Staples’ Ink and Toner Pass Scam

Last year, Staples created the Back to School shopping pass. Basically this scam was that you pay Staples to get a 10% discount on your back to school merchandise. I believe the price of this card was $15 but I really don’t remember because I didn’t write about it last year. I don’t know why I didn’t because this was a scam.

Now Staples is back with another money making scam: the Ink & Toner Savings Pass. It started running in the ad that began last Sunday. It is prominently featured on the cover of the flyer with the dreaded asterisk after the title. Basically, it gives a 10% discount on ink and toner purchases or so they say.

The dreaded asterisk points to the center of the flyer at the bottom in EXTREMELY SMALL print. But with a magnifier in hand, I got the awful details:

• The card costs $15. This means you have to spend at least $150 in ink just to get the value of the card back. If you figure sales tax into this, you have to spend even more depending on what your state’s tax rate is.
• It is only good through May 31, 2013. This means you have to get your ink FAST before this offer expires.
• It is NOT good on HP ink and toner. Since the majority of ink sold is this brand, this eliminates many customers from taking advantage of this offer.
• It is not good on remanufactured cartridges. This is less of a problem than it seems as many manufacturers don’t sell these anymore.
• It is NOT valid on online orders or by-phone. Basically, if the store doesn’t carry it or it is out of stock you are screwed.
• Pass can only be used once per day. So if a customer forgets a cartridge and has to come back to the store, it is tough luck on using the card on the same day. Given how evil Staples works, they probably track this and stop a customer cold if they try to use it again even if it is at a different location.

Given all these restrictions is there any wonder why anybody would ever want one these “discount cards” at all? This is yet another way for Staples to rip off the customer, make a profit at the customer’s expense, and most importantly lie to the customer.

I would really be curious if cashiers or other employees have to try and sell this card and if they expect any quotas of sales from these cards. If they do, my suggestion is to stop selling these cards immediately. If I was still employed with them, I would never sell them in the first place, but then again I never participated in ANY of their scams, which is why I am no longer with them.