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

An Italian reader, who we'll call Marco, shared a cautionary tale of a disastrous procurement decision involving a seemingly too-good-to-be-true laser printer deal. In the early 1990s, when big computer companies distributed comprehensive catalogs of products, Marco's company relied on a 19k baud dial-up connection to access such resources. His boss, labeled a "wretch" by Marco, frequently perused the catalog, fixated on acquiring the best deals.

One day, the boss stumbled upon a laser printer at a price significantly lower than expected - a seventh of the usual cost. In a grand display of cost-cutting, he ordered two printers. Excited about his feat, the boss boasted to colleagues about the move that would surely elevate him from the tech team to management. Predictably, disaster struck upon delivery.

The courier brought two packages, but these were not for printers, but rather stands - giant stands, to be precise. After deciphering the packaging, it became clear that the boss had mistakenly ordered two stands instead of the printers. The company now had two stands and no printers, effectively reversing the procurement triumph into a costly blunder.

Marco, along with his colleagues, hid the two useless stands in obscurity, fearing they would join a legion of similarly ill-fated purchases, awaiting the mercy of incineration.

Marco's story serves as a reminder to double-check orders and not to let the allure of a seemingly fantastic deal cloud judgment. If you or a colleague have experienced a similar procurement mishap, consider sharing your story with The Register's "Who, Me?" column to help others avoid similar pitfalls.