What do you think of the wording of this email?

[mom24stinkers]

I received a response to my issue from yesterday, saying that i'm allowed overage . However the second paragraph said this:

However, commissary management, in cooperation with the Installation
Commander, may restrict the number of transactions per customer. As a
matter of policy, sales restrictions limiting amount per purchase, e.g.,
limit three, may be activated by DeCA Headquarters, the Federal Food and Drug Administration, The Department of Defense, or command channels when product food alerts occur, or in instances when a sales transaction involves purchases of large quantities of a single item, or when refunds or coupon redemption involves a large amount of money. As with all types of retail establishments where the exchange of goods, services, and money is involved, DeCA store management is required to monitor activity that may be perceived as potential abuse of the commissary privilege.

Does this mean that the Customer Service Manager can turn around and say "I let you use X amount, you can't use anymore"? I know I should call the store director before my next trip, I'm just wondering what everyone else's interpertation is.

[amandalaine]

I think that if they limit you, that it would have to be predetermined. I don't see how they would be able to do it based on the individual. Like how Walgreens will do a sale and it will say limit 3 or whatever. In order to limit you, legally I would think it would have to be predetermined and posted.

[CoveredinGrace]

I agree with Amanda, the majority of the tone of that paragraph is just saying, "We reserve to put up a sign saying "limit 3" b/c of a national food shortage or whatever.
It does sorta seem like they are giving the manager carte blanche to limit you by the second part of the paragraph, though, but I'm guessing that if they wanted to limit you, the burden would be on them to prove that you or other military dependants in your household CAN'T use that much of a single product. I *believe* the reason that is written that way is so that they have the ability to stop GI Joe or Mrs. GI Joe from, say, buying all of the toilet paper up and then going off and reselling it-which is totally against deCa, or giving it away (which technically is against deCa policy b/c the "benefits" are only for "dependants". And they get pretty specific on this, too. Like say if Mrs. GI Joe becomes EX-Mrs. GI Joe, but there are 2 Baby GI Joe's from the marriage, EX-Mrs. GI Joe would be given ID cards for her kids ONLY and a letter stating that she is allowed to purchase items at the commissary FOR HER KIDS ONLY...so if EX-Mrs. GI Joe picks up some tampons, they can either refuse to sell them to her b/c they are obviously not for the babies or they can have her permanently removed from being able to shop the commissary for her kids b/c she broke the rules by shopping for someone who is no longer a military dependant. So, really, I think that is more where they are going with that, but honestly, if faced with that argument from a store director, I think I would bow out of buying in bulk if it truly was excessive w/out a fight.

HOWEVER, there's only so much they can limit you. One, who are they to say how much you use of a product? And two, what if you were part of a specific religious group that required that you "stock up". LDS has this policy (it's a request, but they really, really believe in it), so who are they to say that it's okay to step on your religious beliefs by not allowing you to follow your conscience about stocking up? So it's a gray area at best.

[charlestonmom]

Well, my interpretation of that paragraph is that when they are reserving the right to prevent a customer from buying a large number of products, i.e. a case of K-Y, for the purpose of overage (or what they perceive to be the purpose of overage). In other words, I unfortunately think that the days of overage for large numbers of products will be over soon. I am not saying that I think that is the right thing, or that I do not agree with overage for cases of products!! I do think that a customer should be able to receive overage if he or she goes to the trouble to collect and organize the coupons and find the good deal.....IF THAT IS THE STORE'S BLANKET POLICY. I am just saying that I think they will change it, especially as more attention is brought to the subject and store manager after store manager calls to complain about it, after they have been proved wrong time and time again.

I really do not understand why it is such a big deal though. I mean, the manufacturer is the one that makes and distributes the coupons. and THE STORE DOES NOT PAY FOR THE SAVINGS FROM THE COUPON, THE MANUFACTURER DOES. From what I understand, if you do not receive the overage, the store does!!! So, as I posted in "Why are coupons such a problem?", I don't understand what the big deal is to the cashiers and managers. It is not like they are eating spam and ramen noodles at home because you are saving money.....

[mom24stinkers]

yeah, I have to wonder if DeCA is getting tired of emails from us complaining about not being allowed overage . The thing that really ticks me off about the entire situation was that the first time the manager admitted she didn't know the coupon policy but would look it up. When I went in this last time she still didn't know the coupon policy and made it sound like she let me get away with something the first time. Hopefully they will let all the cashiers know too because every single cashier that my cashier talked to said to price adjust the coupon.

Also her problem wasn't that I was buying 10 KY's it was the coupon issue so I don't think she can come back and say that I'm not allowed to buy them since I can't use all 10 KY's in a period of time. I know a lot of women who use KY for a variety of reasons, not just to do with relations, and honestly how are they going to say it's not okay to buy 10 KY's when it's perfectly okay to buy 10 shampoos or 10 toothpastes when there is a good sale.

[EmmysMum]

This particular phrase is what is concerning to me:

"As with all types of retail establishments where the exchange of goods, services, and money is involved, DeCA store management is required to monitor activity that may be perceived as potential abuse of the commissary privilege."

