PAGING: Mulder and Scully.
Okay, so while this is situation does not exactly qualify as paranormal activity, something NOT normal is definitely going on here. (Insert squinted eyes and a thoughtful stroking of the chin.)
It all started last month. As a blogger who conducts product reviews, I’m often given a free product coupon (FPC) as an enticement to try a product (or as an alternative to shipping a perishable good to my door). And so, coupons in hand, I visited my local market to do my usual grocery run – which included trying two new products by way of FPCs. Once checked out, I glanced down at my receipt and noticed that the “Total Manufacturer Coupon Savings” were $3.49, when it should have been $6.98 as I had redeemed two coupons. This had happened once before – recently, actually – so I informed the cashier, she apologized and handed the coupon over, and instructed me to go to customer service to have it sorted out.
No harm done, right? Right.
Yesterday, I once again had a few FPCs to redeem – three, to be exact. I also had a $3 off coupon for a well-known yogurt manufacturer, and a 10¢ coupon for PC Canned Crab. (Don’t ask. It’s delish, though.)
The value of each of the free products was $5.29. So, redeeming 3 x $5.29 FPCs, 1 x $3.00 off yogurt and 10¢ off canned crab, one would expect my total manufacturer coupon savings to total $18.97. With me so far?
It was a crazy Saturday afternoon, the kids were whining, and I was struggling to pack up a huge grocery run while my husband lugged the bags into the cart. I wasn’t exactly paying attention to what the cashier was doing, so it was only as we were walking out of the store that I glanced down at the receipt and noticed the total coupon savings were $5.29. Say what???
My Spidey Sense started tingling.
I calmly walked back to the cashier, already ringing through another customer, and interrupted, saying: “It looks like you forgot to deduct my coupons. Can I please have them back? I’d like to take them to customer service and have the receipt adjusted.”
“Oh, I thought I did. Sorry,” she offered lamely in return, not meeting my eye.
BACK UP HERE. Beep. Beep. Beep. (That’s the sound of a dump truck backing up.)
First, I always group items with coupons together in order to make checkout as efficient as possible. So, I had placed the items on the conveyor belt consecutively and handed over the corresponding coupons as soon as the items made their way to the front of the line. While I sometimes I watch the cashier ring in the coupons, other times, I turn my attention to packing up my groceries. After all, why would I assume that she’d ring in one and ignore the others?
Second, as with the case with FPCs, since there is no set value the cashier must turn the coupon over and input the selling price on the back. Again, with five products in a row, all with coupons and three with restrictions, why do it once and then quietly slip the other four in a drawer?
Y’all probably know what I’m driving at. She was trying to take the coupons for herself! Wench!
Because if they are not actually deducted from a bill, or filled out with a selling price, they’re free to use again, no? Especially if they’re for a highly desirable item that retails for $5.29? And who doesn’t want $3 off yogurt? (Not really sure why she didn’t input the 10¢ canned crab coupon, though. That shall remain a mystery.)
Am I being too cynical? Could it have actually been an innocent mistake? If the very same thing had not happened TWICE before, I may be able to convince myself that perhaps it was her first week on the job. However, I did mention the absurdity of the transaction to the customer service manager, who only frowned and agreed that yes, how strange.
How NOT normal.
And so in the absence of a conspiracy, my advice to all my coupon-toting friends is to ALWAYS double check that your coupons have been deducted correctly on your receipt – especially in the case of multiple coupons on the same transaction. I ended up receiving $13.68 back on my Visa to adjust for the hijacked savings… hey, you can buy a lot with $13.68! That’s four Joe Fresh nail polishes!
Tell me – do you always check your receipt?
p.s. In an effort of full disclosure, although I really like the little joke above (three words: People of Walmart) these transactions did not take place at Wallyworld… just a well-known Canadian grocery giant :)
I always double check my receipt before leaving the store, both to make sure all my coupons get deducted and all the sale items rang through at the right price. I have never had a cashier try and pilfer my coupons, but many times have ended up with free items because of pricing errors. When you are shopping on a budget it makes a difference.
