Ok, in a previous post I had mentioned that when I went to Walgreens and bought sunsilk and raizors using my coupons, that it did not print out the register rewards. Later I talked to the manager who told me it was because I used coupons and did not pay the full price (IE: sunsilk ad was 3/$10, and get a $3 RR).
Having read this forum I understand that many people are able to use coupons on products and still get their RR's to print out at the register, so I sent an e-mail to Walgreens corporate asking why the RR's where not printing for my purchases and they forwarded it to my local Walgreens Store Manager who sent me a few e-mails and then called me. According to him, the sunsilk RR was a manufacturers RR, it came directly from the manufacturer, just like the coupons I was using. (which is also why you can't use that same RR to turn around and buy another 'set) And according to him it is this way with all of the RR's... however, whether one prints out for you or not depends on the particular promotion and the cashier. If the cashier just types the coupon in, the system does not link it to any particular product... its just money off of the total.

He also told me that when the Catalina system is down (the system that prints the RR's) they give customers forms that they fill out and send in to the *manufacturer* who sends them the register reward.

All of this still does NOT explain why using coupons on deals like the sunsilk worked for some people and did not work for others... unless in every circumstance where it worked it was because the coupon was manually entered, but I highly doubt that.

So I just wanted to share this information. I hope its helpful to someone! I found it interesting because I know the general thought on the board has been that the register rewards come from Walgreens, but they actually come from the manufacturer... so when you use a $2 coupon on a $2 product and get a $2 RR, that manufucturer just lost out on $4 and the cost of the product.

Yeah...I'm not buying his reasoning at all. I did the Sunsilk deal several times and my Qs scanned right through without having to be entered. I never had a problem whatsoever getting my RR.

I have always used coupons on my deals and i have always gotten the RR... I dont go often.. but when I do go I always get them...

I did the sunsilk deal four times in a row (seperate transactions) and used coups each time and still got all RR - so it must have been a comp glich for you! That's all I can think of!

can anyone say K-MART.

I agree with all the PPs and think your store's manager was smoking crack that is a ridiculous thing to say that using Qs on a product would not prompt a RR to be issued..and I get that it (RR) comes from the mnfctr..it states on their "$xx to use on your next transaction compliments of P&G or such", but believe me these big companies aren't losing out on us using Qs..it's a fact that only 1% of all Qs printed are redeemed..so I don't buy that..I think that you had a bad manager who didn't check whether his catalina machine was online and who didn't try and rectify the situation for you..other than to hand you a pile of @#$%!! Sorry for the rant..I am just sick of companies acting like us couponers are putting a dent in their pocketbooks..before coupons when I paid full price I thought the price on the product was fair, and at a sale price even better..after coupons, I no longer feel that toothpaste is worth more than a dollar or paper towels more than $.50 at the most..coupons open your eyes to a whole world of savings and excess in the way that we spend money...if they didn't want coupons used..they wouldn't put them out and stores wouldn't accept them.simple as that!! Whoo, I need a drink of water and to get off my soapbox

According to a Catalina rep, all the Cat machine "knows" is what you buy. Not how much you end up paying at the end.

I'm starting to think it just depends on the store. I have one Walgreen's that I go to and without fail I always get the RR. (And I use manf. coupons on the products that were scanned) Another one, it's a crap shoot. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. Half the time I go thru the store and e.g. last week a sales person saw I had the cereal in my cart. She told me, oh if you are trying to get the rapid rewards, they aren't working. Same thing with the Sunsilk. One store I went to I specifically asked if their RR were working. The cashier didn't even know what they were.

Today when I went, I was chatting with one of the managers while someone got me a box of cereal out of the back. I asked him about RR and he told me the only reason why I shouldn't get one is if I used, for example, the Sunsilk RR at the next store to buy more Sunsilk. I used Manf. coupons today on the cereal/granola bars and got my RR just fine.

So who knows. The store closest to me is one that I don't even bother to try for RR. I have not once seen anything come out of the Catalina printer. I doubt they even have it turned on.

I've had this problem too. I tried to pay with one and the cashier didn't know what it was!!!!

And than another it printed and the cashier didn't give it to me. I asked for it and she said OH what's that?

Well girls, I don't have a choice but to believe the manager. I spoke to two different managers and e-mailed the corporate office. What am I going to do, tell them they're lying to me?
Like I said, I realize it works for a lot of you, but there are some of us that it doesn't work for. I was just relaying the information, thats all.

Thank you for the info OP.

I discussed the same issue with corporate office based in Tulsa, OK. The lady who answers the phone told me that I was correct ~ coupons are part of payment and should not affect the printing of RRs. With that knowledge, whenever I go to unfriendly territory and get the BS line that its because of coupons that the RRs didn't print, I ask if they want me to call corporate and put it in speakerphone for them to hear what corporate says? Usually, they change their tune and I suspect they know this already but just play dumb so customers don't get a good deal. If they really know the rules, they wouldn't mind me calling corporate so they will get a pat in the back IF they are right. Either they aren't sure or they know they are wrong and wouldn't want to be reprimanded. Thus, they straighten up. I'm glad I don't have to deal often with unfriendly personnel like them who doesn't even know the rules of the store they work for.

I appreciate you passing the info along. The way I look at it, we can put together what everyone is saying and hopefully the complete picture will become clear. I don't think what your manager told you will turn out to be true, I think it's more likely that something is wrong with his catalina machine, but one never knows.

That happened to me at Safeway but nowhere does it say that using coupons denies you RR so thet gave me money instead.

no there Isn't a problem with you relaying any Information or anything,but the whole mailing off to the mfg. for the RR stuff Is what really "irked" me.
Did you even ask him where these forms are so you could see one In case their catalina machine Is down?

Sometimes when I really THINK I'm right about something then I might test the waters with these people and so-called call their bluff.
and
then sometimes I may just go on.

At least I get to pick my battles and If someone told me about some forms,then I would at least have to go further with that one.

They are the manager and they do run the store,but they aren't always right and sometimes they need to be EDUCATED.
I also don't email anyone...I call on the phone.They all have toll free numbers and I prefer to talk to someone.I want a response now.In some cases they have had to call me back,but they have always told me I was right.With the exception of the k-mart deal.

joshmamabear has been around here awhile too.She's been In a lot of these discussions In the past.She knows how to call a bluff too.

Did you even ask him where these forms are so you could see one In case their catalina machine Is down?

They are printed off a computer in the offices

you are probably right.At least walgreens has done their homework In case a catalina machine goes down...GREAT,at least now I don't have a problem with something happening here.I can always turn It Into a mail-in rebate.

but,you have actually seen one of these forms?

ummmmm yea....

I was fixin' to Pm you that you work at walgreens.I've read all you previous posts.