Customer Reviews

Mailmate M5 Shredder

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I bought this shredder about 4 weeks ago, and it died a few days ago unexpectedly. I googled to see if anyone else had the same problem I did, and found literally hundreds of negative reviews. People say that it dies anywhere from a day to several weeks or months later. When I tried to return it to staples, I was informed of their 2-week return policy. So in summary, STAY AWAY.

Ok, let's start by saying that this will be a review of the actual product and not Staples, the store. We'll discuss things like Return Policy - later.

Staples MAILMATE Junk Mail Shredders come in a couple of different sizes. Unfortunately, they all seem to suffer from the same problem. With moderate to heavy use, they simply burn themselves out and no longer function.

How do I know this? Well, I went through 4 of them in 6 days.

I suspect that the MAILMATE is designed for someone who intends to shred junk mail, daily, but not more than an average household's daily delivery of useless and wasted paper. On the positive side, the small versions of the MAILMATE are amongst the sleekest and most compact on the market. This is likely attractive to those who would like to keep the shredder in a handy - mail reviewing - sort of place.

Is it loud? Why yes, Virginia, it is loud. Why? I suppose that has something to do with the motor that drives the blades that literally chew, sever, and otherwise maim your mail. When functioning, this little device can easily thrash credit cards, light staples, heavy duty paper, and plastic windowed item. It has trouble with check book stub tops, and I wouldn't recommend trying to shred checks that way. It's paper capacity is alright, but given the compact size (of the device and its motor) you won't be shredding any tomes all at once.

Staples representatives tell me that the shredder is not designed for 30+ minutes of constant shredding. I could have told them this as I easily burned out the first shredder within about 22 minutes of bringing it home. I was amazed at its power and abilities until it attempted to gnaw it's way through a 3 page bank statement and the envelope it came in only to moan gently and then die a very sad death that left half my bankstatement still wedged in its jaws. It took some time for me to pry the thing loose, but alas, lockjaw remained. Back to Staples.

The second unit lasted longer. I was able to complete a couple of hours worth of shredding, taking breaks every 5-8 minutes or so, giving the motor a rest. But, despite my coaxing and positive thoughts, the second shredder let out a gutteral winnie and then died a more painful sounding death. Back to Staples.

The third unit was used for that day's mail. Then the next day's mail. Then the third day's mail. There was no attempt on my part to work the machine into a frenzy. But, on day three, the shredder encountered a credit card offer it didn't like. Again, halfway through the shred, it just ground to a halt and refused to let go of the last bits of the fake card that arrived with the offer. The card was thinner than an actual credit card, and yet the MAILMATE locked up and died. I want to point out that so far, the MAILMATE hasn't attempted a chew and then run it's motor continuously to the point of "burning." There's no smell. No continuous motion. No high speed motor running. It just quits. It dies. It just goes kapoot. Back to Staples.

The fourth unit came with an eager smile and best wishes from the Staples folks who finally admitted I wasn't the first person who'd managed to wear out a MAILMATE. When I asked why they still sold the thing, I was told that for the most part, customers were pleased. I assured the staff I would only shred mail as it came, and the occasional extraneous item that needed a good shredding - paper of course.

The fourth unit burned out on about the fifth use. Maybe it wasn't "burned out." But again, it just quit. I have no idea why. This time, I worked through the machine, cleared everything that could be cleared. I talked to it. I promised it a treat if it would just function again. It ignored me, and I became sullen and withdrawn. Back to Staples.

I am now the proud owner of a different, less compact, more powerful shredder. I've had it for several months, and I've worked that think crazy. It's still at it. My faith in shredding has been restored. My faith in the MAILMATE is non-existent.

STAPLES:

I will not comment on the exact return policy, which I would assume should be the same throughout the U.S. because there is the chance it may vary in your area.

