[snoopy1150]

"Any manufacturer’s coupons presented with a total purchase coupon will be deducted after the purchase total has been determined."

I am still worried that the way this statement is worried remains open to individual interpretation. It does not clearly state the TOTAL PURCHASE COUPON is to be deducted FIRST and then the MANU. COUPONS are to be deducted. Maybe I am prematurely concerned, I hope so.

UPDATE:
I am editing this post to reflect my 1st RiteAid shopping experience from which I just returned home after purchasing three Huggies Pure and Natural Jumbo packs that are on sale this week at $11.00 ea or 3/$33. I believe it is going to be my LAST RiteAid shoppiong trip as well.
I presented the coupons as listed below to the cashier. I should mention that the cashier was accompanited by an 8-10 year old girl who was "helping" to ring my transaction. As I presented the coupons, the mother of the young girl, an "off-duty" cashier, came behind the desk. She began to tell me, and the on-duty cashier, that I could only use one RA "internet" coupon. I would not be allowed to use the RA "internet" Video Perks coupon or any of the "SmartSource" IP coupons. She said SmartSource coupons were IP coupons not Manufacturer's coupons. I attempted to expplain that I called customer service three times earlier in the day to confirm the coupon policy and was told I could use all of these coupons. I explained the CS rep confirmed the $5/25 RA would be deducted PRIOR to the manu. q's.

She then told me "anyone can say the talked to customer service". I got a little angry because her tone suggested I could be possibly lying about speaking with CS. She also said the would not follow anything CS said because they just say "anything". I know I just should have walked away at this point but I dug my heels in. She then told me she would go get the policy that their district manager gave them yesterday, Thursday, Sept. 25th.

The shift manager intervened. She said I could use the $5/25 RA coupon, the "SmartSource" IP coupons and the RA Video Values q. However, ALL manufacturer's coupons (i.e.smartsource.com) would be deducted FIRST. If my total transaction was at least $25 AFTER those deductions I would be allowed to use the $5/$25 RA IP coupon.
I asked her to confirm with CS at the 1-800-RITEAID as I was instructed to do earlier in the day by CS if I encountered any issues. Well, guess what, this CS rep. AGREED with the shift manager. I did ask to speak directly to the CS Rep.. I then asked to speak directly with her supervisor.
The supervisor never came on the phone. However, the CS rep agreed to ALLOW the transaction this ONE time.
I am very frustrated with this first time experience. I had put a lot of preparation into this trip to ensure a smooth transaction and positive shopping experience. The negative experience was exacerbated fruther by the rude and unprofessional treatmetn by the "off-duty" clerk who by the way told me I made her daughter cry.
Thanks for allowing me the VENT!!!

These are the coupons I presented:
(1) $5/$25 RA coupon (received this from my sign-up at riteaid.com)
(1) $2/1 RA Video Values
(3) $3/1 IP coupons (from smartsource.com)

[momtosam]

Man, I wish this was around for the Covergirl BOGO last week. I got turned away at two stores on that one.

[IAmFrugal]

Originally Posted by snoopy1150

"Any manufacturer’s coupons presented with a total purchase coupon will be deducted after the purchase total has been determined."

I am still worried that the way this statement is worried remains open to individual interpretation. It does not clearly state the TOTAL PURCHASE COUPON is to be deducted FIRST and then the MANU. COUPONS are to be deducted. Maybe I am prematurely concerned, I hope so.

UPDATE:
I am editing this post to reflect my 1st RiteAid shopping experience from which I just returned home after purchasing three Huggies Pure and Natural Jumbo packs that are on sale this week at $11.00 ea or 3/$33. I believe it is going to be my LAST RiteAid shoppiong trip as well.
I presented the coupons as listed below to the cashier. I should mention that the cashier was accompanited by an 8-10 year old girl who was "helping" to ring my transaction. As I presented the coupons, the mother of the young girl, an "off-duty" cashier, came behind the desk. She began to tell me, and the on-duty cashier, that I could only use one RA "internet" coupon. I would not be allowed to use the RA "internet" Video Perks coupon or any of the "SmartSource" IP coupons. She said SmartSource coupons were IP coupons not Manufacturer's coupons. I attempted to expplain that I called customer service three times earlier in the day to confirm the coupon policy and was told I could use all of these coupons. I explained the CS rep confirmed the $5/25 RA would be deducted PRIOR to the manu. q's.

