Why we must all beware accidentally ordering 38,000 bananas
The ease of internet shopping means it is easy to make a costly mistake
The internet has made things easier for many shoppers (and harder for many shopkeepers). A few quick clicks and the object of your desire may arrive the next day. However, along with the convenience of shopping from your sofa comes a terrible risk that some of us have discovered to our cost.
We should, therefore, spare a thought for the poor person at Tesco in Kirkwall who tried to order 380kg of bananas but ended up buying about 38,000 of them. After high winds prevented the return of the extras to the mainland, Tesco charitably decided to give them away to schools and community groups.
Two years ago, a shop on the Orkney island of Sanday mistakenly bought 720 Easter eggs (they had wanted 80, but got 80 cases).
Now, you might think there must be something funny about Easter, Orkney or a combination of the two. However, in reality, there’s no escaping the fact that we’re all just a misinterpretation of the blurb or a mouse slip away from suffering the same fate. So avoid schadenfreude – and beware!
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