One of the problems many couponers have is when they end up with $175 in groceries for -$3.00. People think that we are scammers, gypsies, tramps and thieves. Believe me, I have deleted more comments than you can imagine from people calling me every name in the book (note: we may have free speech in this country, but this is the United Sites of Mindi and I don't let comments calling me a beyotch or worse names stay up)
So this seems like a good time to have an open and honest discussion about using coupons. I am going to lay out a few scenarios and please let me know your feelings on them. If I miss any scenarios, let me know in the comments and we can revisit that in a Part 2 (if necessary). Please try to confine your arguments/thoughts/debate on the posted scenarios!
Please be respectful of each other. Different opinions are what made this country great!
Scenario #1
You are at a store and see a peelie or a hangtag or a tearpad or a blinkie for a product that isn't on sale. Do you take it and save it for another week when the product will be on sale? How many do you take?
Scenario #2
A certan local store occasionally had Triple Coupons. Although their stated policy is that they will not give overages, the store is notorious for not updating their registers for the first few days of the sale, which means that if you get in early you will get overages. Do you rush in to take advantage of the overages before the programmers at corporate catch up to the glitch? Do you point out to the cashier the potential overages so that she can adjust and give you your items for free without overage? Do you say nothing and use the overages towards the rest of your groceries?
Scenario #3
You have Internet Printable coupons that say "Do Not Double" on the top of them, but the bar code on the coupon starts with a "5" (which means that when scanned, they will double). Do you go to the self-checkout in the hopes that nobody will catch it and that your coupons will double?
Scenario #4
There is a Catalina deal going on at a store and you hear that it is working on "shelf prices", not on "sale prices". Do you calculate your deals based on shelf prices (which is usually a programming glitch with the registers) or on sale prices as the deal is meant to be done?
What do you do? (and remember, please be respectful of differing opinions. I am going to assume that my readers are not looking to purposely defraud companies, but there can be a certain amount of "grey area" in couponing)
Misty
I think that if it happens it happens. I don't try to cheat the system but I also don't point it out, usually because I am too distracted with kids or too tired from kids to notice, but I figure that is there job and this is mine(saving my family money so I can stay home with my babies).
Bonnie Kendrick
I'm with Misty, it's their job to fix the computers, I'm not going to point out errors for them. As for peelies/hangtags, I think it's ok to take them, they are coupons for that product, as long as you are buying that product eventually, I don't know why the manufacterer would care about where you bought it. I would only take a couple, I don't think hoarding is appropriate, a few will do for me. Most of the time I don't even bother unless I already have a deal in mind.
The triple coupon thing, I didn't know anything about this happening. As I said before, it really is the store's job to fix this. I wouldn't rush out, but if the overage happens, I would use it to pay for my other groceries.
I have never had a coupon double that says "Do Not Double", and I don't think I would go through a self checkout lane to hide it if I knew it wasn't supposed to. I'm all for a good deal, but I want to do it legitimately.
Catalina deals are hard enough with the sale prices, who has time to research the regular prices to do it that way. No way, I just do it the way they put it in the paper.
Jen C
I don't take peelies off products I am not buying, but will take a blinkie or two. I hate when I go to buy a product where the peelie is missing because someone else decided to grab it.
I haven't seen triple coupons in 2 years, but I do know which stores give overages and which stores automatically adjust. Not that I base my shopping on that, but more for my knowledge.
I go stores (or cashiers) that double do-not-doubles and others that don't. If they do, I take it. If they don't, I won't complain. I didn't even complain about my coupon that didn't double when it should have because it started with a 9 instead of a 5. I figure in all my shopping, its a wash, and I wasn't going to complain about $2.
Bet
I think anytime you're doing something that you know is "wrong" and you do it anyway, there's a problem.
Maybe the better question is this: if you knew that the cashier would ultimately be responsible for not catching these errors, would it affect you not pointing them out? My Great Aunt was a grocery cashier for years. She was delightful and her customers loved her. Even if they opened another line, they still waited for Gladys. If she missed something like you mentioned, it came out of her check. Computer error or not.
