international commerce
Company advertising something $100 cheaper than it is
<p>A company is advertising a product on Google for $44. However, after going to their website, I found that the product is $130.</p>

<p>After contacting them, they said in the TOS they state this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Product Pricing: All prices are subject to change without notice, and may make changes to any products or services offered at the Store, or to the applicable prices for any such products or services, at any time, without notice.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Are they meant to change the advertisment to the real value after changing the price?</p>

<p>If the business is displaying <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/prices-receipts/price-displays#multiple-pricing" rel="nofollow">multiple pricing</a> and if they or you are in Australia then the Australian consumer law says:</p>

<ul>
<li>the business must withdraw the product or service from sale until the multiple pricing problem is fixed,</li>
<li>if you choose an item or service that has multiple different prices displayed or advertised and the business can’t withdraw the product or service from sale and fix the error, you are entitled to buy it for the lowest price.</li>
</ul>

<p>In addition, the law prohibits them from making misleading claims - their terms of service march dangerously close to that line.</p>

<p>Depending exactly how they handle this may put them on the wrong side of the law:</p>

<ol>
<li>If you draw their attention to this and they <em>refuse</em> to sell you the product at any price until they fix the Google price, then this is legal.</li>
<li>If you draw their attention to this and they do or would sell it to you for the higher price before they fixed the Google price, then this is illegal.</li>
<li>If you draw their attention to this and they do or would sell it to you for the lowest price before they fixed the Google price, then this is legal.</li>
</ol>

<p>Of course, if they are a foreign retailer you may have difficulty in making them comply with Australian law even though they are obliged to.</p>
