The $63 ream of paper!

Yes I know it's an awful photo, but the story must be told... ;)

We're not permitted to purchase office supplies and claim the money back as all office supplies need to be ordered through Facilities.

In our case, Facilities is in Sydney (some 1,000kms away), so since we were out of laser printer paper, we ordered some more.

Thier brilliant plan was to send us one a day for the next week (supposedly this was better for them). However, this plan has now changed as the first ream they've sent cost $63 (most of that is freight, as the paper itself is worth about $5).

Not only that, but this is the condition it arrived in. Ah, such benefits of having a central stationary supply....

View all photos taken: Wednesday, 1st November 2006, This photo: 11:40am

Comments

  • asphotos said:
    im impressed..

    :)
  • borealnz said:
    There's bureaucracy for you LOL -great tale David!!


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  • David de Groot said:
    Thanks Andrew and Jill. It just amazes me that with all the cost-cutting that goes on, we can still spend ridiculous amounts on shipping small items. Guess I should have taken a photo of the $50 tin of Nescafe instant coffee too ;-)
  • a777thunder said:
    LOL Is it a Gov. Dept. David??
    Even the shipping amount is excessive.
    Good yarn mate.
  • David de Groot said:
    Nope, it's an international telecommunications company. I think it was shipped overnight air express (we weren't in that much of a hurry for it).
  • asphotos said:
    you dont work for Optarse do you (thats the same brand of paper we get in sydney?)
  • David de Groot said:
    Nah, nothing local, through various machinations I ended up with an US based carrier - shan't name them here since I'm still working there ;-)
  • looby88 said:
    excellent story, not to mention the stupidity of the company , the waste, the expense, the pollution it helped cause ( no doubt- get that in as its in vogue at the moment . going on about pollution I mean )
    hee hee, what can one say, dumb -springs to mind !!
  • rainforest_harley said:
    wow what happens when you need toilet paper :-)
  • benefit of hindsight said:
    LOL - nice story David. There were some brainiacs at work in the Facilities department then ! Sounds like they should be promoted :-)
  • David de Groot said:
    Helen, going for the hip enviro-aware comment I see ;^) But you've summed it up pretty well.

    RH, luckily the toilet paper is supplied by the building ;-)

    David, I suspect they were!
  • Maki_C30D said:
    that's a weird central supply system ;-p
  • David de Groot said:
    It's scary isn't it Maria...
  • redmann said:
    LOL.....isn't bureaucracy wonderful?

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