Well, Target has certainly been making the changes lately, haven’t they?
First they updated their Price Matching policy (according to one of my readers, overnight and most likely in reaction to so many people getting the $.49 Leapfrog Alphabet Pals), then they changed their method of releasing printable coupons and now they have updated the Price Matching policy even further…and not for the better.
You can see the new policy here, but there is one thing that I would like to highlight:
Combining both a Target and Manufacturer Coupons:
The Target coupon will be applied before the price match is made. If the competitor price is still lower than the price after the Target coupon has been deducted, the ad match can be adjusted to match the competitor’s price. Once the price match is made the manufacturer coupon will be applied
In plain language?
If the Target coupon makes the price the same as or lower than the item at the other store, then there will be no price matching.
Example:
Toys R Us has HotNewToy on sale for $19.99
Target has HotNewToy for $24.99 and there is a $10 Target coupon
Under the old policy, you would have been able to have Target Price Match the $19.99 and then use the $10 Target coupon, paying only $9.99
Under the new policy, the value of the $10 Target coupon is first deducted, making it $14.99 (and therefore, in Target‘s view, no price-matching is needed). Only manufacturers coupons will be accepted after that.
I’m not crazy about this new policy, although I can certainly understand why they did it. While the end of the Target Gravy Train is a little sad, I think we all need to remember that Target does exist to make a profit. With the growing popularity of using coupons, their previously over-generous coupon/price-matching policy may have started to finally bite them in the butt (yes – I’m trying to be positive about this whole thing…I think I may have hurt something being so damn nice about it!)
Yes…..you are being VERY nice about it. Me………it pi__es me off. They just keep gouging customer savings in knee jerk reactions. Frankly, if Target’s coupon and/or new price matching policy were still the same they would still be making BILLIONS of dollars on each and everyone of us don’t let that excuse fool you!! Just like any other big chain stores. I’ve been reading posts where now at many locations the store managers are (there is no written policy that I know of about this – correct me if I’m wrong please) making decsions like to only accept 3 coupons on like items, limiting the total number of coupons people can use (one post I read the woman had about 30 coupons and they would only let her use 10 & her coupons were not even on like items, not accepting coupons that make travel/trial sizes free, and on & on. This last change in their policy I think stinks! It does not hold the spirit of the price matching policy. I’ll stop venting now – ohhhhh it just makes me soooo mad:)
I’ve all but stopped using coupons at Target in Burlington NJ. They won’t let me buy four or five identical items with man coupons in a single transaction. I have to break them up. I can’t print or see coupons since they changed their system — it isn’t Windows 7 compatible. The other Target that I will occasionally shop at when I’m in the area (Mt Laurel NJ) won’t take ANY IP. Their policies aren’t consistent from store to store. I don’t need the hassle and embarrassment at the register. For the record, I never bought more than 1 item using the Target coupons. I know that there are some people that wouldn’t have issues rolling up to the register with a cart full of (insert item here) and a stack of Target coupons that they printed out in bulk. I never did that hoping to fly under the radar. However, the lead cashier has me pegged. Whenever I’m in the store she hangs around whatever register I go to. It’s gotten to where I really use a coupon there anymore. I wouldn’t step foot inside the damned store if not for the fact that it’s hubby’s favorite discount retailer. I wrote corporate over the coupon Nazi this summer and no one bothered to get in touch with me. I’d rather deal with the headaches from Wal-mart. At least if I have a complaint they call me back within a few days.
…to where I don’t use coupons there anymore. (This is what I get for hitting enter before proofreading my rant.)