ink/toner cartridge recycling primer/faq for Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples (vers. 2013.03.16)

So, the below is what I have worked up so far. This is a work in progress and now I am looking for corrections/input/suggestions.

For example, what other information is wanted or what information included below is not wanted.


========================================


ink/toner cartridge recycling primer/faq for Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples (vers. 2013.03.16)

• Office Depot:
  
  • recycle:
    • value: up to $2 in rewards per cartridge recycled -- see purchase requirement below.
    • limit: 10 per calendar month - no per day restriction
    • type: ink or toner cartridge - all brands - may reject visibly damaged cartridges
  • purchase requirement:
    • qualifying purchases for the purpose of recycling exclude taxes; delivery fees; postage stamps; and prepaid gift, debit, phone or services cards; and purchases made with Office Depot Rewards and Merchandise Cards/Certificates.
    • recycling rewards will not exceed the amount of your total qualifying quarterly Office Depot purchases
    • neither unreleased recycling rewards nor qualified purchases carry over from quarter to quarter for recycling program purposes.
    • rewards will expire at the end of any quarter in which you have earned less than $10 ("Unpaid Rewards"). The $10 minimum in rewards includes standard (10% on paper, ink, etc), bonus (100% back in rewards on, etc.) and recycling.
  • recycling rewards:
    • issued: quarterly with purchase (standard and bonus) rewards:
      • electronically: about 30 days after quarter's end on a rewards certificate (unlimited use) printed from the myworkliferewards website [myworkliferewards.com]
      • US Mail: about 60 days after quarter's end on a rewards certificate (unlimited use)
    • usage: Rewards Certificates may be redeemed on purchases of merchandise only, which excludes any type of prepaid gift, merchandise, debit, phone, service or other stored value card or device.
    • expiration:
      • official: 90 days after the date of issuance
      • effective: the last day of the month 3 months following the month in which they are issued
  • member services:
    • website: www.myworkliferewards.com [myworkliferewards.com]
    • email: MemberServices@MyWorklifeRewards.com
    • phone: 1.866.322.3225
    • Terms and Conditions [myworkliferewards.com]
• OfficeMax:
  
  • recycle: (see trial markets note in post 595)
    • value: up to $2 in rewards per cartridge recycled -- see purchase requirement below
    • limit: 10 per calendar month - no per day restriction
    • type:
      • t&c: any visibly undamaged, originally manufactured, ink/toner cartridges. Remanufactured ink/toner cartridges are not eligible for rewards under the recycling program.
      • Some OM stores may accept remanufacturer cartridges
  • purchase requirement:
    • total recycling reward dollars issued for recycling may not exceed your total MaxPerks program qualified purchase balance.
    • Qualifying purchases are any products or services in our stores, catalogs or web site except for computers, tablets, eReaders, US Postal Stamps, gift cards, general use prepaid cards, phone cards, all products sold by RadioShack Mobile including mobile phones, mobile phone accessories and service plans, purchases with Retail Connect pricing, sales tax and purchases made prior to the date of enrollment, and purchases made with your MaxPerks rewards.
    • recycling and purchases carry over from month to month - expire at calendar year end
  • recycling rewards:
    • issued: monthly with purchase rewards about 15-30 days after month's end on a Rewards Card (unlimited use until funds exhausted or card expired), printable from the rewards site
    • usage: Reward Cards are not redeemable for gift cards, general use pre-paid cards, phone cards and are not redeemable for cash unless otherwise required by law.
      • in-store: t&c state up to three Rewards Cards may be used on a purchase but I used four without the cash register complaining this past June.
      • online: limited to one Reward Card or gift card per purchase.
      • phone: t&c state up to three Rewards Cards may be used on a purchase.
    • expiration:
      • official: 90 days after the date of issuance
      • effective: the last day of the month 3 months following the month in which they are issued
  • member services:
    • website: www.officemaxperks.com [officemaxperks.com]
    • email: online submission form
    • phone: 1.866.629.7375
    • Terms and Conditions [officemaxperks.com]
• Staples:
  
  • recycle:
    • value: $2 in rewards per cartridge recycled -- see purchase requirement below
    • limit: Membership Level:
      • Standard: 10 per calendar month - no per day restriction
      • Premier ($1000 in qualified spending): 20 per calendar month - no per day restriction
    • type: any used ink or toner cartridge sold at any retail stores in the US
  • purchase requirement
    • $30 in ink/toner purchases in the past 180 days
  • recycling rewards:
    • issued: monthly, on a separate rewards certificate from purchase rewards, usually in the middle of the month after the month in which the recycling occurred. The rewards certificate is printable from the rewards site (ink rewards certificates can also be emailed and purchase rewards are also US Mailed).
    • usage: recycling rewards (and purchase rewards) are redeemable for most merchandise in Staples stores, online at staples.com [staples.com] or by phone at 1-800-333-3330 but cannot be redeemed for or applied against taxes, cash, credit remittance, delivery charges, custom printing orders placed online, promotional products, Staples gift cards, third party gift cards, prepaid phone cards, postage stamps, prior purchases, Staples Industrial purchases or any purchases made on other provider Web sites.
      • online: single transaction - must use full amount of reward check
      • in-store: two transactions -- a balance coupon is issued in-store if rewards check is not used all at once. Balance coupon has same expiration date as rewards check and must be used all at once in-store or online
    • expiration:
      • standard: the last day of the month 2 months following the month in which they are issued
      • premier: the last day of the month 5 months following the month in which they are issued
  • member services
    • website: www.staplesrewardscenter.com [staplesrewardscenter.com]
    • email: staplesrewards@Staples.com
    • phone:
      • standard: 1.800.793.3320
      • premier: 1.888.891.3787
    • Terms and Conditions [staplesrewardscenter.com]

