Staples B&M Only - Buy $100 in Visa® or MasterCard® gift cards and get a $15 Staples® gift card After Staples Easy Rebate- Starts 11/11

Quote from slickdealerutah : I seriously doubt someone who has knowledge about this deal purhcase 5 x $200 in one transaction... It makes no sense at all... Best is multiple 3 x $200.. If worried about limit issues, then one 3 x $200 and one 2 x $200 per address... I am hoping that he bought 5 x $100 instead of 5 x $200..

That has to be the case since other people today bought and seem to have been approved for the big rebates. I'm sure most stores will be out of cards by now but will most likely get more when load comes in unless corporate is retarded.most stores will tell you when they get shipments which for the high volume stores might be twice a week, once a week for locom.it depends on the manager though, some wont say because they dont want to be bothered the day of receiving because it takes a day or so for load to hit the floor.Right now in my district a lot of stores are out of all $200 and $100 and are trying to do transfer to please their repeat customers. Lots of travel pay haha

Quote from mathfaster : Here is another outlier: http://slickdeals.net/forums/show...count=1590 $200 VISA GIFT $200 VISA GIFT $200 VISA GIFT Validation in progress. * Staples Gift Card for $15

Yes that is obviously the worst possible scenario and I will lose money on these if they end up implementing that change all across the board and retroactively. It seems unlikely based on what others have said about past deals, but we shall see.

Quote from Katie13 : That has to be the case since other people today bought and seem to have been approved for the big rebates. I'm sure most stores will be out of cards by now but will most likely get more when load comes in unless corporate is retarded.most stores will tell you when they get shipments which for the high volume stores might be twice a week, once a week for locom.it depends on the manager though, some wont say because they dont want to be bothered the day of receiving because it takes a day or so for load to hit the floor.Right now in my district a lot of stores are out of all $200 and $100 and are trying to do transfer to please their repeat customers. Lots of travel pay haha

You are definitely NOT a Staples employee but just a troll. These gift cards are stock by the vendor as I was told.

Quote from mathfaster : From what others have posted about returns and limits, the limits AFAIK are enforced on subsequent transactions. People have done returns where previously they bought the limit or were at the limit IIRC. When they did a return/rebuy the rebate for the rebuy was rejected for being over the limit as returns do not subtract from the limits. They got it fixed by calling but to me that illustrates the principle that limits are enforced for subsequent transactions.

Thanks, so I take it you are saying that the limit is enforced immediately upon first submitting the rebate for a subsequent transaction (assuming 3-4 hours have passed since purchase) and counts previous transaction data when checking the limit. But obviously the limits have to be checked again in a later step since as you said they have to account for returns.

It's pretty apparent to me the "limit" for this promo is supposed to be $150 since that is the maximum rebate amount that shows up per transaction regardless of purchasing 4 or 5 $200 GC's. I didn't see anyone who bought more than $1000 of GC's in any denominations in one transaction but I suspect they would be capped at $150 as well. But given this $150 is the per transaction limit, and as you say the system can check across transactions when first submitting a rebate for a subsequent transaction, I'm surprised that people are able to enter multiple receipts for one account and get rebates that sum to more than $150. But I'm guessing this is somehow due to the same glitch that gives the incorrect amounts $75, $135, and $150 to buying 2, 3, and 4 $200 cards.

But who's to say that in the later validation step this sum payment will not be brought back down to $150? I was planning to do 2 transactions, one with 3 $200 GC's and the second with a single $100, thinking I would get $135 and $15 for each transaction and no red flags would pop up for exceeding the overall limit. I thought this would be the safest and also the cheapest in terms of transaction fees ($27) and require less money to churn through GC's ($700), and would give you what I believe is the intended maximum rebate of $150. However since I saw Czarczar's post I'm not sure what to think now because that has also been a worry of mine that they would "fix" the system to only give $15 per $200 GC. And even if he is lying it doesn't mean it may not happen later.

However I have yet to have any luck finding any $200 or $100 cards at my store so I may not be able to do the deal at all or else I'll just have to take what I can get.

Quote from fliptlbb : I chatted this morning on-line with Staples. They made me laugh, said how are you supposed to buy them on-line with cash?? Said it was a store decision. I was dealing with the ASSistant manager last night. He and the cashier both said only cash or check. Said I should call in the morning. Just called and got him again, will call later to talk with the manager. I have 2 other Staples near me, neither carry the $200, only $100. Thanks

yes how annoying, they are just eating your time up over their paranoia, let it cost them their job.

Quote from freebies4me2 : You are definitely NOT a Staples employee but just a troll. These gift cards are stock by the vendor as I was told.

All the vendor does is come in and do the planogram and complains that I don't already have the plano printed for him. Maybe its different between regions?

Quote from saveitman : yes how annoying, they are just eating your time up over their paranoia, let it cost them their job.

