5 Star Deals and Service, but only a 3 Star website at OfficeDepot.com
Written: Oct 20 '05
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I wanted a nice computer chair for my boyfriend for Christmas, however I did not want to spend hundreds of dollars. I just don't think computer chairs are worth that much! OfficeMax is usually my one stop shop for supplies and furniture, but with their *cheapest* chair being 100$, and still not what I wanted, I decided to give OfficeDepot.com a try.
Now that the history lesson is over, let's get on to OfficeDepot.com
The Site
3 Stars
When I got to the site, YES I found what I wanted - but NO it was not easy. There is so much on this initial page that I was lost. Oddly enough I saw a small ad for a chair just like the one I wanted on the main page. I clicked it and was amazed it was only 50$! So it may seem like my product was one click away, but I am a comparison shopper. I wanted to find other chairs and see if this was the best deal.
I hardly noticed the Red links at the top that say "Office Supplies" and "Furniture" and "Technology". It took me about 5 minutes to realize that these were the only categories for products. So I clicked Furniture and then Chairs. Now I have so many choices, but what do I want? High Back, Leather, Mid Back, Adjustable? For me, I know nothing about chairs and I found myself clicking into every category because I just wasn't sure what they meant.
I also tried the links on the side "$50 and below" and other price ranges, but even if I clicked 50 and below, I still had to choose a category. Why can't I just see all the chairs?
When I finally found my chair, I was 1 cent short of getting free shipping. Since I always like to use mechanical pencils, I jumped over to the office supplies category. There was quite a few steps involved to get to mechanical pencils, but admittedly it was nicely broken down once I got there. (Hence the 3 stars).
When I finally went to check out, I created an account and filled in all my information. These screens were OK, but I didn't like that there was no "Review Your Order" page. Once you fill it in, it's over.
Finally, when I looked up my order the next day (the day I was suppose to receive it) the tracking info showed it as arriving on October 20th. This was scaring me since my mom was purposely staying home all day (October 19th) because of the expected shipment. The tracking info was wrong, and it was a good thing too. The product arrived on the 19th as originally stated.
Those are my only points about the site. It was usable, but sometimes hard to get to what I wanted. There is a lot of links, and a lot of information on every page. It takes some time to adjust.
The Service
5 Stars - but relative
The service for me was fantastic. I got next day delivery as promised. However, they deliver the products from your local Office Depot. My receipts had the local stores address on them. This is why my rating is relative. In the Metro-Detroit area, I got my product fast and in good condition, but I can't promise that same thing in other areas. I had been to my local Office Depot before so I trusted them. But be warned, if you don't like your local store you may not get good service.
The Products
4.5 Stars
The products are always of the highest quality. I'm not just talking online, but in store as well. I have not had a problem with the pens, pencils, folders or storage supplies I have bought in the past. The chair I received was a great chair. Very comfortable!
You should be warned about the labels/postcard things for the printer. I almost spent 40$ on a pack of Office Depot printable postcards, but decided to check OfficeMax first. It was only 20$ at OfficeMax with the only difference being the word Office Depot on the cover. For this reason, I check OfficeMax first for all my usual needs.
The Deals
5 Stars
They may be pricy on some items, but I do know a good deal when I see one. My chair was originally 200$. Due to a few sales going on, it was marked down to 49.99$!!! I couldn't pass this up. They also have a deal going on now, and I don't know if it's permanent, for FREE Next Day Delivery when you spend over 50$. Nothing beats free!
I noticed a few other sales and specials being advertised on the site, but I can't say how long these will be available for. I can say, it's worth a shot to see what's there because your local store won't have the same sales.
Overall
I couldn't quite give this site a full 5 stars since the actual site itself is not incredibly easy to use. As an internet-lover, I found everything I needed eventually, but I also had to go through a few avenues to get there. I can easily see someone less internet-savvy having problems surfing the site.
However, the 4 stars is still pretty dang good. I got my product fast and in good condition. I will shop there again!
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This review clocks in at 900 words!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Office Chair, Pencils
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Epinions.com ID:
vivasuzi
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Member: Suzanne
Location: USA!
Reviews written: 65
Trusted by: 100 members
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*Yawn*
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