First terrible experience with Walmart

[marstec]

I know Walmart is a large corporation and has deeper pockets than most, but if I had a business, I would appreciate the people who paid me in cash, even credit. I believe, with coupons, there is a much longer wait to get reimbursed...if that's true, I can see why it would be frowned upon to use so many coupons in one transaction.

I understand that the OP said she wasn't clearing the shelves, but how much is enough?

[torontogal12]

I rarely buy more than 4 of anything at a time and I am totally for limits so everyone can share in a deal, but this is just couponer bias!!! They had no problem with you taking that many until you took out the coupons. Don't they want to sell stuff?

In your email to Walmart I think you should specify that you weren't even close to clearing shelves

It's attitudes like this that kind of make me glad that I have to make multiple grocery trips each week because I don't have my own car. Using 5 coupons in multiple small transactions is so much less of a hassle than using 20 of them in a large transaction. I don't need cashiers huffing and puffing and I don't need customers complaining behind me

[lecale]

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[padfoot]

I recall a situation at sdm one time while i was waiting in line and a customer was complaining about how he couldnt use all his coupons to purchase the huge amount of baby formula he was buying. Also apparently the manager had limited his purchase too. He made a very huge scene of it and caused the line up to be very long...

But yes i agree that store managers have the right to limit sometimes. For example, sdm's two day sales limits purchases to four or else the price goes up after limit.

[jasperandchar]

Like others your letter was well written, luckily my WM does limit the # of products purchased with or without coupons, I am fortunate in that aspect.

Best of luck.

[SassyAshley]

I have no issues with a store limiting purchases, I even ranting wishing my No Frills had of put a limit when they had chicken breasts on sale super cheap as I watched a customer check out with over 21+ packs (I stopped counting at 21). My issue would be the fact that they did not limit her until they found coupons were involved. To me either the sales is limited coupons or no coupon or it is not limited.

Sadly my guess is this store was recently burned by someone using coupons (either coupons were fraudilent, or the customer returned everything or they were not reimbursed for them).

It just shows that truly is getting harder and harder to coupon.

[Poirot]

If they want to limit items they should advertise the affect on the price tag.It shouldn't matter if you were paying with a coupon or cash.

[SavenRaven]

I agree that limits should be in place, coupon or no coupon.

I also agree that it was unfair that you were discriminated against as a coupon user. If they are willing to sell 80 of an item when paying with cash, they should be equally as willing when paying with coupons. Unless, of course, they had proof that the items being purchased with coupons were for resale (which obviously they didn't in this case).

A manager has the right to determine a "reasonable household quantity" of any item, but that quantity shouldn't change once coupons are involved.

[luckbealady]

If you had 80 save $2.00 WUB2 softsoap coupons, that means they helped you load 160 bottles into your cart, right?
I find it strange that no one bothered to comment on how you were buying so many, which I'm sure would have led to the coupon comment well ahead of time.

While I do feel using that amount of the same coupons at once is excessive, and has a higher chance of you being denied use, they shouldn't have suddenly imposed a limit. Especially since you've said you shop there all the time and use 50+ of the same coupons. Obviously the store knows customers are doing it, so they should have a memo posted at the tills that there is a limit of x amount of like coupons per transaction/customer.

[Adriana]

Adriana, your letter is well written & I hope that you receive an adequate response from the company. I feel you are correct in your feelings that you were treated unfairly... no problem in purchasing 80 soaps if you were paying with bills and coins, but suddenly limited when coupons were being used (coupons from a flyer on specific paper which should have solved any potential worry of fraud). Not right! I don't feel the words being grateful or expecting limits/calling ahead has anything to do with your issue. You were discriminated against, plain and simple. It seems crazy to me that couponers have to worry about warranting their shopping plans... especially with other couponers (so often others are judged on this forum & I think that stinks).

[Adriana]

Again, I just want to clarify that their were a ton of cases left and I would NEVER clear any shelves/product. The soap was going to go to my family and hubbys family. I also have no issue with limitations, the reason I even got so many all at once was because the coupons were going to expire and I've never had an issue with quantity at my local Walmart. I traded a lot of coupons and GCs for the softsoap coupons and missed out on the last sale and thought I would end up throwing them out since the Walmart store sale started on March 1. I ended up seeing the softsoap on a skid when I went to get some protein bars last night. My main issue is the CSM was very nice to me and helped me out when loading the cart, and asked me multiple times if it was enough and if I wanted anymore and once I got to the checkout and pulled out my coupons and they paged her to confirm me getting so many EVERYTHING changed!

[Midnightly]

they do have the right to refuse the coupons.. if they believe it's coupon abuse or coupon fraud.. the issue with coupons is the store doesn't get the money back until they submit them.. and even after they submit them there is no guarantee they will get the money back the company may deny the coupon if they feel it's been abused "gang-cut" or submitted/accepted in a fraudulent manner (coupons are meant for personal use not a company buying items on coupon for retail.. not saying that you were) but if a company feels they were submitted this way they will deny the store the refund, the company can also do a audit of the store to make sure they sold as many of the items that they are claiming for (i've heard SOF might have been audited which is why stacking stopped.. but this is hearsay)

there was a rather large incident many years ago about gang cutting and companies submitting coupons for products never sold and with the new popularity of couponing again i wouldn't be surprised if things are being ged again (you can find info on it here http://www.jillcataldo.com/gang_cut_coupons it is USA based BUT.. i'm sure it applies in Canada too)

[Darth Penguin]

If they want to limit items they should advertise the affect on the price tag.It shouldn't matter if you were paying with a coupon or cash.

ITA, it shouldn't matter if (general) you are paying in cash, card, coupon or Pus, the limits should be the same and well advertised.

[DianneS]

My Walmart has told me that they have a limit of 6 like coupons per item per day. (I find that to be very reasonable.) The interesting thing though, is that I haven't ever had them enforce it. Likely it's because I never push it beyond 8, or maximum 10 coupons, for one product. I'm sure that if I went in and put 80 coupons down on the counter they would enforce their limit.

I find the comments that 'the store gets their money back, so why should they care' show a lack of understanding of how the store's relationship with the manufacturer works. The store cares because if they are seen to be contributing to what the manufacturer deems to be inappropriate coupons use, the store doesn't get reimbursed. No manufacturer ever put out coupons so that we can use them to buy in mass quantities and that's why the "limit" can suddenly kick in.

My personal mantra is "fly under the radar" . If you really need a large quantity of something, go to more than one store and be discreet. You may have left 30 boxes on the shelf, but really, given that you needed 80 bottles yourself (and consider that a reasonable quantity for one person) what you left may not be much of a supply for a store that has hundreds to thousands of customers every day.

[cookoo]

stores may not get their money back. if you don't believe it, read: Gang Cut Coupons