Pilfering coupons, I love it! And I agree, SCOP helps out immensely – everyone should know how it works!
wow! i try to always check my receipt before i leave the store, just in case there are missing coupons or the price rang in incorrectly. sometimes it’s hard to keep track of everything while they’re scanning it in!
Especially when it’s busy, and the cashier is crazy fast! It’s a good thing you at least check it on the way out :)
This situation happened to me twice at Walmart before. I always always always check my receipts. 99% of the time theres something wrong with it at that place, so weird.
Wow, can’t believe it’s more common than I thought!
NO! I never check my receipts :s
It’s time to start, Amy! :)
Girl, I am right there with you!! I ALWAYS…well, 99% of the time…watch the till!! I only look away if I’m distracted by the kids. Otherwise, I watch every transaction, stop the cashier when a price scans incorrectly to get it for free, then I make sure all the price-match and coupons process properly. And when my husband is with me, he knows the drill. He goes and bags while I watch the till.
I don’t think you’re being cynical, I’m sure the cashier thought she could slide the coupons past you and keep them for herself!
One time, I was at Macy’s at Walden Galleria. It was bonus time at the Clinique booth. The sign said you get the bonus with purchases of $25 or more. I asked for the Clarifying Lotion which was well over $25. The lady said I don’t get the lipgloss with my bonus unless I buy $40 or more. I said, “WHA????” I’ve never heard such nonsense, as I’m what they call a “Bonus Baby.” Yep, I only shop at the make-up counters when there’s a bonus goin on. So I said, “Then why does the sign say the bonus applies to $25 purchases or more?” and she said it was an old promo. I said, “The date is on it…this is your current promo. I’ll just get the Clarifying Lotion, thank you.” So then as she was getting my bonus, I could see she was trying to open the bag!!!!! Thankfully, Clinique puts the entire bonus in a plastic bag and then puts the plastic bag in the make-up bag that came with the bonus. She was trying to open it but struggled and then finally gave up. I got my entire bonus. But what the heck!!!!!!! I complained to Macy’s but they never responded to me. I was so furious from that event that I have never shopped at Macy’s ever again. Booooo!!!
LOL, I can totally picture you watching the till like a hawk – normally, I’m the same way! And I simple CANNOT believe than wench at Macy’s. She was totally out to keep that lip gloss for herself. What makes me sad is how many unsuspecting women just agreed without putting up a fight. GOOD FOR YOU!
I watch like a hawk while the cashier scans my coupons. But that’s to make sure they double. I never contemplated a cashier stealing them! Wow!
Neither did I… but it’s just so weird how many times it has happened!
Superstore in my area often has prices wrong in the scanner, so I usually go to the self-checkouts so I can watch each item. If the price scanned is different from the shelf price, they are supposed to give it to you for free if it’s under a certain value ($10?) and $10 off if it’s above.
The Superstore across town doesn’t have a self-checkout and LONG lines so I’m not always paying attention while bagging and often find discrepancies.
Superstore is famous for price discrepancies. I can honestly say that I get a SCOP freebie every time I shop there. Happy to hear you self-scan for accuracy when you can.
Wow. That is an odd experience. I always leave items that have high vale or full value coupons until the end of the purchase. It saves time digging thru everything to have a cashier check it, its easier to find on the reciept, and I can make sure its deducted off of my bill. Nothing is a bigger pain than finding out after the fact that the cashier deducted 50 cents vs the $5.00 that should of been deducted! Hopefully the cashier made an honest mistake.
I hope so too. And you’re such an organized couponer! Amazing.
Gasp!!!!!! I never check to see if coupons are redeemed correctly. Often I check to see if a price scans in right (thank you for teaching me about SCOP) but it didn’t occer to me to check coupons scanning in.
Well, now is a good time to start! xo
I was shocked to learn that cashiers in our area have been unknowingly adding cash back to the debit transactions. If you are not watching your total or checking your reciept an extra $20 or more can be added to your receipt.
OMG! What a scam – and then they’re totally pocketing that cash when they take their registers up to be balanced. Thanks for the tip.
