$15.00 Free-for-all

[undertheradar]

I wonder if it were your business, would this be theft? In what was obviously a mistake, it appears that the good people of the world have chosen to abuse an error rather than use common sense. It would be fitting if Disney protected it's shareholders and employees by cancelling every one of these orders. If you owned the business and had this many people taking advantage of you, would you honor the orders or correct the obvious mistake?
Remember, every guest of a Disney entity will pay for these abuses. When prices go up again, is it possible that these "sales" contributed to the increase?
I only hope that you are content with your actions of today. Disney would be well within their rights to cancel every order placed today, and the would be no one to blame but anyone who abused this code.

 

[TarraLee]

I do see your point. However, we must also realize that Disney is a very sophisticated conglomerate, and mistakes such as these occur at major corporations all the time.

If I were in Disney's shoes, I would honor the orders placed rather than disappoint a substantial number of people, since there is no way to tell who used this code in good faith, and who used the code in bad faith, and since the practial, business result of voiding all the orders would be ALOT of angry consumers who will more than likely spend substantially less money with Disney in the near future. I know if they cancel my order, I am cancelling my trip next month. Disney is a "big business" and if the people running it aren't smart enough to hire a decent programmer, well then, its an expensive lesson, but one that someone obviously needed to learn.

Further, I am a shareholder as well, and they are lucky to have the shareholders they do have after all the bad press and poor financial results they've been generating as of late. The last thing their share price needs is more negative media attention or more threats of lawsuits.

Finally, there may be significant legal issues facing Disneystore.com if they cancel all the orders. They made an offer, and a number of consumers accepted that offer, thereby creating a legally binding contract.

I understand you may not agree with what people did, and that is fine, each person can have their own opinion. However, to accuse those who believed this was a legitimiate sale code of being thieves or stealing from the Disney company is ridiculous.

Just my two cents, not trying to be inflamatory or otherwise rude. But it makes me hot under the collar when some jump up on their moral pedestals to criticize others' actions.

 

[lisajl]

ditto

 

[Luv2Roam]

We went by the rules Disney set. How were we dishonest?
Heck, this is what they wrote in my order confirmation:
"Thanks for shopping at DisneyStore.com! Your order is being processed.
To show our appreciation, here's a coupon worth 10% off your next order!"

 

[undertheradar]

Honestly, theft is theft. There actually is no binding contract unless you have received your order. Furthermore, as a shareholder, I don't understand how you would condone this practice of theft. The orders placed on the site are easily traced and are voidable. In terms of public relations, the people who placed these questionable orders could be identified by the order patterns. For example, if you normally order once in a 7 day period and you ordered multiple times during this code, it would be very easy to identify.
I'm not defending Disney(Shareholder, too!), I'm questioning personal ethics. If you go to the store and have an item to purchase, do you expect to carry it out for free? That is what took place with this code.
Would you really cancel your vacation due to having improper orders cancelled? I cannot understand how these equate. People abused a situation and the retailer reserves the right to correct errors. The only way that they could not would be if the items have already shipped, which is very unlikely.
My point is that it is a matter of personal ethics, and I find it hard to not call this theft.

 

[DianeV]

Does anyone remember seeing the computer glitch one of the airlines had and flights were ridiculously low? I mean, VERY low and unheard of. It was only for a short while I believe but many did see it and book their flights. Were they stealing? No, they just saw a good deal and since it went through they went with it.

The airline honored the fares by the way..their mistake they said so..

 

[beansmom]

When prices go up again, is it possible that these "sales" contributed to the increase?

So, what? They increased the ticket prices FIRST in retaliation for us using the promotion they offered us?

I wonder if it were your business, would this be theft? In what was obviously a mistake, it appears that the good people of the world have chosen to abuse an error rather than use common sense.

And, while I might give your argument credence if this were a 'mom and pop' business without the business acumen of a worldwide conglomerate, Disney has the benefit of an enormous staff of attorneys and advisor. Surely, one of them CAN READ. I promise, somebody (and not a Customer Service rep in CRO) signed off on the ad copy for that coupon.

 

[DianeV]

I must admit it never occurred to me to purchase Gift Cards with this promotion..I'm not sure how I feel about that. It was like getting "money" for free in a way...but if it went through on the website...

 

[beansmom]

There actually is no binding contract unless you have received your order.

And while I am not an attorney, I do not believe that is true. A purchase order is a binding contract as soon as it is agreed upon--which in this case would be the confirmation email received--and it is incumbent on both parties to fulfill their parts.

Ya know, just don't order. That's all I can tell you. If it offends you, don't do it. Personally, I do not purchase from TDS 'every 7 days' but I have been known to purchase every day for a 10 day period then not again for a month or two. Does that make YOUR money more valuable than mine to them? I don't think so. They take it anyway.

