What happens when you order an iPad from Best Buy and they mistakenly send you a box filled with five tablets? We weren’t sure either but at least two different people recently found themselves in this exact situation. The correct answer, according to Best Buy, is that you get to keep the extra four iPads free of charge!
Depending on your morals, there are a number of different options to consider if you were to wake up and find yourself in such a position. We would hope that most people would at least try to contact the retailer and fess up to the error before deciding on keeping the slates. And that is exactly what one buyer by the name of Alexa did.
Her boyfriend’s mother bought her son an iPad from Best Buy for Christmas and had it shipped to the couple’s apartment. When the package arrived, it contained the five aforementioned iPads despite the fact that that his mother was only charged for one tablet. The packing slip also only showed a single iPad was supposed to be in the box.
The new iPad owners reached out to The Consumerist for help. According to the FTC, anything that is shipped to your house is yours to keep. Such a rule prevents companies from sending you products without authorization then asking for payment at a later date.
Just to be on the safe side, the publication contacted Best Buy on Alexa’s behalf. They ultimately put the company in touch with Alexa who received the following message shortly after via email.
Good afternoon, Alexa –
Laura, from the Consumerist, contacted us here at Best Buy on your behalf. First and foremost, I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate your honesty. That is so rare in this day and age and I sincerely thank you!
We, here at Best Buy, acknowledge that we obviously made a mistake, but in the spirit of the holidays, we encourage you to keep the additional iPads and give them to people in need – friends, family, a local school or charity.
I have not shared this resolution with Laura, as you are the customer, but it is up to you if want to let her know the outcome of your discussion.
Thank you so very much for coming forward and I hope your boyfriend enjoys his new iPad. Merry Christmas!
As it turns out, this might not have been a case of a simple error at all. Another Consumerist reader also sent in their story that essentially mirrors the original, complete with photo evidence. If this sort of behavior continues, Best Buy is sure to take notice and correct the error, right?
