Dell accidentally sells 140,000 monitors for $15 a pop

And Taiwan demands they stay sold

Taiwan consumer regulators have ordered Dell to honor an online pricing error that offered 19-inch LCD monitors for only NT$500 (US$15, £9).

News of the supposed bargain spread quickly over the internet when it was posted June 25 at 11pm. Within the eight hours before it was removed, more than 26,000 customers placed orders for nearly 140,000 monitors, according to Taiwan's Consumer Protection Commission.

The agency said in a statement (in Chinese) it received 471 complaints after Dell corrected the listing to the intended price of NT$4,800 (US$148, £90).

Dell has been ordered to make good on the erroneous price for customers who placed an order on one monitor and offer diminishing discounts on additional monitors ordered.

According to the statement, if Dell doesn't follow the directive, Taipei will consider it a violation of the country's fair trade laws and seek legal recourse.

Dell has issued a statement on the matter apologizing and claiming it will compensate the buyers for the mistake. ®