MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
After a pricing glitch sold iPads at a 98% discount, the retailer demanded refunds or additional payment, triggering legal debate over consumer rights.
On November 8, 2025, the European electronics retailer MediaWorld mistakenly listed the Apple iPad Air for just €15 — instead of its regular price of about €879 — in an online offer for loyalty-card holders.
The deal appeared genuine with no visible caveats or disclaimers, and many customers completed the purchase successfully, either online or via in-store pickup.
The orders were confirmed, payments processed, and in many cases the tablets were collected from stores without incident.
Eleven days later, MediaWorld emailed buyers claiming the price had been a “clear mistake”.
The company offered them two options: either return the iPad and receive back the €15, plus a €20 voucher, or keep the device and pay the difference — roughly €729 — though with an added discount of €150 as a goodwill gesture.
MediaWorld defended the move as necessary, pointing to a major technical glitch that led to prices “objectively detached” from the market value and stating that the error rendered the listed offer unsustainable.
The retailer argued it acted under a legal principle designed to preserve contractual balance when there is a manifest error of this magnitude.
Yet consumer-rights experts and legal commentators say the matter is far from straightforward.
Under the relevant Italian law — specifically Article 1428 of the Italian Civil Code — a contract may be voided if there is a fundamental and objectively recognizable error.
But to succeed, the seller must show that the buyer could reasonably recognize the mistake.
Critics of MediaWorld’s retraction note that in the modern retail landscape — especially near promotional events like Black Friday — consumers have grown accustomed to steep discounts, flash-sales, and loyalty-program offers.
Given that the website accepted the orders, processed payment, and delivered the products without any warning or reversal at checkout, many assert the sales constituted valid contracts.
The legal outcome may hinge on how courts interpret “recognizable error” in this context.
If courts find that a near-ninety-eight percent discount could plausibly be a legitimate promotion — especially during a known sales season — buyers may have a strong case to keep their iPads without further payment.
In contrast, if courts side with MediaWorld’s claim that the price was clearly absurd, the retailer might regain the right to reclaim the products or demand payment.
As it stands, many customers have refused the retailer’s ultimatum — and legal experts advise waiting before returning the devices or paying more, especially since the company’s email was not a formal legal demand but a voluntary proposal.
The dispute highlights a fundamental tension in contemporary e-commerce: the speed and automation of online purchasing can complete full transactions — payment, confirmation, delivery — before a human or system reviewer spots a pricing glitch.
When that happens, the question of who bears the loss — seller or buyer — becomes fiercely contested.
The outcome of this case may set a precedent across Europe for how retailers and consumers handle pricing errors during high-volume promotional periods such as Black Friday.
Meanwhile, numerous customers find themselves in legal limbo, holding devices they bought with no expectation of catch or recoupment.
The deal appeared genuine with no visible caveats or disclaimers, and many customers completed the purchase successfully, either online or via in-store pickup.
The orders were confirmed, payments processed, and in many cases the tablets were collected from stores without incident.
Eleven days later, MediaWorld emailed buyers claiming the price had been a “clear mistake”.
The company offered them two options: either return the iPad and receive back the €15, plus a €20 voucher, or keep the device and pay the difference — roughly €729 — though with an added discount of €150 as a goodwill gesture.
MediaWorld defended the move as necessary, pointing to a major technical glitch that led to prices “objectively detached” from the market value and stating that the error rendered the listed offer unsustainable.
The retailer argued it acted under a legal principle designed to preserve contractual balance when there is a manifest error of this magnitude.
Yet consumer-rights experts and legal commentators say the matter is far from straightforward.
Under the relevant Italian law — specifically Article 1428 of the Italian Civil Code — a contract may be voided if there is a fundamental and objectively recognizable error.
But to succeed, the seller must show that the buyer could reasonably recognize the mistake.
Critics of MediaWorld’s retraction note that in the modern retail landscape — especially near promotional events like Black Friday — consumers have grown accustomed to steep discounts, flash-sales, and loyalty-program offers.
Given that the website accepted the orders, processed payment, and delivered the products without any warning or reversal at checkout, many assert the sales constituted valid contracts.
The legal outcome may hinge on how courts interpret “recognizable error” in this context.
If courts find that a near-ninety-eight percent discount could plausibly be a legitimate promotion — especially during a known sales season — buyers may have a strong case to keep their iPads without further payment.
In contrast, if courts side with MediaWorld’s claim that the price was clearly absurd, the retailer might regain the right to reclaim the products or demand payment.
As it stands, many customers have refused the retailer’s ultimatum — and legal experts advise waiting before returning the devices or paying more, especially since the company’s email was not a formal legal demand but a voluntary proposal.
The dispute highlights a fundamental tension in contemporary e-commerce: the speed and automation of online purchasing can complete full transactions — payment, confirmation, delivery — before a human or system reviewer spots a pricing glitch.
When that happens, the question of who bears the loss — seller or buyer — becomes fiercely contested.
The outcome of this case may set a precedent across Europe for how retailers and consumers handle pricing errors during high-volume promotional periods such as Black Friday.
Meanwhile, numerous customers find themselves in legal limbo, holding devices they bought with no expectation of catch or recoupment.
