Has anyone participated in the ink cartridge recycle program at these stores? (sales, coupons)

[howard555]

Office Max, Office Depot, or Staples?

Office Depot gives you $3 per cartridge but the fine print, shows that you do not get all 100% of that, until you make X dollars in purchases of certain categories of items at their store. I turned in 3 cartridges and was hoping to add a 4th before the quarter ended to get the $12 in rewards. However, my purchases only returned about $3.71 of the $9.00 expected from the 3 cartridges. With the quarter running out, and the $10 minimum, and the fact that I never knew I had to make certain purchases to get the full $3.00 reward per cartridge, I kept my 4th cartridge and looked into another program.

Staples, appears to give you $2.00 per cartridge and there is no fine print.
Has anyone recycled cartridges at Staples?

If I am understanding what the store told me, and the way the program reads on their website, it appears that if you turn in 10 cartridges per month (the limit is 10) you receive a coupon for $20 and it can be used like cash.

This sounds good, maybe too good, and it might not be the way it works.

Why?
If someone turned in 30 cartridges, that would be $60 in merchandise at no cost, except maybe tax.

Has anyone used Staples ink recycle program, and know if that is the way it works?

[DaysofThundr46]

I believe the old way Staples did it was, you bring in a cartridge, and they knocked $2 or 3 off the price right there. I think they changed that, and now, you just earn $2 in rewards, that can be used another time.

Office Depots is a bit confusing. I dont shop at either store enough.

[rothbear]

I have used Staples recycling for years. It is exactly as it says. You turn in up to 10 cartridges per month and then a couple weeks after the end of the month you will get an email with a certificate worth the number of cartridges times 2.00. You can use that certificate towards anything in the store. They are usually good for about 3 months. Sometimes they have specials going on where if you purchase a certain amount in ink you will get a higher amount per cartridge. Just make sure to sign up to get the email notifications.

As of April 1st they are changing their rewards program for other things than the recycling. You will now get 5% off on your purchases instead of getting rewards back on other purchases.

[howard555]

I called Staples. I signed up online and there is a photo of a "rewards card," but I'm told there is no card.
It's all electronic. You give your phone number and when you accumulate rewards from purchases, or ink re-cycling, you print the amount of the rewards from the e-mail they send, or from your account online.

You take the printed coupon to the store so it can be applied to your purchase.

A few years ago Office Max gave $3.00 per cartridge. I did not need any office supplies so I used my $15 (5 cartridges) to buy (9) 20 ounce soft drinks.

I wonder what looks I'd get from Staples management, if I desire to use my cartridge re-cycling rewards on something besides ink, or paper, or office supplies?

[DaysofThundr46]

Originally Posted by howard555

I called Staples. I signed up online and there is a photo of a "rewards card," but I'm told there is no card.
It's all electronic. You give your phone number and when you accumulate rewards from purchases, or ink re-cycling, you print the amount of the rewards from the e-mail they send, or from your account online.

You take the printed coupon to the store so it can be applied to your purchase.

A few years ago Office Max gave $3.00 per cartridge. I did not need any office supplies so I used my $15 (5 cartridges) to buy (9) 20 ounce soft drinks.

I wonder what looks I'd get from Staples management, if I desire to use my cartridge re-cycling rewards on something besides ink, or paper, or office supplies?

Ha.... its yours to do what you want with!!

[howard555]

Do they take even those small Canon cartridges that have one color of ink such as orange?

I went to my store today and there were more employees than customers.
If I can really use the rewards for any item in there store, it won't be a discreet purchase.
If there are items that are not eligible it won't be a case of the cashier made a mistake and let it slide by. Too many employees.

If I turn in 30 cartridges over 3 months = $60 and use them for (37) 20 ounce cokes, I think I'll get alot of looks from management, taking 37 bottles of soda to the checkout line.

[rothbear]

My printer is an HP one that has 6 different individual color cartridges in it and they take them, so I don't see where the Canon would be a problem.

