The cashier first claimed that there was a limit of 5 cartridges per week, and then threatened to send Chris' picture to other stores. Finally, he confronted Chris, saying "I don't know where you're getting these, if you're stealing them... but it needs to cut down."

Chris writes:

I've finally had my first really angering customer service issue. But a little bit of background:

I run a computer repair business. Obviously, I'm constantly buying/selling computer supplies and equipment, and one of the things I get from customers and my vendors are empty ink cartridges. From my vendor they arrive assorted, so I take the ones I need for the models my customers have, and recycle the rest. I also get quite a few when customers upgrade printers. I recycle the empties at Staples, OfficeMax and Office Depot, since I don't do enough in volume to recycle directly with the ink companies. Each store gives you $3 per cartridge to spend at the store. It's a bit long to explain where I get them; and cashiers are puzzled when I tell them I run a computer repair business (since I'm only 20 and look young) so I usually say I get them from friends and it's done. Funny sidenote: once a cashier at Staples read my jacket that says my company name and said "So I guess you're going to give this money back to your employer, right?" Yep, I sure am.

At Staples, it's awesome. I'm actually on a friend basis with one of the cashiers, and when they gave out coupons for recycling cartridges, I would use them online all the time. For the reason of them having a robust online store with great prices and rebates, I spent close to $3700 after coupons with them in 2006. This year I'm almost at $1000, so I'm not a once-in-a-while customer. Staples recently changed to put the credit from recycling on your Staples Rewards card, but I don't plan on ramping down my spending given the great service I always receive.

At OfficeMax, it's a different story. They've never given out coupons, and their prices aren't that great in store or online. However, instead of recycling 3 ink cartridges for a total of $9 in credit, they allow you to recycle up to 5 cartridges for $15 in credit. This puts their prices back at being decent. Unfortunately, they don't have great prices in store/online, so I only buy in store with cartridges. I follow the rules, limit of 5/day/person. I have brought my girlfriend or a friend sometimes as well.

There's a single cashier/manager/something there that has a problem with me. To be honest, I don't even see him that much, but he feels like I'm taking the money out of his wallet when I use the cartridges for credit. It first started with him telling another cashier in a way to get me to overhear that there's a new limit of 5/week. BS. Then he outright lied to my father and I by saying that the coupon system was down, forcing me to drive to another store to get memory cards for my dad's camera.

Today was a new low. While checking out, he walked up to the checkstand and here's the conversation that ensued (he's Cashier, but not the one ringing me out, she's very nice):

Cashier: Excuse me if you don't mine[sic] me asking where did you get the cartridges?
Me: I get them from friends.
Cashier: That's impossible, you have too many of them. You come in with these and you come in with your girlfriend or a friend.
Me: (getting angry) OK, well, I'll go to the [redacted] store from now on.
Cashier: Well, I have you on camera, I'm gonna send your pictures to the other stores so they know to look out for you.
Me: At Staples, they have a box from HP - aren't you getting money for these?
Cashier: Yes well it needs to cut down.
Me: Let me ask you, am I taking the money from your wallet? Am I reaching in to your wallet and taking money out?
Cashier: No, but I'm in charge of it and it needs to cut down, I don't know where you're getting these, if you're stealing them or-
Me: No, I'm not stealing them.
Cashier: but it needs to cut down.
Me: OK.

Why would he be sending my picture around unless I've done something wrong?

I'm getting sick and tired of being treated like a common criminal because I use coupons. I play by their rules and still they don't like it. If they don't want to take coupons they should remove the program.

Thanks,
Chris

OfficeMax needs to realize that recycling is good, not bad. Try having a calm conversation with the cashier's manager, and explain your business and that you appreciate having an outlet to help you recycle. If that doesn't help, call corporate and ask the people running the MaxPerks program why their employees hate the environment.

(Photo: Getty)

He writes:

I recently ditched Windows XP at my house, and have moved to the Macintosh platform (and converted my PC machines to Ubuntu)

I've had zero issues with the conversion, except for my HP "all in one" scanner/pc/fax machine. Although I can get it to work just fine with Ubuntu, I cannot scan from OS X Leopard.

After some googling, I contacted HP support who informed me that there are no plans to update their drivers for Leopard. This is not an old printer, I bought it 4 years ago and I'd think it's in their best interest to support the segment of the market that's moving to Mac.

Instead of solving my problem with a new driver, they're trying to solve it by offering me a "trade in / trade up" program where they want me to buy a new HP printer. The only thing this will serve to do is to kill any brand loyalty I had to HP and cause me to never buy another HP product again.