I can easily see managers arguing that buying a case (or more) of KY once a month is "abuse" because they don't want to deal with the coupons that go along with it. And, unfortunately, that phrase would back them up in any decision to limit or prohibit it.

I think that we will see the days of overage disappear in the near future, not unlike the non-exclusionary couponing.

[jenn13130]

I received almost the same exact thing after I wrote to DeCa. I wasn't sure how to understand it either. I haven't had any trouble though using my overage coupons since. I think it is just to cover them incase there becomes a shortage.

[pmorse]

I think it sounds like they are in the process of changing the policy but is has not been made official yet. I can see where managers would complain that buying things by the case that you just throw away and don't use just for the overage is abusing the system. I mean when someone doesn't even leave the store with what they bought and leaves a case of ky by the door for anyone to take then it is pretty obvious they aren't using the product right? It is against the rules to buy for others or for businesses in bulk and it would hold true not to buy in bulk just to give away to others right? It does kind of draw attention to the fact that we sometimes find loopholes to get what we want when it really isn't the original intent of the stores or manufacturers. Please don't blast me, I don't think anyone did anything wrong, I did my fair share of stocking up when there was a stacking coupon policy but it is a fine line and we do overdo it sometimes and we do draw attention to it sometimes. I can see where they can say it is abusing the policy or even breaking the policy when you just buy in bulk to give or throw away. Don't they have lower prices to just break even as a military perk for service members and they don't make a profit? I could be wrong there but I thought that was their deal. I would use the coupons now because it does sound like the policy may change soon or God forbid, they start to limit quantities on all things sold, coupons or not, to prevent abuse. Now that would HURT. I buy everything in bulk!!

[Jackee]

The commissary employees know that people buy in bulk sometimes to give away. When I was a cashier, we had several people come in and buy cases and bags of dog and cat food to give to the local shelter. They would even get coupons from the manuf. and use them. No one seemed to care.

The commissary is still a business and sales count. I am sure if someone was to come in and by truckloads of stuff; it would raise questions, but who is to say that this person does not live 300 miles away and comes to shop only once every 3 months. Tons of people only shop every 3 months because that is how many months’ meds they are allowed from the base pharmacy. They travel down to the base from far distances; hit all of the stores on base and then go back home.

I do think though that some of the employees are jealous but I don't think that it something that is limited to the commissary. I try to tell a person when they see me save so much that it is hard work. When I am at the register, it is the culmination of a lot of time and effort involving buying, sorting, reading, etc.... I always try to teach people that what I am doing is ethical and following the rules. I think when people understand the process, they are more apt to agree that couponing is a good thing.


I work hard to match deals. It takes time away from my family. It is my way to combat higher prices and shrinking product. Do you think companies are being honest when they quietly shrink the amount of product but not the price nor the packaging?...Is that being fair? Are they taking advantage of most people's lack of attention when it comes to this? Why is okay for them to take advantage of us this way and we are frowned upon for taking advantage of the coupons they give and encourage us to redeem?

To be honest, companies that put out coupons, do so to get you to buy their product. I do not feel like I am doing anything wrong, when I purchase their product using their coupon according to the wording on the coupon. And why should I feel like I am taking advantage of them when I buy 40 instead of 2. Every business major will tell you that buying in bulk will save you money in the long run. I mean, why do you think stores like Sam’s and Costco are so popular.

These companies are filled with suited men and women with degree's from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and any other big school you can think of, that are paid to run the numbers when it come to promoting their products. People are fools if they think that these highly paid and highly educated analysts have never considered the value of the coupon versus the AVERAGE value of the product and whether or not someone may get their product free at one point. They will never ever put themselves in financial jeopardy with a coupon.

Back to the commissary, you are right, the product is only marked up enough to cover the cost of operating the store, I think 1%. You can find this information @ commissaries.com. The vendors are happy when their product sales well. This is why I say it is still a business and sales count.

Sorry this is book but I work way to hard at this to not defend it. This is just my .02’s.

[pmorse]

Sorry, but you don't have to defend anything. I am pro coupon and I buy in bulk. I said that we are doing nothing wrong. But I do think that it is against commissary policy to buy for others or buy in bulk to give away to others. I am not positive, but I think that is there official policy. And the only thing I said they might have against us buying in bulk is when they KNOW for a fact that someone is buying in bulk and not buying the product to use for themselves, like throwing a case of something away before they even leave the commissary. That is not stocking up every couple of months for yourself or even stocking up because it is a good sale. That is waste and they might see it as abuse. That is all I meant. I wanted to show how they could see it as abusing the policy when you are buying in bulk and they know for a fact you are not buying it to use yourself. I bust my butt with coupons too, I have stockpiled so much I won't let people into certain rooms of my house because it is too embarrassing. I am not knocking anyone here, or anything we do. I just think they may start restricting the amount anyone can buy if they think it is being abused and pointed out one instance where it would definetly look like it is being abused. I am not trying to offend anyone here and am sorry if I did.