Report: Office Depot Employees Altering Computer Price Tags

Office Depot has been lying about their rebates for several years. I bought a computer from them about three years ago and mailed in for the rebate the same week I bought the computer. I was told the rebated time had run out the month before I bought the computer. So the advertisement for the rebate was a lie. I had to pay more than full price. There's a sucker born every minute and I was that one. I learned not to buy from these so called office supply places any more. And to only buy where rebate is given at time of purchase and doesn't have to be mailed somewhere. These places mark prices up and then make out like they have been put on sale.

95% of the time those pen refills you see taped back up on the shelf are actually FULL catridges. You know why? You got to give it up to the annoying customer's who open our packages to test out their pen. It happens everyday. It's such a waste to get rid of. To be honest if I know a package has been open after the customer "test" the refill, I'd tape it back up to avoid from it getting stolen and give the customer who really needs it the opportunity to buy it.


Yeah I know it sucks, but what are you going to do?
So if you're one of those people out there, PLEASE be considerate and ASK for assistance instead of opening the product. Very important!

CIRCUIT CITY did exactly the same thing. They advertise and post a price tag on laptops but "only have that model optimized in stock" for $80 more. When I told them to correct the price tag on the display model they refused. That is the old "bait and switch" scam again. Glad to see them gone, but the sales staff is now trained to sell used cars.

.....The Source does the same BS here in Canada...anything new anyways?

THE WORST PLACE TO BUY IS BEST BUY THEY LIE A CHEAT YOU ANY WHY THEY CAN I WAS FORCED TO GO TO COURT WHITH THEM YOU JUST GET RIPPED OFF STAY AWAY THANK YOU STANLEY

They aren't the only ones doing it. Walmart is just as quilty. My husband bought an XBOX 360 and when he went to register it they told him it had already been registered to someone else. He took it back to Wally world and they said he could not get his money back or anything. So from now on I won't buy anything like electronics or items that the box has been opened and taped back up....Lesson learned the hard way.....

See those comments that say to click on a site to see pictures
of naked movie stars or TV performers? DON'T DO IT ! ! !
It's a trick to get your e-mail and to fill your computer with spam
and sneaky virus junk.

You expect honesty as long as it felonious to lie. But as long as ethics are not regulated by law, this is a free for all. Buyer beware. And if they try to throw an extended warranty, say "If the thing is that bad that is needs an extended warranty, I'm not buying it". The extended warranty is worthless when the item will be obsolete before it fails.

It's because of this corporate dishonesty and lask of personal responsibility to each valuable customer, that I have stopped shopping at places that treat me like a number. I used to be an eBay seller, but the new CEO has totally ruined that for the legitimate, honest seller and buyer. So, now I do all my business at onlineauction.com. I can find almost everything I need there, and the sellers can treat buyers like the valued customers they are. It's shameful how people have lost touch with the Golden Rule...

I had two rebates that office depot said I did not send the receipts with my mail in rebate, which was a flat out lie. I stopped shopping there that day which was about 4 years ago. So they can keep my $30 dollars they stole from me, I have the satisfaction of knowing they have lost 10's of thousands of dollars from the loss of my business over the last 4 years. I also noticed there are alot of other people that say something similar on here. Seems like a lying company in many ways.

It must be BUSH'S FAULT...

I bought a 4 in 1 Printer/Scanner that came with an "Office Depot" 40.00 Gift Card which had NO EXPIRATION DATE [I INQUIRED]. When I went to use it they said it had "NO VALUE". I no longer shop there.

Government at least at a state level, in my state (CA), is already involved, and it is for the good (protection of) of the consumer. In California the watchdog is the Dept. of Weights & Measures. But, they can only cover a limited amount of retailers with their "secret shoppers" (however, they identify themselves before they leave the store & let you (management) know what they found right and wrong).

But I believe they will respond to comlaints of deceptive methods reported to them. My experience is that California overall holds the bar a bit higher in protections and enforcement of their laws for consumer protection, and employee wage protection, the disabled, drunk drivers etc. And the fines, if levied, for violations of the codes aren't cheap !!!
(From my experience) They (Weights & Measures) cover things like advertised items not ringing at the registers for the advertised price, or not ringing up for the shelf edge marking (SEM) or stickered, or counter signed price, or item noted in ad at sale price being available for purchase at the store, or disclaimer posted accordingly. As well as ensuring that a 10 quart bag actually contains 10 quarts, or the gallon of gas you pump really measures a full gallon. (I'm sure the info is available on their web site, if interested-link available thru www.ca.gov) I'm sure many other things as well fall under their responsibility, but these are the ones I'm familiar with.
I would imagine other states have similar agencies, & I don't know what the connections are, or are not, to federal regualtions or federal agencies.
I am aware of the agency, & the codes in California from previous 15 years in retail management for large retail chain. (And was responsible for daily compliance for over 100,000 sq. ft. of retail space.)
And as a customer,admittedly I have called down many a retail manager, and protested, and requested they honor the legal requirements to change the price they are charging me to be as posted or advertised, IF my purchased item rang at register for a different price, (regardless if the shelf was FILLED (not just one box out of place) incorrectly with a different item # that sells for a different price than indicated, or SEM wasn't updated for a change in the product price. That's part of their job as managers in training employees & daily store review to ensure compliance.) I will let them slide if their is NO shelf edge marking for price or stickered or signed price for items, although codes here also require one of the above for EVERY item. (I don't think there has been any revision of those requirements.) But I won't buy anything lacking the info & will advise the register operator at least to alert management to the issue.



