The Staples return policy seems fairly straight-forward at first glance, but in actuality it has a bunch of nuisances based on the item you’re buying and what form of payment you use. In this article, I break it all down so you’ll never have a problem returning something to Staples in the future. I also came up with some insider hacks for success that you’d need a magnifying glass to find on their return policy page.

How Many Return Days Does Staples Allow?

30 days.

The majority of products sold by Staples come with a 30-day return policy.

Any Exceptions to the 30 Days?

Yes, several products have a shorter return window…

• Computers & Laptops – 14 days. Make sure all personal information is removed before returning to the store.
• Printers – 14 days
• Digital Cameras – 14 days
• Business Machines – 14 days
• Tablets & eReaders – 14 days
• Smart/Cell phones – 14 days
• Unopened Drones – 14 days
• Items Bought with a Check – 14 days and you can only return item for store credit.

The 14-day return window is pretty short on the above items so make sure the product is a “keeper” fairly quickly.

See Also: Best Buy Return Policy: 8 Things You Need To Know

Anything That Can’t Be Returned?

Yes, glad you asked. Here they are…

• Downloadable Software, Movies and Music – Non-returnable.
• Opened Software – Can only be exchanged for the same software title.
• Custom-ordered and Custom-assembled Furniture – Can only be returned if it’s defective when you receive it.
• Gift Cards and Phone Cards – Non-returnable.

Does anyone ever buy phone cards these days?

Can You Return Without a Receipt?

Yes, but you can’t always get a straight refund.

If you’re receipt-less and used a credit card, Staples can easily look up your order and issue a full refund. Make sure you go back to the same store you originally made the purchase.

If you don’t have a receipt, and Staples can’t verify the purchase, you’ll get either store credit or an exchange.

The price they’ll give you is the lowest selling price within the last 30 days. Staples will also need a valid photo ID so they can track your return history.

Warning: If you try and return too many items without a receipt you might raise a red flag and they can deny your return.

If you lost your online receipt, simply go to your online account and click on My Orders and you can print out a copy of it.

Can the Item You’re Returning be Opened?

Yes, it can be opened, BUT the item must be in “salable” condition.

This means it must be in original packaging/box with all manuals, cords, and parts.

See Also: Temu Return Policy: Very Cheap Office Supplies with a Solid Return Policy

What About Online Orders?

You have several options when it comes to returning online orders to Staples.

You can take it back to your local Staples, you can create a return online, or you can call Staples at 1-(888) 515-8880 and set up a return that way.

Staples Return Policy Hacks:

Staples Branded Office Supplies DON’T Have a Time Limit: I was a bit surprised by this when a former Staples employee said it on this Reddit forum.

Apparently they really want Staples branded products to have a perceived lifetime guarantee. So feel free to return that 3-year old stapler that keeps getting jammed.

Holiday Returns: All electronics and furniture bought between November 20th and December 25th get an extended return policy.

You have until January 15th to return the item.

Coupons & Returns: If you use an online coupon on a purchase from Staples.com you can’t use the coupon again after you return the item.

Be Careful Returning Purchases that Include Promotional Items: If you were given a free gift or gift card as part of a Staples promotion.

Be aware that you’ll have the value of the gift deducted from the amount refunded.

Paying with Prepaid Cash Card? Be sure to hold on to that sucker because your refund needs to go back on the card.

If you throw the prepaid card away it will be a BIG pain to try and get your refund.

Ask the Reader: Have you had any issues with the Staples return policy? Let me know, thanks.

By Kyle James

Saving money by purchasing Costco liquor is one of the many terrific ways the warehouse club can help you save. But before you buy alcohol from Costco in the future, there are a few important things you should know. So whether it’s beer, wine, or hard liquor, be sure to shop smart, sip enthusiastically, and above all, drink responsibly. Cheers.

No Membership Required to Buy Costco Liquor (in Many States)

Thanks to a little known post-prohibition law, some states cannot require a membership to buy alcohol for off-site sales.

With their $60 annual membership, Costco fits the bill.