========================================


FAQ section (vers. 2012.05.16):


Q. Do you have to recycle or make a qualified purchase first? (Office Depot and OfficeMax)

A. It does not matter.


Q. Do you have to recycle and make a qualified purchase quarterly for Office Depot's Rewards program?

A. Yes. Neither unreleased recycling nor qualified purchases carryover from quarter to quarter. A quarter's recycling rewards are only paid out to the extent of that quarter's qualified purchases:

--- Recycle 30 carts and have $100 in qualified purchases in a quarter = $60 in recycling rewards paid out with $0 in qualified purchases carried over to the next quarter.

--- Recycle 30 carts and have $55 in qualified purchase in the third quarter = $55 in recycling rewards paid out. The remaining $5 in recycling rewards is unreleased and is zeroed out at quarter's end.


Q. Do you have to recycle and make a qualified purchase monthly for OfficeMax's Business Rewards program?

A. No. Recycling rewards are only paid out (in $2 increments) to extent of qualified purchases. Here is an example based on OfficeMax's program:

January: recycle 10 carts, make $0.00 in qualified purchases. No payout for January (in February). Recycling of 10 carts carried over to February.

February: recycle 10 carts, make $32 in qualified purchases. Payout of $32 for February (in March). Recycling of 4 carts carried over to March.

March: recycle 0 carts, make $42 in qualified purchases. Payout of $8 for March (in April). Qualified purchases of $34 carried over to April.

April: recycle 10 carts, make $0.00 in qualified purchases. Payout of $20 for April (in May). Qualified purchases of $14 carried over to May.

May - November: no transactions. Qualified purchases of $14 carried over to December.

December: recycle 10 carts, make $4 in qualified purchases. Payout of $18 for December (in January). Recycling of 1 cart lost at calendar year end.


Q. Where can I get used ink/toner cartridges?

A. Family and friends, neighbors, thift shops, garage/rummage sales, and of course like everything else, eBay.


Q. If I purchase an item with rewards will that purchase count my annual purchase requirement for recycling? (OD and OM only)

A. No, to the extent the purchase was paid for with rewards it will not count as a qualifying purchase for the purpose of the recycling purchase requirement.


Q. If I purchase an item with rewards will I earn the standard purchase rewards (e.g. Staples 10% back on ink or paper purchases)?

A. No, items purchased with rewards do not qualify as qualifying purchases for the purpose of earning standard purchase rewards.


Q. If I purchase an item that earns a bonus/special reward (100% back in rewards if item X is purchased, $Y back if item Z is purchased) and I purchase that item with rewards, will I receive the bonus/special reward?

A. It depends.

Office Depot: No, to the extend paid for with rewards (or coupons for that matter).

OfficeMax: So far yes with one exception. Paying for 100% back in rewards and fixed value (buy X, get $Y in rewards) bonus rewards offers with rewards have earned bonus rewards so at least for those two types of bonus rewards offers, MaxPerks rewards have "rolled".

The one bonus rewards offer that did not roll was its June 2010 "Get 20% Back in MaxPerks Rewards" offer and the offer's terms noted the exception:

"*20% MaxPerks Bonus Rewards offer valid in-store from June 20, 2010 thru June 26, 2010. Saving pass, phone promo code or online promo code and member's MaxPerks ID card must be presented at time of purchase. No Bonus Reward adjustments will be made after purchase. Not valid on computers, gift cards, general use prepaid cards, phone cards, purchases with a Retail ConnectSM card, sales tax, OfficeMax private label ink, toner and ink refills, Sprint® monthly price plans and purchases made prior to enrollment and purchases with a MaxPerks Reward Card."

Staples: It depends on the type of bonus rewards offer:

--- percentage back in rewards offer: No, to the extent paid for with rewards (or coupons for that matter). Example: if the bonus reward is 100% back on the purchase of batteries, and $15 of the $20 purchase price is paid for with rewards, the bonus reward payout would be $5 ($20-$15).

--- fixed value back in rewards offer: Yes. Example: if the bonus reward is $39.99 for purchasing a case of paper, then it does not matter how much of the purchase price is paid for with rewards (or coupons for that matter). The bonus rewards payout will be $39.99.

--- buy at least $X of a certain item, get some bonus reward offer:
------ if the bonus reward is purchase at least $40 in case paper and receive $25 in bonus rewards, and the total paper purchase is $50 of which $20 is paid with rewards, no bonus reward would be earned because only $30 ($50-$20) of the paper purchase would be counted towards the $40 minimum.
------ if the bonus rewards offer is purchase at least $50 in HP ink, receive an additional $3 per cart (total of $5 per cart) for recycling and the total HP ink purchase is $85 of which $25 is paid for with a coupon and $20 is paid for with rewards, no bonus rewards would be earned because only $45 ($80 - $25 - $20) of the HP ink purchase would be counted towards the $50 minimum.


========================================


Office Depot Ink Recycling Policy: 20 cartridges per month as of 4/1/2010

Office Depot Ink Cartridge Recycling changing?

Office Max changes their ink recycling 05/10/09 (w/ additional policy changes 1/1/10)

Staples new ink recycling policy changes Starts July 1, 2010

Staples new ink recycling policy changes Starts Feb 1