Staples
Extended Warranty

I purchased the extended warranty on a printer, based on the salesperson's statements to me that if I had a problem with the printer I could bring it back to the store for an immediate replacement. As I was purchasing the printer for my home office, and did not want to be without a printer if it broke, this sounded like a reasonable option. I purchased the two year "Date-of-Purchase, Technical Support & Protection Plan" for $29.99. When I had problems with the printer six months later, and could not fix the problem using telephone tech-support, I attempted to exchange the printer at the store. The store manager refused to abide by the terms of the warranty as they had been explained to me. When I questioned the manager and a salesperson about what the salespeople were telling their customers; I was told to leave the store or be arrested. I chose to leave the store and conduct my own investigation into what the Staples salespeople are telling customers to get them to buy the extended warranties.

I posed as someone interested in purchasing a printer and visited six Staples stores in the Denver area, two in the Orlando area, and five in the Portland, Oregon area. I found that all the salespeople misrepresented what the true terms and conditions of the extended warranty were. If it had been a small percentage of salespeople misrepresenting the terms and conditions; it may have indicated improper conduct on the part of individuals. However, when the sales pitch misrepresenting the terms and conditions is detailed and consistent from Orlando to Denver to Portland; it is my opinion that this represents a pattern of a business intentionally trying to mislead or defraud its customers. If you have had a similar experience, contact me at warrantyfraud.org

Company: Staples
Country: USA

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