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Has anyone dealt with Staples rewards Theft??

205 28 July 17, 2010 at 12:02 PM in Question
Ok, so I have been turning in ink cartridges to staples for a while now, and have received rewards since February I believe, and I have never been able to use them except one. I usually waited til the last day before they expired and then they wouldnt work when using them online or in store they wouldnt work, so i just figured i missed my chance, and would try again next month (i know, not the smartest approach, but thats a different issue).

Anyway, since I kept having non-stop problems with my rewards, I just logged onto my account to check my status on rewards.. Well apparently, EVERY single one of my rewards was redeemed in New York by somebody buying external hard drives both times. One was in Staten Island and the other in Selden... The problem here is that I am from Indiana, and have never been to New York in my life.. Now I dont know if 'New York' shows up if you buy online, or if someone guessed my rewards account number, because I keep my computer clean and scan it constantly for everything, and have never posted any information anywhere.. I cant call the rewards people til Monday to figure this out.. Do you think they will credit me with any of these rewards, or am I screwed?

So has anyone else had this happen, or did i win the unlucky lottery again? lol
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Last Edited by tenderidol December 12, 2011 at 05:47 PM
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Joined Aug 2006
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> bubble2 21,118 Posts
Elementary_Watson
03-19-2012 at 11:24 AM.
03-19-2012 at 11:24 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
This is getting ridiculous! Just saw that February rewards check was used in Old Bridge, NJ. This is already account# 3! Mad

The ones that were just issued last Monday night?
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tenderidol
03-19-2012 at 11:29 AM.
03-19-2012 at 11:29 AM.
Quote from mathfaster :
The ones that were just issued last Monday night?
Yeap. These crooks are getting faster. I'm going to get a balance coupon the next morning after the checks are issued from now on.
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Joined Aug 2006
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> bubble2 21,118 Posts
Elementary_Watson
03-19-2012 at 11:37 AM.
03-19-2012 at 11:37 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
Yeap. These crooks are getting faster. I'm going to get a balance coupon the next morning after the checks are issued from now on.

Will do the same unless I have something I can buy right away online 5 minutes after they are issued. Like I did last Monday night by monetizing my ink rewards by buying the TM IS 1 download.
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Joined Jul 2010
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> bubble2 3,140 Posts
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Cagnotte
03-19-2012 at 11:52 AM.
03-19-2012 at 11:52 AM.
Quote from tenderidol :
This is getting ridiculous! Just saw that February rewards check was used in Old Bridge, NJ. This is already account# 3! Mad
Oh dear! It is a race against time the minute they are issued.
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Joined Aug 2006
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> bubble2 21,118 Posts
Elementary_Watson
03-19-2012 at 11:57 AM.
03-19-2012 at 11:57 AM.
Quote from Cagnotte :
Oh dear! It is a race against time the minute they are issued.

I got some snail mail the other day with an HP ream paper coupon. There isn't enough rewards theft as it is and these idiots had my rewards number on the envelope. Probably low risk but still.
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Joined Jul 2010
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> bubble2 3,140 Posts
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Cagnotte
03-19-2012 at 12:03 PM.
03-19-2012 at 12:03 PM.
Quote from mathfaster :
I got some snail mail the other day with an HP ream paper coupon. There isn't enough rewards theft as it is and these idiots had my rewards number on the envelope. Probably low risk but still.
shake head
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tenderidol
03-19-2012 at 02:11 PM.
03-19-2012 at 02:11 PM.
Just got off the phone with them... As usual, a new account (#4) is generated and a courtesy coupon is sent to replace the stolen rewards check.

After I asked how this was happening so often -as if I didn't know- he explained the process rather nicely. He did say that he couldn't go too much into details due to security reasons, but what he told was pretty much the confirmation of what we already knew.

"The problem only happens with the whole amount ink recycling checks, they can "guess" few numbers of the checks because the ink recycle checks follow a generic formula, they can "generate" (his words exactly) fake checks with these numbers using a computer program and either use or sell them online". He mentioned that they changed something in July regarding how they issue rewards numbers and I won't have this problem in the future again, but I highly doubt it, since the ink recycling rewards check algorithm is still the same.

I hope that the few "skeptics" around here, who always claim that there is no hard "proof" towards generated coupons and/or stolen rewards, have an easier time understanding how and why this is happening. I thought about asking him whether they have a picture of one of these crooks in front of his computer to post it here as an "evidence", but didn't want to push it. Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)
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Last edited by tenderidol March 19, 2012 at 02:34 PM.

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> bubble2 145 Posts
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supergp17
03-19-2012 at 03:46 PM.
03-19-2012 at 03:46 PM.
mustbid2win is pwning us on ebay..