Someone mentioned that it was their job to catch that and you're right, but many stores have employee policies like Gladys' and she paid for it (not the corporation). Coming out of a minimum wage check, it hurt. I guess if it was an honest mistake on your part, no big deal, but going at a time when you know it's probably going to happen is premeditation. That means you know it's wrong, right?
Just thought I would mention that.
I don't take peelies. Feels wrong to me, but I don't know why. The blinkies and tearpads, don't feel wrong to me. This is something I've never thought about before. I guess cause much of the wording on the peelies is "save now, on this, blah blah blah" and I suppose is meant for that particular product.
A part of me says, "yeah, stick it to the man!" because I've gotten home and checked my receipt and realized that I didn't get RRs at Walgreens or they missed a coupon. But, then I realize that I did the best I could and that the cashier probably did too and I let it go.
Bet
I forgot!
You mentioning that people think we're scammers, etc is dead on. I recently saved 60 bucks at the store and the person behind me said, "You making those coupons on Publisher at home, right?"
This was a really great topic. Thanks for making me think about some things I really haven't before.
Steph
I never take peelies or hangtag without buying the product, I feel like I'm stealing because it's stuck to the item. I will take up to 4 blinkies or tears.
I wouldn't go out of my way to get to a store because they may or may not be giving overages. It would be my luck that glich would be fixed the moment I arrived at the register anyway. I would not mention any overage though.
If the ip is not supposed to double why would they put a 5 on it?
If I knew for sure the deal was working on shelf prices I would use that to my advantage.
#2-#4 That being said-By the time I match up my coupons to the sales I barely have time to actually do the shopping let alone worry about scamming or correcting the store.
It would be helpful to understand how responsible the cashiers actually are for the coupons? I have had a lot of different jobs, and have never had my pay docked for mistakes I made. But if I knew that they would lose pay I would not want them to push thru a coupon they shouldn't. I also wonder, if I use a coupon for Hunts canned items, for example, on ketchup and it scans, does that hurt the store or the cashier? At some point I am sure someone purchased the ketchup without a coupon, so it's a wash, right? 🙂
DianeScraps
Ok #1 I will definitely take tearpads and blinkies for products that I use, but am not buying at that moment. I will take some peelies and hangtags, but if I am taking them I will usually only take 2-4 UNLESS I am at store that doesn't even accept those coupons (Like Amelias, or the Dollar Tree . . . then if they are good, I will grab more)
#2 Our Triple coupon store, I don't go out of my way for overages there, heck I try not to even go there the first day of the triples because something always seems to go wrong with my order if I do. If the register beeps for a problem and they look for an answer I will be happy to help them try and figure it out. If they are pounding the life out of every key on the register, because, of course couponers are the evil of the world, then I will quietly, patiently, wait for them to do whatever they want to do with the coupons.
#3 DND coupons and Self Checkout - I really dislike using self checkout with coupons. So, no, I don't do that. I go to the register and see what happens. I do not point out that certain coupons say do not double though, I feel that is up to them and their register programming.
#4 Shelf price catalinas - I felt weird about this at first when I heard too. But that was at least 2 years ago. And here is my feeling (and I have talked to a Catalina employee) Catalina KNOWS that it is working off of shelf prices. For whatever reason they are not changing it, so yes, I will plan my orders that way. BUT if the catalina doesn't come out and I haven't done my order to the letter of the advertisement, it is MY loss and I do not return or dispute the order. I do watch the boards for problem products that don't appear to be coded into the system at all, and avoid purchasing those items.
If I have anything that I am really uncomfortable with, or just don't like the wording of I don't do it, or I ask. Manufacturers have put some really stupid wording on coupons, so I ask. Manufacturers have issued coupons that expired a year PRIOR to them being printed in the inserts, reports were that the manufacturer said they were ok to use - didn't matter to me though - that type of stuff is not worth me getting at bad name at my local stores.
