Amazon glitch leads to 1p 'bargains'

A software error led to hundreds of items being sold for just 1p on Amazon, and now businesses say they risk going bankrupt if they are forced to follow through with the sales, a media report said Monday.

The glitch occurred between 7 p.m and 8 p.m. Friday, and affected firms that use the tool RepricerExpress, The Telegraph reported.

The RepricerExpress software automatically reprices items of stock if a cheaper version becomes available elsewhere online and is designed to keep businesses competitive.

But a computer error led to hundreds of items being sold on Amazon at a fraction of their normal price.

Headphones, mattresses, coats and home furnishings were all sold for less.

A Facebook group has been set up by sellers affected, who say RepricerExpress still has not made it clear how they will be compensated.

The glitch happened on one of the busiest trading weekends of the year for sellers, in the run-up to Christmas.

Some shoppers were quick to take advantage of the error.

In a statement, RepricerExpress CEO, Brendan Doherty said a software malfunction caused incorrect pricing to be sent to Amazon.

"I am truly sorry for the distress this has caused our customers," he said, adding that he has received communication that "Amazon will not penalise sellers for this error".

"We are continuing to work to identify how this problem occurred and to put measures in place to ensure that it does not happen again," the CEO added.