You can definitely use the certificates towards anything in the store as far as I know. If there are any exclusions they are printed at the bottom of the certificate, but I haven't yet run into any on my own purchases. The one thing is that if you purchase several different items, the total credit is divided between each item, it is not taken off just one item. For example, if you purchase 5 different items at $5.00 each and have a $10 certificate, $2.00 will be taken off each item. It get's calculated on a % of the individual cost of the total cost before taxes. I got gypped with this rule once. They had a promotion where if you purchased $50 worth of ink, you would get double the amount credited with any cartridges turned in at the same time ($4/cartridge). So I purchased $51 worth of inks and bought an office chair at the same time. I had a certificate and thought it would just come off the end. But it took off each item instead which took my ink purchase below the $50 requirement and I lost the double credit for the 6 cartridges that I turned in. Had I known that I would have checked out the chair separately and used the certificates on it.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by rothbear

The one thing is that if you purchase several different items, the total credit is divided between each item, it is not taken off just one item. For example, if you purchase 5 different items at $5.00 each and have a $10 certificate, $2.00 will be taken off each item. It get's calculated on a % of the individual cost of the total cost before taxes. I got gypped with this rule once. They had a promotion where if you purchased $50 worth of ink, you would get double the amount credited with any cartridges turned in at the same time ($4/cartridge). So I purchased $51 worth of inks and bought an office chair at the same time. I had a certificate and thought it would just come off the end. But it took off each item instead which took my ink purchase below the $50 requirement and I lost the double credit for the 6 cartridges that I turned in. Had I known that I would have checked out the chair separately and used the certificates on it.

By certificate do you mean a coupon that they send out by e-mail.
Ex: I had a coupon good for 50% off a chair mat. It expired March 31st.

Or by certificate do you mean the Rewards you get for the recycling of ink cartridges.

If I had recycled 10 cartridges in April = $20.00.
I go to the register with 13 twenty ounce Cokes = $20.67 before tax.
With 13 cokes the $20 will be divided by 13 = 1.53 taken off per bottle (since they split up the earned rewards from re-cycling and apply it per item)
This would still leave me with none of the $20 credit left, and me paying the extra 67 cents plus tax.
Does that sound like how it would work?
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I think I'm seeing the math of your experience on the chair and ink.

It seems if you put $51.00 in inks on the counter, the scanner would enter that first. At that point you have $51.00 in ink on your ticket.
It sees $51.00 and you get $4 per cartridge. Then they scan the chair, say $35 (made up example), so you owe $86.00. 6 cartridges x $4 = $24 and you bought, again for example since I do not know how many inks you bought, 3 inks and one chair. It takes $6 off each of the 3 inks and $6 off the chair, and the $86.00 you owe should go down to $62.00.
It sounds like you had to pay $74.00 and did not get the extra $2.00 for each of the 6 recycled cartridges.

It must not be like the grocery stores. When an item is scanned, the regular price is the first number that is on the receipt. Then any store sales discounts are applied, and then any coupons.

[rothbear]

By certificate, I am talking about the rewards certificate that you get in the email for the recycling of the cartridges.

And, unfortunately, any "promotion" that they have are applied after any rewards credit is taken off. That's what happened to me. Even thought I had over $50 in inks, once the reward credit was divided up between all the items, what was left did NOT add up to $50.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by rothbear

By certificate, I am talking about the rewards certificate that you get in the email for the recycling of the cartridges.

And, unfortunately, any "promotion" that they have are applied after any rewards credit is taken off. That's what happened to me. Even thought I had over $50 in inks, once the reward credit was divided up between all the items, what was left did NOT add up to $50.

I joined their site last week. I guess you got the new e-mail. Triple rewards on cartridges, limit of 5. That would be $30 off ink of $50 or more.

I have found an item I can use and the price is $29.99.
If I understand the program correctly, 15 cartridges (10 in April and 5 more in early May) = $30.
Scanner rings up the item at $29.99 and then applies my $30 = no cost to me.
They add the tax and I pay the tax of 7% or $2.10.
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It seems hard to get and use, 30 per quarter.
Recycle 10 April 1, they are released 30 days later, recycle 10 more on May 1st and they are released 30 days later. By the time you can recycle 10 more on June 1st, the ones you got from April 1st are expiring (they are good for 30 days ?). By the time you wait for the June 1st ones to be released on July 1st, the quarter will be over = you need very good timing, or good luck on getting them released in under 30 days, to be able to recycle and use 30 per quarter.

Staples =

The others = (it's a copy pasted thumbs down, may not show)