A high-end Apple iPad Pro 13-inch M5 model, typically priced at 2.4 million won, sold for just 830,000 won on Coupang due to a pricing anomaly. The glitch triggered a frenzy, with 200 units selling out in under 10 minutes before correction.
The Pricing Mishap Unfolds
On April 27 afternoon, shoppers spotted the iPad Pro listed far below its standard 2,399,000 won public price. The error allowed purchases at around 830,000 won, roughly a 65% discount. Word spread rapidly via social media, leading to 200 units vanishing within 10 minutes. Coupang quickly adjusted the price to the official rate, marking the item as sold out.
Dynamic Pricing Under Fire
Officials at Coupang attribute the incident to their dynamic pricing system, which adjusts costs in real-time based on online demand fluctuations. The mechanism aims to optimize sales by responding swiftly to market changes. However, sources warn it risks generating unreasonable prices, as seen when one user briefly registered the same model at 830,000 won before detection.
Pattern of Anomalies
This marks the first such high-profile error, but not the initial glitch. Previously, 36 food items priced at 5,040 won (140 won each) and rolls at 760 won dropped to absurd lows like 16 won. A 3,800 won cereal pack surged to 118 units sold via system error, hiking per-unit cost by about 32 won amid complaints.
Public Backlash Intensifies
Consumers express widespread frustration, flooding complaints over perceived unfairness. Rocket delivery orders, involving direct purchases, amplify outrage, with many viewing the anomalies as opportunities lost to technical flaws. Analysis reveals frequent surges in direct sales items, fueling demands for system refinements.
