[momtosam]

Apparantly my store received major coupon training from corporate. The woman at the register today inspected everyone of my coupons with a magnifying glass -- seriously! Two of my coupons scanned "no matching item" even though I clearly had a matching item. My store will no longer push any coupons through. Thanks a lot TLC. Really appreciate it!

[tfey67]

Ugh! Sorry your store is changing! I would go when another cashier is working? I do not have cable, why does everyone say the extreme show affected Rite Aid? Has the show changed other stores?

[petersonc1986]

it is affecting all the stores. First Kroger, then Walgreens now Rite Aid. Oh my goodness and some of the coupon value have decrease. Thanks a lot TLC for being greedy couponers.

[babyu21]

I think the good old days of couponing are over. After viewing the show alot of people are getting into using coupons and the companies are starting to crack down on them. I am glad I got the important items so I don't have to worry for a while and I can pick up a few items here and there. #ohwell

[ericlovesarah]

Originally Posted by tfey67

Ugh! Sorry your store is changing! I would go when another cashier is working? I do not have cable, why does everyone say the extreme show affected Rite Aid? Has the show changed other stores?

That show has changed couponing completely. There is such a different everything with them now. I used to get a few looks here or there and now mostly I get ugly looks and the loud sighs. Some complain to me about coupons. Stores are imposing new limits, changing policies, stores stock is low or cleared out. Papers out of stock or coupons stolen out of them. That show is just......it has not been a good thing for most of us. I really do not know who it really has benefited....probably just TLC.

[antiknowhow]

the same thing happened to me this week also...i was so frustrated i almost cried. my cashier inspected every one of my q's and wouldnt even ring some through if the picture didnt match my item...even tho the q was valid...i felt as if i was being treated like a thief. it was awful. the big question now is...where do we go from here...what do we do now?? my stock will last a good 3 months but only that long because i have 3 kids under the age of 6. and our family can not survive without coupons...this is getting a little scary for our financial situation. i planned on spending $9 this week at RA, and it ended up being $18. im at a loss

[Userbbb]

Originally Posted by antiknowhow

the same thing happened to me this week also...i was so frustrated i almost cried. my cashier inspected every one of my q's and wouldnt even ring some through if the picture didnt match my item...even tho the q was valid...i felt as if i was being treated like a thief. it was awful. the big question now is...where do we go from here...what do we do now?? my stock will last a good 3 months but only that long because i have 3 kids under the age of 6. and our family can not survive without coupons...this is getting a little scary for our financial situation. i planned on spending $9 this week at RA, and it ended up being $18. im at a loss

I'd say just keep trucking along and hoping for the best. Grab the deals when you can get them, even if they're few. Maybe expand from RA to CVS & Wags if you haven't already done so.

[rputalonis]

if any cashiers give me a hard time about VALID coupons i have them void my whole transaction and go to another store, if they choose not to accept my form of "currency" then thats on them. i have learned that if you let people do this to you, you have only got your self to blame.

Please do not let cashiers/managers intimidate you and or push you around, stand your ground and if they give you C R A P do not be afraid to stand up for yourself

by no means do i mean to go in blazing gunz thinking that a cashier will immediatly give you crap. always be courteous and polite BUT ALSO stand up for yourself . if they get away with it once to you. they will keep on going and going and going. some people are power hungry and when in a posistion with any little bit of power WATCH OUT

anyway sorry for the rant(i have awesome cashiers) just PLEASE always be courteous and polite and at the same time STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, if push comes to shove void the entire transaction and move on. i also almost always tell the cashier about hot deals and offer coupons so they can join in on the fun that usually changes a cashiers attitude(just a little tip)

[sakitan]

I never let my cashier intimidate me.

The amount of times I've called corporate has pretty much trained them into just scanning and not getting into it with me anymore. I refuse to not get my deals :|

[rputalonis]

DIG IT !!!

[hbkfan637]

I was at RA today too. The cashier didn't inspect each coupon like you described but when one didn't go through cause it said "no matching item" she had to call the manager for approval even though she checked to make sure I had the item first. Its the first time the cashier didn't just push it through.

[NYIceQueen]

See I'm okay with that. This way you're getting your deal, the cashier has covered her...job... and the manager is aware of what's going on. Especially with the "change" in barcode systems - he/she may need to update their computers or something and this will make them aware of it.

I agree with the leaving everything behind, though, if they act up like that. You deserve to be treated with respect - if they accept coupons then they can't treat you like garbage over them. I'd leave and say you're going to call corporate. Call corporate and complain, and tell them you're taking your business elsewhere. That'll get their attention if enough people end up doing this.

GL!

[Ibis]

Originally Posted by NYIceQueen

Especially with the "change" in barcode systems - he/she may need to update their computers or something and this will make them aware of it. GL!

Has the switchover to the new barcode system happened yet? Gosh I hope so. I'm very much looking forward to positive changes in my grocery and drug stores once that happens.

[tfey67]

What is the bar code change?

[Lou32]

The manufacturers switched to a new barcoding system after discovering that unethical couponers figured out how to use coupons on items that they were not intended for. The could "read" the barcode and match the coupons with items that would not beep but were not the right item for the coupon. The new system is supposed to prevent that.

[Lou32]

In the meantime stores are having their cashiers be extra diligent so that unethical couponers (as said above) won't slip through the cracks anymore.

[rputalonis]

I imagine the new system is going to have all kinds of bugs to start with but I also agree it's going to be a good thing once the bugs r worked out.

