Avoiding Office Supply Scams

You want to protect your organization from paying for good and services that they did not order. First, you should know your rights. If you have received supplies or a bill for services that you did not order, do not pay and do not return the merchandise. You can treat the merchandise as a gift because, by law, sellers cannot give you bills for merchandise you did not order, and do not return it, even if they offer to pay for shipping.

Before you pay a bill, check the documentation. When merchandise arrives, the employee should verify a match with the shipper’s bill. Pay special attention to quantity and brands on your order. If the product does not match, you have a right to refuse it.

Next, train your staff on how to respond to telemarketers. The employees who do not have authorization to order supplies should simply say, “I’m not authorized to place orders, and if you want to sell us something, you should speak with…” The best method of avoiding office supply scams is to purchase from authorized and reputable dealers. At our Madison business, we will never resort to high pressure sales tactics. We always keep the best interests of the customer in mind.