$9.99 big-screen TV too good to be true

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. retailer Best Buy says it will not honor an ad that mistakenly offered a big-screen TV for $9.99, but some consumers say they will insist on it.

The Best Buy Web site featured an ad for several hours Wednesday offering a Samsung 52-inch LCD HDTV for $9.99, a substantial price cut for an item that normally goes for $1,699.99. Consumers at Best Buy's Web site and other consumer electronics sites posted notices that they had ordered up to 10 sets, The Washington Post reported.

Best Buy then posted a notice on its Web site saying it would not fill the online orders for the $9.99 sets.

"We sincerely apologize for this error and make every effort to ensure issues like this do not happen," the statement said. "While we are truly embarrassed that this occurred, Best Buy will not be able to honor the $9.99 price."

Best Buy said company policy allows it to refuse to honor prices published in error.

However, some customers have consulted lawyers, and one shopper has set up a Web site, TenDollarHDTV.com, devoted to pressuring the company to honor the deal.