Here's the deal: Don't buy any motorized or electronic device without knowing the return policy. If it's two weeks, folks, it's two weeks. Now, I managed to use the return policy 4 times within that 2 weeks, and each and every time, I walked out with a different shredder. Why, you may ask, did I go through this 4 times? Easy - the first two were to make sure I didn't get a lemon. The third one was a different size. The 4th return was to get a different brand. All to benefit you, dear reader, so that you can avoid something that isn't up to snuff.

I reject the notion that Staples ia a bad store or is unfair with returns. Each individual has their own experience, and mine has always been positive. But I am also one to quiz a store manager and even get them to sign the receipt when it comes to returns. Store credit? Refund? Do I have to try the same thing over and over 3 times? Do you replace or does it go to the manufacturer?

Arm yourself with knowledge BEFORE you buy and then follow the rules. If it's two weeks, it's two weeks, not 16 days because yesterday was Sunday and you were busy making ice cream in the back yard with one of those balls you kick around.

BOTTOM LINE:

This shredder doesn't cut it. Try a different brand.

Just like the other reviews it stopped working after not shutting off. They expect you to ship back a shredder at your expense! I will never buy a Staples product again....

Hello,
I have had this shredder for about 17 Months . I have done a lot of shredding and have not had any trouble with it. I have put some hefty junk mail and other things in it and it has never jammed.It is a bit top heavy and , I set it in a chair once and knocked it off ,it cracked the handle on the basket but thats all , it still works like new.I am pleased with it.
Steve

Have had this shredder now for about 2 years. It has done everything we ask it to do. I shread lots of junk mail, paycheck stubs, etc. It shreds several pages at once and has no problem handling credit cards themselves.

The only gripe I have is the weird way the power button works. You have to hit it once and then again for the light to come on so it will shred. The good thing is after a while the power turns off, so you're not wasting it. The other thing is it doesn't hold a LOT of shredded paper and when you pull out the container it sometimes makes a mess, but this could be because we use it pretty heavily. I'd say I operate it 4-5x/week and often don't empty it until the paper container is overflowing.

Overall I'm very pleased with this machine and would definitely buy one again.

I bought this unit in the store about five years ago after a previous, larger shredder burned out. We placed it on the counter and shredded mail on most days, and when it occasionally piled up, my wife would shred it at the end of the week. She would take breaks pretty often, as the unit would overheat, and she would open the larger bills and split them up or they would get stuck. But after waiting about 30 minutes, we would be able to use the unit again.

Yesterday, it died and we stopped, and three hours later, it still said it was overheated. After five years, this was the longest functioning shredder we ever purchased.

I've had this shredder for years. Probably 4 or 5 years at this point and have had no problems. It has consistently made short work of thick stacks of paper and unopened junk mail. Maybe I'm an anomaly but I absolutely love this shredder.

This is my second one of these shredders. I love it. Plug it in, turn it on and shred. It shreds cds, paperclips, staples just about anything. I bought this one refurbished, but it looks brand new and shreds like a new one too. The first one I bought was so good, my girlfriend "borrowed" it and hasnt returned it, so I had to buy another one. Not sure why all the negative reviews, maybe people do not know they have to flip a switch to power it on and they give up. I would recommend this shredder to anyone.

I have owned the Staples MailMate shredder for over two years, and we have never had any problem with it. It has functioned very reliably, and it easily shreds thick pieces of junk mail which our larger, much more expensive shredder cannot handle.

I'm surprised by all the negative reviews of this product. I've owned my Staples MAILMATE Junk Mail Shredder for almost two years now and haven't had any problems with it. I received it as a gift, so the price surprised me though. (I don't think I'd pay more than 50 for it myself, but that goes for ANY shredder I'd consider buying.)

Pros:
-Compact footprint; takes up little space.
-Bin removal is easy and safety feature shuts off machine when it is removed.
-Grinds easily through thick envelopes and credit cards.

Cons:
-The feed opening isn't very wide and requires that you fold over some items to shred them.
-The bin doesn't hold a lot of shredded material so it requires frequent emptying.

For a home office user with light mail shredding requirements, this item serves its purpose. If you are looking for something that can be used daily with heavy loads... consider something else.