Amazing Toner Pirate Speed

**Akitu** · 10-16-2013

I have a machine on demo at a location 5 minutes away from me, the machine is still listed under my stock in the store. On Friday, the infamous toner pirates contacted this customer knowing their exact machine and what toner to offer them. I'm flat out amazed at their speed, they logically shouldn't know that machine is sitting at their office, yet there they are.

It makes me wonder if Sharp's drivers have been compromised, or else their (customer) network is just far too vulnerable (the more likely possibility) and it can be seen by Googling their IP address. I'm not even upset about it, as I explained to them their toners are included in the service contract and they reacted appropriately, I'm more amazed than anything.

Anyone else have amazing toner pirate stories?

**blackcat4866** · 10-17-2013

At one point we had the toner pirates swooping in within days of new placements. At the time we speculated if one of our salesmen was making some money on the side selling our list of new placements. Or maybe our competition. It lasted for three months or so. I never got any kind of explanation. =^..^=

**Iowatech** · 10-17-2013

It might not be that bad. One of the pirates might have just made a lucky call and used a bit of social engineering on an unsuspecting customer to get the machine info. Kind of the same way people keep falling for computer viruses sent by email.
Crap, that wasn't amazing at all. Sorry.

**Iowatech** · 10-17-2013

Originally Posted by blackcat4866

At one point we had the toner pirates swooping in within days of new placements. At the time we speculated if one of our salesmen was making some money on the side selling our list of new placements. Or maybe our competition. It lasted for three months or so. I never got any kind of explanation. =^..^=

I'll take a shot. At least back in the day, when a business purchased new equipment, it was public information. And toner pirates then had people watching that closely back then, and maybe even now.

**JR2ALTA** · 10-17-2013

More likely, the comprised driver is your delivery man being followed around town by a toner pirate.

**rh112** · 10-17-2013

Years ago I was convinced that someone in our company was giving information to the supply pirates as some of my customer had received calls and they had even mentioned my name. One day I was in customer office and the receptionist came in asking to verify the model and where she could find a service log in machine. She said someone was on phone doing survey and asking for this information. Gave her the information and went I back to her desk asked to put the caller on speaker after she gave the model they asked if the service log had date of last call and a counter readings she gave it to them. Then they ask if she knew name of rep who serviced it told her to to go ahead and tell them my name they thanked her and hung up.
Told her if she received any other call to let me know. About a week later she called me saying she had just received call telling her that I was on site on this date and noticed they needed toner.

Also several years ago was installing new machine and was cautioning them about the supply pirates.
Customer said they knew all to well about them. Seems as if the former person in charge of purchasing had them well stocked on supplies for another copier. They had received call one day asking for the purchasing person he was out and asked if anyone else could help. The person selling supplies said sure. During the call customer was asked which they would prefer VCR, microwave or color tv.
Customer was confused and asked why they were told that if they would purchase a certain dollar amount they qualified for a free gift and would even ship gift to home address not the business. Customer got to checking and the purchasing person had spent several thousand dollars on toner from the pirates and had received a VCR,microwave and color tv sent to his home. This was reason he was a former employee

**CompyTech** · 10-18-2013

I remember this one customer that stated they purchased a bunch of toner for their machine. I asked why, when it's covered under service contract? They stated someone called them and told them they needed to buy it, because it wasn't covered...

Keep in mind folks, this was a public school. I guess they didn't know how to read a service agreement. (Here's your sign)

**Akitu** · 10-18-2013

Originally Posted by CompyTech

I remember this one customer that stated they purchased a bunch of toner for their machine. I asked why, when it's covered under service contract? They stated someone called them and told them they needed to buy it, because it wasn't covered...

Keep in mind folks, this was a public school. I guess they didn't know how to read a service agreement. (Here's your sign)

Chalk that one up to administration not getting the memo out to all staff thinking it wasn't pertinent to them using it and then kicking themselves for it afterwards. Laziness or incompetence? Tough call.

**HenryT2** · 10-18-2013

Originally Posted by Akitu

Laziness or incompetence? l.

I would say 'BOTH' ....

**Iowatech** · 10-19-2013

Back in the day when you had to pour toner out of a bottle, a pirate sold some Xerox toner to a business that had a 3M 546. Mmmmm, licorice taffy in the fuser (Xerox machines must have had a higher fuser temp than the 546 used then).
The building that place was in was a "Bermuda Triangle of Commerce" though, shops would open up there for a few months to a couple of years and then mysteriously vanish, as if they never existed. So that business wasn't around for very long.
I remember this episode well, because it was the first time I heard the most hated sentence ever uttered by operators: "It's all just black powder.".