I find it funny that the open source community can get scanning working just fine on Ubuntu, but a company like HP can't tweak their drivers to get it to work on a mac. C'mon HP, get it together!!!

Hello Matt,

Thank you for contacting HP Total Care.

With the Officejet 6110 & the Leopard OS, you will be able to print dew to the pre-installed print driver with the OS. For scanning, there is no software and drivers that will support this. There will be no software updates for this product and the Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard). We do have a program called trade in trade up. This is where you can trade the older unit in on a newer model. If you would like more information about this program, please reply to this email. Thank you

If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.

You may receive an e-mail survey regarding your e-mail support experience. We would appreciate your feedback.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our Web site at: http://www.hp.com/go/totalcare

Sincerely,
Scott W.
HP Total Care

Can anyone think of a way to translate the scanner's outdated language for Leopard? Suggestions in the comments.

HP and Staples won't comment on the lawsuit right now while they're reviewing it, but CMP, a marketing company for the technology industry, contacted various partners of Hewlett-Packard to get their opinions. One HP partner told them he wouldn't be surprised if an agreement existed:

That is how big box retailers can make their money [selling products like printer supplies], by sometimes selling at ridiculously low prices. I can't beat those prices. The only way I can make money is through services. In turn, Staples probably has an agreement with HP to sell a certain amounts of cartridges.

"I have a hard time believing HP paid Staples market development funds because of the way the industry works," Senecal said. "HP does not permit use of market development funds for discounting products. HP states throughout their market development program that market development funds can't be used for discounting products. I don't believe they would make a whole separate agreement with Staples from the entire channel."

Seneca said it is possible Staples is acting on its own to further sales of HP printing products. "I'm sure Staples is trying to differentiate itself as a reseller of HP by being more attuned to the HP product line."

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When I called the main number,I was asked by the computer what product I was called about (Printers), then department (support), and asked the type of printer (pixma).  They said "You are now being transfered to our Virginia based customer service center."

...after a minute, they offered to call *me* back after 3-5 minutes when a agent was available.  Wow.  No listening to hold music.  I can dig that. Three minutes later the phone rang, connected me immediately and a friendly southern gentlemen (perhaps on the veranda with a mint julep) answered and I asked him to describe the markings of the power cable that went in the back of the printer.  He said he wasn't sure, but parts should know. I was transferred to parts and the guy was looking the info up, but coming up short on what the cable would look like.

I figured this could be a lost cause, so I asked how much it was (figuring $10-$15 and getting it resolved quickly).  The guy said "Since we should be able to tell you something simple like that, and we can't, I'll send the cord no charge."

(thanks to Dave!)

All but one of the middle-ranked printers are priced around $100 (the odd one out is $150). The clear winner is the Epson PictureMate Dash PM 260, an inkjet printer that averages a competitive 25 cents per print (similar to online services) and is fast and easy to use.

The worst of the bunch is the Panasonic KX-PX2M, and Slate's reviewer flat-out states, "Don't buy this printer." Lines ran through every print, it doesn't accept CF cards, the controls are hard to use, and customer support is incomplete.

Oddly, though, if you look at the actual image samples in the article, the bottom-ranking Panasonic seems to have some of the most accurate color reproduction of the bunch, while top-pick Epson's prints are all clearly too red. Did the scans not correctly capture the visual quality? Is the writer color blind? Am I? This is why we hate printing photographs.

"Photo Finish: What's the top photo printer?" [Slate]
(Photo: Getty)

Morawska did not originally set out to study printers. She was invited by the Queensland Department of Public Works to measure air quality inside a six-floor office building near a busy road.

The scientists quickly noticed that during the workday, particle levels were much higher indoors than out. Indoor particle levels reached as high as 625,986 particles per square inch, compared with 178,619 particles per square inch outside the building.

Printers were clearly the culprit: Copy machines and a break room microwave were not among the main particle sources.

The researchers then analyzed air quality near each printer after it had printed one page, and used this data to categorize printers by the amount of particles released. Particle levels rose as soon as the printer started.

That Printer At The Office May Be Ruining Your Health [LA Times]
Particle Emission Characteristics of Office Printers [Environmental Science and Technology]
(Photo: thraxil)

Ink-jet lies [Spending Smart]

Everything I have given is accurate as of the last day I worked there. It's not that HP is a bad company. People just need to know what they are getting themselves in to when they buy HP.

