TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei’s Department of Legal Affairs said Monday it had received 37 complaints after sellers canceled Apple product orders or asked buyers to pay more following recent price increases.
CNA reported that Apple raised prices for several products on its Taiwan website Thursday. The affected items were mainly higher-priced devices.
The department said consumers reported problems after ordering Apple products through online shopping platforms and physical stores. Some sellers allegedly canceled orders or asked consumers to pay the price difference.
Sellers cited reasons including “manufacturer price increase,” “system pricing error,” “order not confirmed,” “wrong listed price,” “no stock,” and “unable to transfer stock,” the department said. Some sellers also made payment of the price difference a condition for delivery.
The city government said it had received 37 related consumer dispute cases as of 2 p.m. Monday. The cases involved canceled transactions and demands for extra payment before goods would be delivered.
The department said businesses must follow the Consumer Protection Act and rules governing standard online retail contracts, per the report. It said businesses must ensure advertisements are accurate and must not provide less than what they promised.
The department said sellers must also honor a contract once it has been formed. An upstream price increase is a business risk and cannot be passed on to consumers after a deal is made, it said.
For purchases made at physical stores, the department said a sales contract is formed when the buyer and seller agree on the product and price. If the seller has not yet delivered the product, that is a matter of contract performance and not a reason to demand more money.
The department said sellers have no right to require consumers to pay the difference before delivery in such cases. If a seller refuses to deliver because of a price increase or forces the buyer to accept new terms, the seller may be in breach of contract.
Consumers may ask the seller to deliver the product under the original deal, the department said. They may also seek compensation for losses under the Civil Code.
For online orders, the department said whether a contract has been formed depends on the platform’s member rules and order system, according to the report. Each case must be judged on its own facts.
However, the department said a contract may already be valid if the platform has sent an “order completed” notice or a similar message, especially when the price was not an obvious error.
The department said sellers cannot deny a contract or cancel it only by citing stock problems. Businesses should not use one-sided contract explanations to avoid responsibility, it said.
Consumer protection officials advised buyers to keep order forms, invoices, credit card records, screenshots of order confirmations, and messages with sellers, per the report. These records may help consumers prove the details of the transaction.
Officials said consumers can refuse unreasonable demands to pay more. They also warned consumers not to sign any document giving up their rights too easily.
If a seller still cancels a deal on its own, consumers can file a complaint with a local government consumer service center. They may also file a complaint through the Cabinet’s online consumer complaint system.
The department urged online platforms and physical stores to operate honestly. It said sellers should keep transaction rules clear and lawful to protect consumers and avoid legal risk.