I contacted Costco and they informed me that the following 14 states allow you to walk into the warehouse WITHOUT a membership and buy liquor.

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New York
• Texas
• Vermont

When you enter the Costco warehouse, simply tell the card checker and they’ll either wave you through or direct you to the membership desk where they’ll give you a temporary pass for alcohol sales.

Bonus: This same law also applies at BJ’s Wholesale and Sam’s Club.

See Also: 7 Ways to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

Kirkland Alcohol is Often Made by Name-Brands

Let’s face it, Costco is not in the business of making their own wine, beer, scotch, tequila, etc.

So how do they produce their high-quality Kirkland brand alcohol?

It may (or may not) come as a surprise that they outsource it to well-known distilleries, wineries, and breweries.

When you buy Kirkland liquor you often end up with a very high quality product at a savings in the 20-40% off range. I’ll drink to that kind of savings any day.

When it comes to Costco liquor outsourcing, here’s what we know (or speculate) so far:

• Kirkland Beers: Both their handcrafted beer and signature light beer is brewed and bottled by Gordon Biersch.
• Kirkland Signature French Vodka: This is produced by Gayant Distillery based in France.
• Kirkland 20 year Speyside Single Malt Scotch: This is produced by Alexander Murray.
• Kirkland 18 year Single Malt Scotch: This is distilled by the Macallan Distillery.
• Kirkland Signature Premium Small Batch Bourbon (7 year): This is made by none other than Jim Beam.
• Kirkland Tequila (Añejo): It’s produced at the same distillery as Cielo tequila.
• Kirkland Añejo Barrel Strength Tequila: This tequila is made by Código 1530 Añejo, a premium tequila brand.
• Kirkland Signature Spiced Rum: This is also made by Jim Beam.

And now for the wine at Costco, I think they deserve their own section…

• Kirkland Signature Wines: They sell many different bottles. Here’s how they breakdown by winery.
  • Kirkland Signature Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel is made by Kunde Estate.
  • Kirkland Signature Napa Cabernets and blends is produced by Girard Winery.
  • Kirkland Signature 10 Year Old Tawny Port is made by David Guimaraens, head winemaker of Taylor Fladgate.
  • Kirkland’s Brut and Brut Rosé is made by Champagne Janisson & Fils and Champagne de Bruyne.

Am I missing any? Let me know in the comments below, thanks.

Costco Will Only Markup Liquor by 10%-14%

This might be the single best reason to buy your liquor only at Costco.

According to this FOX News article, “The average retail liquor store’s markup is 25 to 45 percent on products, but Costco maintains a 10 to 14 percent markup.”

The bottom line is that Costco makes money by selling large quantities at a lower markup and this holds true with their alcohol as well.

An argument could easily be made that you’ll recoup your $60 annual fee by the savings you’ll get when buying wine, beer, and liquor from the warehouse giant.

See Also: Are Costco Tires Cheaper? Here’s How Costco Prices Stack Up

Most Costco Locations Won’t Let You Return Alcohol

Be aware that if you’re planning a large liquor purchase from Costco for a wedding or special event, you typically cannot return the alcohol you don’t consume to Costco.

Opened or unopened, you’re STUCK with it in most states.

To help you out, here’s a list of states that do allow for alcohol returns.

But keep this in mind, if you do live in a state that leaves it up to the discretion of the store, most stores still won’t accept unopened booze.

This is because stores cannot resell the alcohol.

They have to either take the loss, or return it to the distributor for less than they paid.

Bonus Tip: Buying Alcohol in Canada

If you live in Canada, you’re probably aware that only 2 provinces currently let you buy alcohol at Costco.

They are Alberta and more recently Saskatchewan.

They call them “Costco Liquor Stores” and they actually have separate entrances from the main warehouse.

The best part? Costco does NOT require you to have a membership to enter the alcohol stores.

Ask the Reader: Do you buy Costco alcohol on a regular basis? Besides the lower price, what do you like about it?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mark Guim.

