For 14 bucks, I'll take two pairs!

One of the key principles in commerce has always been "caveat emptor," which means "Be careful or these stores will rob you blind" in Latin.  More specifically, it means "let the buyer beware."  

You might also say, "let the buyer be aware," because if the corporations make a mistake, and you're aware of it, you might be in a position to profit from their boo-boo.

Cartier - the classy jeweler - put the wrong price on a pair of gold-and-diamond earrings, and Mexico's federal consumer protection agency wound up getting involved, and after further review, they ruled in favor of the consumer they are sworn to protect. Good for them.

Dr Rogelio Villarreal, a Mexican physician, was browsing on Instagram when a low low price on earrings caught his eyes. The ad was supposed to say that the ear danglers cost 237,000 pesos (more than $14,000), but the ad said they could be yours for 237 pesos (about $14). Cartier left off three zeros by mistake.

When Dr V saw this low price, he says he broke out in a cold sweat. But his sweaty index finger clicked on the sale price to buy the bargain, and then the fireworks started.

Cartier said, no deal, but they tried to smooth everything over with a bottle of champagne and a leather cardholder someone had sitting around  as a way of apologizing. Doc V said no thanks, and took the matter up with the consumer protection people.

And when someone asked Dr Villareal why he continued to press his point, he said Cartier ticked him off, by first saying they had to cancel his order because the earrings were mispriced by accident, and then they changed to the tune called "We can't fulfill your order because the earrings are out of stock." 

But Cartier eventually gave in, faced with a PR nightmare, and sold the good doctor two pairs of the bargain earrings - a pair for himself and one for his mother.

 The doc posted this picture on April 22: "War is over. Cartier gave in."

Interesting to read that Mexican Senator Lilly Téllez, who seems to be courting the big business votes over those of the Average José and Josefina, posted on X that she didn't think he should have taken advantage of the mistake.  

"Kids: What the buyer of the Cartier earrings did is not correct," Senator Téllez tweeted. "It's wrong to be opportunistic and take advantage of a mistake at the expense of someone else, and abuse the law, even if it's in your favor, and outwit a business. It is more important to be honorable than to have a pair of Cartier earrings."

Dr  Villarreal says his bottom line is that "this case helps make Mexican people aware of their basic rights, including those protected by consumer law."

Caveat venditor! Let the seller beware!