[OT] Staples as a Source for Buying Computers--Market Driven at theConsumer's Expense?

[W. eWatson]

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any time.

I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this, other
than I had a year of parts replacement. Today I went over and looked at
their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support, but did offer, for
a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a support phone number (I don't
think they mentioned free) from HP's minimal getting started booklet,
which seems very h/w oriented. HP answered my questions satisfactorily.

So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one gets
with computers bought there.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any
time.
I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this,
other than I had a year of parts replacement. Today I went over
and looked at their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support,
but did offer, for a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a
support phone number (I don't think they mentioned free) from HP's
minimal getting started booklet, which seems very h/w oriented. HP
answered my questions satisfactorily.
So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one
gets with computers bought there.

You went to an office supply store to buy a computer. Despite what
many people treat them like, computers are not office supplies. ;-)

In this case - it is the people doing the purchasing, not the stores at
fault IMHO. The same people probably go to a car dealer for a vehicle
or a realtor when looking for a home and probably do their grocery
shopping (excluding quick needs on occassion) from actual grocery
stores and not the gas station/convenience store. For some reason,
however, it seemed okay to get the computer from the office supply
store.

Big Box stores are good for bulk items. Go with the specialty stores
when the purchase counts and *ask questions*.

 

[John John - MVP]

You went to an office supply store to buy a computer. Despite what
many people treat them like, computers are not office supplies. ;-)

Maybe not but then why would folks go at Radio Shack (The Source) or the
local electronic store that primarily sells TVs and other AV equipment?

I think that for a lot of folks places like Staples have what they want
in stock locally and the price is right so they buy from these stores
out of convenience.

John

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any
time.
I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this,
other than I had a year of parts replacement. Today I went over
and looked at their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support,
but did offer, for a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a
support phone number (I don't think they mentioned free) from HP's
minimal getting started booklet, which seems very h/w oriented. HP
answered my questions satisfactorily.
So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one
gets with computers bought there.

You went to an office supply store to buy a computer. Despite what
many people treat them like, computers are not office supplies. ;-)

In this case - it is the people doing the purchasing, not the
stores at fault IMHO. The same people probably go to a car dealer
for a vehicle or a realtor when looking for a home and probably do
their grocery shopping (excluding quick needs on occassion) from
actual grocery stores and not the gas station/convenience store. For some
reason, however, it seemed okay to get the computer from
the office supply store.

Big Box stores are good for bulk items. Go with the specialty
stores when the purchase counts and *ask questions*.

Maybe not but then why would folks go at Radio Shack (The Source)
or the local electronic store that primarily sells TVs and other AV
equipment?
I think that for a lot of folks places like Staples have what they
want in stock locally and the price is right so they buy from these
stores out of convenience.

Which is why you shouldn't have snipped at the first paragraph. ;-)

Convenience is short-lived. Computer usage is not.

 

[W. eWatson]

You went to an office supply store to buy a computer. Despite what
many people treat them like, computers are not office supplies. ;-)

In this case - it is the people doing the purchasing, not the stores at
fault IMHO. The same people probably go to a car dealer for a vehicle
or a realtor when looking for a home and probably do their grocery
shopping (excluding quick needs on occassion) from actual grocery
stores and not the gas station/convenience store. For some reason,
however, it seemed okay to get the computer from the office supply
store.

Big Box stores are good for bulk items. Go with the specialty stores
when the purchase counts and *ask questions*.

Thanks, but I have built every computer I have, except for a laptop, for
the last 15 years. The sales guy hustled me right to the Computer Care
program and extended warranty, and I told him no. He actually pushed it
a bit wondering why I would ignore such a good offer. I know the guy
fairly well. He's the mgr of the store. I politely told him to go read
Consumer Reports on extended coverage. In case, he hadn't I brought a
copy of their advice back to him. I'm glad I did this, because 1. It
reminded that my credit card matches the warranty by extending it to
match the mfger, add in one year, 2. They also advise that if a salesman
pushes these item, they would be interested in it. I pointed that out to
him, but said, "No fear. I won't do it to you." I've changed my mind on
that per what I've posted here. I won't name the local store. There may
have been a 3, but I've now forgotten it. You might try Google to find
their advice.

Nevertheless, I think I know what I'm doing despite overlooking the "one
year support".

 

[Daave]

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any time.

I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this,
other than I had a year of parts replacement. Today I went over and
looked at their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support, but
did offer, for a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a support
phone number (I don't think they mentioned free) from HP's minimal
getting started booklet, which seems very h/w oriented. HP answered
my questions satisfactorily.
So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one
gets with computers bought there.

