COMMISSARY need help with this one, please

[mommyto3angels]

I bought 3 boxes Honey nut chex $1.89 each, 3 boxes honey nut cheerios 12.oz $1.89 each I had 2 $3/3 any GM cereal Q, and than I bought 3 17.oz honey nut cherrios $3.93 each and I had 3Q for buy any 2 GM cereal get one box FREE up to $4.
The guy tells me I can not use 3/3 Q because I already have the 3 FREE coupons. I was in a hurry to get home for my girls get home from school and in the end he confused me and he took only FREE Q. He called another cashier over to consult and she said the same. If I would have time I would have demonstrated visualy, with the boxes. (Iam buying this 2 boxes and getting this one FREE, and than I am buying these 2 boxes and getting this one FREE..)
I also bought 2 chinet plates and I had 1/1 Q for each one and had a Q for FREE turkey hot dogs when you buy 2 chinet plates. So I said it is like that. the FREE Q is for the hot dogs not the plates.
All the way home I am thinking it is not right. Who is right? Do I write to DECA and ask them?

[pilesoflaundry]

The cereal ones I'm not sure you can use all of the coupons because I am so confused about how many you bought but the hot dog one you can.

You bought 6 boxes or 9?

[mommyto3angels]

I bought 9 total boxes of cereal

[Madayena]

I think because you're using the B2G1 coupon, you're not supposed to use coupons on those 3 boxes, other than the b2g1 free coupon of course. It's kind of cheating the system if you do, because they manufacturer did not intend for you to combine coupons and they're losing out on more $ then they intended on.

[mommyto3angels]

Than logically I would not be able to use the plates q either since I am getting FREE hot dogs when buying 2 plates?
Or, are you saying if Q would say " buy 2 juices and get 1 ceral FREE" I can not have q's for the juices.

[PMFan]

OP == this post (http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/military-commissary/1285-commissary-faqs-deca-policy-helpful-sites-info.html#post619309) in the commissary FAQ thread will help answer your question

IME, using coupons in the way you describe is always YMMV at any store.

[Madayena]

Or, are you saying if Q would say " buy 2 juices and get 1 ceral FREE" I can not have q's for the juices.

That's what I'm saying. I'm sorry, I totally skipped the bit about the plates and hotdogs lol. I was going to take some coupons and do the same exact thing you did, but then I realized hmm.. that wouldn't work lol. :sad:

[HotNursingMama25]

From my understanding, you can use a $ off coupon and b1g? together. The $ off coupon has to be for the item you are ACTUALLY paying for. The other coupon would be for the item you get free for purchasing the previous item. So, in your case, they may not have let you use both coupons because with the $3/3, you are getting $1 off on the box that you should be getting for free. If you had, say, $?/2 or $?/1 and then coupled that with the B2G1, you would have been fine and completely in the right.

Now, the register may have let you do it, but the saying "just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD" comes to mind in this situation. I know that a lot of stores won't let you use a $ off coupon on an item you are receiving for free. I know for most stores its a YMMV thing, but it is using the coupons somewhat fraudulently. You could have used the 2 $3/3 coupons and then 1 B2G1 coupon, but I think the cashier was right that you couldn't use the two coupled together.

The scenario you used for the plates and hot dogs was completely legit, though, so no worries about that.

I hope this helps shed some light on it.

Have a great weekend, everyone!
~T

I bought 3 boxes Honey nut chex $1.89 each, 3 boxes honey nut cheerios 12.oz $1.89 each I had 2 $3/3 any GM cereal Q, and than I bought 3 17.oz honey nut cherrios $3.93 each and I had 3Q for buy any 2 GM cereal get one box FREE up to $4.
The guy tells me I can not use 3/3 Q because I already have the 3 FREE coupons. I was in a hurry to get home for my girls get home from school and in the end he confused me and he took only FREE Q. He called another cashier over to consult and she said the same. If I would have time I would have demonstrated visualy, with the boxes. (Iam buying this 2 boxes and getting this one FREE, and than I am buying these 2 boxes and getting this one FREE..)
I also bought 2 chinet plates and I had 1/1 Q for each one and had a Q for FREE turkey hot dogs when you buy 2 chinet plates. So I said it is like that. the FREE Q is for the hot dogs not the plates.
All the way home I am thinking it is not right. Who is right? Do I write to DECA and ask them?

[HotNursingMama25]

Than logically I would not be able to use the plates q either since I am getting FREE hot dogs when buying 2 plates?
Or, are you saying if Q would say " buy 2 juices and get 1 ceral FREE" I can not have q's for the juices.

This situation would be completely legit, too. There's nothing written on the coupons (that I've seen) that says you HAVE to pay FULL price on the one product to get the other free. So, if you had $/1 for the juice and then got the cereal free with the other coupon, this would be okay.

Just like people on the Safeway thread were using the $2/1 Steamfresh meals for 2 and the Buy 1 Steamfresh meal, get 1 veggie free coupons. They coupled nicely together and then combined with the $10 OYNO wyb $25 catalina, there was a lot of cheap convenience food to be had! :)

I'm planning on using the $1/1 ronzoni bistro coupons coupled with the B1G1 coupons for the same product. I'm hoping this makes for some inexpensive meals, too.