Additionally, in MY opionion, corporate Office Depot might need to revisit their background checks for their management personnel, due to the questionable integrity seemingly in existence in more than one location. (??you think!)
Or someone should find out IF, and if so, what, demands, or other criteria might have originated at the corporate office that was likely to garner these actions.
Many (most always,actually, in my past experience) times employees at local store level receive a small "bonus" (like a commission) for each extended warranty they sell, but this article specifically referenced these related tactics coming down from management, which makes it all the more deplorable!

Also, it is my oinion,that If they (corporate) have any sense of what this sort of action can mean to the overall management of these locations, {that is If they are smart or concerned for the depth and breadth of such questionable integrity}> Any managers found participating in this sort of deception should have ALL of their books thoroughly audited by a corporate rep. (and terminated)
Because, If they are perpetuating this sort of blatant deception, odds are they are claiming improper package shortages &/or damaged & destoyed losses in their freight receiving area, misdating dates for markdowns among other possible deceptive tactics that are also a means of "padding their books", but harder to discover since the consumer is not as directly affected & therefore such actions also would not be covered under the protections offered by the consumer watchdog Dept.of Weights & Measures in CA.(ie. are totally a corporate responsibility to ensure honesty, & accuracy)

I, for one, am glad that I so not shop Office Depot, (mostly because there is not one convenient to where I live or my usual shopping areas). I use Office MAX (hopefully people don't confuse the 2) or Staples,or Costco,and have NEVER experienced any pricing discrepancies in any of these.
But I also do not make purchases -& most certainly not ones in that price category without prior manufacturer, retailer, & Consumer Reports research. I'm surprised that many people actually go out to spend that much money without ANY preliminary info. especially in this economy where people are buying homes in some states for less than the price of a computer!
I hope those that were deceived are able to get some restitution to correct the issue. We are all working even harder these days for that elusive almighty dollar, and we shouldn't have to be part consumer & part protection agency every time we walk into a store.

But it does point out that, even with nationwide retailers, which we generally are apt to feel we can rely on the corporate "mother" for assurance of ad price compliance & overall honesty, but now that for almost any purchase we are each held responsible to be A PART OF our last lines of protection for deceptive practices,& to try to abort or avoid tranactions which are probably "too good to be true", & RIPE for problems that will require exponentially more time & effort on our part for resolution.
~Belle

http://www.switched.com/2009/03/17/report-office-depot-employees-altering-computer-price-tags/

Buyer Beware at Best Buy!

I had an experience in which the service contract was misrepresented by excessive claims of coverage and the contract is not normally available until the cashier hands it to you with the receipt and staples it shut. Another instance was scare tactics implying that its not safe for you to install your own virus protection because you will be infected before you are done and we should do this for you here.

So this is what it has come down to for these mega chains. That is why I find it to be easier to go to an independent store. They actually WANT your business! So they are more personable, will go that extra mile, and many times, their prices are just as competitive. Places like Best Buy & Offic e Depot move in to a community, and put independent businesses (some that are 20+ years old) out of business.

I have a great computer place right herfe in Pasadena, CA that I go to. He is great. Honest, upfront, gives discounts and has sales! Computer issues? Done within 24hrs after drop off, and did not cost an arm and a leg. I'd rather support the independent store in my community! Have not shoped at a chain store in 20 years - never had a problem yet!

That also goes for those horrid vchain restaurants too! )i.e. Olive Garden, Chili's...YUCK!

well i have had a lawsuit against office depot for going on a year and half now over 150 dollars on their gimmick of charging the 600 dollars for a 450 dollar computer and having to submit a recipet within a time frame. they think i am giving up on the lawsuit due to the cost. but what they dont think is i included the charges of getting my money in the lawsuit against them. i wont step into their stores again. i was suckered once but never again. i will win this lawsuit even if i have to get my judgement against them and put a injunction on their remaining stock in their warehouses to secure my money. office depot your crookness is coming to light.

It was standard practice at Comp-USA to bundle in extended warranties with discontinued and clearance product. The simple fact is that hardware has virtually no margin and this was a way to help the store remain profitable and meet store sales goals for the TAP extended warranties. However, I was always against this deception and remain convinced that a long term strategy of ethical business practices, competent sales staff and a great store environment builds customers.

This is why america is so f'd up. You morons believe everything you read and generalize it. Do you really think because one or two stores practice this that they all do? How many of you realize that there is NO LAW stating you must pay federal income taxes? Yet what happens to those who don't? Jail. Do you realize that we once got rid of the Federal Banking System only to have it resurface with a new name and worse policies? If you want to boycott something, choose something with a DIRECT impact on your life, you children's lives and their children's lives.

Muppets...

These allegations are so specific that I would imagine it could amount to defamation. If they are doing this....pretty sick. Otherwise, I'd make sure my facts are reliable before I make such statements.