Firms Prefer Suckers

Source: Office Depot Associates Routinely Lie about Notebook Stock reports that if you don't want the overpriced add-ons and warranties, that notebook is suddenly going to be out of stock.

What I'm wondering is whether (1) this stuff has always been going on; or (2) it's a result of improved information technology, which makes micro-monitoring of sales and profits easy; or (3) it's due to the recession.

If it is an information technology thing, then presumably consumers should be able to fight back with counter-information, but that seems like a terribly wasteful pair of transactions, a real Prisoner's Dilemma result as regards efficiency.

This entry was posted in Shopping. Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to Firms Prefer Suckers

  1. joe1 says:

    Like I needed another reason to avoid office depot. Still, they’re better than Incompetent USA (I forgot, chapter 7).

  2. howie says:

    Office Depot sucks. Staples seems more customer friendly.

  3. Patrick (G) says:

    I don’t know about notebook computers, but it reminds me of buying a car with certain options and having the dealer claim that a certain model will take weeks if not months to order from the manufacturer, but this similar car (with more expensive options) is on the lot right now…

  4. Joe1 says:

    It’s hard to build your own notebook computer. Not impossible, but hard. Building a desktop is relatively easy, especially after you mount the motherboard. In 15 years, I have bought exactly 2 desktop computers. I built 10 or so desktop computers with the components I wanted. Accordingly, my notebook computers tend to be underpowered, because I put all of the speed into the desktops. To me, computer salespeople are like frycooks at McDonald’s: I can do that, as well as they can, and probably better, and my outcomes are at least as good as anything they can manage.

  5. I would never buy an electronic at a store. Buying off a discount internet site or Ebay will ALWAYS save you hundreds of dollars.

Comments are closed.