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Officeworks price gouging on tape?

officeworks-expensiveOfficeworks sells this Sellotape roll for $7.86.  We have it in our newsagency, near two Officeworks locations, for $5.99. We use a convenience pricing model for stationery.  Our buy price is $1.99 ex GST. I’d expect Officeworks to pay less.

I think this is a rip-off by Officeworks. The company spends heavily promoting that their prices are low and they won’t be beaten on price – yet they fail to ensure this is the case.

$7.86 for this roll of tape is a rip-off. It shows why people should not shop at Officeworks.

14 likes
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  1. Seb

    So Mark, you complain if Officeworks has a product priced lower than yours (paper from a few months back) and if they have a product priced higher than yours?
    Please exit life via the nearest trainstation.

    13 likes

  2. Mark Fletcher

    Seb, please let people know who you are. Anonymity weakens your position.

    My post from a few months ago – http://www.newsagencyblog.com.au/2014/07/04/is-the-officeworks-reflex-paper-pricing-predatory-pricing/ – and this post today are on a common and consistent theme: pricing.

    I say that the Officeworks Reflex pricing is predatory pricing. They are subsidising it. Today’s post is an example, I say, of how they are doing it – by what I call price gouging.

    13 likes

  3. KINJAL

    i dont think this person seb works in newsagency and we checked our price for this product and we are cheaper than officeworks. good on you mark fletcher.

    2 likes

  4. Chris

    Yeez, ease up Sebby old boy. You may disagree with what Mark blogs but your post was offensive.
    Back to the post – I am about to start a marketing campaign educating my customers that we are much cheaper than Officeworks and that their advertising is just spin. Our ink consumables are the perfect place to start.

    8 likes

  5. Sam

    Seb,

    That is poor form, if don’t think Mark’s blog is insightful and helpful don’t visit the blog. If you think his views contradict then you should say it as it is. If your view of life is so cheap, jump off a cliff then no one else need. We don’t need to be told what to do and your views are better off kept to yourself.

    0 likes

  6. Carol

    Its amazing 6 people “like” Sebs comment. Why, and who are they? He must work for Officeworks.

    3 likes

  7. Mark Fletcher

    I don’t mind Seb or anyone having an opinion. It’s that he/she is anonymous and has used a fake email address: Hj@g.com
    49.180.146.217

    0 likes

  8. June

    Let’s all just calm down folks. I just scanned a calendar from Bauer and it scanned (after downloading thru xchangeit) at $12.95 but the price on the back was $9.99 so perhaps Seb does work for OW and an error might have been made in the price.
    Let’s cut him some slack (except for wishing harm to MF which was very rude and unnecessary)

    2 likes

  9. shauns

    To be honest I like people out side of a newsagent replying on here , good on him if he is working for office works , I to would want to defend somewhere I worked or owned BUT no need to tell someone to exit life OR tell someone they should jump off a cliff .

    1 likes

  10. Brendan

    Seb, the two pricing practices are tightly linked. Office works suck the public in with and incredibly cheap price creating a belief that they are cheap on every thing then rip into Joe Public with outrageously overpriced items while leaving Joe Public incorrectly believing that his local is expensive newsagent is expensive. The other tactic they use is to have very limited stock of a special so that Joe Public end up buying a dearer product any way. I’ve seen this happen to family in the past. Then they have the nerve to price check us on prices that are ALWAYS below theirs. We won’t play this game and offer our customers genuine pricing practices withe real specials when we run them.

    0 likes

  11. ashley spencer

    apart from newsagents independent stationers and marketing groups such as office national can beat office works on price the same can be said on 3m tape products small rolls of tape for $3.00 not $6.00 and post it notes 12 packs for $26.00 not $36.00 you need to compare this these kinds of things at times Sellotape is generally positioned on value

    0 likes

  12. peter

    Seb, I did’t see that Mark was complaining, but I took it as merely pointing out to all of us the fact that Office Works are manipulating and ripping off the public.
    Inaccurate advertising(claiming lowest prices wrongly), sleazy pricing(by price matching when they themselves are clearly overpriced), and also at times selling product at near to or below cost in a DELIBERATE attempt to drive others out of business has always equated to me that OW(and while I’m mentioning it the couple of other big boys in the duopoly) are greedy manipulative pricks.
    OW have attempted to price match us a few times recently and it is a growing practice. We refuse to give them prices, but to the OW Employees credit they let us know they are OW calling.
    Does this show that even the employee knows what they are doing is immoral?

    Happy to let you all know more of what I think about these big business let run riot by weak governments anytime!!!, especially to you Seb and your now 8 likers.(oops, nearly wrote lickers).

    1 likes

  13. Seb

    Winge winge winge… Good luck to all you newsagents.

    I’m going back to work for my company.. One with a future in this country!

    I might go buy a paper afterwards…lol kidding I know how to use google like 99.9% of the population. I’ll pick up a lotto ticket as well… From 7/11.

    Eat shit and die pussies!

    6 likes

  14. shauns

    Ole Seb reminds me of that ANON guy from a few years back just a kid with nothing better to do with his time ,anyone else remember him

    1 likes

  15. Steve

    Hope Seb the wage slave has covered his tracks well. Many a career’s been sacrificed to the gods of inappropriate online posting’s.Especially as its 3.00pm on a Tuesday so its a far bet he’s at work when he posting this.

    2 likes

  16. allan wickham

    Seb your comments are downright offensive. A lot of people on this blog have varied opinions on a whole range of subjects and occassionally some of us might niggle another but you are just plain moronic. Anyway Seb old mate thought you might like to see an e-mail I just sent to your head office…..might be time to pack the lunchbox…..

