This just sucks!

[ari'smom]

As others have said, try not to feel too badly. I recently found out we do have a store here that doubles, but only up to 99 cents. And since their prices are typically higher than the stores I normally shop at, I haven't had a chance to take advantage of it yet. Plus the flyers we get seem to be heavy on the $1 off when you buy two rather than a $.50 or $.55. So I don't even have that many Q's under $1 anyway. Yes, you have to work a little harder, but hopefully with store deals and a little creativity, you can still find some deals.

[butterflygrrl]

I have to agree! This just sucks! I understand that big savings can be done with extra work but the stores here in Florida are getting away with too much compared to other states, especially the south Florida area where there is little to no competition. All 6+ of my "local" Publix stores only allow for Winn-Dixie and Target coupons. That is great yes, but since Winn-Dixie has closed all stores within a reasonable traveling distance to me, getting their in store coupons is a challenge. While shopping at Publix is "a pleasure" as far as their customer service, cleanliness, bakery, and their coupon policy (in general with BOGOs being a great deal still) I feel that they do have a monopoly here and they really only include Winn-Dixie just so they can say they have 2 competitors at each store. Yes, it helps that Target is an acknowledged competitor but again, this no doubling business is not right. The cost of living here is just as high as other places where Publix does double and the income levels in Florida do not keep up by any means. I am appreciative of the quality at Publix as well but when it comes to my household budget that is another story. That is my vent.

[Mama_martino]

BUTTERFLYGRRL I soooo agree. That's why I said I was writing a letter. I mean do you have any idea what business hat would bring to any ONE store if they were the first to DOUBLE coupons? HUGE!!

[TwoCowsInAField]

I was told by the Regional Manager that they can not do doubles in FL like they do in SC/GA due to legal reasons. This is the same reason I was given for the items in a BOGO ringing up differently in these states. In SC they ring up half price, where as in FL, they ring the first one up full price and then the second one as well, but, it is deducted to make it ZERO.

Is this true? I don't kknow, but, it is what I was told.

[kowgirlsrule]

I was told they don't double in FL due to having NO competition. I just recently moved from TN where they doubled coupons, but within 10 miles there was a Publix, Kroger and Harris Teeter. All 3 stores doubled and several times a year Harris Teeter would triple coupons. I don't know the real reason they don't double, but since moving to FL I definitely don't get the deals like I used to in TN. I also loved having 3 stores to "shop" from. My local Publix just quit taking Target coupons too which is very disappointing.

[Riann216]

I think it is because there are no competitors. The Harris Teeter in Florida doubles/triples - unfortunately it is over an hour round trip for me :(.

[disabledvetswife]

There is no law in Florida that states a company cannot double or triple coupons. This is an excerpt from the Fla Dept of Revenue on how sales tax is to be collected on products using coupons (notice the part in bold):

Retailers' Coupons. When a retailer issues a store coupon, the retailer is reducing the sales price of the item purchased with the coupon by an amount equal to the face value of the coupon. The retailer reduces its profit on the sale, and the value of the coupon is not recovered from any other party. This type of coupon is a retailer's discount that is deducted from the sales price before computing the sales tax. Any additional value assigned by the retailer, such as to double or triple the coupon, is also excludable from the sales price.

• Example: A supermarket publishes in an advertising flyer its own store coupon offering $0.50 off the purchase of a particular laundry detergent. The detergent sells for $4.99. The sales tax is computed on $4.49 - the sales price after deducting the value of the coupon.
  Example: A supermarket advertises a weekly special on a particular laundry detergent, reducing the sales price from $4.99 to $3.99. A customer purchases the laundry detergent using a manufacturer's coupon with a face value of $0.50. In addition, the supermarket will double the coupon, to increase its value by another $0.50. The final price of the laundry detergent to the customer is $2.99. The sales tax is computed on $3.49 ($4.99 minus the sales price reduction of $1.00, minus the $0.50 from the retailer doubling the face value of the manufacturer's coupon). The value of the manufacturer's coupon is not deducted from the sales price when calculating the tax.

[Pinksink]

I was told by the Regional Manager that they can not do doubles in FL like they do in SC/GA due to legal reasons. This is the same reason I was given for the items in a BOGO ringing up differently in these states. In SC they ring up half price, where as in FL, they ring the first one up full price and then the second one as well, but, it is deducted to make it ZERO.

Is this true? I don't kknow, but, it is what I was told.

Do not know about the legal reasons as one of the earlier posters pointed out doubles at KMart on occasion. With reference to how BOGO rings up at Publix in FL, yes...it rings up item 1, then rings up item 2, then subtracts price of item 2 listing promotion in the subtraction line. Which is helpful when you are doing MIRs since you are ringing up both items at the full price.

[istva]

Yes we have a target but just a regular near us but where do you get their coupons?

I get all of my coupons for target from their website. They have tons of printable coupons!

[butterflygrrl]

Mama_martino, all of the below excerpt especially the parts in bold should be included in the letter!

Personally, I feel that Florida stores are just getting away with too much. There is no legal reason! There is only a lack of need or motivation because there is a monopoly going on here. Furthermore, I spoke with a fellow shopper today about this very situation (it was a friendly but frustrating conversation) and she said "stores lose money on manufacturers coupons and they can't afford to do that here" (in Florida). I explained to her and and showed her several coupons that clearly state they do in fact receive the face value of the coupon PLUS 8 cents fees so they do not lose any value of the coupon! I can see by this one person that if she was so set on her view of how the "poor" stores are losing money there a probably so many other misinformed shoppers that this is a hard battle to win BUT it is worth the fight because we are being taken advantage of by retailers as a whole here in this great state of FloriDUH!! Knowledge is power and there are sadly many residents of this state that are without proper and factual knowledge. This is contributing to the opportunity for stores such as Publix to get away with not doubling.

Oh and another thing IF there was a legal reason that prevented doubling coupons then how would KMART be having a special doubling promotion going on RIGHT NOW in Florida???????????? This is another false piece of propaganda that stores are feeding customers informally and customers are falsely spreading through word of mouth. This is really a shame.

There is no law in Florida that states a company cannot double or triple coupons. This is an excerpt from the Fla Dept of Revenue on how sales tax is to be collected on products using coupons (notice the part in bold):

Retailers' Coupons. When a retailer issues a store coupon, the retailer is reducing the sales price of the item purchased with the coupon by an amount equal to the face value of the coupon. The retailer reduces its profit on the sale, and the value of the coupon is not recovered from any other party. This type of coupon is a retailer's discount that is deducted from the sales price before computing the sales tax. Any additional value assigned by the retailer, such as to double or triple the coupon, is also excludable from the sales price.

• Example: A supermarket publishes in an advertising flyer its own store coupon offering $0.50 off the purchase of a particular laundry detergent. The detergent sells for $4.99. The sales tax is computed on $4.49 - the sales price after deducting the value of the coupon.
  Example: A supermarket advertises a weekly special on a particular laundry detergent, reducing the sales price from $4.99 to $3.99. A customer purchases the laundry detergent using a manufacturer's coupon with a face value of $0.50. In addition, the supermarket will double the coupon, to increase its value by another $0.50. The final price of the laundry detergent to the customer is $2.99. The sales tax is computed on $3.49 ($4.99 minus the sales price reduction of $1.00, minus the $0.50 from the retailer doubling the face value of the manufacturer's coupon). The value of the manufacturer's coupon is not deducted from the sales price when calculating the tax.