Although it certainly would have been a better experience for you had
you talked with a knowlegable salesperson, honesty is not an issue in
this situation. I would say this is more of an issue of competence.

There is an old adage: You get what you pay for. Chances are that
Staples salespeople aren't highly paid. Lower wages and salaries usually
correspond with lower professionalism and expertise. By choosing Staples
and wishing to pay a lower price for your product, you also place
yourself in a situation where the salespeople won't be quite as helpful
as you may hope for.

I would imagine that had you purchased your PC from an actual PC store
(like MicroCenter or a smaller independent PC store), you probably would
have received much more accurate information upfront about warranties,
support, etc.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped>

Thanks, but I have built every computer I have, except for a
laptop, for the last 15 years. The sales guy hustled me right to
the Computer Care program and extended warranty, and I told him no.
He actually pushed it a bit wondering why I would ignore such a
good offer. I know the guy fairly well. He's the mgr of the store.
I politely told him to go read Consumer Reports on extended
coverage. In case, he hadn't I brought a copy of their advice
back to him. I'm glad I did this, because 1. It reminded that my
credit card matches the warranty by extending it to match the
mfger, add in one year, 2. They also advise that if a salesman
pushes these item, they would be interested in it. I pointed that
out to him, but said, "No fear. I won't do it to you." I've changed
my mind on that per what I've posted here. I won't name the local
store. There may have been a 3, but I've now forgotten it. You
might try Google to find their advice.
Nevertheless, I think I know what I'm doing despite overlooking the
"one year support".

That's good - but your *warning* was incomplete in my opinion - so I added
to it.

I know that in my local big box stores - just because a salesperson pushes
an item - it does not necessarily reflect interest of the type you would
want. The person pushing it often does not know much about the item, may
have not actually ever used it, could have started work yesterday.

My point is still that most people should not buy their computers from big
box stores and should also not take them there for repairs.

 

[David C. Holley]

Caveat emptor
The onus resides upon the purchaser to ask the questions and do the research
neccessary concerning a product.

Can you honestly expect someone at the store to go into ALL of the details
that you need to know? Do they have a responsibility to explain to you how
Windows Update works? If you buy software, are they responsible for
discussing how to use it? Are they responsible for communicating the most
recent security issues with a particular version of Windows? What about
discussing ergonomics and proper posture when using the machine? For that
matter, the fact that studies have confirmed that computer users blink less
when staring at a computer screen?

In the end it comes down to the simple legal principle of what would a
'reasonable person' expect.

For that matter, did you read the information included in the box when you
first opened it at home?

 

[David C. Holley]

As a part of MBA, I've had to live, eat and breath a case study on one of
the Staples executives. It mentions that the inclusion of technology was
geared toward making the company a one-stop shop for businesses for branding
purposes as well as builiding customer loyalty.

 

[David C. Holley]

Thanks, but I have built every computer I have, except for a laptop, for
the last 15 years. The sales guy hustled me right to the Computer Care
program and extended warranty, and I told him no. He actually pushed it a
bit wondering why I would ignore such a good offer. I know the guy fairly
well. He's the mgr of the store. I politely told him to go read Consumer
Reports on extended coverage. In case, he hadn't I brought a copy of
their advice back to him. I'm glad I did this, because 1. It reminded that
my credit card matches the warranty by extending it to match the mfger,
add in one year, 2. They also advise that if a salesman pushes these item,
they would be interested in it. I pointed that out to him, but said, "No
fear. I won't do it to you." I've changed my mind on that per what I've
posted here. I won't name the local store. There may have been a 3, but
I've now forgotten it. You might try Google to find their advice.

Nevertheless, I think I know what I'm doing despite overlooking the "one
year support".

So you knew enough to decline the extended warranty, but not enough to ask
about any support from HP or to research the issue of manufacturer support
yourself?

 

[David C. Holley]

<snipped>



That's good - but your *warning* was incomplete in my opinion - so I added
to it.

I know that in my local big box stores - just because a salesperson pushes
an item - it does not necessarily reflect interest of the type you would
want. The person pushing it often does not know much about the item, may
have not actually ever used it, could have started work yesterday.

My point is still that most people should not buy their computers from big
box stores and should also not take them there for repairs.

Fundamentally, it comes down to the tried and true philosophy of a person
figuring out what his/she needs are and then buying a product to match the
needs. I've only ever bought direct from HP or DELL, but if for some reason
I had to buy from a retailer I'd still figure out what I needed first. Just
like buying a car, a house or insurance. You don't just walk into a store
and pick a machine like you're picking up a packet of pens.

