Kartz sent a message to Roland C. Smith Chairman and CEO, Office Depot, Inc. that said:
Cooperate Manager
Office Depot
This letter is to inform you of a very unpleasant experience as a customer in the Montgomery, Alabama, Ann Street store on Friday, August 7, 2015. I first visited the store on Wednesday, 08/06/15 and spoke with Trey about purchasing the HP Pavillion converible laptop on sale for $529.00. The display for that computer was not tuned on and neither did the salesman attempt to turn it on. It was turned off the entire time I questioned him about the system. I finally told him that I would return on Friday to purchase this computer because I would be able to purchase it "tax free," (Alabama Tax Free Weekend).
When I retuned on Friday the display was tuned on but not functioning. I asked a salesperson to allow me to see the cumputer on display operate. That salesperson then called salesperson Adrian to assist. Salesperson Adrian said that the display was not functioning because a child had downloaded a game on it in the store and as a result, this cumputer was virus infected. I then asked him to allow me to purchase a new cumputer like this one with the insentive of providing a free recovery disk for the system since I was inconvienienced by not being allowed to see the system operate.
Salesperson Adrian, called the floor manager, Trey, who said that he would open a computer to allow me to see it operate. He also said that if I did not purchase the cumputer, he would put it back in the box and sell it. I told him that I would not purchase an open cumputer, because as a customer, I should be able to purchase an unopened cumputer and I should also be afforded the opportunity to see how the processor works from a display status, just as every other customer would.
He insisted that if he opened a cumputer, I would have to purchase the opened cumputer instead of one unopened. I then asked if there was a display at another store and if they (Trey or Adrian) would call and check. Adrian checked and said there was one at the Vaughn Road store, however none were instock there for purchase.
I purchased the computer at the Ann Street store anyway along with a 2 year protection plan. The sales clerk sold me a protection plan for a desktop instead of for a laptop. When I went to the Vaughn Road store to "check out the display, I had to exchange the protection plan for the correct one. I was not told that they did not have a cumputer like the one I puchased in their inventory.
I have purchased 3 computers from Office Depot in the last 10 years. I have never had such an unpleasant experience as the one I had today. I do not feel that I was treated fairly as a valued customer because there were no concessions made for my inconvieniences. I ended up going to 2 different stores to complete 1 purchase and no one has apologized for it or attempted to compensate for this poor service.
I am anxiously awaiting your reply. Thank you for your consideration.
