I wrote a letter to Office Depot letting them know that I was unhappy that they advertised a digital camera for sale (Canon A80 for $199.99) when they knew that most of their stores in the NE region did not have any in stock.
They wrote back with a nice, apologetic email saying that they will try to make it up to me. What should I ask for? I want to be fair and reasonable. here is the text of their email:
"Thank you for contacting Office Depot regarding the Canon A80 which is
currently on sale but not available in your area. The item is indeed
on-sale at the clearance price of $199.99, with "limited quantities
available" and "while supplies last" specified in the advertisement.
However, there were none available in most of the Northeast at the time
the ad ran. Despite our advertising disclaimer, we still acknowledge
that this was a poorly-run advertisement, for it implies that there
should have been at least some supplies available in all markets where
the advertisement was run, but there were not. We never intend to cause
our customers disappointment or bad feelings as a result of our special
offers, we sincerely regret any inconvenience or frustration that this
issue has caused you, and we are certainly willing to work with you to
find an acceptable resolution for you. We appreciate you contacting us
about it and giving us the opportunity to "make this right" for you.
Unfortunately the item is discontinued and this sale is/was a clearance
sale. I can no longer even get the item for you from a delivery center
in another part of the country, as they have all already been moved into
the stores. I would be more than willing, but don't have a way to get
you the item at a later date for this price. Our merchants are aware of
the problem and are working on a "global" solution now, but I have not
yet been provided with a specific set of instructions for how to handle
this - such as an alternate that I could offer at the same price. If
you can locate another model with similar specifications I would be
willing to do a pricematch - or if you can give me a few days to work on
it I will locate a similar model for you. Or, well if you have any
other suggestions for how we could resolve this to your satisfaction, I
am certainly open and willing to consider them - please let me know.
All of us at Office Depot appreciate your business and your feedback and
will work hard to restore your confidence in our company. If I may be
of further assistance to you, either with this issue or in the future,
please don't hesitate to contact me.
"
They wrote back with a nice, apologetic email saying that they will try to make it up to me. What should I ask for? I want to be fair and reasonable. here is the text of their email:
"Thank you for contacting Office Depot regarding the Canon A80 which is
currently on sale but not available in your area. The item is indeed
on-sale at the clearance price of $199.99, with "limited quantities
available" and "while supplies last" specified in the advertisement.
However, there were none available in most of the Northeast at the time
the ad ran. Despite our advertising disclaimer, we still acknowledge
that this was a poorly-run advertisement, for it implies that there
should have been at least some supplies available in all markets where
the advertisement was run, but there were not. We never intend to cause
our customers disappointment or bad feelings as a result of our special
offers, we sincerely regret any inconvenience or frustration that this
issue has caused you, and we are certainly willing to work with you to
find an acceptable resolution for you. We appreciate you contacting us
about it and giving us the opportunity to "make this right" for you.
Unfortunately the item is discontinued and this sale is/was a clearance
sale. I can no longer even get the item for you from a delivery center
in another part of the country, as they have all already been moved into
the stores. I would be more than willing, but don't have a way to get
you the item at a later date for this price. Our merchants are aware of
the problem and are working on a "global" solution now, but I have not
yet been provided with a specific set of instructions for how to handle
this - such as an alternate that I could offer at the same price. If
you can locate another model with similar specifications I would be
willing to do a pricematch - or if you can give me a few days to work on
it I will locate a similar model for you. Or, well if you have any
other suggestions for how we could resolve this to your satisfaction, I
am certainly open and willing to consider them - please let me know.
All of us at Office Depot appreciate your business and your feedback and
will work hard to restore your confidence in our company. If I may be
of further assistance to you, either with this issue or in the future,
please don't hesitate to contact me.
"