When the whole issue went down with the facebook coupons, I went to my favorite local managers and gave them the documentation as to what was going on. I had not personally used any of those coupons (though I had printed some, right off facebook, with glee, before things went crazy), but I wanted the managers to be aware of what was going on and HOW it happened. The average consumer had every reason to believe that those coupons were legit.
Debbie
Scenario 1: I won't take a peelie off a product I am not buying, but I would take a blinie or tear off for future use.
Scenario 2: Well, not really applicable to where I shop, but I would not "rush in" to take advantage of their slowness in updating the system. If I caught the problem while at the store, I would probably point it out. Afterall, I would be quick to point out an error that was not in my favor! And someone probably has to pay for the error. I do couponing to save me money, but not at the expense of others.
Scenario 3: I use both self check and the cashier line--truthfully haven't paid attention to what the coupon's stated poilicy is!
Scenario 4: The sale price, since I wouldn't know otherwise.
sara
1) I take peelies off items I am not buying, but will buy in the future, if there are TONS. If there are 1 or 2 and I'm not buying it, I don't take it. Hang tags/blinkie/tear pads? Fair game. I take no more than 2-4 of each.
2) We don't double or triple here in Chicago so it's not an issue for me. But I do believe that it is the store's responsibility to update their systems and have everything work correctly. I will never ask them to push through an incorrect coupon, etc-but if it goes through without a beep, that's the store's problem, not mine.
3) N/A to me. But again, I think that I would say that if it does not beep, it is the store's problem, not mine.
4) cats on sale vs shelf price? Come on, the cat people and the store know EXACTLY what they are doing. It's always the shelf price. But I will say that before I knew that? OMG did the comapnies rake it in off of me!!! They have it set that way on purpose. Why? It increases the chatter about the awesome deals, and ups the sales. I would never have bought the 25 bottles of ketchup that I did over the past 3 days unless the cat worked on sale prices. So they are happy and I am happy.
Kristin
Scenario 1 : I think the tear pad ones are intended for use whenever, but taking more than you would reasonably use is not ethical. Meaning 2-3, not 20. 😉 Definitely not on the peelies, those are intended for the person who purchases the product.
The others, I have not and would not willingly do. I think there are plenty of ways to save a lot of $ without looking out only for ourselves. I feel like I can get a good deal and not rip off other people at the same time.
April
Scenario #1
A peelie/hangtag from an item, no. A tearpad, yes. I would take 3, which is the amount of identical coupons my store will double in one transaction.
Scenario #2
I wouldn't *rush* in, but I also do not have a head for numbers and would not be able to keep track of overages on my own. If the only things I was buying should end up free, I would probably say something, but if I had more groceries, it wouldn't be as obvious to me and I really wouldn't know.
Scenario #3
I go through a regular register. My local store doubles them anyway. Besides, in most self-scan registers an actual cashier has to verify the coupons anyway.
Scenario #4
I'm not totally sure what this means, but I would figure the deal how it was intended to be done.
Thanks for the thought provoking post!
Darla
#1 no to a peelie, yes to hang tag.
#2 heh, if only I had tripe couple deals.
#3 again heh to the idea of a double coupon.
#4 I've only had 3 catalinas EVAH print out and used two - neither were based on a sale. I didn't even know scenario #4 existed.
Mindi
We were out all morning and this is the first chance I am checking in! Glad so many seem to like this topic and I guess it is time for me to add my answers!
1. Peelies: I don't have a problem with taking them because the manufacturer doesn't care when you buy the product...only that you buy it! That being said, I limit myself to no more than 4 peelies or hangtags per visit. If I go to the store a few days later and they are restocked with that same product and more peelies, I might grab a few more. I never take more peelies than I think I will use
2. I won't point out overages and will happily take them...but I don't rush in to get them nor do I complain when I don't get them. To me, the fact that the overages gradually stop during the week is a sign that someone messed up.
