cvs-----UPDATE: CVS: What is considered a CVS brand?

[cheapchick]

What is considered a CVS brand? First of all I pretty much know that I was right...pretty much, but not 100%.
I had a $1 off CVS haircare coupon (you know the one I'm talking about). I checked online for the cheapest CVS haircare product I could get and it was a twin pack of Advanced Healthcare shampoo/conditioner for $1.99. This is sold exclusively at CVS.

The store didn't actually carry the twin pack. They had single 15oz bottles of shampoo or conditioner for 99c. I asked if I could apply the $1 coupon to 2 items and was told yes. The cashier looked at the bottles and said they weren't CVS brand. I tried explaining that CVS has certain brands that are exclusive to CVS. She pointed at the label which showed the product was made by "Advanced Healthcare" and also pointed to the address on the label and said it was not CVS headquarters. I mentioned several other brands (Blade, Fruitopia, Viologie, Playskool, EOB) that are CVS brands. We walked around the store together and I pointed at some of these products. Advanced Healthcare actually makes these products for CVS exclusively. I even mentioned how coupons for these products appear in CVS's Reinventing Beauty magazine! She would not budge! In fact, at another CVS last week I bought the BOGO Bioluxe and the cashier was going to let me use the $1 CVS brand coupon on that except I had already paid with ECBs.
I gave her as much evidence as I could but to no avail. :shrug7:
CVS used to list their brands on their homepage too but now I can't find them. I was feeling irritated so I just said I'd contact CS and ask. The thing is though my coupon expired that very day...


I have a few questions:

Is Advanced Healthcare a CVS brand? I did a little research and found that CVS has an exclusive agreement with Advanced Healthcare to make products for CVS and may actually be owned by CVS. One of the addresses given for Advanced Healthcare is "One CVS Drive, Woonsocket RI".

If a product is 99c and I have the $1 coupon will CVS adjust the coupon down? I was going to buy a 15oz shampoo for 99c and use the $1 coupon if I could but if not I was going to buy 2 bottles and apply the coupon to both.

[seedlady]

the list i have from an ad i kept is skin effects, lumene, cristophe, playskool, nuprin, life fitness, essence of beauty, and more.

the one common factor is that all the upcs start with 50428.

the thing i would ask the cashier to do is scan the coupon to see if it works.

[cheapchick]

Indeed it did begin with 50428. So do my bottles of Bioluxe. I turned over bottles of Blade, Viologie, and Fruitopia in the store and they all say Advanced Healthcare on the back. The cashier was looking for the letters CVS on the bottles I tried to buy. I found this:

CVS has an extensive assortment of various private labels and proprietary brands. In addition to CVS Brand, CVS also carries exclusive store brands under the names of Essence of Beauty, Gold Emblem, Absolutely Divine, Blade, Earth Essentials, and Life Fitness. CVS also holds exclusive contracts to sell proprietary brands such as Nuprin, Christophe, PreVentin-AT, 24/7, Skin Effects, and the European brand Lumene. A new exclusive Playskool line of baby care is also in CVS stores. CVS was also first to sell single-use digital cameras and camcorders from Pure Digital.

[MCLEODSC]

I have accumulated 12 bottles of the shampoo using the CVS $1 off coupon over the past 2 weeks. It is a CVS brand. I asked before I even tried the coupon and the manager of my CVS confirmed that it is a CVS brand product. Call and talk with the manager. Call customer service if needed and have them call the store.

[cheapchick]

Well I finally got a reply from CVS.

Dear,

Thank you for contacting CVS! I have received your e-mail in regards to the Bioluxe products. Yes, that is one of our exclusive brands. Pleae accept my apology for any inconvenience that you have experienced at the store in regards to your purchase. Yes, a coupon that is marked for $1.00 can be adjusted down to the .99 cent mark by a store associate.

Thank you for providing me with the store location that you visited. I have contacted Cxxxx Sxxxk, District Manager, and made him aware of your comments. He will be reviewing your comments and also addressing them with the Store Manager and staff to correct this from recurring in the future.

Thank you again for contacting CVS! We value your patronage and look forward to serving you again soon.

Have a nice afternoon.


Sincerely,

xxxxx
CVS/pharmacy
Customer Relations
08xxxxx

It's good to know they will adjust down a coupon but umm...I never asked if Bioluxe was a CVS brand. I asked about Advanced Healthcare shampoo. Bioluxe is made by Advanced Healthcare but dang! do they read their emails? I also asked for a list of CVS brands for future reference (ammo!) but didn't get it and wanted to know if they would honor my coupons.

[cheapchick]

UPDATE:
I sent an email asking for a list of CVS brands. Here's the response:

Dear XXXX,

Thank you for your e-mail response. It was nice to hear from you. I am sorry that I did not include a listing of our exclusive brands in my original e-mail. They are as follows:


Advanced Healthcare
Fuel
Coastal Choice
Sun & Soil
Blade
CVS/pharmacy brand
Gold Emblem
Absolutely Divine
Loo ouo oox Vodka
DVX vodka
Merry Brite
Skin Effects
Surf Club
Earth Essentials
Caribe Emt
RTH (Round the House)
Fun in the Sun
Essence of Beauty
Oak Lake
Cristophe Beverly Hills
Fruitopia
PetCentral
Viologie
Caliber
BioLuxe

I hope this information helps.

Thank you for contacting CVS. Have a great weekend.


Sincerely,

xxxxx
CVS/pharmacy
Customer Relations
0xxx6r

Vodka? Really? I never noticed CVS made vodka!

I also received a phone call from the store manager today. He told me I was right and he informed Linda of the CVS brands and that if I wanted to bring my expired $1 off CVS brand haircare coupons in he would honor them. He also told me they honor expired CVS coupons. He said something like, "They're your coupons and you earned them!" He also said that I could use the $1 off coupon to buy the 99c shampoo and they would adjust it down. He said they are supposed to adjust down coupons. He was very nice and told me if I had any other questions or problems to call him.

The thing is I'm a bit embarrassed now! He had my email in hand and was reading off my questions. He said he told Linda, "If you didn't know what a CVS brand was then why didn't you ask someone." He said if he had been working that day that never would have happened! Um...I never mentioned the name of the cashier in my email. I don't even remember her name. The thing is I never wanted to accuse or make trouble for anyone! In my email I said I believed the cashier was mistaken and Advanced Healthcare was a CVS brand. He said he took Linda around the store and showed her the CVS brands. He wants me to come in and get my free shampoo but Good Grief! I hope I don't run into Linda! She'd probably burn holes in me with her eyes!

[PMFan]

upcdatabase has a list of products with UPC starting with 50428

HERE