Amazon error has computer shoppers rushing to buy

2.00pm - by ARIFA AKBAR

LONDON - Internet shoppers would have been right to regard the latest bargain at amazon.co.uk with suspicion yesterday when state-of-the-art computers were on sale for less than the price of a hardback novel.

The company mistakenly advertised computers costing hundreds of pounds for as little as £7.32 each. It was forced to shut down its UK site after it was besieged by a scrum of customers keen to place an order.

Amazon said that the "price discrepancy" had resulted in Hewlett Packard handheld PCs going on sale at an enormous discount.

A spokeswoman at Amazon admitted the mistake was the result of an "internal pricing error". But sales made to customers at the bargain rate were cancelled nonetheless.

The iPaq H5450 model, which Hewlett Packard said usually sold for £500, was offered for £7.32, while the iPaq H1910 model, usually £280, was advertised for 23.04.

A number of customers had already had their orders accepted after entering their credit card details. Amazon said it could not honour such transactions at the incorrect price.

A statement said: "We can confirm that there was a price discrepancy on the site...Despite our best efforts, with the millions of items available on our website, unfortunately pricing errors can occur.

"In keeping with our conditions of use and our pricing and availability policy, we will be cancelling orders made for the HP iPaq pocket PCs at the incorrect price."

Iain Macauley, 41, who lives in Manchester, was among those who had placed an order after being alerted to the bargain by a friend's email.

"I went straight to the web page and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the price.

"It took me about 45 minutes to place the order for two of the H5450 computers, but at 12.39pm I received confirmation that it had been accepted.

"When I checked back two minutes later the site had crashed so I guess I must have been one of the last to get in," he said.

Mr Macauley, managing director of a public relations company, believes Amazon should honour the low price.

"They have taken my credit card details and given me a confirmation number, so they should now provide the goods."

- INDEPENDENT