Coles website crash after viral Reddit discount glitch on alcohol
Consensus Summary
Coles’ website and app crashed on Saturday after a viral Reddit post exposed nearly 80% discounts on 24-packs of alcoholic drinks, including Jack Daniel’s & Cola bottles priced at $27 instead of $130. The post, which received over 180,000 views, triggered a shopping frenzy before Coles took the site offline. Both sources confirm the error affected at least 20 24-packs of beer and 46 cases of premixed drinks, with discounts averaging $49 for beer and $111 for premixed drinks. Coles attributed the issue to a technical error and promised refunds for affected customers. The Guardian suggests AI integration may have caused the glitch, while 7NEWS notes the post was spotted at 1am on Saturday, though the Guardian places it on Friday. Both agree the site was restored by 4pm AEST.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Coles website and app went offline on Saturday, with services restored by 4pm AEST
- A Reddit post on Friday highlighted a nearly 80% discount on 24-packs of premixed alcoholic drinks, marked down from $130 to $27
- The Reddit post received more than 180,000 views (Guardian) and about 184,000 views by midday (7NEWS)
- The discount affected at least 20 24-packs of beer and 46 cases of premixed drinks
- Coles confirmed a technical error caused incorrect pricing on select 24-pack beer and RTD products
- Customers charged for affected items will be refunded per Coles’ normal refund process
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The discount on 24-packs of Jack Daniel’s & Cola 330ml bottles was from $130 to $27, saving $103 (just under 80%)
- The website and app went offline again on Saturday afternoon before returning at 4pm AEST
- CW Scanner operators suspected AI integration caused the error, mentioning a wildcard term affecting 4-packs and 24-packs
- The largest discount was on 24-packs of Smirnoff Crush Mango & Peach Zero Sugar 6% 440ml cans, saving $173 (from $202 to $29)
- Average discounts were about $49 for beer and $111 for premixed drinks
- Promotional prices on Coles and Woolworths have switched on and off largely in sync over the past two years
- Earlier this year, a court found Coles’ ‘Down Down’ promotions falsely led customers to believe they were enjoying true price reductions
- The Reddit post was spotted at about 1am on Saturday
- The post attracted about 184,000 views by midday
- The website and app crashed for several hours before returning at 4pm
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states the Reddit post was made on Friday, while 7NEWS does not specify the post’s date but mentions it was spotted at 1am on Saturday
- The Guardian reports the post received more than 180,000 views, while 7NEWS reports about 184,000 views by midday
- The Guardian mentions the website and app went offline twice on Saturday afternoon, while 7NEWS only states it crashed once for several hours
Source Articles
Coles website down after viral Reddit post sees customers buy cases of alcoholic drinks at nearly 80% discount
Supermarket’s website and app go offline as customers save more than $100 on some 24-packs The Coles website and app have gone offline hours after a viral Reddit post highlighted a nearly 80% discount on 24-packs of premixed alcoholic drinks. For several hours on Saturday, both the Coles website and app displayed a message advising “we’re currently offline – but not for long”. The website and app came back online before the website went down again on Saturday afternoon. It was back up at around
Coles website crashes after wild alcohol pricing glitch sends shoppers into frenzy
A pricing error led to steep discounts on cases valued at more than $100.
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