Soooooo.....

I went to Home Outfitters on black friday weekend to get my husband a keurig. There were a lot of deals for keurig that weekend but I decided to go with this one because the promotion was spend $50.00 get $20.00 gift card. The machine I wanted was $160.00 so I thought PERFECT... I spend $160.00, get $60.00 to put in his stocking and he can pick out his own coffee. I pay for the machine and get my gift cards. As I'm talking to the cashier I tell her my plan to put them in my husbands stocking. She tells me that I have to use them between Dec 2 and 15 :( No big deal I'll buy the coffee my self and give that to him also.

I go back today, pick out coffee and a tray to put them in, and go to pay. My total comes to $80.00 so I take out my $60.00 gift cards and give them to the girl. She tells me that I can only use ONE $20.00 gift card. I have to spend $50.00 in order to use one lousy gift card. I explain to her that what she is telling me is not what the other cashier said to me. In fact the other cashier told me nothing of the sort and agreed that I could come in and use my $60.00 to buy coffee. She never, in any way, said that I had to spend $150.00 to get the $60.00 off. I mean if you think about it that's just asinine...

I asked to talked to a manager and explained the situation. The manager told me that the cashiers are so busy that they couldn't possibly mention to EVERY SINGLE person that goes through their till that they have to spend $50.00 to redeem this gift card. Then he informed me that it's not a gift card it's a coupon. I told him that I felt mislead and that the cashier should have mentioned this to me as this was the only reason I got this particular machine. He admitted it was a big omission and I told him it was a make or break omission. Had she told me that information I never would have bought it in the first place. In the end he met me half way and allowed me to use 2 of my $20.00 "coupons" against my purchase. I told my husband all this and he seems to think that if they are going to play dirty like that then I should just return everything and go somewhere else...

Any thoughts on that? Do you think I should just suck it up and spend another $50.00 so I can redeem this coupon or should I take it all back, get my money back and buy else where?

I'd love your insight :)

I say, wait for another good sale on KitchenAid stuff, PM to Home Outfitters, use the card on something Kitchenaid and then get a KitchenAid rebate back. That's just my two cents though, I doubt you need KitchenAid stuff (though, last week I did get three attachments for my mixer and after rebate it will be $26 spent OOP, original prices would have been $260).

It is a big omission of the cashier, but they usually run this promo at Christmas and I think it's normally advertised as buy XX amount of stuff and get a 'gift card' (aka coupon) to be used on your next purchase of xxx amount.

Do you think you can find another Keurig for the same price? If you can, is it worth the hassle of returning and rebuying? I've gotten that deal in past years, I just end up using it on sale and clearance stuff in the store to get the most bang for my buck. When you do the math, the 'gift cards' are worth 20% at maximum because in order to get an redeem them, you have to make a $50 purchase initially, followed by another $50 purchase to redeem, so spending $100. Because it's split up into two timeframes (buy and buy again) it does give you the chance to hit two different sale weeks, plus they price match as well, right? So you could score pretty good if there are good sales when you redeem it.

Sounds like a crock to me. If it isn't clearly labeled on the "gc-coupon" then call or file a complaint and have this investigated Consumer Contact Centre at 780-427-4088 (Edmonton and area) or 1-877-427-4088 (toll-free in Alberta).

Hopefully this link works, if not look up filing a complaint with Service Alberta as a potential violation of the Fair Trading Act http://www.servicealberta.ca/1006.cfm


Service Alberta
Investigation Services - North
3rd Floor, Commerce Place
10155 – 102 Street
Edmonton AB T5J 4L4
Fax: 780-422-9106

Thank you but it is clearly written. I just didn't read it because I took the cashier's word for it. After all she should know. We were talking and the thing is, if she had enough sense to tell me I had to spend them (which were her exact words.. SPEND. She made it sound like a gift card) Between the 2nd and 15th. She should have told me that it wasn't a gift card and that it was a coupon. That in order to redeem them I had to spend $50.00. That means to save myself $60.00 I'll have spent over $350.00. Where is the logic in that??

Nuts! I'm with your husband. Take it all back and you don't have to worry about spending another $50 to use up the coupon card. But you've already gone through the hassel and if there is actually something you want, then use it up and chalk this up to a lesson in reading fine print. Sorry, I would be very irritated.