Amazon issue / Acceptance of offer? Was a contract concluded?

[SZFhKP]

Hello!


I recently bought a book advertised as new directly from amazon.co.uk (them also being the seller). The book was offered for about a third of pricing offered by third-party sellers on amazon.co.uk.


The ad contained the following message:
‘Temporarily out of stock.
Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your account will only be charged when we dispatch the item.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.’

The e-mailed order confirmation contained the following:
‘Order Confirmation
Order#….
Hello,
Thanks for your order. We'll let you know once your item(s) have dispatched. Your estimated delivery date is indicated below. You can view the status of your order or make changes to it by visiting Your Orders on Amazon.co.uk...’

The words ‘order confirmation’ to me suggest that offer and acceptance took place and that a contract was concluded.

I wonder about the following:
1) Was a binding agreement concluded?
2) Do I have a right to demand Amazon honour the agreement, i.e. by demanding Amazon source the book from another seller with Amazon bearing the financial loss?

Thanks in advance!

[des8]

Re: Amazon issue / Acceptance of offer? Was a contract concluded?

Hi and welcome

Amazon's T&Cs contain following statement: "The Order Confirmation is acknowledgement that we have received your order, and does not confirm acceptance of your offer to buy the product(s) or the services ordered. We only accept your offer, and conclude the contract of sale for a product ordered by you, when we dispatch the product to you and send e-mail or post a message on the Message Centre of the website confirming to you that we've dispatched the product to you (the "Dispatch Confirmation").

Like most online traders the contract is only struck when the goods are dispatched to, (or in some cases only when received by) customer

[nemesis45]

Re: Amazon issue / Acceptance of offer? Was a contract concluded?

Amazon seem to be acting properly by keeping you informed of the status of the order, many online traders it seems to me just leave you without any information.

nem