Calgary Coupon Hunters *HEADS UP*

[shirl57]

Honestly delivering the flyers is a lot harder than everyone things. It may seem like its an easy job for everyone who is just waiting for their flyers to come. But think about, some of those flyers are really heavy especially when stores decides to do a special deals or something. They can weigh close to 2-3 pounds each, sometimes even more, and I know most of the routes are close to 100 houses each. And if your deliver person is by themself, yes they will just throw because it cuts the time that they have to stay out. And yes the flyer force does not pay enough to endure the weather that the deliver person have to go through in order to deliver your flyers. Even if the weather is pouring rain or blowing snow they still have to come and deliver your flyers.

I know alot of the people who does deliver the flyers and they get called out so many times that they are stupid to be throwing the flyers and such, they have been yelled at, scream at. People are so mean to those who are trying to get a little money, and trying to do there best in deliver the flyers.

Seriously, if you have a really hard time accepting that your flyers are being thrown or whatever reason it is. Just go to the store and get one. Tell the flyer force that you dont want to get the flyers anymore.

As a couponer, I too face the same problem and frustration of not getting my flyers and/or my coupons many times. I now depend on asking my neighbours and friends for them.

BUT .... at the same time, I also agree with moonstarmom per how she describes the other side of the coin, the version from a flyer's life and what and how they have many obstacles to deal with. I've often seen them in my neighbourhood (various times over the years) and sometimes they even use little kids wagons to move them along from house to house, otherwise manually and often times the parents go out with the kids and/or adults and move their vehicle every few houses as the carriers drop off the flyers. I do appreciate whatever I get in my box as I see how hard most of the flyer people work to make a tiny bit of money. It's not an easy job.

[glasschick]

I went to LD last night and was told that they are no longer going to stack the Quantum Finish coupons as the company has complained.

[schwarzie]

Honestly delivering the flyers is a lot harder than everyone things. It may seem like its an easy job for everyone who is just waiting for their flyers to come. But think about, some of those flyers are really heavy especially when stores decides to do a special deals or something. They can weigh close to 2-3 pounds each, sometimes even more, and I know most of the routes are close to 100 houses each. And if your deliver person is by themself, yes they will just throw because it cuts the time that they have to stay out. And yes the flyer force does not pay enough to endure the weather that the deliver person have to go through in order to deliver your flyers. Even if the weather is pouring rain or blowing snow they still have to come and deliver your flyers.

I know alot of the people who does deliver the flyers and they get called out so many times that they are stupid to be throwing the flyers and such, they have been yelled at, scream at. People are so mean to those who are trying to get a little money, and trying to do there best in deliver the flyers.

Seriously, if you have a really hard time accepting that your flyers are being thrown or whatever reason it is. Just go to the store and get one. Tell the flyer force that you dont want to get the flyers anymore.

It is alot of work. I delivered the Calgary Herald through elementary school and junior high (about 5 years). I had 80 papers on my route and I made about $160 a month for daily delivery (I am not telling you how long ago that was) On Fridays and Saturdays the papers were incredibly heavy and to have 80 of those bad boys strapped to my back at once was not fun. I also had to have the paper delivered by 6am and I can tell you that very few people get up that early to clear their walk etc so in the winter it was very difficult.

Not an easy job at all, but it did buy me my first car!

[Jrack]

I went to LD last night and was told that they are no longer going to stack the Quantum Finish coupons as the company has complained.

Which LD did u go to?

[glasschick]

Heritage LD. Was also warned that in the new year more companies are going to go the P&G route with the restrictive wording - more or less phasing out stacking.

[ColleenMGorecki]

oh no l was going to do more

[Tsija]

I went to LD last night and was told that they are no longer going to stack the Quantum Finish coupons as the company has complained.

Heritage LD. Was also warned that in the new year more companies are going to go the P&G route with the restrictive wording - more or less phasing out stacking.

I was worried that this was going to happen soon.

I heard from LD that Dove came to visit them. They wanted to know how such a small chain was successfuly selling their products in quantities similiar to large chains like Walmart etc. - wanted to see their marketing strategy. During their visit, they realized it was because of coupon stacking and getting it for free because someone was stacking at the cs desk at the time.

While it is truly wonderful that many of these products go to charity and to help those who need it, LD management got the impression that this was not how Dove intended to make charitable contributions. While they didn't say LD had to stop, they did say they would be looking into it in the new year.

I guess the mass quantity stacking is sending up alerts to companies. It is sad because stacking helps so many.

