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Staples Customer Appreciation
12% Off
Vald: March 19-25
Offer valid for in-store purchases only. Excludes personal computers, laptops,
built-to-order computers, gift cards, phone cards and postage stamps. Price matching on competitor products
will not be permitted. Cannot be used with any other offer.
Though the originally linked page doesn't seem to be providing any more coupons, this one is! NOTE: You may need to refresh a few times to find the Staples ad.
PC World magazine has an article on the E18 problem, Digital Camera Disasters: Will Yours Get Fixed?, and they mentioned my blog!
Yes, I'm getting a noticeable increase in the number of hits.
Digital Camera Disasters: Will Yours Get Fixed?
One widespread camera problem gets out-of-warranty repairs, another gets a lawsuit.
Grace Aquino, special to PC World
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Two major digital camera problems, a lens issue with Canon cameras and an image sensor defect found in many different companies' models, continue to plague owners but have drawn entirely different company responses.
The long-standing "E18" controversy, named after an error that displays when the lens can no longer extend or retract, is in the forefront again. Users with Canon point-and-shoots, including the A and SD product lines, have long complained of the problem.
Canon has not reported any defect with the cameras and typically doesn't pay to repair affected cameras that are out of warranty.
In stark contrast, a host of companies acknowledge a defective image sensor in various camera models and offer free out-of-warranty repairs. Canon, Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh, and Sony all have issued service advisories about faulty CCDs in older cameras, camcorders, and camera-enabled PDAs that result in drastically smeared or blurred pictures.
E18 Errors
Tony Hartshorn from Santa Barbara, California, says he "loves" using his Canon PowerShot A70. But when the camera was about two years old, sporadic E18 errors escalated to the point that the lens barrel was incorrectly aligned and couldn't retract properly, Hartshorn wrote in an e-mail.
He hoped Canon would "cut him a break," he says, due to the large number of E18 complaints on the Web. But when he sent his out-of-warranty camera to Canon for repair, the company offered to either fix his A70 for $108 or sell him a refurbished A75 (a slight upgrade) for the same price. He opted to repair the camera, and "no explanation [for the problem] accompanied the repaired camera," Hartshorn said in his e-mail. But he says he got the impression during conversations with Canon reps that something like dust or sand had gotten into the space around the barrel.
Canon says the E18 error arises when anything prevents the lens from properly extending or retracting. For example, the lens can freeze or stick if a camera is subjected to external shock or if any substance (such as liquid, sand, or dirt) seeps into the unit, says the company. Or, if a camera powers on while inside a bag and something prevents the lens from extracting, a user could be affected, Canon says.
Not Our Fault, Users Say
The ongoing controversy centers around Canon camera owners who insist that they did not cause their camera woes and feel Canon should fix the problems for free. They've made their stories known on a range of Internet user forums and blogs, including those on Digital Photography Review, Imaging Resource, and The Juggle Zone.
To help keep your camera problem-free, Canon recommends not touching the lens or its surrounding area. The company also suggests that you make sure the power is off before storing your camera in its case.
If you get hit with the dreaded E18 error, and turning the camera off and on again doesn't take care of it, Canon suggests contacting the store where you bought the unit, taking it to the nearest service center, or calling Canon's tech support at 800/828-4040.
If your camera is still under warranty and you need to send it to Canon, the company's tech support says it will examine E18 problems on a case-by-case basis to decide if the warranty covers the repairs. But if the warranty has expired, you will pay.
ConsumerAffairs.com reported last fall that the Chicago-based law firm of Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of camera owners affected by the E18 problem. Neither Canon nor the law firm would comment on the pending litigation. A San Francisco-based law firm, Girard Gibbs & De Bartolomeo, is also looking into the matter.
Image Sensor Defects
Another camera problem hits a range of cameras that were manufactured between 2002 and 2004 in locales with heavy heat and humidity. Defective image sensors can malfunction, causing the unit to produce badly distorted or discolored photos. Konica Minolta's Web site has samples of pictures taken with defective sensors.
If your camera has or develops this problem, manufacturers generally provide free repairs, even if the warranty has expired. However, some companies set an end date for repair. Sony, for example, will provide free repairs on the CCD problem until October 2, 2007. If you had already paid to fix this flaw before the advisory was issued, you may be eligible for a refund. Also, Olympus's technical support says it will automatically replace affected cameras with certain serial numbers, even if the product hasn't exhibited any of the problems.
