Analysis of Foodmart Case - Essay Example

Todd may not have been aware at the time, but Todd entered into a contract with Foodmart that contained several terms and conditions. This is not a special case; every customer who purchases items only needs to be aware of all the fine details of the contract that they are entering into. For Foodmart’s online order contract, the customer cannot purchase items that were advertised for cheaper in print. In addition to this stipulation, the online sales contract states that orders placed online can only receive inventory that is available from the closest store in terms of location. Thus, Foodmart cannot be held accountable as they laid out all the terms and conditions in their online contract. If the customer chooses not to take notice of this, then it is solely the customer’s responsibility and the company at hand cannot be held responsible. If the company chooses to reimburse Todd, then that is their choice, but they have no legal obligation to do so. It may be to the company’s benefit to reimburse him once because he may prove to be a long-term customer. The benefits, in this case, may outweigh the negatives so it may be best to give Todd the benefit of the doubt this time only. If he is in a similar situation again, then Foodmart should advise him that there is nothing that they can do for him.

         Foodmart should try to avoid such a situation in the future by making its customers aware of the terms and conditions of any contract. This would avoid legal issues down the road and it would give assurances to a customer that everything will be done through legal means. Foodmart could make it easier for customers by writing its terms and conditions in simple and easy-to-understand words so that there is no confusion. Before a customer place an order, a guarantee would have to be given that the customer is fully aware of all the terms and conditions of Foodmart. Online contracts can be a source of frustration for both a company and its customers because they are very difficult to enforce. Since there is no physical agreement taking place, it may be said that a contract is invalid because they were no witnesses or guarantees at the time of the purchase.