It’s no secret that I am a HUGE couponer. I don’t have 10 lifetimes of deodorant, but I do stock up on the things that we use most like cereal, peanut butter, etc. I know some people thing using coupons is stupid and a waste of time, which really…to them I say that’s just plain ignorance. Why wouldn’t you try to save your family money?
I started thinking about this yesterday…some stores near me (Target is one of them) have their registers programmed to automatically adjust down the value of a coupon if it takes off more than the item is worth. For example, if I were buying a tube of toothpaste that was on sale for $0.75 and I had a coupon for $1.00 off, rather than take the $1.00 off, the register would automatically adjust the coupon to $0.75 off. Seems fine until you think about the fact that the store will be turning that coupon in and getting the full $1.00 back from the manufacturer. Thus making a $0.25 profit.
Isn’t that fraud? According to dictionary.com, the definition of fraud is:
fraud [frawd]
noun
deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence,perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonestadvantage.
To me, it sounds just like the definition of fraud. It makes more sense for the store to give any overage in the form of a gift card. That way the money stays in the store. We all know that when you use a gift card you almost always go over the gift card amount…which then puts more money into the store. At least the store is making a profit in an honest way.
What do you think? Do you think the way some stores have their registers programmed to adjust the value of a coupon down is fair and honest, especially when you know that they will be turning that coupon in for the full face value? Leave me a comment letting me know what you think about this, I’m curious to know! Also, if the stores near you give the overage back to you, do they do it in the form of a gift card or do they give you actual cash back?
I’ve thought about this before too. It doesn’t seem right at all. Coupons to me are like money so they are getting the overage plus handling charge and you are out money. Not fair!
I’ve never thought of that before! I wonder what Target corporate would say about this?
I guess it depends. If is an actual coupon for $1 off one item, then it MAY be fraud. But the manufacturers audit the stores fairly regularly to guard against abuse, so maybe they adjust the amount they pay down based on the items sold. (Probably not, since so many would be sold without coupon, but maybe they have way to figure out which transactions used a coupon.)
However, if you’re talking about a $.50 off one coupon where the store doubles it (like Meijers) then it definitely isn’t fraud. Most manufacturers don’t reimburse for doubled coupons any more, so Meijers is using it as a promotion to pull shoppers in. In this case, the money is coming directly out of Meijers pocket.
Oh no I agree…if it is a coupon that Meijers itself is doubling, thats a different story…however if the coupon says DO NOT DOUBLE on it, it will not double regardless of what Meijers wants to do. Well that also depends on the register you’re at. Because I’ve had coupons that said DO NOT DOUBLE on them and they did double (and the cashier manually took it off…though I read somewhere that if a register doubles a coupon the cashier is not supposed to take it off…though I don’t remember where). And then I’ve been at registers where they didn’t.
Meijer’s always doubles coupons unless it’s a true Meijer’s coupon — then it’s always only good at face value. The rest of the coupons follow the double to $.50 rule, regardless of that the mfg writes on the coupon. If it’s at or below $.50, it doubles, otherwise, it stays at face value. I know other stores stopped doubling coupons when the mfg started putting Do Not Double on them, but every Meijers I’ve even been in has always doubled, according to their district/corporate policy. In Indiana, they actually double ALL coupons up to and including $1. (The ONLY thing I miss about that state!)
If the coupons says “Do Not Double” they will not double it. Sometimes their register will miss it and automatically double (it has to do with the # that the barcode starts with)…but a lot of times if it says that, it will not double.