Boss bought cheap 'printer' from a catalog and was left without a leg to stand on

Marco, an Italian reader, shared his amusing tale with The Register's weekly column "Who, Me?" about a costly mistake involving a printer. Working in the tech industry often brings its fair share of mishaps, and Marco's experience is no exception. Back in the "Roaring Nineties," when tech companies primarily relied on paper catalogs and slow dial-up connections, Marco's boss was an avid catalog reader, seeking the best deals.

One day, the boss stumbled upon a laser printer that was sold at an astonishingly low price, nearly one-seventh of its actual value. Intrigued by the deal, the boss ordered two of them, convinced that this cost-saving measure would catapult him into a management position. However, the wisest among them knew that a disaster was inevitable.

Upon the printer's arrival, the courier delivered two large packages, but they were not large enough to contain the laser printer. After some struggle, Marco discovered that the boss had actually purchased two printer stands, as the catalog depicted the stands with the printer on top. Consequently, the company ended up with two stands and no printers, rendering the boss's procurement prowess useless.

To cover up the blunder, Marco and his colleagues hastily hid the two useless stands in the backroom, where they likely still reside. Marco suspects that these stands are merely a part of a larger collection of poorly chosen purchases, waiting to be incinerated. If you or a colleague have ever fallen victim to a similar procurement mistake, The Register invites you to share your story through their "Who, Me?" column, ensuring that others can learn from your experience.