She then told me "anyone can say the talked to customer service". I got a little angry because her tone suggested I could be possibly lying about speaking with CS. She also said the would not follow anything CS said because they just say "anything". I know I just should have walked away at this point but I dug my heels in. She then told me she would go get the policy that their district manager gave them yesterday, Thursday, Sept. 25th.

The shift manager intervened. She said I could use the $5/25 RA coupon, the "SmartSource" IP coupons and the RA Video Values q. However, ALL manufacturer's coupons (i.e.smartsource.com) would be deducted FIRST. If my total transaction was at least $25 AFTER those deductions I would be allowed to use the $5/$25 RA IP coupon.
I asked her to confirm with CS at the 1-800-RITEAID as I was instructed to do earlier in the day by CS if I encountered any issues. Well, guess what, this CS rep. AGREED with the shift manager. I did ask to speak directly to the CS Rep.. I then asked to speak directly with her supervisor.
The supervisor never came on the phone. However, the CS rep agreed to ALLOW the transaction this ONE time.
I am very frustrated with this first time experience. I had put a lot of preparation into this trip to ensure a smooth transaction and positive shopping experience. The negative experience was exacerbated fruther by the rude and unprofessional treatmetn by the "off-duty" clerk who by the way told me I made her daughter cry.
Thanks for allowing me the VENT!!!

These are the coupons I presented:
(1) $5/$25 RA coupon (received this from my sign-up at riteaid.com)
(10 $2/1 RA Video Values
(3) $3/1 IP coupons (from smartsource.com)

In this case, since you already called, I would say to copy/paste this "vent" into a complaint on the website. Make it clear which location you are referring to (give them the store number from the receipt). I'm sure they will have a district manager or someone like that, call to apologize. Don't give up, since the official new policy isn't even in the stores yet probably. It's going to take some time to retrain every employee in every store.

[greendaisy]

Originally Posted by dd1157

Sounds good, but we'll see how it is implemented.

Now if they would just get better scanners that will actually read most IP's we'd be in business.

I truly have zero confidence from week to week as to how my "deals",are going to go. Since I walk there, if the deal goes wrong for a few dollars I say hte heck with it and just do the best I can, then I always feel cheated as I walk home because a cashier or manager goes anti Q.

But I keep on trying...

I know exactly how you feel. It takes time to plan a shopping trip with coupons and I don't always feel it is worth it to even try to take the time to put together a shopping trip to RA due to the uncertainty of how my "deals" will go. It also seems to take me a lot of time trying to find things in my RA store, but that is another issue. But when you go through the trouble to put a list together and get all your Q's together and shop only to be turned down at the register (the last step) it is disheartening for me. I will print the policy and I hope it helps.

[IAmFrugal]

Originally Posted by dd1157

Sounds good, but we'll see how it is implemented.

Now if they would just get better scanners that will actually read most IP's we'd be in business.

Since this was just a draft, I guess we will have to see what happens when the final policy is placed in the stores. I wrote this morning with several suggestions, and this is what I received back:

Thanks again for your feedback. We were able to make some tweaks to the final, but of course many other internal folks provide feedback too.
In regard to scanners, we are always in the process of upgrading equipment somewhere across our chain. We have two new scanner models that are in various stages of rollout. The newest scanners actually take a picture of the barcode, and interpret it, allowing for a much higher scan rate, even from a text message on a cell phone.
I think the biggest improvement you will see over the next few weeks is the updated communication and retraining effort around coupon handling.
Thanks for your interest and thanks for shopping at Rite Aid.

[IAmFrugal]

[quote=greendaisy;2238689]I will print the policy and I hope it helps./QUOTE]

Remember, this is just a draft. The final one will hopefully be even better. If I don't see it posted in my stores soon, I will ask my fave manager if he got one, and if not, I will write back and ask for a final copy.