You're at a Country Fair, and there's a booth with a card game. The rules are simple - turn over 2 cards. If they're the same color (red or black), you win $5!
The only complicated part is there are two options:
3 cards (2 black, 1 red)
4 cards (2 black, 2 red)
The 3 card version costs $3 to play
The 4 card version costs $2 to play
Which would you play?
NOTE: Don't go Googling this! Try to decide/figure it out on your own.
I've been a member of Mypoints for years (and years). In fact, I've been a member since MyPoints and BonusMail were two different companies that have since merged (and they allowed you to merge points). I've earned over 20,000 points, mostly through reading email. That enough points for >$100 in gift cards, or various other rewards.
Sign up now!
Check out the ad in the top right corner.
NOTE: Use IE - it will work (better).
Ev'reward compares the cashback available through various programs. Handy stuff.
I had been debating waiting for the credit to show before actually picking up the TV, but got tired of trying to watch TV on my 17" LCD TV from across the room. With concern that the TV box wouldn't fit in my car, I borrowed a van and headed to CC to pick up the new TV. While checking out they were able to confirm that their system showed the approved PM. The box was huge! 33"W x 23"D x 27"H, and 100 pounds!
Upon bringing it home I encountered only one main problem - connecting all of the cables. While I could have opted to follow the same connection style I had used with the old TV (which had very few inputs), I decided to take full advantage of the many connections on the new TV. In particular, I planned to connect the DVD player using the component connection, VCR using a composite connection (and coaxial), leaving the other rear composite connection and S-video connection for hooking up my laptop (or theoretical future HTPC). The front composite connection was to remain unused.
I thought everything was going well (especially considering that I had to plug all the cables in blindly - once in position I couldn't see behind the TV. However no matter what I did I couldn't get the display right on the DVD player. At first, it had a red tint. So I played with the cables and then it had a blue tint. This time I tried playing with the DVD settings, to no avail. Next I tried using the S-video connection for the DVD player, but again had a blue display. I toyed with the DVD player settings and next thing I knew I had fuzz. And I couldn't get rid of the fuzz. I had someone changed an important setting, and couldn't see the display to figure out how to change it back. I tried looking online for ideas, but didn't find much. The reset ideas I did find didn't help. Next I turned to the manual. After a few tries I was able to reset the DVD player, but it was still blue. So I gave up, and reverted to composite.
But I wasn't satisfied, so I tried again later. And I got it to work. I've now decided that I must have mixed up a couple of the component cables, which I unplugged and re-plugged in between giving up and trying the second time. Regardless, everything is now hooked up as planned, and the picture is beautiful! The only thing left to wait for is the PM credit.
Dell has gotten even funnier. 6+ months ago I neglected to use a coupon on an order, so I reordered, then had difficulty canceling the first order. Dell's solution was to not only pay to ship back the first order, but to provide me with a $35 concession coupon.
The concession coupon had a 6 month expiration on it, and I neglected to use it in time. I only remembered I had it as I was ordering a computer for a friend and figured I'd try to throw it in, to no avail. As a shot in the dark I emailed Dell to see if there was anything they do. I didn't really have much hope, so I didn't push hard at all. In fact, my message was just, "It seems the coupon below expired. Is there any way you could re-issue it?"
Dell's long-winded response seems to have been written by the Circuit City guy's cousin:
Dear Mr. Wallach,My reading of this email was like this:Thank you for again contacting Dell Online Customer Care.
I understand your concern regarding the $35 discount coupon. However, please do not worry. Let me fix the issue.
Mr. Wallach, I have checked status of the discount coupon code ############## and show that this discount coupon is expired on 31st January 2006.
Further, please allow me a moment to explain that once a discount coupon is expired, it cannot be made active again. Also, as per Dell's new policy we at Dell Online Customer Care do not have the discount coupons any longer. Therefore, I apologize but we are unable to provide you another discount coupon.
However, in order to resolve the issue, I offer you a credit refund of $35 on your next order I hope you will be pleased with the offer and will provide me with the order number of your next order once you receive the next order. Upon receiving the order number, I will initiate a credit return request to credit back $35 to your account.
