Purposely/Blatantly Misuing Coupons

[westcoastblondie]

I live in a smaller town and though I've never actually seen another person using coupons at the grocery store, I know people do because the tearpads go missing within just a couple of hours.

Well the cashiers are always the same and they know the shoppers. Every time I go through the till it seems as though I'm heavily scrutinized because I have coupons and every coupon needs to be thoroughly inspected to make sure I'm not trying to cheat th store.

This afternoon I was speaking with a cashier and she said "I'm sorry I have to do this, I just got in a lot of trouble the other day" and I said "No worries at all, I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but can I ask why you got in trouble?" She went on to tell me that she had a woman that always uses coupons come through the till during the busiest hour of the day with 40 items and 53 coupons (because the store stacks where applicable). With many people in line behind her this woman handed over all these coupons and proceeded to 'rush' her(the cashier) because she was 'in a hurry and didn't want to wait all day'. That night when the cashier was cashing out, she realized that 11 of the coupons the woman had given her were expired and 6 of them were for one item that said 'one per customer' on them. She says that because of how rude the woman was and how she's someone who always uses coupons, she can only assume that she was rushing her through in an effort to make sure she wouldn't catch the expired and one per customer coupons.

It's not right. It really isn't. In my small town especially, I know it's not the same everywhere, but people were misusing the printable coupons from off the internet so badly that stores won't accept printed coupons from your home computer anymore.

I understand if some people make mistakes. I do. I've made at least two before and I felt really bad about both afterwards. But 17 coupons? That wasn't a mistake.

Maybe it's just me, but I think if a coupon specifically states 'One per customer' then you should only get one. If you really need two, perhaps ask the cashier nicely if you can do two transactions as such to not have them on the same bill. Or bring more than just yourself with you. Don't get 3 or 4 or 9 or 10. And if a coupon says 'Only for this specific product' don't try to use it on 'anything of that brand'. And definitely don't use expired coupons! Ooh hearing that story about the lady using 11 of them just made me so mad.

I honestly don't blame the cashier for needing to thoroughly inspect every single coupon now, no matter how many people are in line. I may not like it, but I don't blame her. If there are people out there like that, using eleven expired coupons or six of a coupon that specifically say 'one per customer, then she has every right to.

I apologize to everyone who doesn't like this. And yes, you can say that the store will most likely get their money back, but what if they don't? What if this manufacturer that's being so kind in offering coupons to start with decides they're sick of the misuse of their coupons? They put the rules on them for a reason, and if people are blatantly choosing not to follow them, they can opt to not only not pay the stores back, but also to discontinue providing coupons to consumers. Maybe that might be a 'worst case scenario' but at the same time, imagine all of the people that would be saying 'I didn't know what I had until it was gone' if that ever did happen?

[tjthemanto]

I don't blame the cashier either. Lot of people take it personally when cashiers scrutinise their coupons, but if you look at it from their side, I can understand why they do so.

I hope these people get banned from stores for misuing the coupons the same way shop lifters get banned from stores.

[misstarbender]

the good thing is that because it is a small town you live in, the lady will be recognized the next time she is in the store and the cashier, or store manager, can tell her that each and every one of her coupons needs to be inspected because of her misuse last time she was in the store. I live in a small town too and shop at SOF which is really close to my house. They are nice enough to be patient with me and all my coupons and I would never ever even think about misusing coupons at that store because then they wouldnt let me do it as much!!
Why on earth would someone want to screw themselves out of the priveledge of being able to stack coupons??
its crazy!!

[DianneS]

I was at PriceSmart about a month ago and the cashier went over my coupons with a fine-toothed comb. He, too, apologized and his story was somewhat similar. A lady had come in that morning with quite a number of coupon stacks. The first several stacks were perfect, but once he got to about the sixth stack he noticed that there were a few expired in the stack. Lo and behold, every stack after that had a couple of expired coupons in it. When he pointed it out, she played dumb....then she started asking him if he was new and inexperienced, intimating that he didn't understand how the couponing rules. His reply was "no, I have worked here for 12 years and believe me, none of the cashiers would have accepted these stacks." Needless to say, he now has her number! His comment to me was: "it's too bad people like that ruin it for all the honest couponers out there." He was pretty ticked off that she had tried to gain his trust with the first several stacks, thinking that after that he'd just automatically put them through without checking.