3. I am typically a self-checkout person anyway for my "serious couponing". I do this not to try to get by the system (most General Mills IPs are DND), but because it is easier for me to monitor my savings. Frankly, the reason I brought this scenario up was because I was annoyed by something I read elsewhere: a person telling others to just use the self-checkout to get around SuperFresh's "no internet coupons" rule...that's just WRONG (IMO)
4. I have a hard time with the shelf/sale price scenario. I did it on a ConAgra deal at Acme about 7 months ago and it just felt wrong to me. I figure that I get enough stuff for free already - this is one way of working the deals that I prefer to skip. (I don't judge anyone who does work on shelf prices...just explaining my "personl comfort level")
Bet
Please, someone clue me in, what the heck is a Catalina? Is that a store?
(eternal bargain hunter here, but I've heard this now on two sites. Help!)
Steph
Bet
A catalina is a coupon that prints from a machine by the register when you ring out. Also known as a "cat". My store has them but they never print out money off your order anymore. I think that has something to do with the fact that they do gas deals instead. Mindi, does that sound right or am I totally missing some deal opportunities here.
Mindi
Bet - you explained it exactly!
FYI - one of my local stores switched from Catalinas to gas deals about a year ago. Since the closest gas station where I can redeem the gas points is 20 minutes away, I have all but stopped shopping there!
I know many people love Gas Points....I HATE them. It takes me almost 2 weeks to go through a tank of gas and my husband has a car with a small tank. I'd much rather have a Catalina that I can turn in to more free/cheap food for my family!
Michelle
My question is this:
When you have a store having a buy one get one free...and then you have a coupon for buy one get one free....can you/do you use them together?
I have..but I gotta say..it never feels quite right.
And I wonder about the question a previous commenter made. What if we use a coupon for a product not specifically listed? I've done that too...didnt feel right.
Mindi
Michelle: it depends on the store and the mood of the cashier. In theory it should work (and if you call corporate for many stores and ask, they wil tell you that it is ok). But this is one thing that is SO blatant that you are getting free stuff that many managers just won't let you do it.
As for the coupons for products not specifically listed...I don't like it because it can be so open for abuse. About a year ago, there were $10 coupons for (I think) Crest Whitestrips that were coded in such a way that they would also work for Pampers...and word got out and people flocked to the stores for free Pampers. I have a serious problem with that. I do have less of a problem with people using a coupon for (for example) $.50/3 Del Monte Reduced Sodium vegetables on the non-reduced-sodium variety. That seems less like fraud to me. Strictly speaking, it's the same as the Whitestrips/Pampers thing...but it just seems less fraudulent to me.
Kristin
On #4 - not sure on the rules on that - it is on the shelf price? The sales here are never worded so that I have been sure if it was the sale price or shelf price. I don't see a prob with doing it either way ethically, but wondered what the rules are. 🙂
Jennifer
I just wish the stores would educate their employees on the correct use of coupons. I was accused of coupon fraud at Walgreens this week because I was using a manufactorers coupon and a store coupon at the same time, making the item free. The clerk didn't like that and either did the assistant manager. I did nothing wrong, but was made to look and feel like a criminal. When I patiently tried to explain to her she said in a snotty voice "if you know so much about our policy maybe you should work here" I refrained from saying anything negative back, although boy in my head I was screaming! I seriously have no desire to ever go to that store again. I love CVS and only occasionally stop in at Walgreens - that is no ending.
eve
As others have said, I don't always notice when registers make mistakes, I have yet for one to make one in my favor, LOL, but depending on the error I would probably go back in. If it were just a little bit, probably not, only because with a 6 month old at home I can't go running back out when I see I got .50 extra cents. But I do want the stores to know me as honest, so a bigger error would need to be brought up.
We do not get double coupons in this area, so that isn't applicable to me unfortunately.
As for tear pads I usually take about 4-6 depending on the item, I know the distributors have a ton so me taking some it not going to be a problem, I always leave at least one (if there are only 4 then I take three)
Julie
This is a great topic. Thanks.
