Learn the Coupon Lingo

OOP - out of pocket BOGO - buy one get one
WYB - when you buy CRT - cash register tape
ECB - extra care bucks (CVS) mannie - manufacturer coupon
peelie - coupon located on merchandise Q - coupon





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March 3, 2009

Coupon Fraud?!?!

Since Logan was at daycare this morning I decided to get some of my errands done for the week. I went up to the new CVS store. I was hoping to find the $3/$15 coupon near the pharmacy that I've been hearing about. Sadly, I did not see any. Here is what I got today. My total came to -$.04 - that is by far the best I've ever done!!
4 Reese's Whips candy bars 2/$1
1 Nestle' crunch bar $.50 (filler item)
2 GE energy smart light bulbs $3.99 each (20 % off)
1 Lumene Vitamin-C cream $2.99
1 Lumene makeup removing cloths $2.99
1 CVS Vitamin D 100 ct. $2.99, get $2.99
1 Aveeno anti-itch cream $4.49, get $2
1 Aveeno shaving gel $4.99, get $2
-use (2) $1/2 Reese's whips coupons
-use (2) $1 off GE light bulb coupons
-use (2) $4 off any Lumene coupons (price adjusted to $2.99)
-use (2) $2 off any Aveeno coupons
-use $5/$25 CVS coupon
-use $9.99 ECBs
=$.77 OOP, received $6.99 ECBs

So the apparent "coupon fraud" happened at the second CVS store that I stopped at. I was going to pick up a couple more of the $2.99 Lumene products. The cashier scanned the first coupon, she then went to scan the second coupon and it beeped. She looked at the coupon and noticed that the coupon was for $4 off. She said she couldn't take it. I asked if she could adjust it down to $2.99 like the other store did. She called up the manager and the manager said they couldn't take it because that was considered coupon fraud. WHAT?!? I showed her on the coupon how it said it was for any Lumene product. Then she said that what I was buying was a trial size product (it wasn't) and because the coupon excluded trial sizes they could not take it. She then proceeded to call the other CVS in town and tell them not to accept these coupons for the lower priced objects :( I put back the two products and came home.

I decided to call the CVS customer service number when I got home. I just really didn't like the fact that she kept saying it was coupon fraud. I talked to a very nice lady on the phone and she assured me that it was not coupon fraud. She also said that if this ever happened again to just have the store call them at HQ. She did also inform me that the coupon was not intended to be used on the $2.99 items :( Oh well, it's all a learning experience right?


7 comments:

Trish said...

I am totally curious abou this coupon fraud thing? What coupon, etc? I think I would be so embarassed. Geez. Was CS nice about this?

Tanya said...

It was a coupon that had been emailed to select CVS customers back in Dec. It is good until 3/31/09. It states that it is good for any Lumene purchase except trial sizes but I guess it's not supposed to work for the $2.99 items either.

I was really embarrassed! The customer service rep. apologized and said that there was no reason to say I was performing coupon fraud. She was very helpful on the phone and apologized numerous times.

Anonymous said...

I also have been told my coupons were fraudulent. These for me were printables off the various sites. This happened for me at 2 weeks ago during the triple coupon event at Bloom. Needless to say the store was very busy and I was terribly embarrassed and haven't used any internet coupons since.

Emily's Family said...

I don't like when someone says that, I feel that I make sure I do the right thing and it makes me for horrible for one and for two quite embarressed. I hope that the CS was nice to you and willing to fix this for you!

Tanya said...

I completely agree with you Shannon! I felt really bad which is why I called CVS - I knew the coupons were good but I just wanted to double-check.

CS was very nice - thank goodness BUT I should have been more firm about the coupon. It is very misleading since it states you can use it on any Lumene product (except trial sizes) so if they didn't want customers to use it on the $2.99 items they should have stated that on the coupon. I just didn't feel like arguing anymore.

Anonymous said...

Tanya, this is what I told someone else in another blog as this is the answer they ALWAYS give me at Walgreens whenever a coupon is over the price amount and i ask them to adjust it, they always claim coupon fraud even if it is a legit MQ fom the sunday paper and all. So this is what one checker told me to do. Buy one more of the product than you have coupons for, and then after they ring up the coupons, tellthem you decided you don't want one of the products that you changed your mind and have them remove it before you pay and it will work fine as long as you have some other purchase to absorb the cost of the overage you will be getting. BTW what is headquarters # I would like to tlk to them as this ALWAYS happens to me and maybe I can get them to retrain their employees. After all grocery stores price adjust the coupon without blinking an eye when it is over, how come walgreens can't?

Anonymous said...

LOL oops this is a follow up edit to my previous post: this was CVS that did it to you, sorry I posted that Walgreens does it to me all the time and they do but it is the same thing, CVS and Walgreens need to shape up. But I am sure it will work the same at CVS as it does at Walgreens if you buy one more than intended and after Q's ask them to remove it!

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