Media Markt deceived the reader? No, that’s standard
This problem repeats itself quite often. There is a promotion in which the selected product costs less than usual. Encouraged by the discount, we click on Buy nowwe pay and… we receive a message that our order has been canceled and we will soon receive a refund. Meanwhile, the store still offers this product at a lower price. This recently happened to a TELEPOLIS.PL Reader on MediaMarkt.pl.
New Samsung headphones
In July 2024, Samsung presented its latest products in Paris. Among them were the brilliant Galaxy Buds3 Pro Wireless Headphones. TELEPOLIS.PL tests showed that the best headphones Samsung has ever released. However, it was not without problems, which resulted in their withdrawal from sale for some time.
The headphones went back on sale pretty quickly. People who had to wait to buy the new model could take advantage of a promotion shortly afterwards, The price of the Galaxy Buds3 Pro headphones has been reduced by PLN 200, to PLN 829. The Galaxy Buds3 headphones have also become cheaper, with a price tag of 599 PLNThe promotion was supposed to be valid from 3rd to 15th September this year.
Your order has been canceled
One of the readers of TELEPOLIS.PL shared an interesting story with me. Tempted by the promotion for Samsung Buds 3 Pro headphones, placed an order at MediaMarktwhich he immediately paid for.
I was waiting for Samsung headphones – Buds 3 model with the desire to buy. At their premiere there was a clash because some physical element broke, which delayed the premiere/sale. Thanks to this, Samsung probably introduced a promotion until 15.09, that they will be in stores at a lower price, including PRO 200 PLN cheaper – 829. So I decided to buy – and bad luck wanted to in MediaMarkt. When browsing, the goods were available – in white (for me) and silver (for a family member) – a quick addition to the basket, a blik for 1658 PLN and an order for 1 silver and 1 white went – there was no information anywhere about unavailability, about some purchase limit, etc.
– wrote a reader of TELEPOLIS.PL
A bucket of cold water was thrown at our hero a few moments later. The reader received a laconic message that can be summed up as follows: go to the tree, we won’t sell you headphones at a promotional price, because we don’t. The message (screenshot below) also mentioned that the refund would be received within 2 to a maximum of 14 days.
Interestingly, at the same time, the headphones were available on the MediaMarkt.pl website they were always offered at a reduced price. And so it is also at the time of writing these words (Friday afternoon, September 13, 2024).
The reader believes that Media Markt’s move was unserious. He also suspects that there could have been some kind of “scam”.
The whole thing smells bad from a distance – because from 16.09 the headphones will become more expensive and it looks like they are deliberately rejecting some orders to then sell them more expensive?! I have no explanation for what happened, they did not refer to anything, not even the standard discrepancy between physical stock and the online store, etc.
– added a dissatisfied Media Markt customer
Media Markt explains
I contacted the Media Markt spokesperson with questions about the situation described above. In response, I received an explanation that the order cancellation was due to discrepancy in stock levels between the online and stationary store. The spokesman assured that this is not a deliberate action and offered that our reader can receive an individual discount code for purchasing headphones at the original promotional price.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. At MediaMarkt, our priority is full customer satisfaction, which is why we would like to explain the situation in detail.
As an omnichannel retailer, we sometimes face challenges in synchronizing inventory between our sales channels. In rare cases, a product that appears to be available in our online store may actually be a display item or has been unpacked on the sales floor in one of our brick-and-mortar stores.
In the situation described, the order was canceled for this very reason. We would like to emphasize that this is not a deliberate or frequent practice, but merely an occasional side effect of our commitment to ensuring the widest possible availability of products to customers.
Importantly, after each such incident, our system automatically removes the product from the online offer to prevent similar situations in the future. However, when we receive a new supply of the product, it returns to the offer with the current promotional price.
We fully understand the customer’s disappointment and want to assure you that it is in no way our goal to mislead consumers. On the contrary – we make every effort to ensure that every customer can benefit from our attractive offers.
As part of our pro-consumer policy and building the best customer experience, in cases like this, we offer customers an individual discount code. It allows you to buy a given product at the originally offered promotional price, even if the promotion has officially ended. We therefore encourage your reader to contact our Customer Service Office or me directly, where you will receive such a code, allowing you to buy Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro headphones at the price of the canceled order.
We are constantly working to improve our processes to minimize these types of situations in the future. At the same time, we always strive to find a solution that satisfies the customer when such incidents unfortunately do occur.
We appreciate your reporting this matter as it allows us to continually improve our services. At the same time, we hope that this clarification clears up any concerns and demonstrates our full commitment to providing the highest quality customer service.
– wrote Maciej Dolega, spokesman for Media Markt
I appreciate the offer from the spokesperson, but our reader will not take advantage of it. After receiving a refund, he bought two pairs of Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro headphones in another shop where he didn’t have such problems.
Well, that’s what I expected. I already bought the headphones in euros, so I don’t have to use (the discount code – editor’s note), fortunately. Thanks
– the reader wrote when I sent him the response from the Media Markt spokesman
Despite the good intentions expressed by the spokesman, the reader did not receive any explanation from Media Markt, no “sorry” or anything of the sortThe message he sent in response to the order cancellation notification was apparently ignored. Not nice, Media Markt! I am also afraid that if I had not addressed this topic, the whole matter would have been “swept under the carpet”, and only the prospect of describing it in the media caused a reaction. Was it the right one? I don’t think so. But everyone can have a different, own assessment here.
It ended well, but the bad taste remained
Our reader’s story, although it ended happily thanks to shopping in another store, leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Cancelling an order after payment, despite the apparent availability of the product, is a situation that unfortunately happens more often than we would like. In the era of online shopping, where convenience and speed are key, such incidents undermine consumer confidence.
Of course, system errors or discrepancies in stock levels may occur, but the key is transparent communication and quick solution to the problem. The offer of an individual discount code is a step in the right direction, but it does not change the fact that the customer was misled and lost time.
This situation reminds us that even the largest retail chains are not free from stumbles. It is worth being a vigilant consumer, checking the availability of products in various sources and not hesitating to look for alternatives if something raises our doubts. Let us remember that we have the right to reliable information and satisfactory service, regardless of where we do our shopping.
For my part, I can add that This is not the first time someone has contacted me with this type of problem.. This has happened before when I bought different products at a promotional price, in different stores. When I asked the press offices of the sellers for an explanation, the response I got was generally very similar. Although there were sometimes aggressive exceptions. But that is a topic for a completely different story.