Mr. Wallach, please let me assure you that it is my endeavor to get your issue resolved at the earliest.If you have any other difficulty or concern, please get back to me, I will be more than happy to assist you. You are a Dell valued customer and your satisfaction is important to me.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to assist you. Your case number for this interaction is #########. Please keep this number for your records; it will help us keep track of this issue so we can better assist you if you have any further questions or concerns about your issue.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please visit the following website to contact us at:
www.DellCustomerCare.com
Thank you again for contacting Dell Online Customer Care.
Respectfully,
Prakash
Meanwhile as I had just placed that order for a new computer, I sent the order number to Prakash, and he has already informed me that the credit is being processed.
It's probably been more than a decade since I first saw the Circuit City commercial with a young boy who buys a Walkman at Circuit City, finds a lower price in the paper shortly thereafter, brings the torn out page back to CC, and the CSR hands him cash - 110% of the difference.
The world has changed a bit since then, but the Price Guarantee policy remains in effect. It states:
If you've seen a lower advertised price from another local store with the same item in stock, we want to know about it. Bring it to our attention, and we'll gladly beat their price by 10% of the difference. If you see a lower advertised price (including our own sale prices) within 30 days of your purchase, we'll refund 110% of the difference.Our policy applies only to advertised prices. It does not apply to special offers or promotions, including rebates, free-with-purchase offers and special financing. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide price matches online, so please visit the closest Circuit City store to take advantage of our Price Guarantee.
This all became relevant on Sunday while shopping for a new TV after my Sharp died. I looked for highly rated TVs of a similar size and eventually settled on a preference for Sony. In particular, I was interested in the KV-27FS120, a couple inches bigger than the old Sharp, but much, much better. The price was fairly consistent among the various retailers that carried, however, there was a chain of stores in NJ called 6th Avenue Electronics that was charging a lot less. Because of the weight of CRTs this size, just about no one ships them free. That meant that I'd need to go to NJ to get the good price, which wouldn't be an easy task. Already short on time, Sundays would be eliminated as an option because of the NJ blue laws.
So it was around this time that I began to investigate trying to match the price locally. I knew Circuit City had the same model, so that should mean a fairly easy PM. Or so I thought. I also knew that CC can sometimes be a bit of a pain in the neck, trying everything to weasel out of a PM. To "save" myself some time, I called to get a better idea of what they mean by "local" when they say, "a lower advertised price from another local store." The following conversation (and all others throughout this post) are approximated.
Me: Do you PM stores in NJ?
CSR: No, only stores within 30 miles.
Me: So a store in Paramus, NJ, only about 20-25 miles away would be OK?
CSR: Please hold.
Several minutes pass.
CSR: What store?
Me: 6th Avenue Electronics - they're a chain.
CSR: Please hold.
Several minutes pass.
New CSR: This is Mike. We don't PM 6th Avenue.
Me: Why not?
Mike: They're not in our local area.
Me: The other CSR said local was within 30 miles.
Mike: She was wrong.
Me: So what is your local area?
Mike: New York City.
Me: And you are?
Mike: A manager.
Well, wasn't that helpful. It was clear to me that they were trying to play games. So let the fun begin!
My next step was to call general CC Customer Service. I dialed the number on their website (800-843-2489) and encountered a male CSR whose primary language clearly wasn't English.
Me: Could you define what is meant by "local" in your PM policy.
CSR: Any CC is fine. You can go to the CC in your neighborhood.
Me: I know that. I'm talking about the competitor. How close does the competitor need to be?
CSR: Oh, we PM stores like Sears, Best Buy, etc.
Me: Right, but how close do they need be?
CSR: Any CC is fine. You can go to the CC in your neighborhood.
Me: Could I speak to someone else who understands English?
CSR: I do not understand you.
Me: Could you transfer me to someone who speaks English?
CSR: Please hold.
At this point I was transfered to terminal voicemail. "Press 1 to get transferred to another automated system. Press 2 to get transferred to this automated system." After pressing a tax-return worth of numbers I hung up and called again.
The same CSR answered.
Me: Does anyone else work there?
CSR: I do not understand you.
Me: Could you transfer me to someone who speaks English?
