Coupon Fraud - I wonder how much of it is Cashier error?

[anaj06]

Somewhere in one of the posts, someone was refering to the millions of dollars HT looses to coupon fraud each year and my experience today makes me wonder how much of that loss is improper training of its cashiers?

I used 12 IP coupons today - 2 of each type. So 6 different coupons; 2 of each one. Each one was perfectly legit, printed from my home computer; separate codes and all. I handed the cashier the coupons 2 at a time as I normally do so I can make sure all are rung up and she scans the top one twice for each set I hand her.

So, my question is, she rang up the same IP coupon twice for each set I gave her...would that not be the equivalent of ringing up 1 legit coupon and one copied coupon since she rescanned the same coupon twice? Will HT get paid for the second scan of each coupon that did not have a unique code from the one before it? And worse, will this come back to haunt me since it was on my card?

Just curious...how is coupon fraud detected? It seems this would get caught somewhere as fraud...probably by the manufacturer when HT tries to redeem?

[$Saving!]

If both of the coupons are submitted for reimbursement, there will be no problem in the manner in which she scanned one twice.

It's not the scanning that causes fraud, but the submission of duplicate (identical codes) IP coupons that it becomes fraud.

[anaj06]

You mean someone goes back through each and every paper coupon? I thought it was all done electronically?

[ryansmommie]

The clearing houses where the coupons are sent have equipment to read the individual serial numbers. So, HT will be reimbursed for those.

Michelle

[clippingfool]

what I have learned they do it by weight and don't go through it by hand. At least that's what my lawyer friend who dealt with a coupon case told me....

[aimeebee]

Who does it by weight? The processing houses? Some coupons are for a quarter and others for $5. I don't see how that could work out right!!

[MammaLakn]

Who does it by weight? The processing houses? Some coupons are for a quarter and others for $5. I don't see how that could work out right!!

A few years ago I spoke to a guy who used to be a manager at Kroger and asked him a few questions. He said that they would bag the coupons and weigh them. They got reimbursed based on the weight not value.

Doesnt make sense to me either ...

[tinkinpink84]

that sounds confusing so what if there was a bag of all $5 coupons and a bag of 30 cent coupons both weighing the same. so all those would be of same value theoretically if they did it that way. Confusing. I think if they did it that way why bother reading coupons at all!

[uummm]

If you take into consideration that someone would have to sort these coupons and that person would have to be paid (probably more than one person) I am sure that they figure it is a better value to just get this flat rate back. There are several things that they have to consider when accepting a flat rate to make it cost effective for them.

[joshmamabear]

if merchants were being paid a flat rate based on weight, I wonder how they can make a profit on high value MQs $5 and up (not to mention free coupons with high max values) being redeemed as compared to the .25 face value coupons? I don't think retailers will continue to accept coupons as part of tender if that were the case. Aside from that, the verbiage on the coupon that the retailers will be paid the full face value plus .08 hf will not make sense at all. I know the .08 is not enough to pay the handling fees incurred in bringing the coupons for processing so retailers don't make money on that, but they should be getting the face value of MQs which they passed on to consumers.