Got Screwed By Office Max???

[psagacious]

Office Max screwed me. I was the second person in line at 4AM. I waited in the cold for an hour, only to be told that they did not have the Averatec 2370 in stock. "How could that be possible?", I said, "you just opened, and I am the second person in line!" Turns out the store, like many others, NEVER GOT THE LAPTOP IN STOCK. I was told, "Don't worry, just fill out this Ordermax, and you'll get it in two days." It is now 10 days later; no laptop, no end in sight. As a matter of fact, I was told by "customer service" (and do I ever use the term loosley) that the laptop is indefinetely backordered, and might come as late as January, if it comes at all!

 

JANUARY, if it comes at all!

 

What really burns me up, though, is that there were FIVE other retailers within a two mile radius advertising great deals on laptops, but, seeing as though they all opened at the same time, I made a choice. And I got screwed. Officemax "customer service" was even more of a nightmare than waiting in the cold at 4AM-- placing me on hold for more than TWENTY minutes, rudely telling me there is nothing they can do, and that my order will arrive "whenever it arrives".

 

Here are some emails floating around on the other forums. Only one known to be verified as correct is the CFOs (but the others sent to didn´t bounce back). I suggest that anyone and everyone who was jilted by OM send a message to these to let them know of our displeasure. If we roar loud enough, they just might hear us through their thick skulls.

 

CEO - Sam Duncan - [email protected]

CFO - Don Civgin - [email protected]

VP Marketing - Bob Thacker - [email protected]

 

 

 

The senior management team (Office max corporate email addresses seems to use the "[email protected]" style. Be sure to track the email to see if it is "delivered" and "read". These people may not be aware of what's going on in the field and it will be good to notify them about what's happening and request for their assistance in resolving the issues you face with their offerings/deals and customer service):

 

Harry Dochelli

Executive Vice President - U.S. Operations

In 2005, Mr. Dochelli was promoted to executive vice president of U.S. operations. He is responsible for all distribution centers and customer service centers in the U.S. as well as for the sales support departments in the company’s headquarters.

 

Harold Mulet

Executive Vice President - Retail Stores

he was responsible for all facets of store and field operations.

 

Randy Burdick

Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer

responsible for OfficeMax’s overall information technology strategy and the development and implementation of programs in support of that strategy.

 

Sam K. Duncan

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

[pryan67]

try planetfeedback.com

[kselzer]

try planetfeedback.com

I second that - some companies really pay attention to this website, but others may not. Do a search on the company/product to see how many people have gotten responses.

 

A couple years ago I wrote a letter on there disputing the fact that I bought a dvd that came with a free movie ticket in it. However when I opened the dvd I found that the movie ticket was expired; an expiration date was not disclosed anywhere on the outside and the movie had not been in theaters that long, maybe a month. Anyways all I wanted was a free ticket and I ended up with like eight free movie tickets and a $15 or $20 gas card. It was awesome

[raymacfla]

Just there since 4AM? Try camping allnight and get back to us!

[Guest JeepMom]

Welcome to office max. I worked at one in high school. We never got in our ad stuff.

[trm80439]

I orded the laptop online. It took over a week until I received a status update indicating that the order was cancelled. A week? With their inventory tied to the order system, they should have known relatively quickly that they didn't have the product in stock.

 

Had I known earlier, I could have gone elsewhere. I sent OM an email indicating that I was disgusted with them and that I thought what they did was misleading and false advertising. Supposedly, they will send me a $50 gift card.

 

I'll use the gift card, but won't buy from them again.

 

BTW, my online account still shows that the laptop is in the process of being delivered, but I called them to verify that the order has been cancelled.

 

Has anyone who purchased the laptop received it? I suspect that their company wide inventory of units for sale was zero.

[Kayakmom]

Well, maybe you should consider yourself lucky. I've gone through 3 Averatec laptops and have finally resolved to have a heavier laptop because they are just garbage. I tried to deal iwht the breaking and overheating because of the lightweight laptop feature that I really love, but it's just not been worth it. The repair process sucks. I will not buy another one again. I think, having bought 3 times from them, I've given them more than their fair chance. I've been working on my hubby's HP since July when my 3rd and final Averatec died and it has had absolutely none of the issues that the Averatecs have had.

 

Maybe it is a blessing in disguise for you to not get it! If you don't like the trouble now, you certainly won't like the trouble later.

[Nad]

Me also

 

Dear OfficeMax Customer,

 

 

 

The 12" Notebook H2370HM1E-1 is discontinued and will no longer be carried by OfficeMax. The inventory has been exhausted in your market area. Regretfully, we have cancelled that item from your order without charge to you. If we can be of further assistance, please contact Customer Service at 1-800-788-8080, option 2 or by emailing Customer Service at [email protected].

