Best Buy backpedals after too-good-to-be-true sale

It was the kind of deal you'd be crazy not to take: $15 for a $200 gift card at Best Buy, one of the largest technology retailers in North America.

And of course, it was too good to be true.

Best Buy is now backpedalling after an error at its online store in the U.S. offered $200 gift cards at a 92.5 per cent discount on Tuesday night. The company quickly corrected the error in pricing, but not before thousands tried to load up on the cheap cards.

Several users on Twitter and Reddit say Best Buy has already cancelled their gift card orders. In an apparent live chat session posted on Reddit, a Best Buy representative called the sale a "website error."

"Unfortunately it's not really offered for $15," the representative said. He added that anyone who purchased the discounted cards will have their orders automatically cancelled.

In a post on Reddit, many users called the sale a good "gamble," even as they predicted the orders would not be honoured. "If this works, I'm getting a new laptop and fridge!" a user with the screenname Corghee said on Reddit. "If it doesn't, hopefully I can get a 15 per cent coupon from them as an apology."

Some individuals on Twitter say they were later charged the full $200 for each gift card they bought during the $15 sale.

Twitter users were generally in good humour about the website gaffe.

Best Buy Canada's website does not appear to have been affected by the pricing error on the U.S. site.