OfficeMax.com: Taking it to the Max

Full Review
Shopping for office supplies on a personal or business level is quick and simple with the numbers of specialty stores that have popped up in the last decade or so. And since most all of these retail giants maintains an on- line presence, shopping on- line is now a viable option and often the quickest and simplest ways to purchase supplies. One store that I have used on- line for this purpose is Officemax.com, a web service for all things office related.

What Does This Service Offer:

This web site sells products and services similar to the physical store locations. Here is what you can buy in the on-line store:

Business/Office Supplies- In this area you can purchase envelopes, file folders, binders, pens, pencils, staplers, glue, tape, and other basic
supplies for your home office or place of business.

Furniture- Products offered here include desks, chairs, filing cabinets, bookcases, lights, light bulbs, safes, and more.

Technology- Copiers, calculators, printers, digital cameras, shredders, phones, fax machines, projectors, and even a few television sets and CD players can be found here.

Business Services- Here, you can sign up for business services like wireless phone plans, recruiting, payroll processing, accounting, time and
billing, and others.

Specialty Shops- Dial-up internet, customized binders, artwork, mirrors, and various software products are among the items available in these specialty stores.

Officemax.com is similar to the physical store locations with the products offered for sale. There is a very large array of products offered here and some of them are available only on- line.

Payment Methods/Shipping Charges:

Officemax.com accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and OfficeMax credit card accounts for payment. Shipping charges are free if your order is $50 or greater. For orders smaller than $50, there is a small shipping fee that varies slightly from place to place. Standard delivery, Second day air, and Next- day air are the three available shipping options. If you want the free shipping offer (for orders $50 and greater), you must accept the standard shipping which will take between 5 and 14 business days.

Customer Service:

You can place your order by telephone by calling 800-283-7674. This number is also good for finding answers to general questions. If you prefer, you can also access the help section through the web site itself where answers to many general questions can be found.

Final Thoughts:

OfficeMax is one of the nation’s top office supply operations. With locations in most every state, this business has established itself as a reliable retail outlet for purchasing office equipment and basic supplies.

The on- line store offers many advantages for shoppers. First of all, if your order is greater than $50, you don’t have to pay any shipping fees. In the absence of these fees, you get the convenience of home shopping without any extra cost.

The selection at this site is also very good. With most on- line retailers, the selection in the web site is often sub- par when compared to an actual store. That isn’t the case with this on- line web site. I have browsed through this site and found things for sale that I haven’t seen for sale in the actual stores.

There are a few flaws with Officemax.com, however, that need to be pointed out before you begin to shop. First of all, let’s talk about the selection once again. It’s nice to have so much to purchase in a single on- line location. But the disadvantage here is that the search can take some time. Once you select a category on the main page, you will be sent to another page where you must select a subcategory, and often a third or fourth page beyond that to narrow down further. This means that shopping can take a little longer than with other sites and there is greater chance for distraction. With so much to choose from, I doubt many on- line shoppers will mind the inconvenience but it still deserves some mention. And keep in mind that the product descriptions are scant at best. In most cases this won’t matter since shoppers for office supplies already know what they are buying and don’t need any facts. But with other products (like electronics) the lack of much product information can be frustrating.

Another disadvantage of Officemax.com is that the company charges sales tax on all orders as long as there is a retail location within the state the merchandise is being shipped to. The majority of states do, indeed, have Officemax store locations so that means the majority of shoppers will have to pay sales tax. The absence of shipping charges still makes the on- line store a good, fair deal but it would be much better if sales tax wasn’t part of the picture.

You don’t need to establish an account to shop, but you do need to setup an account to complete the checkout process. The setup of an account is quick and painless and involves going through the usual motions (creating a username, selecting a password, etc.). Once established, you can come back in the future and your user info (billing, shipping address, etc.) will already be in place and ready to go.

OfficeMax.com prices are very good- often lower than the competition and, in many instances, even lower than in the actual stores. The on- line store even has a 115 percent money back guarantee offer, which states that if you find a better price in another superstore, they will refund you 115 percent of the difference. This is a nice deal and it makes me feel like I’m getting the best possible deal. Of course, one should never let an offer like this fool them into thinking every price on every piece of merchandise is the best in the internet. You should always check multiple retailers regardless.

Overall, Officemax.com is a very good web site for making on- line purchases of office supplies, office equipment, business services, and certain electronics goods. I don’t like the sales tax addition to the orders, but the absence of shipping and the convenience of home shopping make this site a good one.