[dd1157]

I have had similar problems, and I have gone to the trouble of going through customer service, and still it is a diceroll every Sunday. I microplanned, scrounged coupons, gethered information, thoughtfully put everything together, and had it all come apart because they can't even scan their own coupons from their own sites, or the casheir or manager didn't get the word, or thought I was pulling some sort of scam.

My best advice is to not take it personally, or at least take a "nothing personal, just business" attitude (sort of like Micheal Corleone from the Godfather) and keep in mind that the main goal is to save money, not to win the arguement. Just remember that you aren't married to RA, so you can end your relationship with them whenever you need to., and you can pick it back up if things get better.

If corporate just came out with the policy it will take several weeks for the word to filter down. I am hoping that coupon deals become easier by the time all of the SCR's hit next month (as there are a lot of freebie/MM'ers).

[Ibis]

Originally Posted by snoopy1150

These are the coupons I presented:
(1) $5/$25 RA coupon (received this from my sign-up at riteaid.com)
(10 $2/1 RA Video Values
(3) $3/1 IP coupons (from smartsource.com)

Maybe the store manager was really more concerned because nearly all of your Qs in this transaction were RA coupons. They get reimbursed for Manu Qs, but the company "eats" the loss on the store Qs.

You tendered $25 worth of store Qs. I think that might have been the greater concern of the manager.

[itsthebman]

I just took a competitor coupon to RA and they took it the other day oh well...

[Ajsh2]

I am in the same boat...

[Ajsh2]

[Devins mom]

Originally Posted by Ibis

Maybe the store manager was really more concerned because nearly all of your Qs in this transaction were RA coupons. They get reimbursed for Manu Qs, but the company "eats" the loss on the store Qs.

You tendered $25 worth of store Qs. I think that might have been the greater concern of the manager.

I believe she meant to put a ) instead of a 0. So it is (1) $2 off video values coupon.

[snoopy1150]

Originally Posted by Ibis

Maybe the store manager was really more concerned because nearly all of your Qs in this transaction were RA coupons. They get reimbursed for Manu Qs, but the company "eats" the loss on the store Qs.

You tendered $25 worth of store Qs. I think that might have been the greater concern of the manager.

No, I didn't tender $25. worth of RA coupons. Sorry about the typo in my post. I submitted a (1) $5/25 RA IP, (1) $2/1 RA Video Value, (3) $3/1 Huggies IP (from smartsource.com).
The combined face value of the (2) RA IP coupons was $7.00 total. The shift supervior's only concern was the $5/$25 being deducted AFTER all manu. coupons. The shift supervisor was professional and polite. However, the situation became complicated, and heated, when the overbearing and rude off-duty employee foisted herself, and her misinformation, into the mix. The off-duty employee insisted the $3. Huggies Manufacturer coupons were only "smartsource" IP coupons and the only IP coupon allowed was the $5/$25. She went as far as to angrily walk away when the shift supervisor attempted to explain to both her and the other cashier that the IP Manufacturer coupons were NOT RA coupons and a customer can use an IP Manu Q. up to a $5.00 value on each item purchased in a transaction.

[Ibis]

Originally Posted by Devins mom

I believe she meant to put a ) instead of a 0. So it is (1) $2 off video values coupon.

Ahh! Thank you, devins mom! :-)

[Ibis]

Originally Posted by snoopy1150

No, I didn't tender $25. worth of RA coupons. Sorry about the typo in my post. I submitted a (1) $5/25 RA IP, (1) $2/1 RA Video Value, (3) $3/1 Huggies IP (from smartsource.com).
The combined face value of the (2) RA IP coupons was $7.00 total. The shift supervior's only concern was the $5/$25 being deducted AFTER all manu. coupons. The shift supervisor was professional and polite. However, the situation became complicated, and heated, when the overbearing and rude off-duty employee foisted herself, and her misinformation, into the mix. The off-duty employee insisted the $3. Huggies Manufacturer coupons were only "smartsource" IP coupons and the only IP coupon allowed was the $5/$25. She went as far as to angrily walk away when the shift supervisor attempted to explain to both her and the other cashier that the IP Manufacturer coupons were NOT RA coupons and a customer can use an IP Manu Q. up to a $5.00 value on each item purchased in a transaction.