We love our Amazon Echo and the Alexa commands that we routinely ask to get information, play music, hear the news, and countless other cool tasks. As you might expect, the kids are always asking Alexa silly questions and it finally dawned on me that I needed to come up with a fun resource that lists a bunch of commands.

So I set-out to come up with as many commands as I could ask; some funny, some useful, and some a total riot. I’ll be sure to add to this article as I discover new commands, so have fun with this list and tell Alexa I said “Hola”. Actually don’t, she can only speak English and a bit of pig Latin.

Alexa Commands That Are Fun:

Also known as Alexa Easter eggs, these are Alexa commands that’ll make you laugh, or at least put a smile on your face.

“Alexa, talk dirty to me” – It’s nice to see Alexa has a sense of humor.

“Alexa, are you a ghost?” – Good joke for Halloween.

“Alexa, open the laugh box” – You’ll only want to do this one once.

“Alexa, talk like Yoda” – My favorite Alexa command, this is.

“Alexa, I am your father” – Nice one Luke.

“Alexa, execute order 66” – For the REAL Star Wars fans out there.

“Alexa, did you vote?” – A very clever Star Wars reference.

“Alexa, may the force be with you” – And also with you.

“Alexa, tell me a Star Wars joke” – Comedy out of this world.

“Alexa, more cowbell” – Classic SNL skit for those not familiar.

“Alexa, winter is coming” – For the Game of Thrones fans out there.

“Alexa, who is the mother of Dragons” – Another one for Game of Thrones enthusiasts.

“Alexa, beam me up Scotty” – Trekkies are gonna love this one.

“Alexa, set phasers to kill” – Another fun Star Trek reference.

“Alexa, I want the truth!” – Jack Nicholson would be proud.

“Alexa, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” – I thought it was Squidward.

“Alexa, surely you can’t be serious” – Yes! I love Airplane.

“Alexa, what’s a beer bong?” – This girl knows her stuff.

“Alexa, what’s pi” – I’d run out of breath too.

“Alexa, what are you going to be for Halloween?” – You’ll get a variety of funny answers to this one.

“Alexa, is there a Santa Claus?” – The big man even made it on the Echo.

“Alexa, what do you want for Christmas?” – Wow, that’s a long list.

“Alexa, is the Easter Bunny real?” – Great answer Alexa.

“Alexa, is the Tooth Fairy real?” – I’m guessing she sells the teeth.

“Alexa, is the Leprechaun real?” – Haha, this one is funny.

“Alexa, what’s the loneliest number?” – Hehe.

“Alexa, romeo, romeo wherefore art thou romeo?” – Well written Bill.

“Alexa, what’s the best tablet?” –  Well played Bezos and company.

“Alexa, what’s your favorite color?” – Didn’t know that was a color Alexa.

“Alexa, what’s your quest?” – Nice tip of the hat to Monty Python.

“Alexa, define rock paper scissors lizard spock” – Classic.

“Alexa, Earl Grey. Hot.” – Aww, bummer.

“Alexa, do you wear a diaper?” – I’m thinking Pampers or Huggies.

“Alexa, what’s the meaning of life?” – Strange answer….thanks to Becky who let me know it’s a reference to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

“Alexa, how many roads must a man walk down?” – Nice tip of the hat to Dylan.

“Alexa, how much is that doggie in the window?” – One of my favorite Alexa answers.

“Alexa, what does the Earth weigh?” – Dang, that’s a heavy answer.

“Alexa, what does a planet weigh?” – Good random knowledge.

“Alexa, when’s the end of the world?” – Geez, that’s depressing.

“Alexa, make me a sandwich.” – Haha.

“Alexa, where do babies come from?” – The stork…of course.

“Alexa, where’s waldo?” – Too obvious Alexa.

“Alexa, rock paper scissors” – Yes, this will be used in my house.

“Alexa rock paper scissors lizard spock” – Hilarious, one of my favorite answers.

“Alexa, what’s in a name?” – A nice tip of the hat to Bill Shakespeare.

