Tuesday
Jan102012
My experience with Staples today
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 2:47PM
Had a very strange experience with a company today and thought I would share it.
I have been a staples customer for well over a decade. I have a reseller account with a tax reseller ID on file, which means I don't pay sales tax on items I intend on reselling. I also am a premier rewards customer which means you get better benefits, no wait customer service and free shipping on any order, not just the normal over $50. I typically spend between $10k and $15k a year with them.
Well I placed an order a few days ago and went online to see the estimated delivery date today and saw that order said Cancelled with no explanation why. I called up customer service who sent me to another department who after checking with someone else gave me this explanation... Basically they told me that they have the right not to sell to anyone they want and since I sometimes appear to be buying items to resell they have closed my account. Again, its always been a reseller account with a legal reseller tax ID linked to it.
Upon pushing and pushing them as to how this made no sense, The rep just kept repeating that its their privilege not to sell to resellers if they don't want to. First, they have had me as a reseller for over 10 years. Second, I am just a one man business, not Best Buy. Third, if I am buying it or if John Doe is walking in an buying it, we pay the same price and they make the same profit, I do not get any discounts.
I asking them to have someone higher up contact me back, which they said someone would do today, did not happen.
So I ask myself what was accomplished for them? Are these sales they would make anyway? No. As I will just have to purchase these items somewhere else. Are they loosing money by selling them to me? No. Their profit was the same no matter who buys the item. Did they loose money by doing this? Absolutely as that's 10-15 thousands dollars a year in sales they don't get.
I'm not Staples competition. I am not undermining their prices. I am a paying customer with a long history in good standing with them.
I used staples as one of my many suppliers because they sometimes had great deals. Offered free shipping. I got my items fast and the website was easy to order from.
So do I spend more time trying to clear this up with them or just take my business else ware?
Undecided at this time. But this has certainly changed my mind about a company I once liked and was happy to give my business to. Now all I can think about is the bad taste this ridiculous action on their part as left me with when I hear the name Staples.
I have been a staples customer for well over a decade. I have a reseller account with a tax reseller ID on file, which means I don't pay sales tax on items I intend on reselling. I also am a premier rewards customer which means you get better benefits, no wait customer service and free shipping on any order, not just the normal over $50. I typically spend between $10k and $15k a year with them.
Well I placed an order a few days ago and went online to see the estimated delivery date today and saw that order said Cancelled with no explanation why. I called up customer service who sent me to another department who after checking with someone else gave me this explanation... Basically they told me that they have the right not to sell to anyone they want and since I sometimes appear to be buying items to resell they have closed my account. Again, its always been a reseller account with a legal reseller tax ID linked to it.
Upon pushing and pushing them as to how this made no sense, The rep just kept repeating that its their privilege not to sell to resellers if they don't want to. First, they have had me as a reseller for over 10 years. Second, I am just a one man business, not Best Buy. Third, if I am buying it or if John Doe is walking in an buying it, we pay the same price and they make the same profit, I do not get any discounts.
I asking them to have someone higher up contact me back, which they said someone would do today, did not happen.
So I ask myself what was accomplished for them? Are these sales they would make anyway? No. As I will just have to purchase these items somewhere else. Are they loosing money by selling them to me? No. Their profit was the same no matter who buys the item. Did they loose money by doing this? Absolutely as that's 10-15 thousands dollars a year in sales they don't get.
I'm not Staples competition. I am not undermining their prices. I am a paying customer with a long history in good standing with them.
I used staples as one of my many suppliers because they sometimes had great deals. Offered free shipping. I got my items fast and the website was easy to order from.
So do I spend more time trying to clear this up with them or just take my business else ware?
Undecided at this time. But this has certainly changed my mind about a company I once liked and was happy to give my business to. Now all I can think about is the bad taste this ridiculous action on their part as left me with when I hear the name Staples.
Reader Comments (2)
Have a call into the "presidents" office. Lets see if they call back.
So after speaking to the assistant to the VP of sales at Staples, it turns out that since i bought over $14,000 from them last year, I buy too much. Thats right Too Much! They said since they offer free shipping, they dont make enough money on me so they closed my online account. I was told i dont buy enough high profit items like Ink, so they dont want me to be able to order online and say I must drive the 30 minutes to the closest store if I want staples products.
What a company!