In a hidden camera investigation, Cox-owned CBS affiliate KIRO Seattle uncovered troubling sales practices at Office Depot. The three-month investigation by Jesse Jones, KIRO’s consumer reporter, revealed Office Depot employees recommending unnecessary and costly computer fixes to customers’ computers. A current Office Depot employee told Jones that techs are pressured to sell unnecessary repairs in […]
In a hidden camera investigation, Cox-owned CBS affiliate KIRO Seattle uncovered troubling sales practices at Office Depot.
The three-month investigation by Jesse Jones, KIRO’s consumer reporter, revealed Office Depot employees recommending unnecessary and costly computer fixes to customers’ computers.
A current Office Depot employee told Jones that techs are pressured to sell unnecessary repairs in order to keep their jobs.
Jones’ investigation has been one of the most viewed stories on KIRO’s platforms this month with more than 15,000 page views, according to a statement from the station.
The story was also carried by CBS This Morning on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
As a result, Office Depot has pledged to “fully review the assertions and take appropriate action.”
KIRO went to Office Depot stores in Washington and Oregon. They asked techs to run the company’s free PC Health Check on six computers.
In four of six cases, they were told the computers had symptoms of malware. Techs then tried to sell the undercover team repair and protection plans that cost upwards of $200; however, the computers used in the report were out-of-the-box new and had never been connected to the internet.
The computers were then inspected by Seattle-based computer security company IOActive. Experts there say they found no symptoms of malware or actual malware in the computers.
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