Staples ordercare scam

[julesjones]

Just doing my writing business accounts for the month, and I notice on the invoice for my recent online order from Staples a small amount for "ordercare". Now, I don't remember ordering any such thing. A quick Google led me to this angry blog post on the great Staples ordercare scam which explained all. Staples has been quietly adding a surcharge for a premium returns service, said "service" being neither use nor ornament to the vast majority of customers, including me. I would note that I did *not* notice this as a line item in my itemised basket before pressing the "finish and pay" button, so presumably it was added at the last moment and I was expected to notice that the total was 5% larger than it ought to have been.

Not impressed. This is a scam, pure and simple. For 38p it's not worth my time making their life miserable over it, but it does mean they're a lot less likely to get my custom in future -- and I spend rather more in the bricks-n-mortar store than they made out of me in this online order for something my local doesn't carry in-store.

Comments

[watervole]

Cheeky buggers! Not being able to default it to 'off' is the real killer.

[the_magician]

As far as I can see, the main "benefits" of OrderCare are:

1) you can return goods that are normally excluded from their returns policy (specifically
"OrderCare also allows you to return those products excluded from our standard policy such as laptops, selected business machines and software (provided they are unopened and unused only)"

Without OrderCare you can return your mailordered goods within 7 days and they pay for the shipping, or within 30 days (but you pay £3.50 plus VAT (if applicable))

With OrderCare you can return your goods for up to 12 months with free shipping.

So if you order five boxes of envelopes, and ten months later find you still have four boxes unused on your shelf, you can send back the other four for a full refund, at no cost to you.

Whether this is worth the 1.85% extra or not, is up to you.

And yes, having to click it *off* everytime is really annoying.

http://www.staples.co.uk/wrapper.aspx?param=help_faq_answer_39

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

I use Staples a lot (usually ordering by phone) but you have to be careful to say loudly and clearly that you do not want ordercare. It's added as a default - right at the end.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Haven't I heard recently that firms that apply charges such as Ordercare can be made to give it back - with compensation on top? Or is that just the credit card 'insurance' thing?

Don't do business with them.

[(Anonymous)]

I've just come across this scam, an extra 46p added on. From my point of view it is worth making their life a misery. Have asked for refund. Will tell everyone I know not to do business with them ever. If we let this go scams like this will surface everywhere and what will life be like then? Avoid Staples at all costs, NEVER buy from them.