[SwampQueen]

I think I've spoken to CVS corporate office more than I've spoken to my mother this week.

Today, I went into CVS to do the Colgate toothpaste deal. The sale ad says that Colgate is $2.99, and you get $2 in ECBs when you purchase.

I also had two coupons for this toothpaste: one was for $2 off Colgate Total Whitening from CVS (register coupon), and the other was a mfr. Q from the Sunday paper for 50 cents off. This made my total 49 cents before my ECBs were printed.

The toothpaste rang up at the regular price, so I had to show the cashier (and I think she may be a manager) the sale in the sales ad. She corrected it. She took my coupons, and I paid 49 cents. However, my $2 in ECBs did not print out. When I questioned her, she told me that they are now loading ECBs onto our CVS cards.

I wasn't comfortable with this, as I am accustomed to getting a register receipt for ECBs. I called the corporate office when I got home. The lady I spoke to said that this was not correct. She said that I should have gotten my ECBs. She told me that she would review my purchase (I gave her my receipt # & CVS card #), and that as long as everything was right, I would be able to print out my $2 in ECBs this Sunday.
While I had her on the phone, I also let her know of my trouble executing the double BOGO (mfc. Q BOGO paired with the store's BOGO offer). She confirmed what the last person I spoke to at corporate said, that we are allowed to get both items free in this case, but are required to pay tax.
I asked her if she would relay this message to my individual store. She said she would call them and talk to them about both issues.

I wrote down her name and a brief summary of the conversation and put it in my coupon book. It really helps to call the corporate office and get find out their policy and politely let them know your concerns.

[mrsfloyd]

Wow, sorry you had so much trouble. I really hate toothpaste deals - they are always for *very specific* types of toothpaste, and it's easy to pick one up and think you have the right one and it be 'extra clean' instead of 'advanced clean' or 'minty fresh' instead of 'fresh mint' or something like that. LOL I wonder if maybe your toothpaste situation was something like that? Hope your store gets their act together.

[sar1]

Originally Posted by mrsfloyd

Wow, sorry you had so much trouble. I really hate toothpaste deals - they are always for *very specific* types of toothpaste, and it's easy to pick one up and think you have the right one and it be 'extra clean' instead of 'advanced clean' or 'minty fresh' instead of 'fresh mint' or something like that. LOL I wonder if maybe your toothpaste situation was something like that? Hope your store gets their act together.

I agree that the wording on these is either all-inclusive or all-exclusive. Same w/the coupons, actually. It doesn't help that the store rarely has the signs in front of the right products, either.

[Cheapkate]

Sorry about your problems it sure would be great if the ecb's did accumalate on your cvs card and you could use it to pay instead of collecting all those paper ecb's.

[SwampQueen]

Originally Posted by Cheapkate

...it sure would be great if the ecb's did accumalate on your cvs card and you could use it to pay instead of collecting all those paper ecb's.

I thought about that, but I like the paper ones. It lets me use them strategically.

[CookieMom50]

Originally Posted by Cheapkate

.........it sure would be great if the ecb's did accumalate on your cvs card and you could use it to pay instead of collecting all those paper ecb's.

I agree!!! It would be great to just have them added on to your CVS card account and then count down like a giftcard!!! I have a REALLY HARD time spending enough to use the $10ECB's most of the time.

[ban26ana]

I'd love it if it worked like a gift card. I hate when you need a $0.01 filler or something. Um, that's not going to work. So I always end up spending more oop. It's not a large amount, but if I go to CVS 3 times a day (yes, sometimes I do), it adds up.

[sar1]

I doubt they'd ever change to a system where they go right onto your card. How many times have you seen someone throw away their receipt and ecb's? They only have their card scanned to get the sales prices like at the grocery store. If ecb's went straight onto the card, all those people would automatically be using ecb's when they would have normally paid cash. CVS would turn thousands of people into unintentional ecb-users.

[Lala In Huff]

Originally Posted by SwampQueen

I thought about that, but I like the paper ones. It lets me use them strategically.

! That's the best way to get free stuff! Also, depending on the transaction, I may not want to use ECB's.....just a little cash

[mosser77]

Originally Posted by sar1

I doubt they'd ever change to a system where they go right onto your card. How many times have you seen someone throw away their receipt and ecb's? They only have their card scanned to get the sales prices like at the grocery store. If ecb's went straight onto the card, all those people would automatically be using ecb's when they would have normally paid cash. CVS would turn thousands of people into unintentional ecb-users.

Yes! I was behind a lady in line the other day who got about 3 feet of receipts and started to complain as she shoved them in her purse as I watched with a stunned look. The cashier tried to tell her they were all coupons. She said, "Well, in that case I'll look at them." I wanted to volunteer to take them off her hands for her

[CookieMom50]

Originally Posted by sar1

I doubt they'd ever change to a system where they go right onto your card. How many times have you seen someone throw away their receipt and ecb's? They only have their card scanned to get the sales prices like at the grocery store. If ecb's went straight onto the card, all those people would automatically be using ecb's when they would have normally paid cash. CVS would turn thousands of people into unintentional ecb-users.

very true! I'm sure they prefer it this way --- no doubt, it is part of the whole marketing/sales/profit plan --- oh well.

[mrsfloyd]

Originally Posted by sar1

I doubt they'd ever change to a system where they go right onto your card. How many times have you seen someone throw away their receipt and ecb's? They only have their card scanned to get the sales prices like at the grocery store. If ecb's went straight onto the card, all those people would automatically be using ecb's when they would have normally paid cash. CVS would turn thousands of people into unintentional ecb-users.

That would not be such a bad thing for CVS. They are reimbursed by the manufacturer's for the ECBs that are redeemed (well, obviously they can't reimburse themselves for ECBs earned on a CVS-brand deal, but otherwise they get the ECB-money back). So imagine being a person who knows nothing about ECBs, and you go and make a purchase and the cashier tells you that you've just saved $15 on your order b/c CVS gave you free money on another purchase you made before. Um, if I were that person and I didn't know anything about coupons, I would be *thrilled* and it might make me start paying better attention to those sales at CVS. LOL