this will end. Italian consumer law leaves room for interpretation, and this case sits in an awkward gray zone.
But right now, consumer lawyers are advising people to simply hold onto the iPads and ignore the email request. If the company wants to push this further, they will need to follow proper legal channels.
This whole saga is a reminder that even giant retailers can make massive mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes turn into once in a lifetime deals.
Whether MediaWorld gets those iPads back remains to be seen, but for the lucky customers, this might be the greatest tech bargain they will ever experience.
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