Office Supply Store Rip-Offs.

When is a sale not really a sale?

When the retailer is miserly cheap about it, and hides it in fine print.

Case example: I went to Staples, hoping to get a good deal on some disposable mechanical pencils. My spouse told me that (at the time of this writing,) the local Staples had packages of disposable mechanical pencils for 25 cents each in Staples’ back to school sale.

Since my children really love to use them at school, and they go through several of them every year, I picked up eight packages. I get to the register and my total comes to $16 and some odd cents.

W.T.F. ?

The cashier told me there is a limit of two per customer. Like, really, can’t I read? It’s on the sign at the display. I checked the sign. The disclaimer was printed in type smaller than a rat’s ass. Oh, I see. That’s makes it all nice, tidy, and legal.

First off, it’s not any kind of bargain worth wasting my gas coming to the store if I can only get two measly packages. Second, hiding things in fine print might be legal, but it sure as hell is not good customer service. Treat people like fools in that manner, and you can kiss customers goodbye.

That’s not the half of it. I desperately needed an ink refill for my printer. I have a super important project due. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the computer printer industry has undergone heavy consolidation lately, and most retailers only carry Canon, Lexmark, and HP. Not only that, but you can’t buy generic ink refills any more – the major brands have been cutting deals to chase the generics out of the market.

I simply refuse to pay the over-inflated prices of name brand ink. That’s like paying $500 for an alternator at a dealer when you can buy a re-built one for $89 at the auto parts store. It’s monopolistic restraint of trade, and retail piracy. I don’t stand for it.

So, the store person had to explain to me why I had to pay a king’s ransom for my ink. He did so with obvious disdain. What rock have I been hiding under? Why can’t I see the “obvious” advantages of genuine HP ink?

Even if I had the money they wanted for it, they didn’t even have the right cartridge I needed. So guess what? I gave the arrogant, computer nerd punk ass clerk a good “fuck you” in my mind, and I went to Wal Mart. They had plenty on hand of everything I needed and at a lower price. I mean, like right out of a cheesy customer testimonial on a commercial.

I absolutely hate both Staples and OfficeMax for just these reasons. Arrogant clerks and mis-leading advertising. Fuck that.