Whatever the findings, the case has raised issues of consumer rights and other concerns about online shopping. Computer giant Dell also made a similar mistake in March, when it advertised computers at a fraction of the actual price at its Singapore website. This showed 'they had already committed to the transaction by accepting the credit-card payment', said Mr Quay. But a retailer can ask for authorisation without actually debiting the customer's credit card, as in Mr Quay's case. And therein lies the dispute.
Customers say they consider the deal done because authorisation was asked for.
Courts declined to comment on queries from The Straits Times on whether it actually debited the money from the credit cards. It merely asserted that no contract had been formed. For a contract to be formed, there must be an offer by one party and acceptance by the other, he said. Often, merchants state in their terms that the mere display of an item with its price tag is only an 'invitation to treat', in other words, an invitation to the customer to make an offer. So when the customer orders the goods, he is making an offer - which the merchant can choose to accept or reject.