Coinstar Consumer Reviews - Page 2

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- I am baffled by all of the reviews giving Coinstar a "1." If you do any research or read the darn machine's verbiage at the beginning, you will know it charges you. If you opt for shopping credits, it doesn't. Most machines give Amazon but some Southwest, Starbucks, etc. You can go to the Coinstar website to get a quick rundown on each individual machine in your town. While it's surprising that you can't get the same cards at every machine, you can't. I went to a WalMart (a store I avoid) because the Coinstar gave Southwest gift certificates. Nearly $400 later, I walked out with my receipt. Logged on to Southwest.com and VOILA there's my credit. Easy peasy. I've had great luck with Amazon.com (available at my local Winn Dixie's Coinstar) too.

RESTON, VIRGINIA -- Basically, I went to deposit coins ($114 worth) and selected to get an Amazon gift card in return. This should have worked fine, but the machine gave me a card for Southwest Airlines instead. Obviously quite frustrated (because I nor anyone in my family flies with Southwest and don't have any plans to go to one of their supported destinations anytime soon), I called Coinstar and their response was simply, "All sales are final". To which I said, "If I had selected Southwest Airlines, we wouldn't be having this conversation, so as far as I can tell, I just wasted $114 on your business."

The representative knew I was right but then held me on the line for 45 minutes as she went back and forth with her boss and eventually told me to send them the card via snail mail to a location in Washington state and they would send a check in return. Furthermore, the entire process would take 3-5 weeks. I ended up giving the Southwest card to my neighbor. Moral of the story is quite simple just go to the bank.

CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA -- What a rip-off. I chose to get a Gift Card at the Coinstar because it was the only way to avoid their price gouging 10% plus surcharge for cash. They issued a flimsy paper receipt that was almost illegible when it came out of the machine. They print a PIN number that your retailer will need in order to process the gift "card" when you redeem it.

This 4 digit pin number was crammed so close to the left hand edge of the paper that one of the digits was actually missing. The fourth digit was so faint it was illegible. Bear in mind that the words "Not Redeemable For Cash" were totally legible and printed conveniently in the middle of the page. It took three phone calls and almost 45 minutes for the retailer (Lowe's - using their priority connection to Coinstar) to get them to cough up the pin number.

BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA -- These people are shysters. They are charging credit rates (11.9%) for counting coins, a service, without providing credit card services. This is my last time using their service. (Walmart, Hypoluxo Ave., Boynton Beach, FL). This is the reason the public needs the Consumer Financial Board as a watchdog. Without government agencies like this, the consumer will always receive the short end of the stick. The amount of money that they are withholding from the consumer is only displayed on the kiosk's screen. It is not printed on the receipt. You have to give to the cashier to receive your cash.

Even the interest rate is only given to you at the start of the process – on the screen. It's never displayed at the end or is it printed on the receipt. They intentionally keep this information from you, so as to entice you to use the service, at that moment and in the future. And, I bet there is no ceiling on how much this service can charge. Yes, I know I don't have to use it, if I don't want to pay. Going forward I will not be using it. But, this is the first time I've seen the service charge this high. And, I am expressing my opposition to it.

LONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS -- Based on other reviews I guess I have been very fortunate. I have used the machine in our local supermarket three times over the past three years, the most recent 2 weeks ago. Each time I had around $100 IN COINS AND EACH TIME I RECEIVED A GIFT CARD ONCE TO BARNES & NOBLE AND TWICE TO AMAZON with no difficulty in redeeming them at all.

MESA, ARIZONA -- I used the Coinstar machine with a known amount of coins and it stole about $2.00 of the coins. Could not get help from Coinstar. I'm going down there with a sledge hammer and get my money out of that machine.

FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON -- Never going back to use this Coinstar machine. I had counted dollars coins was 44. The machine registered 36 wtf. Also counted all my nickels I had over 265 dollars the total came out 233.. Robbery. This is what this is.

EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA -- I went to use Coinstar up the street and had counted my change and the machine was off by 8 dollars, I called and complained and they said they were going to mail me a check for my loss, it's been 5 weeks no check. Then I needed cash again and counted my change and went to a different Coinstar. This one was off by 7 dollars! May not seem too much money but it is! Do not trust this machine and if you go make sure you count your money first.

FT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA -- I have had a account with Coinstar for several years. I went to Mycoinstar on the Coinstar site, offline it showed. Called C.S. They can't give me the total money I have in the system. Mycoinstar has been offline for a long time (months). I would guess that it is a company that makes money by listings. My only good review would be that the C.S I talked to was, pleasant. Of course they have the money. I will try to see how to find the money. They are worse than a bank. Zero on the company.

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA -- I have used Coinstar for years. At first I simply got credit for coins, but the new 11% was too much, so I tried a credit. The credit receipt was so hard to read I wasn't sure what it said. After 2 days the ink disappeared. I decided to convert my coins to my Starbucks card. My last Coinstar visit showed that only Amazon is available now for an e-card. I think this is called "shooting yourself in your own foot." Goodbye Coinstar.