Staples: Ink recycling question

[chantal12002]

Maybe someone can help me with this question since I noticed this after I got home from Staples.
I just got back from Staples to recycle 10 ink cartridges. I gave the cashier my card and cartridges and he gave me back a receipt that states "10 ink recycling limi
Total 0.00".
I know that each cartridge is supposed to give me $3 back in rewards that will be mailed to me at the end of the month. What I was wondering is if any of you have noticed before that the receipt said $0.00? The only reason I can think of for this is that I recycled them and did not make a purchase. I also looked online to see if they were on my account yet but they are not. I figured it is too early for them to show and might be on my account in a couple of days. Can anyone tell me if it all makes sense? I haven't returned ink cartridges there since the stores used to give you a $3 store coupon!!! LOL

Thanks!

[kaylaledford]

They told me that they send the check for the full amount about 3-4 weeks after the month ends. So probably around the end of August you should a check for $30

[kaylaledford]

Oh, and yeah it's because you didn't make a purchase. I've never had them show anything but 0.00 on the receipt. It's just so you have a record of bringing them in.

[urbanqueen]

So is Staples the best place to recycle cartridges? I have an Office Depot closer to me than Staples but I have not recycled at either store.

[chantal12002]

Thanks for the info. I was hoping for a faster reward so I can buy things for school. Oh well. I'll stick to the free stuff! :)

Originally Posted by urbanqueen So is Staples the best place to recycle cartridges? I have an Office Depot closer to me than Staples but I have not recycled at either store.

I don't know. Office Depot is far from me but I have Office Max and Staples close by and I prefer Staples...they also have better teacher materials. :)

[Queenkim98]

Originally Posted by urbanqueen So is Staples the best place to recycle cartridges? I have an Office Depot closer to me than Staples but I have not recycled at either store.

At Office depot you can do 5 cartridges per day for a total of $15.........but......you can only get back as much as you've bought in purchases at office depot in a year. If you returned cartridges every day for a week, thats $105.00, but if you only bought a pack of $4.99 paper, all you'd get back is $4.99. Also, instead of a check, you get an office depot gift card in the amount of your rewards every 3 months.......well....you don't get a check at staples either, its more like a coupon..............If you do buy a lot of office supplies, then Office Depot may be the better place, but if you only shop to get things for free, then Staples would be the better place.

Kim

[2jaysmom]

If you go to the Staples website and sign up for paperless rewards, in as little as 10 days you receive an e-mail and in that e-mail is your rewards certificate that you print out and take in to the store. It is the same as you would receive in the mail, just a lot quicker! You have to have your staples reward number from your card to register for this.

[mommalana]

Don't bother with recycling ink cartridges at Office Max. Their system to track them is such a mess that the manager in the store doesn't even know how to redeem them. Also your account on line may say you have rewards and then when you go to cash them in they will say you don't have any at the store even if you have the printout of your account. We will never go in their store again after the fiasco we got into last time. We ended up paying and then getting NOTHING!!! AND they would not refund our money-even a call to corporate did not resolve this.

[FunnyFace]

Originally Posted by chantal12002 I was hoping for a faster reward so I can buy things for school. Oh well. I'll stick to the free stuff! :) I prefer Staples...they also have better teacher materials. :)

Do you know about Teacher Appreciation Days? I just looked today and in Ohio it is August 22. I know they stagger the event day so yours may be earlier or later, but I would think you'd have your rewards by then to use on that day and the following weeks when all the great sales are.