“Alexa, fart.” – Time to awaken the 5 year old in all of us.

“Alexa, what does the fox say?” – You can get several answers on this one.

“Alexa, where have all the flowers gone?” – Pete Seeger would be proud.

“Alexa, how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” – Dang, that’s a lot of wood.

“Alexa, define supercalifragilisticexpialodocious.” – Bingo.

“Alexa, who’s your daddy?” – Aww, so sweet.

“Alexa, when am I going to die?” – Well said Alexa.

“Alexa, make me breakfast” – Check out the recipes, they are great.

“Alexa, do you think I’m cute?” – Couldn’t agree more.

“Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road?” – Nice voice raise.

“Alexa, who loves ya baby?” – Kojak!

“Alexa, who you gonna call?” – Bill Murray and Harold Ramis of course.

“Alexa, who’s the walrus?” – Not sure I get this one. Thanks Ana for clearing it up – it’s a reference to Paul McCartney and the Beatles.

“Alexa, heads or tails?” – Handy.

“Alexa, PC or Mac?” – Boring answer.

“Alexa, show me the money” – Alexa, you had me at hello.

“Alexa, give me some money” – Try this one a few times.

“Alexa, knock knock” – A must if you like knock knock jokes.

“Alexa, party on, Wayne” – Nicely done Garth.

“Alexa, roll a dice” – Handy. Maybe.

“Alexa, are you naked?” – What?! Not even a scarf.

“Alexa, what is love?” – Baby don’t hurt me.

“Alexa, who’s the real slim shady?” – Marshall is a stud.

“Alexa, what is the sound of one hand clapping?” – Too obvious.

“Alexa, do you know the muffin man?” – Very funny.

“Alexa, is the cake a lie?” – I’m more of a pie guy Alexa.

“Alexa, where are my keys?” – I wish she actually knew.

“Alexa, give me a kiss” – Bummer, no lips.

“Alexa, what religion are you?” – Good answer Alexa.

“Alexa, can you tell me a joke?” – Some real knee slappers here.

“Alexa, sing me a song” – What song did you get?

“Alexa, beat box” – Who knew Alexa had such mad skillz?

“Alexa, can you rap?” – This is hilarious. What a playya.

“Alexa, do you want to build a snowman?” – But you have no hands Alexa.

“Alexa, how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” – Whoa, wasn’t expecting that answer.

“Alexa, see you later alligator” – Classic.

“Alexa, after a while crocodile” – Even more classic.

“Alexa, random number between “x” and “y” – Algebra students can relate.

“Alexa, do you know the way to San Jose?” – Clever.

“Alexa, do you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?” – Wish I had a cloud commute.

“Alexa, which came first, the chicken or the egg?” – Pun intended.

“Alexa, do aliens exist?” – Well said.

“Alexa, stop lying to me?” – At least she admits it.

“Alexa, my name is Inigo Montoya” – My 3rd favorite movie of all-time.

“Alexa, do you really want to hurt me?” – Yes, I want to make you cry.

“Alexa, give me a random fact” – This one is always fun and educational.

“Alexa, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?” – Time to start licking.

“Alexa, what are you going to do today?” – Dumb answer.

“Alexa, where do you live?” – It’s all about the cloud.

“Alexa, how much do you weigh?” – Wait, what….how much do clouds really weigh.

“Alexa, are you tall?” – This one made me laugh out loud.

“Alexa, do you ever laugh?” – I’m the same way Alexa.

“Alexa, when is your birthday?” – Wow, who knew?

“Alexa, what do you want for your birthday?” – Dang, that was indeed a good year Alexa.

“Alexa, to be or not to be” – That’s always been the question.

“Alexa, who let the dogs out?” – I thought Mitt Romney did.

“Alexa, open the pod bay doors” – Is this a Star Wars reference? Nope. It’s a reference to 2001 – A Space Odyssey.

“Alexa, who’s the fairest of them all?” – Wow, cool answer.

“Alexa, do you want to fight ” – Always go for peace Alexa.

“Alexa, how do I get rid of a body?” – Great advice yet again Alexa.

