Staples bait and switch scam

Yesterday, November 16, 2009, I decided to buy a replacement TN-350 black toner cartridge for my Brother laser printer. I checked staples.com and found that the price of the Staples-brand remanufactured cartridge was not that much less than that of the original equipment cartridge, made by Brother. The latter is Staples Item #585456 and the price shown for this item was (and, one day later, still is) $66.99. I clicked the "Check in Store Availability" link, entered my zip code and found that the item was "in stock" at my local Staples store (5680 Broadway and W. 234th St., Bronx, NY). When I found the item in the store, though, I got an unpleasant surprise. The displayed price was $76.99! I complained about the discrepancy to a salesperson, who directed me to the store manager. He went to a computer, brought up the Staples web site, saw that I was correct and agreed to charge me $66.99. When I asked for an explanation for the higher price in the store, his response amounted to no more than hand-waving. I pity the unsuspecting customer who enters the store without having looked on line or who is not as assertive of his/her rights as I was.

This dual pricing amounts to a bait-and-switch scam by Staples. They should be forced to end this disgraceful practice.