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_n...&_from=R40

Mad
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Joined Dec 2008
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> bubble2 7,935 Posts
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daniel32
03-19-2012 at 04:18 PM.
03-19-2012 at 04:18 PM.
I don't know about you, but my problems stopped once I started giving $38 worth of ink instead of $40.
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bmarzo
03-20-2012 at 08:43 AM.
03-20-2012 at 08:43 AM.
Quote from daniel32 :
I don't know about you, but my problems stopped once I started giving $38 worth of ink instead of $40.
This was just my thought and what I would do in the future. It will cost you $24 in rewards per year but worth it in the end
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QueensFinest
03-30-2012 at 02:34 PM.
03-30-2012 at 02:34 PM.
Quote from daniel32 :
I don't know about you, but my problems stopped once I started giving $38 worth of ink instead of $40.
Does $38 of ink really give a different coupon code than $40 of ink?
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Elementary_Watson
03-30-2012 at 02:41 PM.
03-30-2012 at 02:41 PM.
Quote from QueensFinest :
Does $38 of ink really give a different coupon code than $40 of ink?
It is the non predicable amount not a new coupon code that makes the difference.
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> bubble2 804 Posts
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scb435
03-30-2012 at 04:13 PM.
03-30-2012 at 04:13 PM.
Add me to the list. Waited until today to spend ink recycling rewards that were issued this month. No go, it was spent in Missouri, 800 miles away from me. This account was created within the last 2 months, this was among the first rewards issued for it, $20 ink recycling.

The manager called the Rewards hotline while I was standing there in line with my dead Rewards coupon, and I eventually got handed the phone to verify account details and get a new account number. I'll have to go through my receipts to ensure that I don't miss out on some purchase history, the rep on the phone said he would attach a note to the new account to have the purchase history carry forward, but the total that I was given over the phone sounded low, like it didn't account for my purchases 2 days ago. The compromised account is now wiped and the login is dead.

What a pain in the ass. I want to recycle the max amount of cartridges every month, so I guess from now on I will be going to Staples on the day of issuance and buying $0.50 lollipops with each check if I have to.

EDIT: I was wrong about the compromised account being wiped, I was using wrong login. Duh. But I was right about the purchase total, the number I was quoted was not up to date with 3/28/12 transactions (although the Rewards amount apparently was correctly updated).
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Last edited by scb435 March 31, 2012 at 10:35 AM.
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GoHalos
03-30-2012 at 08:56 PM.
03-30-2012 at 08:56 PM.
Quote from scb435 :
Add me to the list. Waited until today to spend ink recycling rewards that were issued this month. No go, it was spent in Missouri, 800 miles away from me. This account was created within the last 2 months, this was among the first rewards issued for it, $20 ink recycling.

The manager called the Rewards hotline while I was standing there in line with my dead Rewards coupon, and I eventually got handed the phone to verify account details and get a new account number. I'll have to go through my receipts to ensure that I don't miss out on some purchase history, the rep on the phone said he would attach a note to the new account to have the purchase history carry forward, but the total that I was given over the phone sounded low, like it didn't account for my purchases 2 days ago. The compromised account is now wiped and the login is dead.

What a pain in the ass. I want to recycle the max amount of cartridges every month, so I guess from now on I will be going to Staples on the day of issuance and buying $0.50 lollipops with each check if I have to.
But so absolutely ridiculous to have to immediately head to Staples (gas in my area is nearly $4.50 a gallon, not to mention interrupting my day) to race to staples and buy a lollipop and then have to use the remainder of the rewards all at one time.

Staples has very good coupons, rewards take off the sales tax, no matching spending requirement and they have free after rebate items so I can cash in rewards................................. IF they aren't used before I use them.

In the end do the pros outweigh the cons of repeatedly having to call to get rewards reissued? for cartridges that are credited at $2 each?

I gave up. I'll do the $6 for cartridge recycling when I buy ink but otherwise I can't justify my time and effort in getting rewards that I can actually use.
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scb435
03-31-2012 at 10:28 AM.
03-31-2012 at 10:28 AM.
Quote from GoHalos :
But so absolutely ridiculous to have to immediately head to Staples (gas in my area is nearly $4.50 a gallon, not to mention interrupting my day) to race to staples and buy a lollipop and then have to use the remainder of the rewards all at one time.

Staples has very good coupons, rewards take off the sales tax, no matching spending requirement and they have free after rebate items so I can cash in rewards................................. IF they aren't used before I use them.

In the end do the pros outweigh the cons of repeatedly having to call to get rewards reissued? for cartridges that are credited at $2 each?

I gave up. I'll do the $6 for cartridge recycling when I buy ink but otherwise I can't justify my time and effort in getting rewards that I can actually use.
You're right, depending on your area, it doesn't make sense to go out of your way running over to Staples. In that case, recycling 9 or 19 cartridges is the better choice, give up $2 up front and save the headache/expense of doing a lollipop run. I drive right by the store on my way to/from work, so it's not so bad, but still annoying.

I may end up just recycling an odd number anyway. You theoretically can sit on that Rewards coupon longer, and you retain the flexibility to split it on 2 transactions as well.

Anyone know if they're stealing $18/$38 ink recycling Rewards yet?
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