 

 

 

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience this may have caused. We appreciate your business and value you as a customer. We look forward to serving your supply needs in the future.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

Christine W.

 

Backorder Fulfillment Associate

 

OfficeMax North America, Inc.

[shopping mom]

Couldn't they honor it with another laptop??

[neile457]

Just there since 4AM? Try camping allnight and get back to us!

Does it really matter how long he was there? They should have given him another laptop that was comparable for the price. This is false advertising.

[raymacfla]

Does it really matter how long he was there? They should have given him another laptop that was comparable for the price. This is false advertising.

Sure does. One hour does not a laptop guarantee make. It also pays to listen to what others had been saying about Office Max. Obviously most had justly stayed away in order for this person to be the second in line at 4 AM. False advertising might apply only if there was an clearly stated, not implied, minimum stockage level per store. This is very hard to prove with larger chains who send their stock to cities based upon demographics.

 

Chalk this up as a lesson learned and another store to avoid like the plague on black friday.

You will have better luck to camp out at the larger stores than to expect miracles from office supply stores who specialize in ink toner cartidges and paper clips. They just do not have the means to deliver the goods based upon meager distibution channels. You could be first in line and can come up empty handed. it has happened all too many times before, it is regretful, but a fact from these poser stores.

[psagacious]

Sure does. One hour does not a laptop guarantee make. It also pays to listen to what others had been saying about Office Max. Obviously most had justly stayed away in order for this person to be the second in line at 4 AM. False advertising might apply only if there was an clearly stated, not implied, minimum stockage level per store. This is very hard to prove with larger chains who send their stock to cities based upon demographics.

 

Chalk this up as a lesson learned and another store to avoid like the plague on black friday.

You will have better luck to camp out at the larger stores than to expect miracles from office supply stores who specialize in ink toner cartidges and paper clips. They just do not have the means to deliver the goods based upon meager distibution channels. You could be first in line and can come up empty handed. it has happened all too many times before, it is regretful, but a fact from these poser stores.

I see that the point flew over your head, as you got lost in the details of my story. False advertising is not a legal concept only applicable to large stores specializing in electronics. It is irrelevant if I was standing in line at 7/11; if they said they are selling the laptop, they should have it in stock and only fill orders for the amount that they have. It's common sense and a business principle that freshman at any business school learn.

[labgeek]

I False advertising is not a legal concept only applicable to large stores specializing in electronics.

Too bad you don't understand what the legal term 'false advertising' aka "truth in advertising" means... I'll bet that there was a disclaimer or two on the ad (there always is) about limit stock availability. And since they did not offer something else it's not bait and switch either. Sorry you stood in line for an hour for nothing, but geez threats of "false advertising", come on...

[psagacious]

Perhaps we, collectively as consumers, are so used to being screwed that we do not question when it happens. We just grumble and move on. Well, I cannot speak on anyone else's behalf, but I work hard for my money. No store has the right to falsely advertise, as is evidenced by statutes making such practices illegal. A retailer will only do what they are allowed to get away with. This is why I included contact information for Officemax reps so Officemax can see that their customers have a voice, and are pretty pissed.

 

I think Officemax can and should substitute the Averatec with another laptop. If anything to save face. It isn't an impossible request; I'm asking for a substitute, not an organ donation. Their Black Friday competitors have engaged in this practice, and are still around to profitably tell the story (notably OfficeDepot, Circuit City, and CompUSA. Many customers were given upgrades at no additional cost to them). Officemax won't be around for long if they keep defrauding their customers.

[zzyzx]

Shop online when possible. The first thing I bought for the BF sales was on circuitcity.com

 

Always have a back plan ready to be executed in case you get "OfficeMaxed" again on BF.

 

I feel your pain... And I say, off with their heads! :)

[KuponKlipper]

Sure does. One hour does not a laptop guarantee make.

So if he had camped out all night and was still the 2nd person in line would he be guaranteed to get the laptop

[labgeek]

Add "fraud" to your definitions to look up.

[labgeek]

So if he had camped out all night and was still the 2nd person in line would he be guaranteed to get the laptop

No and he was never guaranteed a laptop. I bet the ad doesn't say anything like "be there all night and you're guaranteed a laptop". I think the point was that many others have gone through much worse and did not get what they hoped. That doesn't make it right to defame a company nor hand out personal email addresses to company execs. Both of which just make the OP sound bitter and wanting retaliation. If the OP really thought he had a legal leg to stand on they'd be talking to a lawyer and not complaining on the internet.

[Gurnee Al]

Absolutely no legal leg to stand on with this one. It would have been nice for Office Max to somehow make amends, but they're not legally required to do so. Complain with your wallet and don't shop there again.