 

[David C. Holley]

Although it certainly would have been a better experience for you had you
talked with a knowlegable salesperson, honesty is not an issue in this
situation. I would say this is more of an issue of competence.

There is an old adage: You get what you pay for. Chances are that Staples
salespeople aren't highly paid. Lower wages and salaries usually
correspond with lower professionalism and expertise. By choosing Staples
and wishing to pay a lower price for your product, you also place yourself
in a situation where the salespeople won't be quite as helpful as you may
hope for.

I would imagine that had you purchased your PC from an actual PC store
(like MicroCenter or a smaller independent PC store), you probably would
have received much more accurate information upfront about warranties,
support, etc.

Like buying a machine from Walmart.

 

[Sam spade]

Caveat emptor
The onus resides upon the purchaser to ask the questions and do the
research neccessary concerning a product.

Can you honestly expect someone at the store to go into ALL of the details
that you need to know? Do they have a responsibility to explain to you how
Windows Update works? If you buy software, are they responsible for
discussing how to use it? Are they responsible for communicating the most
recent security issues with a particular version of Windows? What about
discussing ergonomics and proper posture when using the machine? For that
matter, the fact that studies have confirmed that computer users blink
less when staring at a computer screen?

In the end it comes down to the simple legal principle of what would a
'reasonable person' expect.

For that matter, did you read the information included in the box when you
first opened it at home?

I have bought directly from Dell online and Circuit City at store. My next
one will be at Costco since they extend the manufacturers warrantee an
additional year.

 

[Jose]

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any time.

I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this, other
than I had a year of parts replacement.  Today I went over and looked at
their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support, but did offer, for
a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a support phone number (I don't
think they mentioned free) from HP's minimal getting started booklet,
which seems very h/w oriented.  HP answered my questions satisfactorily..

So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one gets
with computers bought there.

In that case, the first recommendation I have is to come up with
(borrow/copy/create) a genuine bootable XP installation CD (if your
new system came with XP). You may find that a lot handier later if
your system doesn't boot some day.

Not telling you about something is not the same as not being honest.

There are good bargains to be had at these stores - especially in the
electronics department.

A "trick" for shopping these places (Staples, Office Depot especially)
is to pay special attention to the price. If the price does not end
in .99, that item is discontinued and reduced for quick sale.
Reasonable offers accepted.

If you see a price ending in .97, .92, .68 etc. - make them an offer.
25-50% of the display price (or less) even.

If the sales person doesn't know anything what you are talking about,
speak to the manager. Somebody put that goofy price on there and
knows what it means. They know what you're talking about. If the
manager doesn't know, find the correct manager or call the next day
and talk to them on the phone.

It may be a display item with a few miles on it or be scratched, they
may not have the right box or power cord, but you will get it cheap.
Computer, TVs, printers, cameras, etc. They usually have the same
warranty. It not, you can always walk.

Make an offer!

 

[HeyBub]

You went to an office supply store to buy a computer. Despite what
many people treat them like, computers are not office supplies. ;-)

You don't order fish at a steak house?

 

[David C. Holley]

Or steak at a Denny's.

You don't order fish at a steak house?

 

[David C. Holley]

While I can see whole dollar prices as possibly being indicitive of a
discontinued item, I find it unlikely that other odd prices such as .97,
..92, .68 have any significant meaning. Staples uses a pricing model that
looks at the true cost of a product from acquisition to warehouse to
delivery to the retail stores with such issues as transportation, storage,
handling, etc. It goes beyond just looking at the cost to purchase the
product and the selling price of the product. As such, the odd prices are
most likely generated from a pricing algorithim and accepted as is unless
the analyst decides to adjust them.

I bought a new HP computer at Staples, and recently started into
creating a set of rescue disks. It was mystifying. I resorted to
Newsgroups and here. Last night, I Googled HP and noticed a chat. I
tried it. It was busted. I noticed something about contact them for
support. I called. I found out I had a year of free support any time.

I have no recollection of Staples telling me anything about this, other
than I had a year of parts replacement. Today I went over and looked at
their PCs, and found none mentioned free HP support, but did offer, for
a price, their care. BTW, I did dig out a support phone number (I don't
think they mentioned free) from HP's minimal getting started booklet,
which seems very h/w oriented. HP answered my questions satisfactorily.

So to me this looks like Staples as less than honest about what one gets
with computers bought there.

In that case, the first recommendation I have is to come up with
(borrow/copy/create) a genuine bootable XP installation CD (if your
new system came with XP). You may find that a lot handier later if
your system doesn't boot some day.