1: Yes, the imaging drum/image transfer assembly will stop the printer from working if you go over the page count. Anything with the word "transfer." Be careful with the NV ram reset because it erases everything.

2: Support for home computing products is done via flow chart.

3: HP considers countries like Canada to be not worth the time or effort to market to. The market base in there is equivalent to one of the smaller American States. If you are calling in from Canada, you have to prove that you are in warranty and some of the features that Americans get, Canadians don't.

4: Often heard from US customers: "Thank god you speak American! You're not someone from Inja(India)!" Even CSRs hate dealing the HP outsource center in India. I wasn't joking about speaking a "variant of American." Yes, I speak English.

5: Back door link to HP. Only for onsite Tech Support: http://learning.compaq.com/wbt/e9-10200-wb/default.htm
This has stuff like how to field strip your products. Info varies by products.

6: Outsourced companies pay their people crap and like all things, you get what you pay for. If it were to become unionized, the company would fold up like a house of cards.

7: With regards to HP Parts: Here's an example of a conversation had by a CSR: "Oh, you haven't gotten your wingding yet? Okay, you should have gotten that a couple of days ago. Can I put you on hold while I deal with that?" (uses other line to call HP Parts, sees on his screen what is in his inventory) "Hey, this is Dude over in CSR, how come Mr. Yoda hasn't gotten his wingding yet?"
"Oh, we're all out."
"No you're not! I can see 16 on the availability!"
"Oh, sorry, I meant its on hold cause its a duplicate order."
"No its not - its the first order done for this customer in a year."
"Oh the customer must have ordered it wrong then."
"No, we did the order for the customer."
"Well, there's nothing that we can do then."
"Tell ya what - go do the job you were trained for or my next call is to your supervisor and he will do what he was trained for and fire you. Now get that wingding out Pronto!"
"You can't do that."
"I'm HP Internal, and I have a customer on my line. You will do it now." (back to customer) "Sorry, for the delay sir. I will have that wingding out to you via (shipping) right away. Can I call you back in a couple days to make sure you've got it?"
Now, multiply the above by many calls and many irate CSRs per day and you'll wind up with a memo on your desk that says CSRs can not talk to Parts.

The most frustrating part of being a CSR at the outsource center is when you call up the customer a few days later and no, they haven't gotten the part you promised them they'd get and then you get your ear chewed off.

8: I just wish I could give you the "stupid customer stories" because some of them are hilarious. Others are hair pulling. There's the one customer who used an HP printer from Eastern European country and plugged it straight into an American electrical socket and the magic blue smoke came out. Then there's a customer who thought that printing cardboard was a good idea because the sales guy told them so.

9: In training our trainer said that if it takes longer than 30 minutes to troubleshoot (low end printer) we are then costing HP money and should just replace it.

— BEN POPKEN

Previously: 14 Hewlett-Packard Company Secrets From A Former Employee

A former Hewlett-Packard worker could barely wait for their non-disclosure-agreement to end so they could spill 14 company secrets to The Consumerist.

1: Many HP Printers, like their laser printers, have a built-in page-count after which they won't work. This resides in the a transpart sometimes called image or drum kit. Rather than get the printer fixed, it's often cheaper to buy a new printer, OR you can do a NV ram reset. It resets everything in the printer, including all the page counts, but it's not without risks.

2: To get past the voice prompt system, repeatedly say "Agent." It will take two or three repetitions, but it will get you to a human.

3: If a set of cartridges cost more than the printer, don't buy the printer. It's considered a "throwaway" printer. HP service techs are told to spend no more than 30 minutes working on these because at that point, you are costing HP money.

[Photo: forester401]

4: HP cartridges have a warranty separate from their printer. The printer might be out of warranty, but the cartridges might not be. Cartridge goes plooey, call in.

5: Any HP printer that has been on the market for 6 months has its tech support outsourced. This means you might wind up talking to India, Canada or Costa Rica. Of the three, Canada at least speaks a variant of American.

6: If you have been told that you will receive a part by a certain date, follow up immediately. HP Parts Store was recently moved to Central America. HP Parts Store isn't talking to HP Tech Support because the Tech Support CSR can see what is in the HP PS inventory and knows when they're bullshitting. Every other part of HP hates HP Parts Store because of lost inventory, improper procedures, missed shipments, etc.

7: Using non-HP cartridges in your printer will void your warranty, and sometimes makes stuff blow up real good. The tech support will hang up on you if it is proven that the damage was caused by non-HP cartridges.

