Coupon dilemma...I don't usually get upset but.....
By jillhill
@jillhill (37354)
United States
September 24, 2012 5:42pm CST
We have a chain store here called Shopko. I do buy alot of things there and once in a great while you get this coupon for $10.00 a purchase of over $50.00..well I got one that is good for a week. My son's birthday is coming up so I went out there as they had camera's on sale this week. I found a nicely priced one that just tipped me over the $50.00 mark so I gave them my coupon. They said they won't take it on electronics..The back of the coupon mentioned two exclusions. Pharmacy or Optical. If they don't want to give the $10.00 off they should put it with the exclusions. Well I did something I don't normally do. I raised heck....I had them call the manager and had her read the back of the coupon. She did give me the credit but she was not happy! I really don't care if she was happy or not! I wanted and deserved my $10.00 don't you think? Have you ever had something like this happen? Would you did what I did and have them call a manager?
6 people like this
16 responses
@STOUTjodee (3573)
• United States
25 Sep 12
You had every reason to get the cashier to get the manager, if the coupon didn't specify that it excluded electronics the coupon should be valid, no question asked. I could see if in the fine print, it stated no electronics, but you carefully read the fine print. I remember working in customer service, we believed the customer is always right. Apparently this manager wasn't taught how to be friendly orientated. I have been charged for some things that weren't accountable before either after I've gotten home and realized it, but I always speak to a manager if something isn't right. After all I work for my money and I want an accurate account of every penny.
1 person likes this
@STOUTjodee (3573)
• United States
25 Sep 12
I would then call the corporate office of the company and tell them about the situation.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
25 Sep 12
I agree, if it didn't say electronics were excluded, then you should be able to use it for the camera.
Here we have a grocery store that guarantees that if they scan the price wrong, we get it for free if the price is low, or the difference if the item is more expensive. (Used to be everything until they realize high ticket food like steaks was costing them). Anyways, my husband takes the receipt immediately and goes over it before he leaves the parking lot and had to put up with grumpy managers who don't want to give him the money. He didn't have problems tonight though, we picked up a "bag" of three heads of lettuce that was on clearance for .99...The poor cashier was new and instead of scanning it once, since she saw three heads, she scanned it three times, costing us 2.97 instead of .99, so he went back in and got his money back, so we got the lettuce for free.
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
25 Sep 12
You know what I don't get? Why do these managers think it's their store and get so grumpy about losing the ten bucks? It's not coming out of their pockets so what is the big deal?
If it was not suppose to be on electronics, then it should have said so. Problem is, most people wouldn't have argued the point and let it go. You didn't and I commend you on that! Too many stores rip off people that way and it really is aggravating, and then they look at you like you're wrong. Well I say, good for you!!! 
I haven't had that happen to me yet, but you can sure count on my arguing the point. I would have done EXACTLY what you did and I wish more people would do this. Good job there jillhill!!
I haven't had that happen to me yet, but you can sure count on my arguing the point. I would have done EXACTLY what you did and I wish more people would do this. Good job there jillhill!!@jillhill (37354)
• United States
25 Sep 12
Good. I was a bit embarassed about holding up the check out line but the guy behind me said he would do the same thing....YOu get the discount or coupon for spending so much money there in a certain time period. You would think they wouldn't want to lose customers!
1 person likes this
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
25 Sep 12
Biggest problem with stuff like this is that most people WON'T do what you did and that's why these stores try to get away with it all. If everyone would do a bit of arguing instead of just shrugging their shoulders, they wouldn't try to pull this tactic. And the manager rolled her eyes at you? Didn't you just want to smack her upside her head! 
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
24 Sep 12
I sure would! If the coupon didn't say it couldn't be used on electronics, then there's no reason they should have told you they wouldn't take it on electronics! That's their problem, not yours!
1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
25 Sep 12
Hi, jill....I absolutely would have done the same as you did. The store can't invent their own exclusions at the time of sale. I had a $10 coupon that was questioned at one time. The clerk looked it over thoroughly and couldn't find a reason to not honor it. Bless her heart, she tried though.