I really wish I had been there when she had tried to pull it off....although I would have felt like smacking her right up the side of the head!!! The cashiers at my PriceSmart know me and trust me. Like the OP, I would never want to jeopardize that relationship by trying to "slip one by" the store.

[walkonby]

^^ so sneaky, wow. Well she got busted by a cashier who was paying attention, good for him!

[misstarbender]

Ive only ever been to the pricesmart in Richmond BC...didnt buy anything, my mom and I were just checking it out...is it a good store for stacking?

[DianneS]

For me, it is better than Save-on-Foods. The SOF near me is notoriously uncooperative when it comes to stacking.

[misstarbender]

the one near me is really good! I just always notify the manager before I start shopping so he knows Im there! He and his assistant are both awesome

[DianneS]

Is that in Ladner or Tsawwassen? Haven't been out that way in a long time.

[misstarbender]

Ladner

[Dayanara]

Ugh I hate people that do that. I also hate that because of those people my check outs take so much longer because each and every word has to be read over and over.

I felt horrible the other day. Was trying to use up all my June coupons and needed yogurt, so grabbed a pack of Activia and handed over my coupon, and OOPS! It had expired two days prior. I felt horrible, I usually always check the coupons before handing them over. I was using a few others and she saw my coupon folder in my purse, so I assume she knew it was not intentional. I went beat red though, never done that before.

[Natalka]

Oh, that's just terrible - and those bad apples can ruin it for everyone else!

Yes, of course, sometimes it can happen inadvertendly with one coupon - like with the above poster - but to do it on purpose is gross.

[xXtiggerXx]

Food basics where I shop has had to stop taking a lot of coupons. If you use a FPC, the cashier has to have a supervisor check it over since they have had people trying to pass fake ones. Any store that allowed printables quickly revoked it due to people photocopying coupons that were supposed to be unique code/one per person/fake.

I'd much rather save hundreds over a period of time using coupons properly than save $50 right now misusing them, make it much more difficult, or impossible to use coupons (aka save $) in the future.

[hollyquaiscer]

While at WM a while ago, this guy saw my binder and proceeded to tell me how he and his wife were scamming a NF because it is always busy and they will put through tons of coupons that are either expired or buy 1 item when the coupon is a B2S$1. I couldn't believe it, he was bragging about it. I told him that I didn't think that was very nice and he said that the store would get paid anyways. I inquired as to how he knew they would, then told him that it's people like him that make couponing so hard these days. He said some not so nice words and walked away, but I really couldn't care less.

It amazes me that people do this, and then when they get away with it, brag to anyone who they strike up a conversation with about it I had used an expired coupon at WM last year for some Listerine. It was expired by 1 or 2 days. It was my fault for not checking. Someone on SC pointed it out to me and I sent my dd back to the store when she got off work. The CS people were great when she wanted to pay for it and told her not to worry, but I felt bad for a really long time.

We all make mistake, but most of us don't participate in this activity, it's terrible.

[Springbreeze]

I felt horrible the other day. Was trying to use up all my June coupons and needed yogurt, so grabbed a pack of Activia and handed over my coupon, and OOPS! It had expired two days prior. I felt horrible, I usually always check the coupons before handing them over. I was using a few others and she saw my coupon folder in my purse, so I assume she knew it was not intentional. I went beat red though, never done that before.

I did that a few weeks ago with a pilsbury coupon $2.00 off the cookies. I was so excited they were on sale at walmart i just grabbed a pack and off i went to the cash with my coupons and purchases. Cashier asked me if I knew the coupon had expired of course I hadn't I forgot to check it. My fault, felt terrible bought the cookies anyway really wanted them, they just would have been sweeter free. I would never intentionally use an expired coupon, its getting hard enough to coupon as it is.