8: Just because the sales people say that your HP printer can use 120lbs paper doesn't mean it actually can. You want the straight dope on a printer? Call up HP tech support or check the website.

9: If your printer is just out of warranty and you have a problem with it, call tech support anyway. You will first likely be directed to a "warranty agent." Tell them firmly that you have an "extended warranty" and they will forward you on to tech support under "customer claims warranty." The Tech Agent MUST give you support as per HP policy.

10: Don't yell at the Tech Support CSRs. Most of them make just over minimum wage and just want to get the call over. If you have a problem, firmly request a supervisor.

11: If you threaten a lawsuit, HP CSRs are told to stop the call immediately and hang up.

12: Many HP CSRs are cross-trained into other departments. It doesn't hurt to ask if they know about the product or problem if you get misrouted.

13. HP's Beta Software website is at: http://www.hp.com/pond/ljbeta/. Only beta because it hasn't been put on the distribution cds yet. A lot of drivers here will do stuff that the installation cds won't. Also has fixes. HP maintains similar unadvertised websites throughout their system...

14. http://www.hp.com/pond/pnp Point and print = a new hp toy.

— BEN POPKEN

Loosely in honor of 9/11, here's an American soldier in Iraq expressing his dissatisfaction with an HP printer. With his automatic rifle. According to the original post on Break.com, after they sent this in to HP, they received a free new printer in return.

Part two of our former Hewlett-Packard CSR heart spilling describes the stressful call center conditions. He wishes HP had on-site counsellors round the clock. If you lasted over 6 months, you were considered a veteran.

Sorry to hear your job was so stinky. Here's three letters for you: G...E...D.

His letter, inside.

"ps.. make this anon. I'm going to have to delete this email in a bit. I don't want my informants to get in deep doggy doo over leaking this info. My NDA died last week between me and the call centre so I don't care, but theirs is still supposedly in force. But, as I was told in training, they don't really care if "spouses, family and significant others" find out the inside information. They can't force their techs to stay quiet, especially with the high stress job with low pay. They need a way to vent somehow and family and friends are the main way. They supposedly have access to "free counselling" but that's hit or miss. They really need on site councillors available 24/7, but there's no way the company would ever pay for it.

So, we get the worst of it. I could tell you stories about customers, procedures, faulty service manuals and more. There are certain printers that the CSRs cringe when they hear about them coming in. Or about how the outsourced company's policy of calling back customers for no less than 6 days was described by HP as akin to stalking. The CSRs are very happy that now all they have to do is tell the customer to call back if there are problems. They were spending all their time calling customers instead of letting calls come in and their "service levels" dropped.

Burn/drop out for the company is easily 70% or more. If you can last there 6 months, you are a veteran of the company and you might have a chance of getting "off the floor" which is the goal of every CSR there. I lasted 3 weeks.

Others in my training class lasted between 1 day and several months. I saw one there after a year. It is almost a rite of passage in this town to be fired from the outsourced company at least once. To say that you were fired from there is not a mark of shame on your resume - it shows that you had the guts to do the McJob they offer. Doesn't matter if you were there one day or one year. You were there."

He advises not buying any of them because you could be way screwed if it breaks down. The parts department is beefing with the tech CSRs and is telling the CSRs no spare parts are available, even though the inventory screen shows several are.

If you have a broke HP printer, our tipster advises waiting a month for a "new to you" printer (i.e. refurb), or participating in the "trade in/trade up" program.

More of his letter, inside.

"If your [3000 series] model breaks down, there are NO replacement parts. For some models, it could be 6 months or more before the parts will be available. Some are only back ordered by two months, others by a year or more. One part in particular is not expected until 2008! HP doesn't want to admit this but it has been a nightmare, especially for the CSRs dealing with irate customers.

As for the irate customers, the Parts Department is specifically refusing to take calls from the CSRs doing tech support because of the fubar over the parts with the 3000 series. So the CSRs heard from their supervisors to simply hand out the number to Parts and have the customers yell specifically at them. Doesn't help the situation at all and all it really does it just frustrate the customers even more. The CSRs can see that the parts are available on their screens so they know that Parts is just bullshavicking, but a customer doesn't have access to that information.

One conversation one of my informants had with parts went something like this:
Parts: The reason why the customer didn't get their part on July 14th is because its backordered
CSR: Then why does it say that you have 12 in stock?
Parts: Oh. Um. Let me get back to you on that."