CSR: Please hold.
At this point I was transfered to Spanish terminal voicemail, but at some point it said something about pressing 1 for English. I did, only to be told something along the lines of, "Press 1 to get transferred to another automated system. Press 2 to get transferred to this automated system." I hung up a little quicker this time.
On the verge of giving up, I gave it one more try. This time an English speaking female, Chantelle, answered the phone.
Me: Could you define what is meant by "local" in your PM policy.
CSR: Any competing store in the area.
Me: I know that. I'm talking about the distance. In particular I wanted to PM a store about 20 miles away, but in NJ.
CSR: Where are you located?
Me: Queens, NY
CSR: That should be OK. What store?
Me: 6th Avenue Electronics
CSR: I'm sorry, but they're not on our list. We only PM big stores like Sears, Best Buy, etc. I can't really think of other stores, but there are some.
Me: Then how come your policy says "another local store"? If it's really limited to select stores, why not list them in the policy?
CSR: Please hold.
Several minutes pass.
CSR: We can PM them. Just place an order then call us back to speak to Customer Service and we can adjust it.
Me: I can PM over the phone? [Note to readers: CC has always required that you PM in-store, even for online purchases.]
CSR: Yes.
Me: Great! How about I place an order online now, while you hang on for a minute, and you PM it on the spot?
CSR: I'm sorry, but the system is down now.
Me: Well, is there a way I can call back to speak to you, since you know what's going on?
CSR: No, but I can record notes on this conversation.
Me: OK. Do I get some sort of reference number?
CSR: Normally you would, but again, the system is down, so I won't be able to enter the notes until later. But any CSR can look up the notes by your phone number.
Me: Then don't you need my phone number?
CSR: Yes, I guess I do.
So, that ended pretty well, though I was a bit concerned that when I called back things might not go so smooth. I immediately placed my online order. I waited a few hours to call back, and again got a male non-English speaker. He claimed that there were no notes in the system under my phone number so I pretty quickly gave up, hung up, and called back. My next CSR was male, though I couldn't tell whether he spoke English or not. Frustrated, I hung up hoping to find my original CSR.
When a female picked up on that third try, I thought that it must be her. In fact it turned out to be a different, but equally helpful, English speaker named Kari. She was able to find the notes from the original CSR, and proceeded to process the PM. It took some time, but in the end she informed me that I should expect to see the credit in 3-5 days. Along the way she mentioned that the PMs are actually processed by their Corporate Office that deals with "money things."
In the meantime I was still curious as to whether there was a definition regarding "local" so I figured it wouldn't hurt to email them, too. The emails are reproduced below.
Success! or Success?
I thought I had succeeded and all was well, though I was holding out on picking up the TV until the credit showed on my statement. So imagine my dismay when I came home today only to find a message on my answering machine from CC simply stating that they're sorry but they can't do the PM because it wasn't one of the stores they PM.
Not a store they PM?! Based on what? Even if this was never meant to be, I had to find out why. They had to have a reason, an explanation, an excuse. So I called the number from the website again. On the first try I got an English speaking male, Jesse, who was able to find the initial info on the PM but couldn't tell me the problem, so he transferred me to Corporate.
The new CSR, Ciara also spoke English, and was fairly quick at telling me the problem was that they don't PM 6thave.com. That's all well and good, but I was PMing the B&M 6th Avenue, and told her so. She put me on hold for a really long time, but came back telling me that because I had been told it would be approved she was going to put it through. I then asked her for some clarification regarding the policy. She was not able to produce a specific distance-based definition for "local".
The PM credit? I'll believe it when I see it. It should be somewhere in the $90-100 range depending on whether they factor in tax. I also signed up for the $5 pricegrabber rebate.
Me:
I was interested in Price Matching a nearby electronics store - about 20-25 miles away. However, the local manager informed me that he won't match the store because it's in New Jersey (whereas his store is in Queens, NY). What exactly is meant by local? While I'd rather buy the TV at Circuit City, I'm more than willing to drive to NJ to buy this TV at your competitor.
CC:
Dear David:
Thank you for writing to www.circuitcity.com
I understand that you need information regarding our Price Match Plus guidelines.