 

[zakatak]

I personally agree with FAMILYOFFIVE. I think one order is fine. You see the code, you pick what you want and order it. HOWEVER, ordering GCs with a code when you know it NORMALLY doesn't allow it, is stealing. Making 16 orders just to save (steal) $240 is crazy, obsessive and wrong.

I ordered one doll at the very beginning of the post. Am I wrong? No. One order. When I thought it was a legitimate sale.

Any more than 3 orders on this code is greedy. Trying to get something for nothing (when you know it is a mistake) is greedy.

To all the greedy consumers who think they have a "right" to take advantage of a mistake just because the company happens to be big... I say, "Go see The Ring!" so you can't sleep for days and days and days...

These are probably the same people who bring crockpots and microwaves into the resorts... lol

I hope Disney cancels all the orders except the first order of each customer.

Karen

 

[peachgirl]

Well this thread was as predictable as the sun rising. Do you think it's "stealing" when you use a code to get a discount on a room at DW? Do you know that a vast majority of the codes that are used are issued by Disney to a specific targeted market? In other words, Disney does marketing research and they can tell what parts of the country they need to attract. They offer codes by different methods (newpapers, mailers etc) to these areas. Sometimes they do "fix it" where no one else can use the code, but this is usually only for those codes sent to individuals. By the miracle of the internet these codes now get published for all the world to use. Disney didn't mean for people in Texas to use codes they issued to Ohio, but they didn't do anything to stop it from happening. So if you're correct, then anyone who uses a code of any kind for any discount on anything is a thief unless they knew for a fact that Disney intended for them personally to use it. It certainly makes for a lot of thieves around here. Maybe we all ought to take a good look in the mirrow before we start calling other people thieves and cheats. Btw, I chose not use the discount for gift cards. After I gave it a little thought, I knew without any doubt that Disney never allows discounts on gift cards or disney dollars. So, I knew that at least in the case of the gift cards, there was a glitch somewhere and I wasn't going to take advantage of that. Not everyone is aware of those facts and so I see no dishonesty in their actions. Fortunately those who love to judge others won't be able to control themselves and it shouldn't be too long before this little topic is shut down.

 

[undertheradar]

Ya Know, I am wondering if there are any ethics out there. If you understand right and wrong, then it would be obvious that there is some serious abuse involved with this code. Unless you have your items that you ordered, there is no binding contract. What you have is an agreement of a sale and payment which either party may cancel. Furthermore, the attitudes of it being okay as a way of getting even for feeling overcharged in the parks, etc, does not justify the action. I'm wondering if you feel so taken in the parks, why would you own stock in this corporation or spend any more money with them? It's great to know that so many who frequent Disney are so willing and able to steal from them. I'll be a lot more cautious on my vacation there later this month, knowing that if I leave something behind it will be okay for someone to pick it up and keep it. I'm just wondering where the line gets drawn. I'm not perfect, nor is anyone else, but I do think that some will be surprised that many of these orders will probably be cancelled. As someone else wrote, it only takes a few to spoil it for the rest.

 

[Luv2Roam]

The gift cards are a little over the top and wouldn't have thought of that.
But they bought those by the rules allowed at that time. It was Disney who allowed this loophole. I thought Disney was the experts Guess I'm wrong.

knowing that if I leave something behind it will be okay for someone to pick it up and keep it.

Gee -- is this another new Disney rule I missed?

 

[zakatak]

If you walked upon a store (say Walmart) that had accidentally been left open overnight (lights on, nobody home)... Would you walk in and steal merchandise just because "It's their mistake, they should have locked up the joint"?

I think that those people who knowingly ordered gift cards and placed an obsessive amount of orders (16!!!!!) could be called LOOTERS.

Take responsibility for your actions and stop putting the blame back on them! Yes, it was their mistake. But you don't HAVE to steal because of it.

Still standing with FAMILYOFFIVE on this one.

Karen

 

[peachgirl]

" Would you walk in and steal merchandise just because "It's their mistake, they should have locked up the joint"?"


But, if I understand your comments in your first post:

"I ordered one doll at the very beginning of the post"....

Then it would be ok if you just took a little?


Please, if it's stealing, it's stealing no matter how much you steal. If it isn't stealing, it isn't no matter how much you bought. I placed 5 orders...for a grand total of $45. Without the discount the cost would have been $116, but keep in mind they would not have all been separate orders so the $6 shipping on each order would have been significantly reduced by placing just one order. What difference does it make how much I ordered, or spent, or saved you make ask? Absolutely none, no difference at all. If I stole, it doesn't matter how much. I can understand the critics who didn't use the code, I don't agree with them, but they have a right to their opinions. But I really don't think that one who participated in the so called "looting" has much of a leg to stand on morally because they only "looted" a little bit.

"I hope Disney cancels all the orders except the first order of each customer."

