Comments on: Staples Easy Rebates Horror Story

By: jik

jik — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:47:31 +0000

They don’t just deduct the rebate at the register, because the entire business model of the rebate scam is predicated on the fact that lots of people who are eligible for rebates never apply for them. And then there are the people who apply for them but don’t notice that they never arrive because the rebate processing companies go out of their way to lose / reject as many rebates as possible for often bogus reasons. And then there are the people who apply for them, notice that they never arrived, try to get the problem rectified, and eventually give up because the rebate processing companies go out of their way to make it difficult to resolve problems (as my story so clearly illustrates).

By: jberry

jberry — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:27:35 +0000

trying to get a rebate can be hell, why don’t the stores just deduct the value of the rebate from your purchase? It would make life so much easier

By: john

john — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:48:32 +0000

Gez how did you get it done so fast, once started the run around usually takes a lot longer.

By: L. A. Jordan

L. A. Jordan — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:00:25 +0000

I was just about to apply for my rebate on line when I saw this report. No thanks. I’m going to do a mail-in, copying everything first.

This reminds me of the time I ordered a pizza from a major chain and did not look at it before the driver left. It was gray, cold, and no tomato sauce or cheese. It took 5 letters, writing to the president of the company, etc. Finally I received the cost of the pizza, $15 in cash from someone in the field and 5 certificates for pizzas, which I gave away. Customer service may be dead. Ann in St. Paul

By: Lisa S.

Lisa S. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:57:34 +0000

I haven’t read all the posts, but I do know that I’m also waiting for a rebate from Staples and seem to be getting nowhere. The status of my rebate indicates that a ‘check has been printed and mailed’, yet I requested my rebate in Dec 2008 and it is now 3-20-09 and still no rebate.

By: Will M.

Will M. — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 01:23:20 +0000

Just to reply to Steve Hill,

The new debit card for rebate procedure works the same as a prepaid debit card does. You have to know the amount that is on the card and the retailer has to enter it as an exact amount. For example… If you walk in to wal-mart with a 25 dollar card and buy 36 dollars worth of items, the walmart cahier would have to input the card as 25 dollars. If ANY amount was used on the card than that amount woould have to be deducted before the amount was entered. This works the same as your checking accounts debit card, where if you had 10 dollars left in te account and a 5 dollar bill, the cashier would have to input 10 dollars for the debit first before entering the 5 dollars cash for a 15 dollar tab. Hope this helps, and this new debit procedure is far superior and is what the majority of consumers asked for from national tests. Not just from Staples.

By: Ed M.

Ed M. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:28:55 +0000

It’s time someone did something about all of this. Can I ask anyone who has been burned by Staples’ reward or rebate programs, including the ink cartridge reward program email me at elm@wealthdesign.com I would like to hear your problem and see if I might do something about it.

By: Steve Hill

Steve Hill — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:48:06 +0000

The new version of a Staples scam is to send out a debit card that no merchant will honor. I recently received one and finally pitched in the garbage as it was decline by every vendor I presented it to for a purchase. Staples, what a joke.

By: Jimbo

Jimbo — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:14:58 +0000

If I am going to take any of you seriously, I am going to need you to spell cartridge correctly, come on people, less complaining and more reading might do some of you well!!!!!!!!!!

By: Jim N

Jim N — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:40:02 +0000

Lousy $10 rebate! It was confirmed back on Feb. 6 (Today is July 26), that I would get it within 4-6 weeks.
Six contacts with them, and still no rebate! I have written the MA Attorney General’s Office with a consumer complaint. They say they can’t act on every complaint, but if they get enough to see a significant pattern, they will take action.
Read that to mean that everybody with one of these nightmare stories about Staples Easy Rebates should write the MA Attorney General with a consumer complaint. You can get the form online.
Parago (the contractor doing Staples Easy Rebates) is located in Texas. I think I’ll write the AG there also! This is more that simple incompetence; it is deliberate deception. I expect they charge Staples for every rebate they claim to have mailed. Somebody is embezzling thousands of dollars. It ought to be investigated as a major criminal activity.