WSVN — Barbie may just be five years old, but when it comes to her older brothers, they know who the boss is.
Yani Lopez: "It's everything she wants, she goes to their room and tells them what to do. They have to do it.
Yani is joking, of course, and Barbie knows when it comes to who is really in charge, look no further than her mother.
Yani Lopez: "She was sucking her thumb, and we made an agreement. She wanted a car, and I told her I would get her a big, big surprise if she stopped."
When Yani thinks of a car, this is what she planned to get. When Barbie heard "car," this is what she hoped for.
Barbie: "I don't have my own car. My dad has one but not me."
She wanted a real car to drive, but the goal of a toy car if Barbie stopped sucking her thumb was incentive enough.
Yani Lopez: "I thought she was going to cry, but she just said, 'OK, Mom, I won't do it anymore,' and she didn't."
That night, Yani went online and found this battery-operated Lightning McQueen Pixar car listed for $19.
Yani Lopez: "So I clicked away and I said, 'Well, let's see what happens.' The credit card went through and I even got a date that it was going to come. I said, 'Awesome!'"
Awesome, because the car normally sells for $199.
Yani Lopez: "I figured they were on clearance and they just wanted to get rid of them, honestly."
The next day, Yani got an e-mail from the store with the bad news.
Yani Lopez: "They said that they priced it wrong."
Yani was upset.
Yani Lopez: "My husband spoke, I spoke, we even said, 'Well, can you give us a discount?' and they said, 'No, that was it,' that there was nothing that can be done."
The store refused to sell the car at the $19 price they listed, instead wanting 199 dollars, which Yani says she can't afford.
Yani Lopez: "I think they should have given it to me, because again, it's not my fault that they did the wrong price."
Well, Howard, the store listed a $199 battery-operated toy car online for $19 dollars and accepted the payment. Legally, do they have to honor the sale?
Howard Finkelstein: "No, because when you make an online purchase, most companies like this one require you to click a button that says if the advertising price is a mistake, the sale does not have to go through. Therefore, the store can back out of the deal."
We called Walmart, and within a couple of days they took care of it. A spokesman told us it was a computer glitch, but even though they didn't have to, Walmart gave Yani a giftcard to buy the car.
And we were there when it was delivered. Barbie changed her mind and wanted a pink Hummer. It was in pieces, so our cameraman, Johnnie U., put it together. He wasn't thrilled, but Barbie was.
Ambar Rodriguez: "What's your favorite thing about the car?
Barbie: "The color."
And just so you know, the rules for buying online are not the same as buying in person.
Howard Finkelstein: "The rules can be different if you go to the store. In that case, the store clerk should recognize the mistake before the sale is completed. If they don't and you buy the product, it's yours, and it would be very difficult for them to cancel the sale."
Yani got lucky, and got a nice little car for Barbie.
Yani Lopez: "Thank you for making the calls and helping us get her toy. We are extremely happy."
Glad we were able to help. Now, if you see something that's obviously a mistake, like a $30,000 car for $3,000, the seller does not have to sell, but if a store advertises a $30 product for $20, that's not an obvious mistake, and the store should honor the sale.
A battery of problems driving you insane? Don't discount them. Store them with us. We don't have a price on solutions because we give them away for free. Is that priceless? For free.
With this Help Me Howard, I'm Patrick Fraser, 7News.
Contact Help Me Howard:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com (please include your contact phone number when e-mailing)Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.comMiami-Dade: 305-953-WSVNBroward: 954-761-WSVN