- Report: #325570
Complaint Review: Office Depot - La Mesa California
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Office Depot
Home Depot Fletcher Parkway La Mesa, 91942 California, U.S.A.
Phone:
800-937-3600
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Office Depot Deceptive price matching and rebates La Mesa California
I researched buying a Brother MFC-465cn color flatbed all-in-one printer, fax, copier.
Office Depot had this item for $149.99 in store price with a $50.00 mail in rebate.
Best Buy stores have the exact same item on sale for $99.99 in store price.
You would think that Office Depot Low Price Guarantee would be cheaper by at least a penny for in store pricing. This is not true. They will only match and that match the net price. The net price will be YOUR net cost after everything including rebates even if they are from outside vendors. Home Depot deliberately fails to tell you this on any of their store rebates nor do they post this in their store where you can read it.
Regarding the item above; Office Depot has it for $149.99 plus 7.75% sales tax = $161.62 then you apply for the $50.00 rebate. Dont forget you are using your stamp, envelope, time and wait the weeks before you get maybe your rebate check. Your total net cost, less your effort for the rebate, is $111.62.
If you use the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee the cost is $99.99 plus 7.75% sale tax for a total net price of $107.74 and NO Rebate.
Why no rebate? Because, it is YOUR net cost that matters to the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee.
If Office Depot is aware that Brother has manufacture rebates, or that the government is offering rebates, or any other rebate is being offered, this will impact YOUR net cost using the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee.
This is unfair and deceptive.
In addition Office Depot also puts in the following caveat in their Office Depot Low Price Guarantee We reserve the right to modify or cancel the Low Price Guarantee at any time without prior notice. The above basically nullifies any effort to shop and receive a lower price from Office Depot on YOUR net price.
See the following Office Depot web page for details:
http://espanol.officedepot.com/renderStaticPage.do?file=/customerservice/lowPrice.jsp&template=customerService
Note: This is not posted in the store where consumers can read it.
One other thought. If the Office Depot company in-house rebate process is part of their calculation of net price and do they report the consumer sale at the after rebate net cost of sale? If so, what do they do with the difference of sales tax collected between the gross in store price and the final net price for accounting? Do the pocket the difference? Are they not only cheating the Government and the consumer by this slight of hand accounting? Is this fraud?
In the case above the tax difference is ($11.63 - $7.75 =) $3.88. Multiply this small amount by the thousands of items sold each day with Office Depot.
John
La Mesa, California
U.S.A.
Office Depot had this item for $149.99 in store price with a $50.00 mail in rebate.
Best Buy stores have the exact same item on sale for $99.99 in store price.
You would think that Office Depot Low Price Guarantee would be cheaper by at least a penny for in store pricing. This is not true. They will only match and that match the net price. The net price will be YOUR net cost after everything including rebates even if they are from outside vendors. Home Depot deliberately fails to tell you this on any of their store rebates nor do they post this in their store where you can read it.
Regarding the item above; Office Depot has it for $149.99 plus 7.75% sales tax = $161.62 then you apply for the $50.00 rebate. Dont forget you are using your stamp, envelope, time and wait the weeks before you get maybe your rebate check. Your total net cost, less your effort for the rebate, is $111.62.
If you use the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee the cost is $99.99 plus 7.75% sale tax for a total net price of $107.74 and NO Rebate.
Why no rebate? Because, it is YOUR net cost that matters to the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee.
If Office Depot is aware that Brother has manufacture rebates, or that the government is offering rebates, or any other rebate is being offered, this will impact YOUR net cost using the Office Depot Low Price Guarantee.
This is unfair and deceptive.
In addition Office Depot also puts in the following caveat in their Office Depot Low Price Guarantee We reserve the right to modify or cancel the Low Price Guarantee at any time without prior notice. The above basically nullifies any effort to shop and receive a lower price from Office Depot on YOUR net price.
See the following Office Depot web page for details:
http://espanol.officedepot.com/renderStaticPage.do?file=/customerservice/lowPrice.jsp&template=customerService
Note: This is not posted in the store where consumers can read it.
One other thought. If the Office Depot company in-house rebate process is part of their calculation of net price and do they report the consumer sale at the after rebate net cost of sale? If so, what do they do with the difference of sales tax collected between the gross in store price and the final net price for accounting? Do the pocket the difference? Are they not only cheating the Government and the consumer by this slight of hand accounting? Is this fraud?