Just spoke with the manager. She said they have had people use stolen credit cards and this is why they do not allow it. I asked if they allow people to buy computers with the credit cards and she said, yes, with 2 forms of ID. I have 7 forms of ID with me, why can I not buy the gift cards. She has to call the district manager. Said the ASSistant was wrong in all his information, but he is new. Hmmm, okay. Great training tool.

Quote from tuffghost : Thanks, so I take it you are saying that the limit is enforced immediately upon first submitting the rebate for a subsequent transaction (assuming 3-4 hours have passed since purchase) and counts previous transaction data when checking the limit. But obviously the limits have to be checked again in a later step since as you said they have to account for returns.

Here's some more deductive logic regarding limits. Plenty of past posts where a second rebate has been rejected due to the fact that Parago has determined that two rebates have been submitted by the same person and thus are over the limit. They are not quite the same person per the data but their name is the same and the zip codes are in close proximity. I would think that the second rebate would not have been rejected if it were not over the limit based on the first rebate. This limit (whatever it is) is just not apparent. Is it based on # cards, # transactions, rebate amount of $150? IDK nor does anyone else for that matter.

Quote from saveitman : yes how annoying, they are just eating your time up over their paranoia, let it cost them their job.

I'm sure they were instructed to only accept cash by someone higher up so letting the customer use a card would probably get them in trouble.

ok some key points about this rebate:

1. Staples weekly ad [staples.com] ,page 10, says only this:
"Buy $100 in Visa® or MasterCard® gift cards and get a $15 Staples® gift card"
-It does not say "Buy $100 or more..."
-nothing about any limits
Based on this, they have to give out at least $15 per each $100 purchased ... or else it would be false advertizing...

2. The rebate receipt that prints out is worded differently:
"Get a $15 Staples Gift Card on purchase of $100 or more on Visa and MC gift cards"
and
"Limits per customer/address/household: 10"
and
"Purchase $100 or more on Visa or MC gift cards...then submit or mail it in to receive a Staples card. Limit 10 Staples Gift Cards per name/address/household"

Now .. if they do not honor the PRINTED ad offer of $15 per $100, it would be a bait and switch scheme...
You can't tell me to buy something and promise me $30 Staples gift card if i buy it, and THEN turn around and tell me i'm only getting $15... and i can't even return the product...

So i think we're guaranteed at minimum $30 per $200 card bought...
However, the issue still remains on the limit.


As for the glitch:
On the Rebate Form that prints out when you buy 3 x $200 gift cards it says:

Description: $200 Visa Gift
SKU: 374177
UPC :076750095160
Quantity you purchased: 3
Unit price: 200.00
Description: $200 Visa Gift
SKU: 374177
UPC :076750095160
Quantity you purchased: 3
Unit price: 200.00
Description: $200 Visa Gift
SKU: 374177
UPC :076750095160
Quantity you purchased: 3
Unit price: 200.00

... it says quantity i purchased = 3 , 3 times !!! ... the system sees quantity purchased as 9... and it's giving me 9 x $15 = $135 rebate Staples Card

It is wrong that it sees qty: 9 total, and i would expect this to be fixed.... however ... it should be 6 x $15... based on the printed AD, otherwise it would be bait and switch.

Quote from mrtrance : So more proof that it is still working today.

Details from rebate site...

Date Submitted: 11/14/12
Rebate Description Status Rebate Offer
Rebate 1:
Rebate Offer: 12-28680
Get a $15 Staples Gift Card on Purchase of $100 or more on Visa and Mastercard Gift Cards at Staples Stores Only
Products Purchased:

$200 VISA GIFT
$200 VISA GIFT
$200 VISA GIFT

Validation in progress. * Staples Gift Card for $135.00

Quote from fliptlbb : Just spoke with the manager. She said they have had people use stolen credit cards and this is why they do not allow it. I asked if they allow people to buy computers with the credit cards and she said, yes, with 2 forms of ID. I have 7 forms of ID with me, why can I not buy the gift cards. She has to call the district manager. Said the ASSistant was wrong in all his information, but he is new. Hmmm, okay. Great training tool.

Wow,that is paranoid. Tbh a lot of stores have had washed bills coming in so cash isn't as safe as people think.

Quote from Katie13 : Wow,that is paranoid. Tbh a lot of stores have had washed bills coming in so cash isn't as safe as people think.

Manager just called back and said I could come in and buy the cards. It is like I got per-approved for a loan.

My question to her was why did they carry the card if they are that concerned?

Oh well, I hope this all works out. This is the hardest I have had to work for a slick deal.

Quote from dmprlat : I submitted my rebates within 2 minutes of each other. I got my 2x $200 "Thanks for submitting" email at 1345 EST and my 3x $200 email at 1347. My 2x $200 "your rebate is being processed." email came at 1531 and has processed and is showing $75. I still have not gotten an email about my 3x $200.

OK, I got me email for the 3x $200. Confirmed as $135.

In summary, bought 2x $200 @ 1253 EST today - $75
bought 3x $200 @ 1302 EST today - $135