Staples Canada – Worst Customer Service
On Sunday, November 19, 2011, I purchased two HP laptops from Staples. The cost for both laptops was over $1000.00. On Tuesday, November 29, 2011 my son informed me that the screen on one of the laptops was cracked. The same day (two days after the expiration of the 14 day return policy) I attempted to return this to the store where it was purchase.
I was advised by the manager that it could not be returned as I did not have the original box. According to the manager, the refund policy requires that the purchase must be returned in saleable condition with the original packaging.
I had brought the laptop back to the store in the box for the second laptop, as the box for the broken laptop had been discarded. I had receipts for both laptops with me and presented these to the manager. He then began to challenge me as to why I had one box and not the other. I have no idea what he was attempting to demonstrate by this confrontation, but it was clear he was trying to imply some misrepresentation on my part. I explained I had one box and not the other.
He then claimed that there was no proof that I bought the laptop from Staples. I showed him the receipt. He informed me that this wasn’t proof.
He then challenged me as to why I had brought the laptop in now and not sooner. He told me it was not in saleable condition. I pointed out that of course it was not in saleable condition as the screen was cracked.
I told him that I brought it in because I’d noticed it was broken. Please note – this laptop is two weeks old. I told him that the only thing that had happened recently was that my cat had stepped on the closed case. His response was “Aha.” When I asked him what he meant by that he told me that I broke it. I told him that a cat stepping on a closed case should not crack the screen, unless it was faulty to begin with. He then told me that “These things aren’t bullet proof”. I advised him that I had not shot a bullet at the screen and that a two week old laptop screen should not crack unless there is a flaw in the manufacture.
He reiterated that he would not accept the return. I asked for other options. He told me there were none. I asked about the manufacturer, and was advised “you can try them but they won’t do anything.” I asked to speak to someone more senior to him. He advised there was no one senior to him. When pressed he gave me the name of the District Manger, but refused to provide direct contact information for this individual. He told me I had to go through Staples Customer Service.
Throughout, this man’s behaviour was not only the poorest customer service I have ever experienced, but he was smug, insulting and ineffectual. I was totally disgusted. I will never shop at Staples again although I have been a customer for ten years or more.
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.
March 31st, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Physical damage is never covered, you should know that. You can’t return a physically damaged product.
April 2nd, 2012 at 10:41 am
In the first place, that is not true. Some warranties cover physical damage. Sellers like Staples often claim that nobody covers physical damage but the warranty on a laptop I recently bought at Canada Computers did. Secondly, even if the product cannot be accepted for return, that is no excuse for treating the customer discourteously.
June 5th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Staples flyers showed the iPad 2 on sale for $419. I went to the store to buy one but was told they didn’t have any in stock but it would be delivered on Monday – Tuesday at the absolute latest – if I could come back and pick it up then. Of course I had to pay ahead of time. So I questioned the salesperson at length – explaining this was a prize at a convention and I could not risk it being late. He gave me his word. In fact he even went into the back room to phone the supplier to make sure they were in stock. I can’t read his name fully but it started with Kunij at the Scarborough store. It was quite a detailed conversation. By Wednesday I had not heard from Staples so I tried to phone. Wednesday morning I placed 11 phone calls. I never successfully reached a human being in any of the departments listed. Finally I drove there. I actually wanted to know if a) my order was in and b) if the sale was still on because I now needed a second iPad. The salesman checked and determined the order was not in. I asked if he had Galaxy Tablets were in stock. They were not either mysteriously. He told me my order would probably be in that day because the shipment hadn’t arrived yet. I told him about the problems with the phone system and he seemed surprised which I found odd since this has been the situation at Staples for years now. Anyway – I went down the street a block and bought the second Ipad for the same price at BestBuy. No fuss. No muss. Good service.
Today we’re now nearly 2 weeks from the time I placed the order. I finally had to call head office to get a live person because again my calls have all failed to get a live person. This person called the store in question (if any of you are going through the same thing just dial ext 221 I found out) and called me back to tell me there was a minimum 2 week wait for orders. So that means 2 different sales people told me untruths to my face. Needless to say I need to go back to Best buy and buy another one as they are reputable retailers and Staples – after being my favorite store to buy technology for 15 years (I buy a LOT of it) – will not see another penny from me. Sadly I have to go in that store one more time to cancel the order that never arrived. I am fully expecting to engage in battle over that.
The Staples of today is not the Staples of yesterday. I recommend it be avoided.
December 26th, 2013 at 4:58 pm
I ordered a chair online, received it in the box already damaged to the point we cannot assemble it properly and they expect us to pay for another one first before they replace it and even then I am out my money for around 10 days. Bottom line, is NEVER order anything from Staples as they do not stand behind the products they sell.