What a convenient moral line to draw. One designed so that you can keep what you ordered and not feel guilty. Now that you are so sure that this was all a mistake on Disney's part and that they were taken advantage of by looters...don't you think the moral and ethical thing for you to do would be to cancel your order?

 

[ripleysmom]

To me using that code is no different than the $10 DVD sale at TDS. It winds up being about the same price (at least for what I ordered).

I see your point and if they decide to cancel my orders....oh well.....

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Although I did not get to take part in either, I see nothing wrong with people taking advantage of the DVD offer and/or the $15 off order.

If I am given a free room at Disney should I feel guilty? If we only knew how much free merchandise and how many free services are handed out every day by Disney, I think it would make all of us wonder! Actually I am happy that some of us 'normal' people got some perks rather than all of the celebrities!

How many $15 off orders does it take to make this more than a drop in the bucket for Disney?

 

[TarraLee]

Family of five wrote:
Unless you have your items that you ordered, there is no binding contract. What you have is an agreement of a sale and payment which either party may cancel.

This is simply untrue. When two parties have made an exchange, their promise to ship me what I ordered in exchange for my promise, via my credit card number, to pay, the exchange is binding from that point. Even without the "legalese", think of it this way: they don't wait to charge my card until I actually RECIEVE my order, do they? Nope, not a chance. Well, then it seems fair that I don't have to RECIEVE the stuff I ordered for their promise to send it to be enforceable, doesn't it?

Family of five wrote:
Furthermore, the attitudes of it being okay as a way of getting even for feeling overcharged in the parks, etc, does not justify the action. I'm wondering if you feel so taken in the parks, why would you own stock in this corporation or spend any more money with them?

It's not a matter of getting "even" or anything else so emmotionally charged. Disney had a sale, people bought. If I was angry with Disney for the exorbiant park prices, I certainly wouldn't be a) going back to visit all the time, b) buying anything from the online store, or c) still holding their stock, all three of which I am gladly guilty of!

I love WDW for the memories I have of it, and for the memories I make with those I love while I am there. I'm not in love with the Corporate persona that is the DIsney Company, it is just that- a company. A company who is good at getting me to part with my money because of a "magical" feeling they manufacture, but a Company none the less. I promise, Mickey Mouse will not be offended that you bought something with a coupon from his store! He won't hate you and refuse to give you a hug the next time you see him at Chef Mickey's!

We are all rationale adults, and have to remain objective enough to seperate Fantasyland from the business world. Disney's execs certainly are, or the "typical" American family would be able to afford Disney trips/merchandise; after all, wasn't that Walt's "dream"?

 

[epcotfan]

Seems like it was a good promotion to me. How many of you have ordered from the TDS online prior to this sale? Perhaps they created it to gain some new customers. Also a good way to move excess inventory. I browsed the sale and thought well if I can get this item at $15.00 off then I can purchase an additional item I couldn't afford before. It would be pointless for me to imput individual orders over and over again because the shipping wouldn't be combined.
I'm not sure why some are so angry. The actual stores were having 50% discounts a few weeks ago. I got a Sorceror Mickey plush for $15 and it normally was $30.00. Pins & Birnbaum guidebooks were also marked down to 50 percent off. Should I feel guilty for getting a deal? No. They enabled their website and store discounts.

 

[undertheradar]

I guess that I have a different idea of the "regular" Disney fan. I can't believe that people are actually rationalizing that if an error is made that it's justified to order as many times as the system allowed. If you went to the ATM to take out $20 and it gave you $50 instead, would you keep taking out money until the system shut down? IMHO, multiple orders under this code, as many were doing, would be exactly the same thing. Another example. You make a purchase at a store, restaurant, etc., and you find that the person handling the cash gave you too much change(ex: change for $50 when you paid with $20), do you keep going back through this line until they remove that person from the register?
Now matter how you attempt to justify it, it still is called theft.
Again, those who took advantage of an obvious mistake have no legal grounds to stand on if the orders are cancelled. Read the ads in your local paper when you go to the store, stores are allowed to limit quantities, correct errors in ads, and to remove promotions at any time. If you call for a quote on a hotel room and the person on the phone misquotes the rate, many chains will refuse to honor the misquote.
Again, if you received your merchandise already, relax, the error stands. If you have not(especially pre-orders), it would be possible that Disney could refuse to honor these orders. I'm not defending corporate profiteers, but it disheartening to learn how many people are proud of taking advantage of and abusing this code.
To those who say that Disney made the error- they have to honor the orders, if you make a mistake, do you hope that no one takes advantage of you? If it were your money, merchandise, etc., I would think that you would cancel the sale, as you would still have your merchandise to sell. The threats of people of what is binding and legal are varied. Again, if they honor all of these orders, congratulations. Remember, the next time you spend money with this company, You, Myself, and everyone else who do business with them will be subsidizing the results of the abuse of this code.


Sorry to be negative, but the selfish acts reported by some about how many times they were able to use this code, sickens me.