In the case above the tax difference is ($11.63 - $7.75 =) $3.88. Multiply this small amount by the thousands of items sold each day with Office Depot.
John
La Mesa, California
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
John
La Mesa,California,
U.S.A.
Office Depot - CUSTOMER BEWARE!
#2Author of original report
Mon, May 26, 2008
I made a typo on the report. Office Depot and not Home Depot. Rebate offered was through Office Depot subsidiarity and not through outside rebate proscessor. After a series of emails and such between Corporate Office Depot in FL, the BBB in FL and me, the net result was nothing. They have the right to change their rules anytime they want. Office Depot Corporate assigned the following person to hear my complaint; Vera Barber Sr. Customer Relations Assistant Executive Customer Relations Office Depot, Inc. 2200 Old Germantown Road Delray Beach, Fl 33445 Office 561-438-4275 Fax 561-438-7667 [email protected] Taking Care of Business What it boils down to is "Customer Beware." Office Depot will do what is best for the "company." It has applied enough caveats in obscure documentation online and in its Corporate Office in FL to negate anything. *********** They reserve the right to withdraw rebates, mail in savings and such at any time for any reason. ************ *********** Their price guarantee is selective to other competitors. If the price difference is too large or your net price is less than they want you to have, they change the rules. *************** The BBB is Florida thinks this process is good for business and good for everyone else also. The BBB in Flordia assigned the following person; Bob Colmerauer | VP Director of Operations Tel: 561-842-9278 ext. 136 Fax: 561-845-7234 [email protected] www.bbbsoutheastflorida.org BBB of Southeast Florida and the Caribbean 4411 Beacon Circle Suite 4 West Palm Beach, FL 33407 He replied in closing the case, that ... "The form states "Office Depot reserves the right to modify or withdraw this promotion at any time."" "In reading the complaint I feel Office Depot has properly addressed the complaint. ... Your complaint is on record and and being reported to the public as "disputed" This means you are not satisfied with their offer for a resolution. I am sorry you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint. " Office Depot's offer was nothing than "We are sorry that you are upset ..." The BBB in FL comment was, "I am sorry you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint. " Note: the BBB in San Diego, CA transfered the case to FL. Again, "BUYER BEWARE" and go to another store not to be ripped off by Office Depot rebates, mail in savings and price guaratees. John La Mesa, CA
Dan
Phoenix,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Rebates
#3Consumer Comment
Sat, April 19, 2008
Rebates do not exist. Your issue with Office Depot points that out. OD is taking your rebate before you get it. They added it to the price of the item and hope that you won't submit the paperwork for the rebate. So their advertisements are really making a BIG deal out of NOTHING. And yes, the State does get the tax based upon the pre-rebate sales price, buy why pay more taxes than necessary. I'm sure that this is a closely guarded secret; don't know for sure but the rebate money has to come from somewhere. I suspect that the third party submits some kind of document to OD to identify how much money was rebated, then OD reimburses the third party the amount plus a few extra buck for profit. (That's how grocery store coupons are processed). Those who fail to submit for their rebate, OD gets to keep their money. Why don't they just give you the rebate in the store like Best Buy? As I previously stated, they hope that you don't submit for the rebate or somehow lose the paperwork or whatever that will cause your rebate request to be rejected. The above is true for ANY rebate or other cost reduction. The retailer will figure some way to keep the price high (or raise it) so that you won't receive the full benefit. Watch what happens to prices (on big ticket items) when the economic stimulus checks start coming in. They'll advertise big sales on hiked up prices. Go to a store and identify an item and it's price. Then check again in May or June.
Thomas
Nothing,Florida,
U.S.A.
Rebuttal
#4UPDATE Employee
Fri, April 18, 2008
1) Office Depot and Home Depot are two different companies. 2) Tax is a government charge, and is never considered in any price negotiations anywhere. Just because you pay it, doesn't mean Office Depot has to pay it two, three, or four times so you can save $8. 3) All OD rebates are received and processed by a third party company. If you did ten minutes of research, you would know this (and would get a better customer service number). 4) All taxes are paid to state or federal government, otherwise OD would be audited, and fined.