Thanks for clarifying, snoopy. :-)

That off-duty employee sounds like a real know-it-all buttinsky. How unpleasant for you!

[WillUBMyKnight]

Thank you so much for posting this. Though I stopped shopping at RA because I always felt like a criminal (no matter what I did), I ventured out for last week's Huggies deal - yes, I was DESPERATE! LoL

I was actually quite amazed at the ease of each transaction (6 at 6 different stores). They all seemed to know what to do, at least the managers all did, and they knew to scan the $5/$25 first.

I am SUPER OOBER excited about B1G1 q's with B1G1 sales - that one little thing used to get my goose every time!!!

[froggy6983]

Originally Posted by CCWLilSis

I always laugh because most of the IPs that the scanners at my RAs don't read are the RITE AID coupons!!!!!! Is it too much to ask that a store actually create coupons that their own scanners could read????

Thanks again for providing the printout. I've got mine printed and ready to go!!!

Well I can beat that LOL. Lastweek I went to use the $3/2 light bulb coupon FROM THIER AD and it wouldnt scan! Rediculus!


Thanks so much for this printout, I'm ready to go yell at the manager at my RA, he's an complete itiot when it comes ot coupons, he makes up his own rules.

[jlondon]

Boy.. I wish I had this about an hour ago.

I got 20 pks of Dentene.. bad b1g1 Qs.. they wouldn't take even one Q. I just faxed them the pdf :wohoo: - of course, after I called CS and a corp manager is to call me on Monday. I don't want raise a huge "stink"..but I went 30 minutes out of my way and paid way more than I expected and it's not the first time I've had an issue at this store (and the kicker..I've only been about 3 times in my life).

Qs don't get themselves together before we go shopping ya' know. So it was wasted time in planning and travel.. etc.

Okay..rant done!!

[dd1157]

My report on my RA trip today...

The new coupon policies are at the registers (that's good). The cashiers are afraid of making a mistake since it just came out and hasn't been explained to them (that's expectable). The asst manager at my RA understands the new policy to be "you can only use up to $5 of IP coupons per transaction" (that's not so good). However cashiers are allowed to accept coupons that do not scan (that's really good).

Thsnkfully they didn;t realize the $5/$25 was an IP also.

So rather than make a big deal about it I just paid the extra $3 (I had $8 of IP's) and got out of there with the receipt as fast as I could. With all of the rebates, I am still ahead, but.... It peeves me a little as EVERY TIME I do a deal at RA it ends up being teo or three dollars more because of a pricing issue, coupon issue, a cashier issue, or a manager issue.

So as far as the new and improved coupon policy goes, results are going to vary (at least until assistant managers have the policy explained to them by an adult...).

[couponaddicted]

thanks, newbie here . I think a couple of weeks ago I read somewhere that ppl were getting makeup for free or almost for free with the BOGO Q . Can someone explain / give me a scenario as to how to used/ work a BOGO Q's at Rite Aid. Thanks

[gidget0949]

thank you so much for digging in and getting us some answers and a copy of the policy

[kathykat49]

I had my first run-in with a RA cashier yesterday over their own coupons. They were the ones for the Scott paper towels/toilet paper. I bought one of the paper towels (4 roll) and one of the 12 roll toilet paper packages. She scanned the $2 off the 4 roll paper towels with no problem. Then she said you can't use another $2 on the 12 roll pacakage of toilet paper. I said why not so she said it says 4 or 6 roll long lasting and then said it meant the same thing - 4 or 6 roll - for the extra soft or 1000 sheet. I said no it doesn't - it only says the long lasting rolls and doesn't specify the extra soft or 1000 sheet. She absolutely refused to scan the second coupon so I left the store without buying a thing. Today I went to a different RiteAid and had an entirely different experience. The cashier wasn't sure about any of the coupons, she said she was fairly new there, so she called the manager over. The manager rang the whole thing up, took all the coupons with no problem and said why would someone argue over a $2 coupon that's nebulous at best.
She was VERY nice and I believe I'll shop at her store from here on out. These $2 coupons were the ones from last month that expire the end of this month. For the most part, I haven't had any issues with the RA coupons until yesterday.

