Staples
Complaint 12212 Details

I went with my son to purchase back to school supplies at Staples at 6767 S. Vine Street, Centennial, Colorado 80112 on August 8, 2011. We went to Staples specificaly because they were advertising a discount card for purchase for $10 which would permit us a 15% discount card on school purchases for the school year.

After selecting his items and reaching the cashier I requested to purchase the card. I was told that they had no cards remaining and that I was out of luck. I indicated to them their flyer advertised it's availability and even the signage inside and outside advertised the card and there was no indication "while supplies last".

The manager on duty was called and he indicated that there were no cards left and that there was nothing he could do. I suggested that he give me the 15% discount on my bill. He refused. He did call a store in Highlands Ranch but they also were out of stock. He then told me to call stores on my own and if I was successful he would honor the discount.

I have 5 children in school and the prospect of returning everything and going elsewhere was not really an option.

When I returned home I called a Staples store in Boulder. I chose them because their school season had not started as yet. The manager there told me that he would keep one for me in his cash office and my older son could pay the $10 and pick it up.

I saw my older son on Saturday and he advised me that the Boulder store had been contacted and that they had returned all of the cards to the Staple stores in our area.

On Sunday, August 14, 2011 my husband and I went back to the Centennial store. They now had plenty of cards. I purchased one for $10 and then requested by bill be adjusted to reflect the 15% discount.

I was told by the cashier that I had missed there week ending and that there were different sales taking place. I indicated that the manager had agreed to do the discount after the fact since they did not have the card available for purchase.

Another manager was called and he reluctantly agreed. Then the most incrediable process began. The cashier manually returned each item on the list inputting the skew numbers. There were 37 items! Then he re-entered each item manually by skew number again, adjusting prices for items that were on sale the previous week and gave the discount.

This whole process took an hour!!!! Meanwhile staring me in the face was the stores slogan "Staples that was easy"!

Obviously the staff were very unhappy but then so was I. I decided at that time to purchase an additional item, a 1G Micro Slide Att advertised for $9.99, the same price as the 4G. We had been waiting so long that I did not check my bill immediately. After examining it I realized that I had been charged $29.99 plus tax when it was advertised for $9.99. I was over charged by $20, which I can ill afford.

Frankly I do not wish to shop at Staples again. It is anything but easy. rude staff, unhelpful and certainly not customer friendly. I would like my $20 plus tax returned. In addition my gas costs for three two way trips to that store, roughly $10,the discount card $10 my time $100, my husband's time $35, 1 bottle of coke 1.59. In total this amounts to $186.59 I will gladly give them there card back. I can not return the supplies because my son has started 7th grade and is using them.

The total of my bill for supplies was $173.05 including the discount card. Of course there is the added loss of my other children benefiting from the card throughout the school season. I can not really put a price on that.

MY young son did take pictures of the signage in and outside the store reflecting this discount card. In addition I have all of the receipts, and the discount card.