Office Depot NOT a Star

I needed some reams of copy paper ($8.95 each), so stopped at the somewhat local Office Depot yesterday. I paid for the purchase, then noticed flyers at the register touting the Star Teacher program. The HUGE "Get 20% OFF instantly" was an attractive lure to a teacher who pays far too much out of pocket for the privilege of having what I need, when I need it, so I asked the cashier if "any" teacher qualifies, to which he said yes, and if my current purchase would get the "instant 20% off," to which he also said yes.

Sign me up! When the cashier, however, tried to adjust the purchase to include the discount, the register would not allow that to happen, so he called over the store manager. Oh, she explained, this discount only applies to "qualifying in-store purchases." Well, I responded, I cannot think of any teacher supply that would qualify more than ... paper.

Not true at Office Depot: they decide which in-store purchases qualify. It also specifies that the 20% discount is available only "during [my] event week," so it's not an on-going discount card!! And, even though it also says on the flyer that the reward for ink, toner & paper is 10% back "every day" for Star Teachers, I also did not get that reward.

I did, however, receive a nice gift bag with appropriate office supplies included, so it was not for naught that I signed up for Star Teacher discounts. I'm just not sure that I'll be able to keep track of the coupon book for the next year so I can purchase special Star Teacher items, such as August's "free" border when I purchase one full size Carson-Dellosa bulletin board, as well as 25% off Carson-Dellosa Notepads, Nameplates, and Cut-Outs. As great as these offers are, what I really need at the secondary level is copy paper, not cute wall decor for the classroom I share with a dozen other faculty members on a rotating basis. Thankfully, there are many other, more appropriate coupons for those of us who teach at the secondary level and in which I am interested for future purchases.

The Star Teacher program offers all teachers who sign up for it discounts that they may be able to use a throughout the year, but NOT at their discretion. Therefore, I cannot walk into Office Depot when I need to purchase school supplies and get a 20% discount, although that is what the promo flyer appears to say on the surface. Additionally, if I want to feel really special, I have to wait for "my event" to be scheduled, and then stop at the store to see what items qualify this time for discounts, and then decide whether it's something I need for my classroom. All in all, it's not worth the effort I need to make and/or the cost of the gasoline to make a trip to that location.

It's not a big thing, but it's indicative of why so many businesses are failing: truth in advertising should be transparent, not hidden in the size 2 font disclaimer.