1 person likes this
@Fishmomma (11377)
• United States
26 Sep 12
I am glad you asked for a manager, as the store should honor it when you use it on something allowed. It sounds like they don't want people to get a great deal! I'm mad when stores give me trouble and allow others to easily use a coupon.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
25 Sep 12
i got a $50 gift card from my mom for my birthday and went to sears and spent a whole lot of time choosing something and it turned out that the card didn't work. fortunately, i had a real nice sales person and she figured it out although it took upwards of 10 minutes before i got out of there!
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
25 Sep 12
Good for you! I'm glad you did that and stood up for yourself. And yes I've had things happen like that also from time to time. I always clip coupons and shop sales. And if what happened to you had happened to me I would have called the manager over too. I've called the supervisor or manager over in the past and I'll do it every time I know I'm right and the sales clerk won't honor their sale price or coupon.
In your situation there was nothing on that coupon that stated it could not be used on electronics so I think that you were definitely entitled to save that $10 off your purchase. If they made a mistake in not printing that on the coupon that's on them and not on you. I never take no for an answer in situations like this. My money spends the same at any store, so if I don't want to patronize them I can always go shop at another store that will honor their coupons!
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
In your situation there was nothing on that coupon that stated it could not be used on electronics so I think that you were definitely entitled to save that $10 off your purchase. If they made a mistake in not printing that on the coupon that's on them and not on you. I never take no for an answer in situations like this. My money spends the same at any store, so if I don't want to patronize them I can always go shop at another store that will honor their coupons!
Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
29 Sep 12
oh yeah i would have raised hell! i hate it when stores dont seem to know their own coupon policy and try to pull something like that! i had a prob when i was trying to use my bucks back that i earned from buying something free the week before and walgreens only accepts the same amount or less of coupons to items. well the bucks dont count but they refused at one store. im like wtf its your own CASH not coupon!
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
25 Sep 12
You were totally within your rights to call the manager and complain. So what if she was unhappy? This is the Store's error not yours. I bet that they get the conditions on the back changed soon though. I would have done exactly what you did and yes, you deserved the ten dollars
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
27 Sep 12
Good for you! They never include the exclusions it seems until you are already at the cash register. I had something kind of like that happen to me with Radio Shack once over a camera. They had a specific camera on sale with the coupon but once I got to the register, the sale had apparently ended an hour prior
There were no time limits except for the day. I did request the manager but it so happened they weren't available that day. This discussion is a good reminder why I don't shop there anymore..lol.
There were no time limits except for the day. I did request the manager but it so happened they weren't available that day. This discussion is a good reminder why I don't shop there anymore..lol.@jillhill (37354)
• United States
28 Sep 12
I think that one bites the big one....I had someone who had a coupon for a car wash....the expiration date was the 29...she went on the 29th and they wouldn't honor it...she reminded them that the 29th was all day until midnight...she ended up getting the car wash.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
26 Sep 12
For me, Wal-Mart is the worst with coupons. Their scanners at the store that I typically go to and they have tried to tell me that it is their corporate policy that if a coupon doesn't scan, then they cannot manually enter it. Of course, I know that this is crap, they just don't want to take the time to do it manually. I mean if their corporate policy is that if the coupon doesn't scan that they can't accept it, maybe they should make a new corporate policy that if a person's debit card doesn't read right then they get their purchase for free. 
@randylovesdar (4932)
• United States
25 Sep 12
I used to shop at Shopko and know how their sales people are. I had that problem once also. One time Randy and I bought his mom a new mixer (it was well over 50.00 and we had the 10.00 off coupon) and the cashier did not want to honor it because in her mind the mixer is a pharmacy item. I told her please show me how one can take a mixer and use it as medication. She could not so we got out 10.00 off. I do not blame you for raising heck because the coupon should have said that it excluded electronics. I am glad that you got your discount.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
25 Sep 12
I raise heck about things like that all the time, and sometimes I even raise the other four letter H word over things like that, if necessary. I have no problems raising H wen the situation warrants it. I don't get crude with them, but I make it known that I am not the least bit satisfied. If they don't want the coupon to be spent on certain things, they really need to take it off of the dang coupon.
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
25 Sep 12
By not putting electronics as a exclusion, they had to honor the coupon. I expect they were angry at themselves for making the mistake. You had every right to expect them to honor the coupon.
