Down with Office Depot
This is just a quick call to action for all my loyal readers. Please Boycott Office Depot. I had a very bad experience with them last night and told the customer service rep that because of lousy service, I would tell all my friends not to shop at there. So don’t!
Here is what went down:
On 2/23/2006 I purchased a laptop. I bought this particular computer because it had all the bells and whistles and had a huge rebate offer that brought the price down well below anything else I looked at.
I didn’t get a chance to take it out of the box until 2 days later (I was really busy!). After using it only twice, I noticed some defects on the screen.
On 3/2/2006 I brought it back to the store and asked to exchange it for a new computer. The manager took the computer out of the box, turned it on and saw the spots on the screen. I was given a replacement – but in the process they had to scan the new one into the computer and give me a second receipt. The refund offer expired on 2/25/2006 so I was worried that receipt with the new date would screw things up, so I begged that they give me the original (I am such a pessimist). Everyone at the store said that it wouldn’t be an issue, but they gave me the receipt anyway.
So I attached both receipts along with the rebate information and the proof or purchase. I thought that they would be able to figure it out.
Flash forward to last night, six weeks later. I came home to find a post card in my mail box from the rebate center. The message said that my “submission” was “invalid” because “Your purchase is outside the qualifying dates of this offer.”
I immediately called the phone number on the card and explained the situation. Of course the female customer service rep who answered my call was unapologetic and told me I needed to mail them everything over again. She barely gave me a chance to rebuttal before she rushed me off the phone.
That didn’t sit right with me. There must be an e-mail or fax number where I could send the copies of the receipts and take care of this instantly. I mean after all they are Office Depot, they sell these wonderful technological advancements.
So I call back and get Patrick on the line. I explain the situation to him. He informs me that the original paper work was scanned by a computer, and perhaps it disregarded the first receipt. So I ask if he could possibly go back and check the paper work that I sent in. He tells me that he doesn’t have “access” to the original paper work. I then asked about a fax or an e-mail. Again, no dice they aren’t able to do that either. Hello!!! Office Depot sells this shit!!! What are you talking about? No fax machine??
So I ask to speak with his supervisor. Assuming that if I get someone higher up that I will get somewhere with this whole process. Patrick informs me that it will be about 10 minutes before I can talk his supervisor. I assure him, that I am not trying to get him in trouble I just want someone with more power to handle this problem.
Ten minutes go by and I am still on hold. At the 15 minute mark, I think to myself, they are hoping that will give up and hang up…but that’s not happening, I am on a mission.
Twenty-five minutes later Kimberly answers the phone. I explain the whole situation to her – for the third time! She tells me the same things the first two people have told me. Again I express my disbelief about the lack of a fax machine. I ask her about my original paper work, to which she responds, “You sent the paper work to Detroit, Michigan and I am in Mesa, Arizona.” Great!
Thoroughly disgusted, I ask for an address to which I can send an angry letter. This information is readily available (surprise, not!) I tell Kimberly that she needs to speak up to her superiors about this situation. I mean wouldn’t it make her job so much easier if she didn’t have to deal with irate customers.
In my final burst of anger I tell her that I plan to relay this story to all my friends in an attempt to start a Boycott of Office Depot (Hence this post). She wasn’t amused, but informed me that she didn’t work for Office Depot, she works for a company that OD has outsourced this work too.
I was also informed that it will take another 4-6 weeks for the rebate to be processed. Will I ever see my money back?
Here is what went down:
On 2/23/2006 I purchased a laptop. I bought this particular computer because it had all the bells and whistles and had a huge rebate offer that brought the price down well below anything else I looked at.
I didn’t get a chance to take it out of the box until 2 days later (I was really busy!). After using it only twice, I noticed some defects on the screen.
On 3/2/2006 I brought it back to the store and asked to exchange it for a new computer. The manager took the computer out of the box, turned it on and saw the spots on the screen. I was given a replacement – but in the process they had to scan the new one into the computer and give me a second receipt. The refund offer expired on 2/25/2006 so I was worried that receipt with the new date would screw things up, so I begged that they give me the original (I am such a pessimist). Everyone at the store said that it wouldn’t be an issue, but they gave me the receipt anyway.
So I attached both receipts along with the rebate information and the proof or purchase. I thought that they would be able to figure it out.
Flash forward to last night, six weeks later. I came home to find a post card in my mail box from the rebate center. The message said that my “submission” was “invalid” because “Your purchase is outside the qualifying dates of this offer.”
I immediately called the phone number on the card and explained the situation. Of course the female customer service rep who answered my call was unapologetic and told me I needed to mail them everything over again. She barely gave me a chance to rebuttal before she rushed me off the phone.
That didn’t sit right with me. There must be an e-mail or fax number where I could send the copies of the receipts and take care of this instantly. I mean after all they are Office Depot, they sell these wonderful technological advancements.
So I call back and get Patrick on the line. I explain the situation to him. He informs me that the original paper work was scanned by a computer, and perhaps it disregarded the first receipt. So I ask if he could possibly go back and check the paper work that I sent in. He tells me that he doesn’t have “access” to the original paper work. I then asked about a fax or an e-mail. Again, no dice they aren’t able to do that either. Hello!!! Office Depot sells this shit!!! What are you talking about? No fax machine??
So I ask to speak with his supervisor. Assuming that if I get someone higher up that I will get somewhere with this whole process. Patrick informs me that it will be about 10 minutes before I can talk his supervisor. I assure him, that I am not trying to get him in trouble I just want someone with more power to handle this problem.
Ten minutes go by and I am still on hold. At the 15 minute mark, I think to myself, they are hoping that will give up and hang up…but that’s not happening, I am on a mission.
Twenty-five minutes later Kimberly answers the phone. I explain the whole situation to her – for the third time! She tells me the same things the first two people have told me. Again I express my disbelief about the lack of a fax machine. I ask her about my original paper work, to which she responds, “You sent the paper work to Detroit, Michigan and I am in Mesa, Arizona.” Great!
Thoroughly disgusted, I ask for an address to which I can send an angry letter. This information is readily available (surprise, not!) I tell Kimberly that she needs to speak up to her superiors about this situation. I mean wouldn’t it make her job so much easier if she didn’t have to deal with irate customers.
In my final burst of anger I tell her that I plan to relay this story to all my friends in an attempt to start a Boycott of Office Depot (Hence this post). She wasn’t amused, but informed me that she didn’t work for Office Depot, she works for a company that OD has outsourced this work too.
I was also informed that it will take another 4-6 weeks for the rebate to be processed. Will I ever see my money back?
posted by Pablo Perez at 8:40 PM
1 Comments:
Office Max is much cheaper anyway.
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