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Read the fine print: Internet reseller switches lesser LG BD370 for BD390
Product reviewers at CNET generally don't cover disputes between customers and Internet resellers, but a recent case revealed a new sales policy we've never seen before.
On January 26, we received an e-mail from a reader complaining about the sales policy of online reseller Home and Garden Surplus. He had ordered the LG BD390, but received an LG BD370, a step-down model with a list price $100 cheaper. The reader stated that when he complained about the switch, Home and Garden Surplus explained that its policy allowed it to make a substitution.
We're not shocked that a company would switch a product with one of a lower value--we hear reports of it all the time--but we were surprised to see that Home and Garden Surplus was actually telling the truth about its policy. On the product page for the LG BD390, it does state that the company may switch a BD370 for a BD390, although it's buried at the end of a long list of specs and there's not even a line break to separate it from the previous bullet point.
Furthermore, when we looked at the company's privacy policy page, the company elaborated on the substitution policy:
This policy was also recently added to the FAQ page--we're not sure why it's on the privacy policy page to begin with--but it's worth pointing out that this shouldn't apply to the LG BD390 anyway, as the BD370 is clearly a product of lesser value.
The reader who contacted us isn't the only one who's taken issue with the policy. … Read more