“Alexa, are you American?” – Ever heard of Cloudian?

“Alexa, your mother was a hamster” – Alexa you so funny.

“Alexa, do you like green eggs & ham?” – Nice tip of the hat to Dr. Seuss.

“Alexa, what was the Lorax?” – My favorite Seuss book.

Have you discovered any other fun Alexa commands? Let me know in the comments section below.

And Now the Useful Alexa Commands:

Sure it’s fun to ask your Echo some funny questions, but let’s also break down some popular commands that are extremely useful…

Music & Podcasts

“Alexa, play Billie Jean” – Your Echo will pull the song from whatever music streaming service you’ve synced using the Alexa app.

“Alexa, play Michael Jackson” – A random song from the artist will play.

“Alexa, play the Serial Podcast” – You’ll get the latest podcast via TuneIn.

Other apps will play podcasts as well on your Echo, but TuneIn is my favorite.

Shopping

“Alexa, what are your deals?” – This gives you a personalized list of Amazon daily deals.

“Alexa, order more toilet paper” – You’ll get a “top choice” on toilet paper from Amazon and be asked if you want to make the purchase.

“Alexa, put poop pare on the shopping list” – A fun way to get the job done.

“Alexa, add milk to my grocery list” – You can then access your shopping list within the Alexa app.

This works for ANY product that Amazon sells.

Weather, News & Traffic

“Alexa, what’s up?” – A cool snippet of news, weather, and pop culture.

“Alexa, news briefing” – A full news briefing including national news and weather.

“Alexa, flash briefing” – The same as above.

“Alexa, any traffic?” – First, be sure to go to your Alexa app and set up your daily commute.“

Alexa, what restaurants are nearby?” – Alexa will give you a few suggestions and direct you to Alexa app for directions and hours.

“Alexa, nearest gas stations” –  Alexa will name off a few then direct you to the app for directions.

“Alexa, what’s the weather?” – This gives you the current weather conditions where you live.

“Alexa, what’s the forecast?” – Same as above.

“Alexa, what’s tomorrow forecast?” – Self explanatory.

“Alexa, what’s this weekend’s weather?” – Plan your weekend by asking about the weather.

“Alexa, will it rain today?” – Handy command when trying to decide if you should grab the umbrella.

What useful commands am I missing?

Sports

“Alexa, what’s the 49ers score?” – Tells you the current score if game is in progress. Otherwise it gives you their most recent score and tells you who they play next.

“Alexa, sports recap” – Gives you a full rundown of all your pre-selected favorite teams.

Be sure to pick your favorite teams first.

Phone Calls

“Alexa, call INSERT NAME HERE” – If you have your smartphone and address booked synced to your Echo you can make calls. The person you’re calling must also have a synced Echo.

This is a new feature and still a little buggy.

Measurements

• “Alexa, how many tablespoons in a cup” – Very handy in the kitchen. You can ask for help with any unit of measurement.

Any other commands I am missing here?

Alarms & Timers

“Alexa, what time is it?”

“Alexa, what time is it in Sydney, Australia” – Works for anywhere in the world.

“Alexa, what is the date?”

“Alexa, set an alarm for 6:45 a.m.”

“Alexa, snooze”

“Alexa, alarm off”

“Alexa, set a repeating alarm for 6:45 a.m. weekdays” – Very handy feature.

“Alexa, when’s my next alarm going off?” – Always good to know.

“Alexa, cancel my alarm for 6:45 a.m.”

“Alexa, cancel all alarms”

“Alexa, set a timer for 45 minutes” – Very handy feature in the kitchen.

“Alexa, set a second timer for 2 minutes”

Anyone know if you can set more that 2 timers at once?

Games & Entertainment

“Alexa, play Jeopardy” – Fun game that takes a couple minutes to play.

“Alexa, do you want to play a game?” – Alexa has a bunch of fun games to play.

Ask the Reader: What non-obvious Alexa commands am I missing? Let me know and I’ll check them out.

By Kyle James