Target has me fuming!

[tracyolivia]

I've just returned from Target and I am furious!

I spent about an hour preparing doing the research, making notes, reading all the Target threads, pulling my coupons, etc...you know the drill. Then I spent about two hours searching through the entire store to get the items on my list and proceeded to the checkout.

The cashier rang up my items to the tune of about $172.00 - a basket full. I handed her my coupons and she immediately pulled out all of the IPs - including the regular Target IPs, and said she'd have to get the manager for them because they don't take them anymore - pointing to the sign the they all have about the $5/$25 toy coupons. Once she began scanning in my other coupons she totally got flustered and called another cashier for help. (it was the $3/2 Head & Shoulders that sent her over the edge..I purchased 20 bottles.)

The new cashier came over and says "oh no, we're gonna have to void this whole thing and start over." and proceeded to take everything back out of my basket, out of the bags and re-ring everything. When she got to the coupons, she called the Front End Manager to help her.

The Manager scanned through all of my coupons and only accepted the ones that actually scanned without having to hit the "item not found" K1 key (or whatever). Those that didn't scan included man. coupons, Target IPs, regular IPs...even some duplicates that had scanned fine on other coupons - were handed me back the ones that wouldn't scan - about 2/3 of them - and said "ok, that's all we can take." My jaw hit the floor. This has never happened before...never had trouble at this store. Well, the bottom line is that I fussed and got loud and basically told them to shove their $200 worth of merchandise, made them give me their names, took back all of my coupons, told them I'd call Customer Service and left.

Sorry this is so long...and thank you to anyone who has stayed with me this long. Of course, the question is...now what do I do!?!?!?!?!?

[jhall1977]

I would try again with a different cashier. Also, I would try to fly under the radar. You said you had 20 bottles of Head & Shoulders, I usually only buy a few at a time so I don't call attention to overage, etc. It takes more trips, but I get less hassle.

Of course, once they said they had to start over & take every thing out of my bags, I would have save never mind, I don't want any of it. I don't have the patience any more to stand there & wait for them to decide. Good luck!

[pugmomjenn]

I had a similar incident last week...just not as much merchandise. I called Target 800#, told them the details. They kindly emailed me their coupon policy ( that I have now printed to carry with me). They also mailed me a couple of target store coupons for any purchase. Went back to use these coupons...and had problems again. They finally let me use their q's and CSM told cashier to call security and let her know what she was doing. Hmm, why should they have to tell security someone is using coupons? I still need to call about that trip. Apparently they are having major issues since all the fake q's a few weeks ago, but denying me the ability to use a target ip q for peanut butter from their website...come on. Good luck. I hope we start seeing target more coupon friendly as the CS rep I talked to on the phone said they encourage shoppers to use coupons. Waiting with my fingers crossed.

[MamaBird06]

So did they try to take any of the target coupons the second time around? I am just wondering as if they are going to deny the use of target ip's then why can we still print them from the site? I guess it just depends on the cashiers. I went yesterday and had a large order, and I told the cashier a head of time that i had a lot of coupons, and later i told him that targt scanners don't seem to like manufactures coupons, because you know what, every one of my manufactures coupons had to be manually pushed through. The target q's were not so much of a problem. I used a contour as a filler and that one the manager came over and had to help, which was the last coupon, and of course she looked through all my coupons, as was trying to pay and it wouldn't let the transaction go through and i said something to her, she said she was making sure they go all my coupons, which how would she know? She didn't know what was in my bags in my basket, i think she was really checking to see i had a 5/25 or something. She wasn't rude or anthing, but you just have a feeling you know. I mean i wouldn't have done such a large order but i had a 10/100 crt, which is why i had so many coupons and such.

As far as what you should have done, i think like pp you should have left after the first scan, there is no way i could have waited there w/ds to have them scan everything 2 times after denying most of the coupons. Perhaps you should have went directly to customer service afterward and complained.

I think i will definitely hold off on doing major transactions like that again until after the 5/25 drama cools down.

[derketchup]

I understand your frustration, however I don't think telling the employees that they can "shove their merchandise" will do much to further your situation.