Scenario 1. I take a peelie only if I'm buying that product right now. I figure it's intended for use on this particular package. I will take up to four blinkies/tearpads, though, if I think I will buy that product in the future.
Scenario 2. Some stores I shop routinely give overages, even stores in the same chain. It's too much effort for me to make sure I get there the first day of the sale. If I do get there in time to get the overages, great. If not, oh well.
Scenario 3. I don't like self check-out and use it only for those times I need to run in for an extra gallon of milk or something. About the DND, if the store doubles it, I take it. If they don't, I don't complain.
Scenario 4. I always plan based on the sale price. I didn't know it worked using shelf prices.
Adriana
One: I won't take peelies or hangtags, but I will take coupons from a tearpad or blinkies. I usually only take one or two though and that's if it's an item I use.
Two: None of my stores triple, or even double, so I've never actually had this problem. I probably wouldn't do it on purpose, but if I happen to end up at the store early and they give me overages, so be it.
Three: I hate using the self-checkout, so no I wouldn't. Honestly, I didn't even know you could use coupons in the self-checkout.
Four: Again, I've never ran into this problem, and I've not quite sure what I would do.
I can think of one other scenario:
1) Sending in a "if you're not satisfied" rebate just to get the extra money. I saw some blog advertising "YoPlus yogurt on sale for /some price/ at /some store/, using /some coupon/ to make it /some low price/ and then send it in for the "Love it or It's Free!" rebate".
There's also another scenario, but it pertains to shopping online:
2) Abusing glitches. Easy example: the lemon bars from Amazon a few weeks back. They were supposed to be BOGO, but there was a glitch in the system and and they were discounting the price when you bought one, so you could get them for free. Many bloggers posted about this, and while maybe some of them thought it was an honest deal, I saw one blog that blatantly stated "Amazon glitched and you get free food".
Celia
Could someone please explain to me the catalina sale/shelf price thing?
Mindi
Hi Celia!
Sometimes you see a Catalina deal that is (for example) "Get $10 off your next order when you buy $25 in participating products" and the ad will show those products on sale. So, one naturally thinks that they need to get to $25 using the sale prices.
But occasionally you hear on message boards or websites that the Catalina will print when you get to $25 using the non-sale price. which means that you need to buy much less than you think to get the Catalina.
For example: Let's say the deal is Get $10 OYNO wyb $25 and Chex Mix is included at a sale price of $1 per bag (regular price $2.50). Then you hear on the Internets that it is working on shelf prices. To do the deal as it is shown in the ad, you would need to buy 25 bags of Chex Mix for $25. But if it is working on shelf price, you would only need to buy 10 bags (shelf price x10) and since it is on sale you only spend $10 to get the $10 Catalina. (or much much less if you have coupons for those items)
If you are local to Philadelphia, it happens quite frequently at SuperFresh and occasionally at Acme (although at Acme, it always seems to be on ConAgra products)
Hope this helps!
Celia
Oh, and as for the coupons, I take one blinkie if the product is something I like. I take one tear off also. I do not take peelies.
I am a retail manager, so if I have any questions about a deal I ask the cashier and go with their decision. I get LIVID at work when people abuse coupons. So I am very careful not to do that.
Jenny
I will only take a peelie if there are a bunch left. I'm loving the $1 off milk with purchase of Sara Lee Bread coupon. I hope they make those forever, because I use them at least once a week.
I've never heard of the code beginning in 5 thing and there are no places around here that triple coupons. I do not point out overages, because most of the time I don't even know it. Plus, any time you talk about coupons, the checkout people get really confused. Best to just let them scan the coupons and be done with it.
Jenny
Oops, I was talking about tear off coupons, NOT peelies! I do not take peelies off of products I am not buying right then.
Heidi @ GGIP
I will not take a peelie of an item I am not buying. I would be mad if I found an item like that I was going to buy but someone else took the coupon. I will take one or two blinkies for future use.