[frogprincess]

I hope the new coupon system makes cashiers and stores a bit more coupon friendly since it will hopefully prevent fraud.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention that my normal RA is sometimes not coupon friendly. BUT as long as I keep things to one transaction, avoid using more than 1 survey coupon & only use 4 like coupons I don't usually have issues. I respect the limits and they respect me. The other place I went to the cashier was so sweet. She told me - you can use this right away you know (referring to my UPs that just printed in the previous transaction). I told her nicely that I was saving them but thank you anyway. I only needed to do 2 transactions but she then told me that I could do as many transactions as I wanted next time. I told her thank you because if she's there at least I don't have to worry. BUT this RA is usually very coupon friendly as long as you respectfully limit yourself and don't overdo it.

Here's why some RA and other stores are freaking out. There are just too many shelf clearers and disrespectful couponers because of the TLC show. Also, like someone said there is a greater volume of coupon use so manufacturers have to guard their back and make sure their profits don't diminish. Greater volume of use=decreased coupon value. I guess there's only so much they want to use for coupon redemption. Like the Huggies coupons I just got in the mail. They are normally 2.00 & 2.50 but now they're 1.50 for diapers and wipes 35 cents off where it used to be at least 50-75 cents. Oh well. Not that I blame them. The economy is bad and they gotta avoid going broke.

Just keep at it and try to fly below the radar when you coupon. That's what I've been doing and I've been fine thus far. Good luck everyone and HUGS for everyone who has had a bad coupon trip.

[mgravelle]

So far I have yet to have a bad RA cashier, although at my grocery stores they tend to glare at me sometimes when I have a lot of stuff. I was actually at RA today and paid $2 for a $15 transaction, and my cashier was quite excited about it (more so then me). I just made a mental note to always go to her when I see her. :P

Now that I saw this though, I will be careful and keep my transactions small at RA now.

[maureen1]

So, I am new to this site, and yes I do not have cable to see this TLC show,, it seems to me that some people out there are taking advantage of the honest way of using coupouns and like everything else , it gives the honest upright ones a bad name. It makes me so sad when I see such advantages taking place.

[hbkfan637]

Originally Posted by NYIceQueen

See I'm okay with that. This way you're getting your deal, the cashier has covered her...job... and the manager is aware of what's going on. Especially with the "change" in barcode systems - he/she may need to update their computers or something and this will make them aware of it.

That's true, it only bothered me because there was only one cashier and the customer behind me was impatient. The groans, eye rolling, etc. makes me feel embarrassed sometimes.

[divephantom19]

It's the few bad ones, who scam coupons and rape the shelves of all merchandise that have given couponing a bad name! I don't want 200 mustards or toothbrushes, just a couple extra for my "stash".

I had to laugh the other night watching, I'm sure it was a rerun. The lady had been on before. She talked to her poor husband like he was a dog. I'm sure they tell them to really play it up for TV, but she yelled at him across the store "YOU!!!" and pointed to him, asking where her envelope of coupons was for that transaction. He found it in the buggy and she just snatched it from him. I would die of shame to look like such a goofball on tv in front of my friends, co-workers, and the whole world watching!!! I feel sorry for some of those cashiers. How would you like to be about to get off work and have to scan like 200 coupons?>??

[leYGar]

Originally Posted by maureen1

So, I am new to this site, and yes I do not have cable to see this TLC show,, it seems to me that some people out there are taking advantage of the honest way of using coupouns and like everything else , it gives the honest upright ones a bad name. It makes me so sad when I see such advantages taking place.

All of us in some way are violating the coupon restrictions. Let me correct myself- some of us.

First and foremost- buying coupons. Yes, ppl say they are buying the persons time but we all know what's happening. That's pry the biggest reason for huge shifts at RA with its new policy. If we couldn't get our hands on massive amounts of coupons we wouldn't need a massive amount of items.

Take me for example-i bought 40 Purex detergent coupons and used each and every one at RA. If I couldn't have bought any coupons there's a good chance I would have only bought 1 because at $2 a newspaper it isn't feasible to pay $80 for my 40 bottles but at $4 for 40 coupons it was def worth it!

[sakitan]

Originally Posted by hbkfan637

That's true, it only bothered me because there was only one cashier and the customer behind me was impatient. The groans, eye rolling, etc. makes me feel embarrassed sometimes.

One time at like 2 AM in the morning, I was doing a purchase, and this lady just came out of nowhere and was like huffing and puffing like "Hurry up with your garbage!" (to me!) and so I just gave her the finger :|
Yes, yes, I know it is rude and out of place, but grown women don't talk to (then) 17 year olds like that. I mean, come on, have some class. Just because this is NYC doesn't give you a free pass to be rude and not get some back.

Well, I then proceeded to ask her if she was mad that I was saving to much. The cashier was dying with laughter. Of course, she didn't find it funny, put down her milk on the counter, and stomped (and I mean stomped out). I apologized to the cashier, and put the milk back for her.

It is embarrassing sometimes, but coupons have officially hardened me :p

[acewarriormom]

Originally Posted by rputalonis

I imagine the new system is going to have all kinds of bugs to start with but I also agree it's going to be a good thing once the bugs r worked out.

I think you are very right about this. Were you couponing back when Target 'upgraded' their system.....And the upgrade was TOTALLY wrong. I think this was a little over a year ago, and it took them MONTHS to fix it....After they finally admitted that there was indeed a problem. Before that...They kept telling customers that they knew nothing about there being a system-wide problem. Some customers (including me) had to go to the service desk numerous times in the same store....to get the same denial. That is when I 'broke up with Target' the first time!!!