[CCWLilSis]

Originally Posted by IAmFrugal

Yep, do the happy dance! That's the main thing I wrote about in my first email, stressing to them that coupons are a form of payment, not a store discount. A few days after I sent it, I had to call the 1800#, and the woman who helped me already knew to tell me it had to be scanned BEFORE manufacturer's coupons, so like this letter said, they immediately started trying to retrain their employees after I told them about various issues.

So much for our RA coupon issues being over...

I just got back from one of my "good" RAs (I guess I should say formerly good) where the assistant manager and self-appointed coupon police refused to scan my $5/25 first, citing the "new" coupon policy. When I questioned this, she said that she is the one that trains all the cashiers in coupon policies (Lord, help us!) and that she's right and all the other RAs are "wrong." I was so thrown off by all of this that I paid ($5 more than I should have) and started to walk out when she delivered her parting shot, "We wouldn't have these problems if people didn't abuse coupons!" Oh no, she didn't!!!!!! I turned around and said, "I don't abuse coupons and I would like to return these items. You can have all the policies you want, but I don't have to support them." She sputtered and said that she wasn't talking about me. Yeah, right. And THEN she says, "Don't bother to call corporate about this. They will just refer it back to us and this is our policy so it won't change anything." Oh really??? Thanks for the tip. Now, where is that number for corporate???

[IAmFrugal]

Originally Posted by CCWLilSis

So much for our RA coupon issues being over...

I just got back from one of my "good" RAs (I guess I should say formerly good) where the assistant manager and self-appointed coupon police refused to scan my $5/25 first, citing the "new" coupon policy. When I questioned this, she said that she is the one that trains all the cashiers in coupon policies (Lord, help us!) and that she's right and all the other RAs are "wrong." I was so thrown off by all of this that I paid ($5 more than I should have) and started to walk out when she delivered her parting shot, "We wouldn't have these problems if people didn't abuse coupons!" Oh no, she didn't!!!!!! I turned around and said, "I don't abuse coupons and I would like to return these items. You can have all the policies you want, but I don't have to support them." She sputtered and said that she wasn't talking about me. Yeah, right. And THEN she says, "Don't bother to call corporate about this. They will just refer it back to us and this is our policy so it won't change anything." Oh really??? Thanks for the tip. Now, where is that number for corporate???

Since the new coupon policy specifically says to scan that 5/25 first, she can't make up her own rules, especially after she claims to have read it. Please let us know what they say when you call. I hope they make her apologize to you.
I just replaced the draft copy in the first post with the final policy, so you might want to print it out and ask her if she's reading the same thing you are. That's if you decide to ever go back there.

[angellinda]

Originally Posted by CCWLilSis

So much for our RA coupon issues being over...

I just got back from one of my "good" RAs (I guess I should say formerly good) where the assistant manager and self-appointed coupon police refused to scan my $5/25 first, citing the "new" coupon policy. When I questioned this, she said that she is the one that trains all the cashiers in coupon policies (Lord, help us!) and that she's right and all the other RAs are "wrong." I was so thrown off by all of this that I paid ($5 more than I should have) and started to walk out when she delivered her parting shot, "We wouldn't have these problems if people didn't abuse coupons!" Oh no, she didn't!!!!!! I turned around and said, "I don't abuse coupons and I would like to return these items. You can have all the policies you want, but I don't have to support them." She sputtered and said that she wasn't talking about me. Yeah, right. And THEN she says, "Don't bother to call corporate about this. They will just refer it back to us and this is our policy so it won't change anything." Oh really??? Thanks for the tip. Now, where is that number for corporate???

Wow! It's unbelievable that she had the nerve to say that. Good for you for standing up for yourself and for returning your purchases!