VENT: Not allowed to use coupons the RIGHT way!

[spaghetti0625]

I just wrote up a blog about my aggravating experience at the West Long Branch Shop Rite. I was trying to do the V8 Fusion deal, and this is the aggravation I was met with:

I tried to get the V8 Fusions again with my coupons. The cashier rang up them up, then when she tried to ring up the FREE coupon, it needed an override (also needed at my Shop Rite, which they are really diligent with the coupons now, and both times they did overrode it b/c the cashier had to enter a price in). So, the free one she had already written in the price for the free one, that's fine...but she just needed a key to enter in the $1.99 for the free one. So here's the deal I was supposed to do:

2 V8 Fusions = 1.99 each, minus 1.50 = .49 each or .98 total.
V8 Fusion PLUS Tea = 1.99-1.99q = FREE

So I'd get all three for .98. Well, when the manager came over, the cashier goes 'These two went through, but I need the key for this free one' The manager looks at it and goes, well, she needs to have three of them.' To which I said 'I do, they are right in that bag that's in front of you' Then she looks again at the coupons and is like 'You're already getting one free with these coupons (1.50 off ones). And to do this, you will need to purchase two more of the V8.' I told her 'No, I have 3 items. The first two are 1.50 off the sale price, then the third is free. The FREE coupon says it's Free when I buy 2 of the other V8's which I did.' So she goes on again that I don't understand what she's telling me, yada yada. Then I told her no, she needs to read the coupons and look over the Shop Rite coupon policy. I did buy the two, granted I got them cheaper then most people, but I'm still BUYING them.

I'm just aggravated. I would have made a big stink, but I was on my lunch break, and there was a woman behind me that I had been chatting up in the store with a newborn and a 1 and half year old and she happened to be next in line. I didn't want to hold her up because the manager doesn't understand coupons. Even the cashier didn't get what the manager said. So the manager's thinking is this. Buy 4 V8s, use 2 1.50 off coupons and get the tea one free. Does that make ANY sense to anyone?

Thoughts????? Am I completely thinking wrong on this one?????

[mythreesons]

This is MY opinion..you should only be using the $1.50/1 coupons for each purchased period..You are already using a coupon for each one so why would you think you could use the b2 get 1 free coupon also? I think it's just wrong..I've been couponing for years now so I'm no noobie so to speak.I can see where the manager is coming from..JMHO...

[amylynne01]

Does it say anywhere on your B2G1 coupon that you HAVE to pay full price for the two you're buying? If there's nothing written about that, then you can absolutely stack 2 $1.50/1 qs with a B2G1 as long as the store's policy does not say otherwise.

ETA: I responded not realizing this post was in ShopRite. Just saw it in new posts.

[markyr17]

This is MY opinion..you should only be using the $1.50/1 coupons for each purchased period..You are already using a coupon for each one so why would you think you could use the b2 get 1 free coupon also? I think it's just wrong..I've been couponing for years now so I'm no noobie so to speak.I can see where the manager is coming from..JMHO...

Because you can use all 3 coupons, that's the way it works.

[spaghetti0625]

Does it say anywhere on your B2G1 coupon that you HAVE to pay full price for the two you're buying? If there's nothing written about that, then you can absolutely stack 2 $1.50/1 qs with a B2G1 as long as the store's policy does not say otherwise.

ETA: I responded not realizing this post was in ShopRite. Just saw it in new posts.

The coupon states:
FREE Bottle of V8 V Fusion + Tea beverage when you buy any 2 bottle of V8 V Fusion juice.

Nothing about having to pay full price. I've seen it on here and other blogs to use them all together. At my shop rite, never had a problem. I'm getting 3 items and using 3 coupons. I bought the two at 1.99-1.50 coupon which is .49 each. I'm still BUYING them it's not like I'm getting them for free or anything...Just aggravating that I can use it at one store and not another.

I'm still not getting what the manager meant though...about having to buy two more (4 total) to do it...makes no sense.

[couponmom2008]

You can absolutely use all 3 coupons.

The free coupon is the coupon that's attached to the free item (not the other two). As long as you buy the items stated to get the free item you can definitely use a coupon on the other items.

Now, if you were trying to use another free coupon (example: buy 2 V8 Fusions get a pack of cookies for free) that's when you will have to purchase 2 more fusions.

I too have been using coupons for years and this is perfectly fine. 1 coupon for each item, that's how I look at it. Unless you are using store coupons (and that's a whole other story).

[spaghetti0625]

You can absolutely use all 3 coupons.

The free coupon is the coupon that's attached to the free item (not the other two). As long as you buy the items stated to get the free item you can definitely use a coupon on the other items.

Now, if you were trying to use another free coupon (example: buy 2 V8 Fusions get a pack of cookies for free) that's when you will have to purchase 2 more fusions.

I too have been using coupons for years and this is perfectly fine. 1 coupon for each item, that's how I look at it. Unless you are using store coupons (and that's a whole other story).

Thanks for the support! I swear, it's just like they make things up at the spur of the moment to make us feel bad by using coupons....then when you can't explain it to me in which I understand (which I still don't understand) she got frustrated. And I tried to explain it to her, but she wasn't having it. I just don't get how difficult it is to see I was right (and isn't the customer always right anyways???)

My mother in law works at the Shop Rite by me. I keep telling her that since I'm out of a job in Sept to ask the manager if he'd like to hire me as the coupon specialist, and if they think a coupon is fraudulent or there's an issue with one, I get a call to come down and see. I can also scan over inventory, work the CCTVs, etc since I have a security background. She keeps saying that many bad coupons are coming in and that people are fraudulently using them, and it all comes down to the cashiers accepting them. Having a coupon guru can alleviate some of that. IMHO. :)

[akitan]

It's very frustrating when certain stores use coupons one way and another store doesn't...I ran into this problem at Walgreens with Buy a certain number of items, get something free...the way the manager explained it was...the free coupon counts or considers the items that you must purchase part of that free manufacturer q...and you can't stack manufacturer q's...(propbably why, the manager said you had to buy 2 more items) however, in order for the free q to work, you must buy the other items, so that free q, covers 3 items instead of just the free item...otherwise, you couldn't use the free q...I've run into to this problem at Walmart and Save a lot as well...the free wyb q counts as using a manufacturer q on all items because otherwise you could not use that q...which is why the cashier usually has to push it through...I guess my frustration comes when I go into a store and some cashiers/managers actually take all 3 q's and some don't. I typically go in the store ready to get the least deal and if they take all the q's, It's gravy! If not, I'm not frustrated so much...
Consistency with store policies and cashier / manager interpretations of their policies can be a huge headache and even discouraging to couponers...

[buddysmom]

My Shoprite would only allow the two $1.50 coupons. Not the tea coupon - when I bought 2 bottles

[tealover]

You can absolutely use all 3 coupons.

The free coupon is the coupon that's attached to the free item (not the other two). As long as you buy the items stated to get the free item you can definitely use a coupon on the other items.

Now, if you were trying to use another free coupon (example: buy 2 V8 Fusions get a pack of cookies for free) that's when you will have to purchase 2 more fusions.

I'm not so sure the logic holds up here since if this it true then the fictional free cookies coupon would be attached to the free cookies and not the 2 V8's. That's why I would say the free Q is linked to all 3 items.

Having said that you could probably go to the same store at different times of the day and get this transaction processed differently each time!