[neile457]

Sure does. One hour does not a laptop guarantee make. It also pays to listen to what others had been saying about Office Max. Obviously most had justly stayed away in order for this person to be the second in line at 4 AM. False advertising might apply only if there was an clearly stated, not implied, minimum stockage level per store. This is very hard to prove with larger chains who send their stock to cities based upon demographics.

 

Chalk this up as a lesson learned and another store to avoid like the plague on black friday.

You will have better luck to camp out at the larger stores than to expect miracles from office supply stores who specialize in ink toner cartidges and paper clips. They just do not have the means to deliver the goods based upon meager distibution channels. You could be first in line and can come up empty handed. it has happened all too many times before, it is regretful, but a fact from these poser stores.

 

It doesn't matter how long you wait. If you are the first or second person in line for something that is advertised, you should have the opportunity to buy it. And if they advertise it, they should have it.

[nikkilugi]

Those email addy's aren't personal. Usually it is pretty easy to figure out email addresses for corporate entities - most use a standard [email protected] type of configuration. Besides why not complain as high up as you can? I used to work as an assistant for a CEO of a publicly traded company and he invited any emails to come to him - he didn't want to be in the dark as to what his customers thought.

[nikkilugi]

Also I think the point of his post was that the store didn't have ANY laptops in stock at all. Now why put that laptop in the ad as an in stock item if they don't have any at all?

 

I agree there is no legal recourse but it is disturbing that OM had no stock of an advertised deal. Didn't Home Depot just get raked across the coals in some city because of allowing employee's to purchase all of the lcd tv's advertised in their bf ad? What is the difference here? People stood in line when the store knew there were none available for purchase.

[Marcster]

Didn't Home Depot just get raked across the coals in some city because of allowing employee's to purchase all of the lcd tv's advertised in their bf ad?

some city = Allentown, PA (about 1/2 hour from me)

[nikkilugi]

yes that's it - thanks for the clarification. I'm terrible about remembering the little details :)

[skairx90]

This happens more than you think, when I was working at BB we would always see the ads early and there were always things in there that we would jus happen to be sold out of. If it was a major item we would offer some type of replacement if it was something small ex(when 1gb usb drives go on sale) they are pretty much out of luck. I agree with you that they should have had atleast one, but if the store doesn't advertise a limited quantity, like bb says min # per store, I don't even make it a priority. The bad thing is that you were offered no alternate solution but then again they aren't required to do so.

[pryan67]

Too bad you don't understand what the legal term 'false advertising' aka "truth in advertising" means... I'll bet that there was a disclaimer or two on the ad (there always is) about limit stock availability. And since they did not offer something else it's not bait and switch either. Sorry you stood in line for an hour for nothing, but geez threats of "false advertising", come on...

BUT...did they ad say "minimum XX per store"?

 

The limited stock availablility would imply that there's more than zero there...

 

I think they SHOULD offer another laptop if they can't get the one advertised...

 

 

if the ad DID say "minimum XX per store" (like many do for those deals), then the OP DOES have a leg to stand on

[hpowers]

The emails will probably never been seen by the executives. They have someone who screens their emails so that they don't spend all day deleting non vital junk.

[Marcster]

On a smaller scale, I have purchased non-sale items at sale prices.

 

One time the sales clerk told me that since they were out of "x" brand of DVDs, I could buy "y" brand at the "x" sale price.

 

Another time I needed to buy two 512mb flash drives for a friend, OM had the best sale price on Verbatim 512mb for $13 but they were all out. I asked the clerk if I could buy two of the Lexars at the sale price (they were clearanced at $19) -- no problem.

 

Of course, discounting a pack of DVDs or a Flash Drives is nothing like taking $200-$300 off the price of a different notebook.

[psagacious]

Too bad you don't understand what the legal term 'false advertising' aka "truth in advertising" means... I'll bet that there was a disclaimer or two on the ad (there always is) about limit stock availability. And since they did not offer something else it's not bait and switch either. Sorry you stood in line for an hour for nothing, but geez threats of "false advertising", come on...

The legal concept of false advertising turns upon the intent of the retailer. If a retailer professes to have a product, knowing it cannot substantiate this profession, it does not have the requisite intent to sell the product it advertises, which is false advertising. By taking my order, charging me for the item, telling me that it will arrive in 2 to 3 days... this is all evidence of a retailer professing to have a product to sell to me at their advertised price. The fact that Officemax said "while supplies last" or similar language is to no avail, since they took and processed my order, as well as charged me for the item.

[Mom2Many]

I also got screwed on some smaller items - so I understand your frustrations to a point. They took the order, charged my card & even sent me a shipping notice with tracking info, but then 24 hours later sent me a backorder notice. I still had hopes the package would show up, but it never even showed up in the carrier's system......

Thanks for reminding me that I need to contact customer service to see if they will sub products.....

 

 

Christy