[Simplee-Sonja]

I'm sorry you had this crappy experience. I hate it when the cashiers act like it's their personal money that reimburses the coupons. I definitely recommend breaking your order up. It's easier to get $50 free 4 times, than to get $200 free once. And definitely report it to the store manager, you are on a budget and you work hard to find great savings for your family, they should honor that. Better luck next time!

[faeryedark]

So did they try to take any of the target coupons the second time around? I am just wondering as if they are going to deny the use of target ip's then why can we still print them from the site? I guess it just depends on the cashiers. I went yesterday and had a large order, and I told the cashier a head of time that i had a lot of coupons, and later i told him that targt scanners don't seem to like manufactures coupons, because you know what, every one of my manufactures coupons had to be manually pushed through. The target q's were not so much of a problem. I used a contour as a filler and that one the manager came over and had to help, which was the last coupon, and of course she looked through all my coupons, as was trying to pay and it wouldn't let the transaction go through and i said something to her, she said she was making sure they go all my coupons, which how would she know? She didn't know what was in my bags in my basket, i think she was really checking to see i had a 5/25 or something. She wasn't rude or anthing, but you just have a feeling you know. I mean i wouldn't have done such a large order but i had a 10/100 crt, which is why i had so many coupons and such.

As far as what you should have done, i think like pp you should have left after the first scan, there is no way i could have waited there w/ds to have them scan everything 2 times after denying most of the coupons. Perhaps you should have went directly to customer service afterward and complained.

I think i will definitely hold off on doing major transactions like that again until after the 5/25 drama cools down.

I would have (and have) kindly and with a smile told them to go ahead and pull all the merchandise that the Qs wouldn't scan for, and that I was only willing to pay for /take what was left.

[momof2inok]

Good Grief! Sorry that happened to you..... very frustrating!

Yesterday I used the Target Luv's Q since exp yesterday and a mfg Q. Clerk tried to tell me I couldn't use both. I told her per website coupon policy I could, did she want to see it....or, see a copy of a receipt from 2 days ago where they took a Target AND mfg? She got all flustered and acted all "puffy" about it and forced it through, no thank you, nothing.

Today I go in and used the Target Skippy $1 and a .35 mfg. Got the skippy for .17 cents. That cashier told me I couldn't use 2 q's for 1 item. Gave her my same speach given the day before. She forced it through but was slamming my sacks of groceries on the counter, no friendliness or thank you and was banging on the register keys like you would if you were mad.

So......been pondering this and stewing about it and decided I'd call Target C/S.
Got a super nice guy named Matt and told him that IF I was doing something wrong by using 2 q's then please tell me, I didn't appreciate the "attitude" I was given by the cashiers and the treated me like I was ripping Target off. He apologized and told me the ONLY way target can fix their problems with the cashiers AND the registers is if people call them to complain. I told him my opinion was the managers needed to train better that there is nothing wrong with an IP Q that they needed to be aware of fakes etc. We talked about the counterfit Q's and told him I understood the "controls" needed and was sorry it happened because it effects Target AND innocent consumers. Said Target needs to realize that just because you are in Target shopping doesn't lump you in the coupon counterfitting category and TRAINING is their problem. He agreed and said he was sending me 3 $3 of Target purchases.

So, moral of my story is if your not treated right, call the 800#

[Mothernature]

I understand your frustration, however I don't think telling the employees that they can "shove their merchandise" will do much to further your situation.

If I had not been in op's situation twice recently, I would agree with you.

Target is treating people with IPs, tear pad, and any size manufacturers coupons like thieves (note, I said manufacturers coupons from the newspaper).

I almost did the same thing on both occasions. It is ridiculous how this breech is handled. If Target was so concerned about IPs, why aren't they removed?

[derketchup]

If I had not been in op's situation twice recently, I would agree with you.

Target is treating people with IPs, tear pad, and any size manufacturers coupons like thieves (note, I said manufacturers coupons from the newspaper).

I almost did the same thing on both occasions. It is ridiculous how this breech is handled. If Target was so concerned about IPs, why aren't they removed?

If they treat you like a thief enough, you can sue them for slander.

Yelling/cussing/threatening/losing one's temper etc with an employee will almost always invalidate any future complaints made.