The rumour went around a whole week that the Dutch branch of Bol.com would offer an e-reader plus 10 electronic books under 100 euro. Even the CEO of the Dutch branch, Mr Daniel Ropers, even got a free spot on Dutch public television to announce the primer. Not that it was really a real primer, as the German retailer Weltbild had started to advertise the e-reader Aluratek "Libre" (Unser erster eBook-Reader unter 100 Euro!) for 99,90 euro a few weeks before.
New of Bol.com announcement was the offer. By buying 10 electronic books the buyer would receive a free e-reader, a Hiteker HDB-107, an Ambience e-reader. The offer followed the old paradigm of offering a free PC by buying a software suite. An exciting offer, one would say.
However the ICT department of Bol.com fucked up the offer over the weekend. The ICT department could not produce the algorithm of 149, 95 euro for the e-reader less 50 euro for 10 electronic book is 99 euro. Instead over the weekend two different prices were shown to the potential buyer, one of 172, 86 euro and one of 222 euro. But nowhere the offer of 99 euro was available.
A telephone on Saturday morning to the service desk made already clear that there was a problem. In the menu the e-reader option was mentioned. Yes, the person at the service desk affirmed that there was a problem with the algorithm, but the department was working on it and in the afternoon clients would be able to order the e-reader and electronic books. A telephone call before the closing time of the service desk made clear that it would not be possible to order the reader and electronic books in the weekend. I was told that the ICT department did not work in the weekend, so that the mistake only could be corrected on Monday.
In short the Dutch branch of Bol.com missed a complete weekend of orders for the e-reader and electronic books. It is unbelievable that Bol.com could not call up a programmer in order to produce a simple algorithm deducting 50 euro from 149 euro.
1/11/2010: Bol.com did get it right this morning. I ordered one as the price is now right!
The offer is 10 electronic books with an e-reader for free as present.
Have also a look at the sequel to the story.
BPN 1449
However the ICT department of Bol.com fucked up the offer over the weekend. The ICT department could not produce the algorithm of 149, 95 euro for the e-reader less 50 euro for 10 electronic book is 99 euro. Instead over the weekend two different prices were shown to the potential buyer, one of 172, 86 euro and one of 222 euro. But nowhere the offer of 99 euro was available.
A telephone on Saturday morning to the service desk made already clear that there was a problem. In the menu the e-reader option was mentioned. Yes, the person at the service desk affirmed that there was a problem with the algorithm, but the department was working on it and in the afternoon clients would be able to order the e-reader and electronic books. A telephone call before the closing time of the service desk made clear that it would not be possible to order the reader and electronic books in the weekend. I was told that the ICT department did not work in the weekend, so that the mistake only could be corrected on Monday.
The offer is 10 electronic books with an e-reader for free as present.
Have also a look at the sequel to the story.
BPN 1449
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