Happens to me all the time with Dell, in my case however I have a rep, I call him up and he will normally always honor the lower price and give a credit.
-----Original Message----- From: tech-geeks-boun...@tech-geeks.org [mailto:tech-geeks-boun...@tech-geeks.org] On Behalf Of JimHays Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 2:13 PM To: Tech-Geeks Mailing List Subject: Re: [tech-geeks] OT - Staples: I smell a rat 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 > | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org | > | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org | | Subscription info at http://www.tech-geeks.org |