I love a good conspiracy theory:)
Alas….more often then not I end up ripped off in the coupon department. I could never be an extreme couponer.
Oh no! I’ll have to teach you my frugal ways, LOL!
I was out with my coupon-binder in tow last night, and got some nice deals.
I always watch like a hawk, ’cause there’s usually a SCOP involved (and cashiers STILL don’t know how to process these), or a price-match to argue over. I’ve had transaction errors where a coupon was missing from the bill, or the wrong amount (I once had .02 instead of 2.00 redeemed…) last night was different though, I had $1.99 instead of the full $2.00 redeemed for a $5 item. *was confused* Too lazy to go have it corrected though, haha.
My favourite is when the cashiers make up their own rules about a coupon. I had one a couple nights ago where you got $3 off WUB2 of products from a list. I had to argue with the cashier to put the coupon through, ’cause she decided that it had to be two of the same products for the coupon to work. *facepalm*
Never had a cashier try to take a coupon, but I have had discussions with some on where they could start finding the good ones to use themselves. They’re shoppers too right?
Exactly – which is why I suspect my cashier was trying to pilfer my coupons, so she could “shop” with them herself!
I ALWAYS watch the prices ring up on the register (or go to the self check if possible) as I have found some stores like RCSS shelf prices are not the same as what rings up..
I do double check my reciepts as well… You never know when someone will make a mistake.. or try to pocket your savings ;-)
You sound like a smart and savvy shopper to me!
I don’t usually have a lot of coupons, so I’ve never had that happen, but I was at a local superstore and I had a manufacturer’s coupon for some Enfamil Nutramigen. It was the kind of coupon they send me in the mail that works kind of like a check. I don’t know why they do it that way because inevitably the cashiers don’t have a clue what to do with them. Anyway, I took the Enfamil up and told the lady I had the coupon. She looked at the Enfamil (which has a huge “Nutramigen” label and a very small “Enfamil” label) and tried to tell me it wasn’t good. The coupon clearly states ANY Enfamil product over a certain amount. And Nutramigen is one of the more expensive ones. I finally saw the Enfamil label after trying to explain to her that Enfamil MAKES Nutramigen and it’s one of their many types of formula. She was so mean, and said, “I gave you your money”. I have seen her there since then and I won’t go in her lane. I almost wished she had called her manager over so she could have looked stupid and rude and I could have said, in front of her, to her manager, that I didn’t really appreciate being treated like a moron. She’s lucky I had both kids and just wanted to go home.
Ugh, I can’t stand cashiers who honestly think they know better than a consumer who uses the product ALL THE TIME. I would’ve called that manager :)
This is a funny story.
I love the Walmart photo (we should post some photos on our blog about our adventures)!
You totally should Steve!
Ugh, I don’t think I’ve ever had that happen before but now I’m super paranoid it’s going to!!
0.10 cents off crab? Really?? :P
HA! Yes, 0.10 cents buys a lot, um, you know… :)
Yeah definitely check your total coupon savings from now on. You never know!!!
Definitely double-check your receipt — this has happened to me too!
I always check my receipts! Rarely does a coupon not get entered (more likely a scop’able issue) but I have found a few cashiers pull another ‘trick’. On a FPC item they have just not rung the item and the coupon through at all. Sure it saves them time but screws up the store inventory – and Im sure they pocket the coupon!
I always watch as things go, and I also put the coupons on with the product I am getting. I leave my coupon foods to the end of the groceries that way I am done loading and I can see them being taken off. I always ask too at the end if they took them off and check bill. I’m like you I’m very protective of my coupons especially my free ones. “free” is my favorite four letter “F” word
Glad you stay on top of it, Chandra!
Lol couldnt stop laughing…
Whenever I get FPC’s, I always make a special trip to get ONLY those items – so then my bill should be zero – no worries about missed FPC’s that way :)
And when I have coupons for cents or dollars off – I either place them on top of the item (and watch as the cashier scans or keys it in) or if the store isn’t busy, I hand the coupon to her as soon as she scans that item (and before she grabs the next one).