Staplez rewards program seems to have bugs in it. My last reward check was $1.00, and quarter before that it was $0.00. Items aren't going onto my account. Now I am supposed to trust them to $3/cartridge? I like Staplez, but it looks like Rebate Depot is going to get my ink business.

Thanks OP. I think it is a good change.........although I believe that Staples is doing this to keep track of people who are "chronic" exchangers..........people who buy hundreds/thousands of ink carts from eBay.........

Stolen coupons are a big problem at Staples. I heard from a Staples employee that big ticket electronics are also a major problem and it is usually blamed on the so called "customers"............

ShakuniMama said:Thanks OP. I think it is a good change.........although I believe that Staples is doing this to keep track of people who are "chronic" exchangers..........people who buy hundreds/thousands of ink carts from eBay.........

Stolen coupons are a big problem at Staples. I heard from a Staples employee that big ticket electronics are also a major problem and it is usually blamed on the so called "customers"............

I think they have a few reasons, all my opinion of course:

1) Obviously stolen books of coupons from stores

2) Not so much ink carts from eBay (which they could easily reign in, if they allowed only 3 per day to be exchanged.) I think they are trying to end the "$3 coupons for sale" listings which fueled the stolen books in the first place.

3) By linking it to rewards, better able to track what people buy with them to do target marketing. Right now, there's no requirement to use a rewards # with the $3 ink coupons.

4) And, if they program it in the system, a way to truly limit you to $9 worth of redemptions a day. System could beep if you try to swipe the card a second time in the same day.

Still not clear if they are going to put the value on a Staples card or send you a rewards check for the value of the carts. They are going to monthly rewards check mail outs now for Premier, so maybe they do intend to do it that way. Time will tell.

My local store (Rockland, ME) had the sign up today when I went in. Interesting that the sign did not say there was a 3 cartridge limit....but the cashier told me that was what it was going to be. I inidicated that I have 2 separate rewards accounts and wondered if I would be allowed to redeem 3 cartridges on both cards. She said she did not know. (I suspect that will ultimately be YMMV) They said they were going to be getting stickers to attach to the rewards card that they would then scan to enter the cartridges. And another question arises for those in metropolitan areas like NYC where there are Staples stores all around town...will they allow you to redeem 3 cartridges at each store per day...or will the system either prevent that or otherwise will one get a 'black' mark if you do since it will obviously be very easy to track multiple redemptions to the same card on the same day.

technically, they should all be expired May 19th (3 mo.s from 2/19).

MISTERCHEAP said:It appears this change may be on a regional roll out. Talked with store today, they had no idea what I was talking about but did comment they think it's possible they will move towards the rewards card based program. Just no plans to do so on 2/19, so YMMV depending where you are located as some posters have seen signs about this at their stores.

Would mind taking my hundreds of cartridges in for coupons please?

My opinion the big negatives are that you can only get $9 of value a day, versus $30, and of course losing the instant gratification that I deserve.

One positive is that if you are faithful about dropping off 3 cartridges a day, you can build up a good rewards check if you want a digicam or something in that price range.

The caveat there is that Premier rewards get mailed out once a month, with presumably a 1 month expiration. $3 x 30 days = $90. I believe that basic reward accounts are still every 3 months for a check, so perhaps if you go every single day, you could build a $270 reward check.

Tacoma99 said:You can't blame management in cutting costs....at the end of the day
their job is to maximize shareholder value.

As true as that is, it doesn't mean customers cannot complain.

On a side note.. does anyone else find it odd that they are changing the program on a Tuesday rather than a Sunday?

MISTERCHEAP said:Besides New England (Portland, ME), anyone else confirm this change (anyone in Boston, NY, NJ, FL?)

Boston area is changing.

OP forgot to mention you are linited to 25 redemption credits to your rewards account per quarter regardless of how many ink carts you redeem at Staples. At least that is they way it was described to us that took part in the Staples feeback Surveys last month.