I don't think I told you all my story from the last time I got a VGC at Staples!! It was the no fee $200 promo at the beginning of October.
I walk into my Staples and every employee in the store is gathered around the GC spinner in front of the customer service desk. Like 5 people plus a girl who is behind the CS desk.
So they're all there, like can we help you find anything? Well I'm actually here to see if you have any $200 vgcs. Hmmm.
One guy: these?
Other guy: no those are MCs.
1st guy: which one did you want?
Me: Well I saw the add that the $200 VGCs don't have a fee this week.
Girl behind CS desk: what one is she looking for?
1st guy: $200vgc.
Girl: We dont sell those anymore.
2nd guy spins rack... there are 3 spread out on that side
Girl, seeing them spinning rack around: we dont sell those anymore!
2nd Guy: look we have 3.
Girl: we dont sell those anymore!
So at this point 2nd guy is like there are 3 here and holds one up to show her. She's like, oh well so and so doesn't want us to sell those anymore.
Guy: well I didn't put them out.
Puts GC back on rack.
Girl: well I didnt do it.
1st guy moves one up so they are all on same peg
And I'm standing here like, um can I buy one? Or are you guys gonna put them all away?
After another awkward moment, 2nd guy says, "Well Girl would be happy to sell you one of these cards we don't sell anymore" and hands me one. As I'm walking around to the register she's saying something to him that
sounded like, "Yeah and I'll probably have a cop on my case again."
It's been a month, that was 10/5 according to my records; I wonder if they'd remember me if I stop in today... I think the same promo in Aug or Sept I went 4 or 5 different days and couldn't get any, they kept saying they were out. I haven't been back since my lovely awkward encounter so I haven't investigated fully if there are lots of people buying them in my area or if my store is truly trying to not sell them anymore. There is an OM/OD less than 10min away and they don't usually run out of GCs.