Comments on: More Office Depot Employees Report Lying to Customers, Changing Price Tags

By: OD Tech Associate

OD Tech Associate — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:48:49 +0000

I’d like to add one more thing, for the author of the article. I think you should say which states these stores are in. Instead of “Office Depot” in general, you should clarify “an Office Depot store in [insert state here]“. When you simply use the corporation’s name, it kinda seems like you’re accusing EVERYONE. Especially when you only have five stores- four that are verified. I mean, there’s like 20 stores in my district. And each store has different selling strategies. It really depends on the store’s GM and Tech Associates. The regional and district managers usually don’t give a rats ass how it’s done. And the GMs usually ask the techs what they think. So if the individual store has a shady GM, then it’s likely they’ll be doing some of the stuff you’ve mentioned. But if they’ve got strict managers who care more about mystery shops (that’s how the GMs get their bonuses, not through sales), then it’s probably not so at that store.

By: OD Tech Associate

OD Tech Associate — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:31:20 +0000

I’m an employee at an Office Depot, and it’s really messed up how some stores do that. At my store, we don’t Photoshop anything. If a laptop first comes out at $749.99, it will usually clearance between $449, and $549.99.

What we do is set that price tag out, with a Clearance tag next to it which shows the laptops original price and the Product Protection Plan’s original price. On a $749 laptop, a 2yr plan that covers everything but lost and stolen (including battery, power chord, screen cracks, water spills, etc.) will rund around $280. So, the tag next to the $549 price shows that you can get the computer with the 2yr plan for $673. (That’s 10% off the $549 laptop, new in a box, and the newly priced plan that’s $179 for laptops in the 400-499 price range.) So, you can buy the laptop at $549 and get just the laptop, or spend an extra $124 (comes out to $5.16 a month) to cover accidental damage.

That’s actually a pretty good deal. I know a lot of customers who will wait for a deal like that, then a year and a half later when nothing’s happened to the laptop, they’ll purposefully break the screen and get their $549 back to buy a new laptop. Customer gets a deal, associate gets comish, and store gets numbers. Everything works out.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:30:50 +0000

I also work at Office Depot. This is assumptive as hell. Nobody at our store lies to customers or does shit like this. We’re pretty f**ing honest, no matter how it affects a sale.

By: Long Dong Silver

Long Dong Silver — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:02:41 +0000

I work at office depot and i say this is bologna!!!

By: got it for 0.01 (off topic kinda)

got it for 0.01 (off topic kinda) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:14:59 +0000

listen folks! this might be off topic but i must say this. A while back when i was at autozone. i grab a few item oil/filter and a car repair manual book etc… After i got the stuff i headed to the register clerk, once he scan the item i thought it was just another day of paying and leaving but not so fast, the repair manual came up to be $0.01 (usd) i was like “WOW!” the clerk told me to hold while he call his manager. a few second later his manager came and said this isn’t right he scan the book a few time it still came up $0.01 (usd) he told to me to wait while he check out the main computer(in the back). a few minute later he came and said yup that book is 1 cent (it was the last book) UNBELIEVABLE paid for my stuff and bone out…my lucky day or what? save me a more than just a few bucks!

back on topic,
note:i do not work for O.D

i’ve seen lots of this behavior from time to time. it will never end.

By: Freddy

Freddy — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:46:48 +0000

I am a former OD employee, I can say different things happen at different stores each district always has some store or stores whose manager tells them to lie to customers and alter prices of items. The stores are usually always caught and offending employee’s or management are always let go. They do have signs to print up for clearance laptops and PC’s which mention said warrenty that is offered which are worthless and shouldn’t be purchased unless you like to throw your money out .01 items as said are not suppose to be sold to anyone they are suppose to be held to the side and donated to a charity that comes around once a month. As for different types of lying in the company depends what corporate is trying to push when they were worried about Market Basket or selling any attachment you could with said printer or laptop the store manager’s would inform you to do and say whatever you had to to get them to purchase attachments even been told by managers that they will “work with the price” if you go with some attachments. Now the company is more focused on pushing there TDS services or there Tech Bench services what a joke there. Trying to convince customers anyway possible that they need there new pc serviced before they even purchase it cause it will “optimize and make there pc faster” Or people coming in for the free pc check and being told them need ten thousand different things done to there pc to fix it. Office Depots motto should be we lie, we cheat, we steal

By: former office depot and office max employee

former office depot and office max employee — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:30:46 +0000

The sad part in all of this is there are Office Depot stores who operate above the board – yes they offered product protection plants and tech services, but in no way were any customers mislead. I was fortunate enough to have worked for one of them.

Customers have every right to be concerned about purchasing extended protection plans. But I have seen too many examples where customers who didn’t purchase one suffered in the process.

They are good investments, But there are better ways to do it. Please don’t let stories liek this make everyone think ALL Office Depot stores are acting like this, because they just aren’t.

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:18:26 +0000

I don’t Wanna sound like a goody twoshoes but honestly I’ve worked at office depot for over a year and a half and one they printed that notice out and laminated it for all of use to see right there in the employee breakroom and no one I work with in the tech area is even smart enough to use photoshop let alone do all that sh*t

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:06:35 +0000

@sam,
dealerships may be shady and pressure-filled. However, they lay out absolutely everything in the contract. People just aren’t smart enough to read it over. They don’t however, include services you don’t ask for.

They’re not supposed to charge you $1000 extra for the chrome rims that you never got, because if they do that, it is illegal (and quite a few are greedy enough to do it anyway).

By: Former Commission Salesman

Former Commission Salesman — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:40:53 +0000

Stores like Office Depot and Guitar Center has been doing stuff like this for years. I was the victim of this at a local car dealership. When I started working for commission, I realized that the sales industry is what’s wrong with sales, not any specific store. We (in the business sense) are taught that it’s ok, or that we’re providing some extra value.

This is seriously nothing new.