    To Office Works
    Just a note to inform you of my disgust at one of your employees comments on the blog http://www.newsagencyblog.com.au
    Your employee is using the name “Seb” which is obviously not his real name.
    Mark Fletcher is the author of this blog and invites (un-moderated) comments from people of all walks of life. Whilst not all the people see eye to eye on some topics we all respect each others opinions.
    “Seb`s” comments have overstepped the boundaries of what is acceptable on social media. One comment tells the Author to quote “exit life via the nearest trainstation” and his latest comment tells the readers to quote “eat shit and die pussies!”

    Given the media exposure of comments like these on social media platforms and the affect they can have on individuals I find “Seb`s” comments absolutely disgraceful.
    I suggest OfficeWorks does itself a huge favour and find out who “Seb” really is and dismiss him imediately. This sort of behaviour would not be accepted from any employee of any business of any size.

    Look forward to your reply in this urgent matter.

    Allan Wickham

    17 likes

  17. jenny

    Not wingeing Seb, just can’t believe the crap I’ve just read.
    My advice Seb is don’t get too cocky about being in a company with a future, we have seen lots of chains go under and they do run on minimal staff.

    Even less when their online business increases.

    So you’d better make yourself indispensable!

    Think I’d rather be self employed in a newsagency where I have total control over my employment.

    4 likes

  18. Jessie S

    Poor Seb will be very disappointed when he gets to 7 11 only to find they don’t sell lotto anymore.

    5 likes

  19. shauns

    Allan keep us informed if you get a reply

    3 likes

  20. allan wickham

    Shauns, im hoping everybody here might just send there own support of Seb to his bosses….

    1 likes

  21. Brendan

    Seb, grow a pair and let us know who you are. Comments hidden behind anonymity are gutless and worthless.

    0 likes

  22. Brett

    Don’t feed the trolls

    3 likes

  23. Seb

    How am I “hiding behind anonymity” anymore than you Brenden?

    Nice email I look forward to getting an amusing BCC.

    5 likes

  24. Joe

    Possibly a little far with the exit life reference but I do agree with Seb’s original comment. I don’t believe Officeworks is doing anything wrong, why can’t an agent simply educate customers?

    4 likes

  25. Jessie S

    If Seb is correct and they would BCC him with response to Allan’s email so he could get a laugh what an insight into Officeworks policy that is, that they would consider cyber bulling a joke in this day and age.

    2 likes

  26. Mark Fletcher

    Joe, newsagents don’t have the advertising budget to match the Officeworks spend on their low price pitch. My issue is that Officeworks does not systematically offer low prices across the board. It gets away with this because of the perception their pricing creates.

    A company that spends as Officeworks does promoting low prices should have this Sellotape prices lower.

    0 likes

  27. Brendan

    Seb,
    1. I am not making the offensive remarks that you are so have nothing to hide about.
    2. Brendan Mason Sunbury Square, Sunbury Vic….drop in any time.

    3 likes

  28. Seb

    Brendan,

    1. Do I need to make a grand introduction in order to speak on the internet?
    2. Sebastian Martin, BBS, Bega NSW… Drop by if you’re around.

    5 likes

  29. shauns

    You are a fake ,why not use your real email address.Everyone else on here uses real emails except those with something to hide

    2 likes

  30. Seb

    I will happily supply my email to you if you would like Shaun?

    I personally don’t think we would have much to talk about, I don’t have a lot in common with pessimistic small business owners that enjoy winging about the ‘big guy’ instead of being proactive.

    However feel free to let me know if you would like my email for genuine communicational reasons.

    4 likes

  31. Mark Fletcher

    The email you are using here ‘Seb’ is Hj@g.com from a variety of IP addresses.

    1 likes

  32. Brendan

    Years ago it was made illegal to advertise huge discounts off stock that had never been sold at the prices claimed to be the original retail. Large jewellery stores among other businesses were notorious for this.
    While not exactly the same, Office works and like businesses practice similar tactics in that they create the false belief that they are cheapest on everything they stock and on most occassions I have experienced or heard of, their genuine sale items are in extremely short supply.

    2 likes

  33. shauns

    Seb ,so what’s your email then

    2 likes

  34. peter

    Seb, unlikely you are the “big guy”, you may make it to be the shit kicker one day. Keep trying though, you may even get to own your own business and earn an honest living!!

    2 likes

  35. Seb

    Tell me more about the shitkicker lifestyle Peter! I have a feeling you know all about it?

    4 likes

  36. Mark Fletcher

    Seb, your IP address today – 60.240.93.220 – is one used by a Joe with an email address of admin@uptonnews.com. Joe also commented on this thread as well as one other thread.

    Seb / Joe: while you entitled to your opinions, what you are doing here is trolling. Either contribute constructively and transparently or go elsewhere to make mischief.

    14 likes

  37. peter

    Most of us who like to work start at the bottom and work to the top Seb, with the exception of those born with a silver spoon or those without the ability or desire to work.
    So yes, been there done that, race you to the top.

    8 likes

  38. subaru

    the domain http://www.uptonnews.com forwards to http://www.australianews.com.au/

    The ip address last used is supplied by TPG australia and looks to be a static ip address (possibly used by a business)

    1 likes

  39. ashley spencer

    good old seb might have to be careful
    with what he says if talks about the future potentially staples might launch as retailer in Australia and that would put pressure office works and the way it acts in monopoly fashion
    after seeing there American and uk operations
    at the end of day people seek out independent retailers if they cant have there needs meet or find a product happens to me all the time

    0 likes

  40. Mark Fletcher

    Ashley we’re pretty sure he’s not from Officeworks.

    0 likes

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