Again, HTH,
~T

[mommyto3angels]

HOTNURSINGMAMA
you said you can have q for the product you are paying full price on and than the q for free item. And that is exactly what I did, I bought 9 boxes of cereal, and had two 3/3 q that makes 6 boxes wich makes $1 off each one. For the other three I only had 3 FREE Q, because it was if you buy two boxes you get one for FREE.
Why I threw the juice/cereal senario in there is just to get all your opinions. I think because Q is all for cereal it causes confusion.
I do not know what my manager will say, he sent me his own cell number, for an issue I had before. These two cashier were both teenagers. What is funny is, that I said to cashier, it is the same as for the plates/hot dogs thing. I have a q for plates and this one is for the free hot dogs. He understood that one.
I might send manager an email and ask him about it.

[HotNursingMama25]

Okay, sorry! For whatever reason I was reading (although you typed it correctly!) that you had 3 of the $3/3.

In that case, you certainly should have been able to do this. I got confused. It does happen easily! :) Yes, it should have worked out fine, since you were getting $1 off of each of 6 boxes and then getting 3 free boxes on each of the two you paid for. It might have confused the teenager because the Q was grouped in 3 instead of 2. That's what threw me off. I'm sorry I misunderstood. :) :emb100:

~T

[mommyto3angels]

Oh, no do not be sorry! You acctually cleared it out for me, since you said it does not say anywhere you have to pay full price for the item the FREE Q is requiring to purchase in order to get it FREE.
My comment was mostly for Madayena, since it bothered me, when she said: what I was trying to do is "cheating the system". She still did not cleared that out for me. Using 1 Q per purchase = cheating the system?:shrug7:

[Madayena]

I bought 3 boxes Honey nut chex $1.89 each, 3 boxes honey nut cheerios 12.oz $1.89 each I had 2 $3/3 any GM cereal Q, and than I bought 3 17.oz honey nut cherrios $3.93 each and I had 3Q for buy any 2 GM cereal get one box FREE up to $4.
The guy tells me I can not use 3/3 Q because I already have the 3 FREE coupons......If I would have time I would have demonstrated visualy, with the boxes. (Iam buying this 2 boxes and getting this one FREE, and than I am buying these 2 boxes and getting this one FREE..)
I also bought 2 chinet plates and I had 1/1 Q for each one and had a Q for FREE turkey hot dogs when you buy 2 chinet plates. So I said it is like that. the FREE Q is for the hot dogs not the plates.....

So you had:
3 Xcereal- tried to use 3/3 AND B2G1
3 Ycereal- tried to use use 3/3 AND B2G1
3 Zcereal- B2G1(this one is fine)


I say again:

I think because you're using the B2G1 coupon, you're not supposed to use coupons on those 3 boxes, other than the b2g1 free coupon of course. It's kind of cheating the system if you do, because they manufacturer did not intend for you to combine coupons and they're losing out on more $ then they intended on.

It IS a YMMV thing though, if they allow it, then that's cool for you. But I'm still pretty sure the manufacturer wouldn't like it. I didn't even think about what someone mentioned earlier, that you're getting a dollar off the free box, but that's another thing the manufacturer probably wouldn't like.

[PMFan]

OP bought NINE total boxes so did NOT attempt to get $1 off the free box(es).

then AFAIK, this scenario is ok; however, is still YMMV and I would not argue beyond explaining it like this and if cashier/mgr does not agree, I would defer to their opinion.

cereal 1
cereal 2
cereal 3
- $3/3 (applies to cereal 1-3)
cereal 4
cereal 5
cereal 6
- $3/3 (applies to cereal 4-6)
cereal 7
- B2G1 (for buying cereal 1 & 2; the $3/3 did not apply to this box)
cereal 8
- B2G1 (for buying cereal 3 & 4; the $3/3 did not apply to this box)
cereal 9
- B2G1 (for buying cereal 5 & 6; the $3/3 did not apply to this box)

So you had:
3 Xcereal- tried to use 3/3 AND B2G1
3 Ycereal- tried to use use 3/3 AND B2G1
3 Zcereal- B2G1(this one is fine)


I say again:



It IS a YMMV thing though, if they allow it, then that's cool for you. But I'm still pretty sure the manufacturer wouldn't like it. I didn't even think about what someone mentioned earlier, that you're getting a dollar off the free box, but that's another thing the manufacturer probably wouldn't like.

[HotNursingMama25]

Yes, this is the math that I finally came to, although it took a while.

And while I DID initially say it would be like getting a $1 off the free box, I only said that when I thought she had 3 of the $3/3 qs, and not 2 $3/3 like she actually had.

[Madayena]

Hmm.. guess if you reorder the use on coupons on the cereal then it looks to be ok.
I apologize to OP, I'm horrible at puzzles

[HotNursingMama25]

I thought the same as you at first, Madayena! I was totally confused. Thanks, PMFan, for typing out the scenario. :)

[mommyto3angels]

:thanks7:THANK YOU PM and ladies for clearing it up for me, I just knew it did not sound right to me.
I am writing to the manager now, since I had crazy week and did not have any time to do it.
again thanx, and Madayena, appologies accepted:smile77: