OFFICE DEPOT SETTLES WITH STATE OF COLORADO FOR $ 412,000.00

[Anonymous]

OFFICE DEPOT SETTLES WITH STATE OF COLORADO FOR $ 412,000.00

Office Depot has reached an agreement with Colorado’s attorney general to offer a refund to about 115 Colorado governmental agencies and nonprofits in connection with the sale of office supplies between January 2006 and March 2009.The agreement calls for the Boca Raton, Fla.-based office supply company to refund customers as much as $189,000.Following a yearlong investigation, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers alleged that the customers were placed on a higher-cost price plan, either without their knowledge or without complete information about the cost differences between the price plans available to customers.“Roughly 113 customers paid a total of $126,294.04 more than they would have on the lower-cost price plan,” according to the settlement agreement.

Office Depot said in an emailed statement that it “is pleased to have resolved this matter and continues to sell office supplies and services to public sector customers throughout the state of Colorado.”

Office Depot agreed to pay a total of $412,000 to the state of Colorado, $189,441.06 of which will be used to reimburse customers. The remaining $222,561.94 and any interest will be used for reimbursement of the state’s costs and attorney fees, as well as consumer education or other antitrust enforcement actions.

This isn’t the first time Office Depot has faced similar charges. In February, the company disclosed it was the target of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into certain pricing practices.

Over the last couple of years, six states have investigated its pricing practices.“Office Depot has proven time and again that public-sector entities save substantial amounts of money through its programs – money that they can use for educational programs, jobs and other necessities,” the company said via email.

[Author]

June 14, 2011 at 8:55 AM