[minouchefreedom]

ak!! not good to hear that excessive stacking in one area is causing red s to fly in our faces.....you would have though that by now it was quite obvious that this would cause issues.
I love to be able to give away stuff to others, it is very nice........
just I only stack in reasonable quantities........ a small amount at a time....... 6 at the most in one product type purchased, usually also because there are never excesive amount on the shelf anymore!!
If I needed larger amounts, I would pre order.......did that for Gaviscon and Tums.......and ordered 6 x Finish months ago!!
can't even fathom why, how someone would go and get hundreds of dollars in free Dove........in one go!!!

I dont make it a practice to price match excessivly, in the past year, probably only done approx 10 price matches.

[findme]

I was worried that this was going to happen soon.

I heard from LD that Dove came to visit them. They wanted to know how such a small chain was successfuly selling their products in quantities similiar to large chains like Walmart etc. - wanted to see their marketing strategy. During their visit, they realized it was because of coupon stacking and getting it for free because someone was stacking at the cs desk at the time.

While it is truly wonderful that many of these products go to charity and to help those who need it, LD management got the impression that this was not how Dove intended to make charitable contributions. While they didn't say LD had to stop, they did say they would be looking into it in the new year.

I guess the mass quantity stacking is sending up alerts to companies. It is sad because stacking helps so many.

Oh I hope not! What I find weird is that stacking is not a new thing, right? So, why has this become such a big problem now. I blame it on Extreme Couponing...what do you think?

[Tsija]

When I was talking to the girl, I didn't get the impression that the person stacking during the Dove visit was doing an extremely large quantity, probably just a regular stack like many of us do. It just resulted in an inquiry of how much Dove was being sold through stacking.

I think what LD was trying to say is that the more of a product that is sold, the more they have to order to keep the shelves stocked. An increase in amount ordered by retailers suggests to the manufacturer that a product campaign is doing well. When it is only one chain ordering extra, the marketing of the store must be exceptional. So the manufacturer wants to know what the exceptional marketing strategy is - more signage, display tactics etc. But at LD the extra ordered is because they allow stacking. It probably doesn't take much, for example if LD normally sells 100 bottles of dove a month Jan - Sept, but sells 200 bottles of dove Oct and Nov, they have doubled their sales. Any good marketing manager would want to know how. So they visit the store.

[glasschick]

As it was explained to me P&G lost $200 million in coupon payouts last year blah blah blah, I kinda tuned him out because I didn't buy the explanation. Aren't those payouts already allocated? And besides LD went on local TV news programs advertising that they stack coupons - I mean what was the expectation?

[Tsija]

Oh I hope not! What I find weird is that stacking is not a new thing, right? So, why has this become such a big problem now. I blame it on Extreme Couponing...what do you think?

I think due to the recession and couponing awareness through the show, more people are stacking for themselves and for giving. At the same time, manufacturers are trying to cut costs because overall sales may be down as the general public cuts back during the recession so they may care more about stacking than they used to - just my opinion.

[Tsija]

And besides LD went on local TV news programs advertising that they stack coupons - I mean what was the expectation?

I don't want to misrepresent LD, they want to continue stacking as their stance is to support the average Canadian household by helping them save money. And we stackers love saving our money too! I think, however, that the manufacturer is not feeling the same enthusiasm for stacking.

I think they will keep stacking until manufacturers either complain to them (as the Finish guys are) or until the coupon wording is changed (as Dove suggested may happen next year)

But, aren't we also predicting the end of stacking?

[minouchefreedom]

As far as I understand the correct remittance of coupons, LD, or any company in fact, has to account that the amount of product sold, is the same as the amount of cpns sent in to be reimbursed.
As cpn stackers we may be using up to 5 plus different cpns on one item.....
that means that regular non cpn purchasing customers have to be buying the other 4 same items to validate the usage of those 5 cpns I get to use on the same product!!

When cpns are sent to LD head office, I just assume that they check and remit the correct amount of cpns and make sure that they have ordered in that past qualifying time frame, adequate quantity of stock.

It is all a numbers game.........

Any thoughts or comments on that aspect?

[Tsija]

I can't remember where, but I remember that LD couldn't account for sufficient quantity of stock to coupons at one point when asked and that was what alerted P&G. P&G threatened to not reimburse coupons if it continued and that was the beginning of the end of stacking for P&G. I think different variables can draw attention to stacking.

I once did a search on how manufacturers feel about stacking for my own curiosity.