I wouldn't try to get to a sale at a certain time when their coupon policy might not be working in their computer. I will always assume that the store's coupon policy is the same. I probably would not notice if a coupon doubled that wasn't supposed to though because it is unclear on the customer end.
As for the shelf price versus sale price for a catalina, I don't think it is unethical to do the deal, but I'm sure I wouldn't run out to get the deal either.
Leah Wentzel
#1. I wouldn't take a peelie off a product that I wasn't going to buy. It annoys me when I am the one that buys it and the peelie is already gone! 🙂
#2. Overage on coupon, just for the record, it would make things really hard for us to make sure they weren't giving us too much off and for every time an item has rung up wrong and I have paid more than I was supposed to I see this as what evens it out.
#3 I don't try to double coupon that say do not double, i don't like the hassel
#4 sale prices
I don't really care what ever one else does though, i just don't want all the sudden for coupons to be gone because people are trying to "scan the system". 🙂
Jennifer Y.
#1 Tearpads and blinkies are fair game to me. Although I try to only take a few at a time. If there are more when I go back on my next trip I will take a few more. It does REALLY annoy me, though, when there is a really hot coupon and someone takes them all and suddenly they are all over ebay and the hcw trade forums. But, hey, they got there first and they make it work for them. Peelies and hangtags I usually don't take if I'm not buying. I've only done it once for poptarts when I knew there was a super sale going on at another store.
#2 I think my moral compass must point a little differently than everyone else--lol. I love overages! I don't rush out if I hear that is store is making mistakes. But, I do plan my shopping trips around which store gives overages (Acme). I don't count on it, but I will happily take it when it happens. They just scan it. What happens, happens.
#3 I've had IPs, blinkies, and regular insert dnd coupons double. In self check out and with a regular cashier. If it scans, great. If not, I wasn't counting on it. BUT, I still don't understand who loses on this deal. Who doubles the coupons? The store?
#4 Definitely shelf prices. Isn't that the whole point of these blogs and forums like HCW? To find the deals and do them? If the cat company/manufacturers didn't want you to do the deal on shelf prices, why would then set the machines that way? Being a smart shopper doesn't mean you are unethical.
On another note... Pretty much every single time I've ever handed over a stack of coupons, at least one gets missed. Then it's a big hassle to find it, the cashier thinks you're accusing them of being a terrible cashier, and you look like a freak making a big stink over 1.00. But, like Hurley said, that's my dollar, dude! We all work hard for our money and if you're here, you probably work really hard at saving money by using coupons and searching out deals. I hand my coupons over one by one. So, if you get behind me in line, don't get annoyed--that's cash in my pocket:)
Thanks for the great topic Mindi!
midlife mommy
As for #1, I've often taken several to use in the future -- isn't that why they have expiration dates out into the future? As for the other scenarios, I have to be honest -- I'm not savvy even know these things were occurring, but I don't think that I would do them.
Manisha
Scenario #1: I won't take peelies unless I'm buying the product. The only exception is when I am at the pepperidge farm outlet. They don't take coupons, so if there are peelies on those, I take them. Blinkies/tearpads - I usually take a few of them. I will never take the whole tearpad, and I try hard to think about how likely I am to use them all. I don't need 15 of them only have them expire.
I took Over the Moon ones the other day - about 8. But, I'll use them before the expire.
Scenario #2: I'm not going to scam it up. If overage happens and it's not fixed, I don't bring it up. But I don't flock there to do it. Even double coupons at my Acme end up with overages all the time, even though it says they won't let you do that.
Scenario #3: I usually do self-checkout because of coupons, but not because I'm trying to scam. I just get annoyed with cashiers or customers who give me a hard time. If a coupon doubles, fine. If it doesn't, that's ok too (assuming it says "do not double.") Even when I go to the register with a cashier, most of the time they double them anyway. I don't correct them.
Scenario #4: I have to be honest - I'd take advantage of this if it happened. I wouldn't go making lots of noise about it, but I happen upon the situation, I'll use it.
I think I have questionable morals. Yikes.