Please note that in order to honor the price match, the following conditions should be fulfilled:
- Advertised price: Any printed or electronically broadcast price tha tis verifiable and made available to the general public. Special offers or promotions do not qualify. This includes, but is not limited to, rebates, free-with-purchase offers, and special financing.
- Local store: Refers to a location in the same metropolitan area as and/or within a reasonable distance of our store, as long as the lower price is advertised.
- Same item: Exactly the same model, in the same condition, new, in a box, with applicable manufacturer's warranty available.
- In stock: Available for sale and delivery that day.
At Circuit City we do everything in our power to make sure you do not pay a penny more than you should for anything you buy. If you have seen a lower advertised price from a local store with the same item in stock, we want to know about it. Bring it to our attention, and we will gladly beat their price by 10% of the difference. Even after your Circuit City purchase, if you see a lower advertised price (including our own sale prices) within 30 days, we will refund 110% of the difference. Our guarantee applies only to advertised prices. It does not apply to special offers or promotions, including rebates, free-with-purchase offers, and special financing. Web sites other than www.circuitcity.com also do not qualify for our Price Match Plus Guarantee.
For more information on this and other Circuit City guarantees, please visit our home page and click on "Help" or you may click on this link:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/genericContent.do?oid=106398#pricematch
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and I trust the above information is helpful.
Thanks again for writing to www.circuitcity.com
Sincerely,
Moenuddin L.
Customer Support Coordinator
Me:
Under your definition, how many miles is considered "a reasonable distance"?
Thanks,
-David
CC:
Dear David:
Thank you for writing to www.circuitcity.com
I understand that you need information regarding our Price Match Plus guidelines.
Please note that a local store refers to a location in the same metropolitan area as and/or within a reasonable distance of our store, as long as the lower price is advertised. Generally, the distance is considered to be within 50 miles.
For details on our Online and In-Store Price Match Plus guarantees, visit us at:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/genericContent.do?oid=106398#pricematch
Thanks for shopping at www.circuitcity.com. Should you need assistance selecting just the right item, our product advisors would be glad to help - just dial toll-free (800) 843-2489.
Thanks again for writing to www.circuitcity.com
Sincerely,
Moenuddin L.
Customer Support Coordinator
Our TV died. I was annoyed, and it was late, so I drafted a letter to Sharp. Interestingly, they never responded. ( I sent the email about a week ago.)
Why I'll never buy another Sharp.4 years ago I got married.
4 years ago we needed a new TV.We looked at different brands.
We looked at different sizes.We settled on a size of 25".
We didn't care about brand.We bought a Sharp 25RM100.
We made a mistake.The design of the remote wasn't good, but we could live with that.
The TV developed a pinkish purplish spot in the top left corner, but we could live with that.
The TV stopped working, and though we can live with that, we won't do so by buying another Sharp.
All the TV does is click. It clicks when it's plugged in. It clicks when we don't press any buttons, or even if we do. In fact, no matter what we do, all it does is click. No picture, no sound, unless you count clicks.
That's not why we bought a TV, and that's why we will never again buy a Sharp.
And now you know, why I'll never buy another Sharp.
(And why I'll tell my friends to do the same.)Just thought you might like to know.
There are a few brands that I have been loyal to. Among them was Reynolds Wrap brand Aluminum Foil. It's the brand I always used growing up, and one that always provided a high quality sheet of aluminum whenever I needed it. But lately the quality seems to have been slipping. A recent roll was the worst.
Part way through the roll the foil began to tear in the middle. Through some defect, the middle of the foil seemed crinkled and stuck to the layers below, so the whole rest of the roll seemed ruined.
Therefore I opened my next box of Reynold's wrap, and was deeply disappointed to find that the foil in the new box seems to be much thinner than the old - in fact the new box, of the same square footage, is much smaller.
At this point I might as well buy the store brand, for less, if the quality of the name brand is on such a sharp decline.
I sent them an email along these lines (in fact this post was actually based on the original email). Of course they apologized and sent me coupons for free foil, but I'm disappointed in the decline in quality.
As reported on FW, the wonders of the Staples PM policy have ended. In particular the bolded language is new:
When calculating a price match, we'll deduct any available Staples coupons, Staples Rebates (Instant, easy or mail-in) and manufacturer rebates from the Staples price to arrive at a net price.