I have often said that an educational price meant that they price was
20% higher that what they give to business.
Mike Oliveri wrote:
Is anyone else using Staples for their office supply and toner orders? We've
been using them for as long as I've been here, and we get free overnight
shipping and there's a Rewards program where they cut you a gift certificate
based on spending.
However, today I noticed a discrepancy of anywhere from $6-10 on some products
from their basic portal to when you log in to your account.
For example, my principal sent me a screen grab of an electronic punch and asked me to order it (I handle the account). It showed he found it for $94.49 without logging in.
When I pulled up the same item number, logged in to our account, it came up at
$103.99. Just for kicks, I opened a second browser, went to Staples.com without
logging in, and started comparing toner prices. I found similar discrepancies.
I accessed their Live Chat and asked what was up. She claimed it's based on the
zip code for your account, and pricing varies by regions.
Now, I'm no marketing major, but does a 10% markup make sense? I asked her what
zip code they were assuming and all she would tell me is the price varied by
region. Given we're not all that far from Chicago, I don't see why there's a
such a big difference. Maybe if we were in Hawaii and they had to ship across
the ocean, or in the middle of the desert states and not in a Staples market.
If anyone else is using Staples, I'd be curious as to whether you're seeing the
same thing. My concern is they're using a lower price on their main site to
suck people in, say when they're comparison shopping with other vendors. Then
they hit account holders with the real price.
Or, more nefariously, this is how they're making up for free shipping and the
Rewards program.
Thanks,
Mike
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