Not telling you about something is not the same as not being honest.

There are good bargains to be had at these stores - especially in the
electronics department.

A "trick" for shopping these places (Staples, Office Depot especially)
is to pay special attention to the price. If the price does not end
in .99, that item is discontinued and reduced for quick sale.
Reasonable offers accepted.

If you see a price ending in .97, .92, .68 etc. - make them an offer.
25-50% of the display price (or less) even.

If the sales person doesn't know anything what you are talking about,
speak to the manager. Somebody put that goofy price on there and
knows what it means. They know what you're talking about. If the
manager doesn't know, find the correct manager or call the next day
and talk to them on the phone.

It may be a display item with a few miles on it or be scratched, they
may not have the right box or power cord, but you will get it cheap.
Computer, TVs, printers, cameras, etc. They usually have the same
warranty. It not, you can always walk.

Make an offer!

 

[W. eWatson]

<snipped>



That's good - but your *warning* was incomplete in my opinion - so I added
to it.

I know that in my local big box stores - just because a salesperson pushes
an item - it does not necessarily reflect interest of the type you would
want. The person pushing it often does not know much about the item, may
have not actually ever used it, could have started work yesterday.

It was the store manager, and I do know he's very savvy about computers.
I think his tech staff is pretty savvy too. I've talked to them a
number of times.

My point is still that most people should not buy their computers from big
box stores and should also not take them there for repairs.

Thanks, but I guess we disagree about the purchase.

 

[W. eWatson]

<snipped>


That's good - but your *warning* was incomplete in my opinion - so I added
to it.

I know that in my local big box stores - just because a salesperson pushes
an item - it does not necessarily reflect interest of the type you would
want. The person pushing it often does not know much about the item, may
have not actually ever used it, could have started work yesterday.

My point is still that most people should not buy their computers from big
box stores and should also not take them there for repairs.

Fundamentally, it comes down to the tried and true philosophy of a person
figuring out what his/she needs are and then buying a product to match the
needs. I've only ever bought direct from HP or DELL, but if for some reason
I had to buy from a retailer I'd still figure out what I needed first. Just
like buying a car, a house or insurance. You don't just walk into a store
and pick a machine like you're picking up a packet of pens.
I agree, but there's another story that I'm not going to go deeply into.
I had been there several times looking and asking about the PC over a
3 week period. Most of the time, the last 2 weeks, I was asking when
they were going to get another one. I finally put it to the manager
about the run-around. He was surprised, then went into the backroom and
came back with one.

My argument here is about the observation that they say not one wit on
their sales material about HP free tech support. It doesn't matter what
I did or didn't do. I would be willing to be if I went to Best Buy, they
would have it their sales description. The are 30 miles from here.

 

[W. eWatson]

While I can see whole dollar prices as possibly being indicitive of a
discontinued item, I find it unlikely that other odd prices such as .97,
.92, .68 have any significant meaning. Staples uses a pricing model that
looks at the true cost of a product from acquisition to warehouse to
delivery to the retail stores with such issues as transportation, storage,
handling, etc. It goes beyond just looking at the cost to purchase the
product and the selling price of the product. As such, the odd prices are
most likely generated from a pricing algorithim and accepted as is unless
the analyst decides to adjust them.



In that case, the first recommendation I have is to come up with
(borrow/copy/create) a genuine bootable XP installation CD (if your
new system came with XP). You may find that a lot handier later if
your system doesn't boot some day.

Not telling you about something is not the same as not being honest.

There are good bargains to be had at these stores - especially in the
electronics department.

A "trick" for shopping these places (Staples, Office Depot especially)
is to pay special attention to the price. If the price does not end
in .99, that item is discontinued and reduced for quick sale.
Reasonable offers accepted.

If you see a price ending in .97, .92, .68 etc. - make them an offer.
25-50% of the display price (or less) even.

If the sales person doesn't know anything what you are talking about,
speak to the manager. Somebody put that goofy price on there and
knows what it means. They know what you're talking about. If the
manager doesn't know, find the correct manager or call the next day
and talk to them on the phone.

It may be a display item with a few miles on it or be scratched, they
may not have the right box or power cord, but you will get it cheap.
Computer, TVs, printers, cameras, etc. They usually have the same
warranty. It not, you can always walk.

Make an offer!

I'm skipping over several messages just to see my response a few minutes
ago. Particularly note my mention of the mgr, and my claim their
approach has nothing to do with me, but has to do with the information
available to the customer. Other than that I am going to report this to
Consumer Reports.