So what do you think might happen if a major online computer and electronics retailer decided to offer a whole bunch of clearance sale items, including laptops and cameras - all for a buck-and-a-half apiece - on what is already understood to be the most active e-commerce day of the year.
U.K.-based Ebuyer apparently didn't give the matter much thought, as it has been offline or barely accessible since throwing its virtual doors open today -- also known as Cyber Monday - with the promise of all kinds of clearance items for only a British pound ($1.56).
(Steve Jobs and his gadgets ... in LEGO)
The company tweeted earlier this morning: "Hi all: We've been overwhelmed by the response to this sale; working on getting this page live as quickly as possible. Thanks for your patience."
From a story in The Register:
As of lunchtime Monday the site is still down.
Ebuyer confirmed that traffic for the £1 deals was what sent their site into a tailspin and said that customers were able to start making orders now if they kept refreshing the page.
The latter claim is dubious, at best, according to chatter on Twitter and Facebook. And while Ebuyer may not be depending on the U.S. market, I have been unable to access the site myself over the past hour.
Needless to say, customers are unhappy, particularly those with backgrounds in technology.
Writes Grant Wesgate on Facebook: "£1 Clearance, great....if I could get on the site. Was sat here at 10:30 this morning, still nothing. If you're gonna plan a big online shopping event on one of the busiest online shopping days of the year, make sure your site can cope with it, ay! ... Oh and I'm an eCommerce web developer before anyone says 'what does he know.' "
And on Twitter, John H. expresses a common frustration: "Finally giving up my fantasies of a £1 MacBook / USB cable* (*delete as applicable) before I break my F5 key: ebuyer.com/search?"
This won't be the online retail failure today, but my money says it will stand up as the most self-inflicted.
(Update: I just managed to reach the site at noontime here ... and there's a big "sold out" sign plastered across the "clearance sale" banner. I didn't know that "sold out" was British slang for "we give up.")
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