Illegal to Return Items That You Used Manufacturer Coupons On?

[severeweather635]

Hello,

I want to know if its illegal to return items that you used manufacturer coupons...I know this lady thats been shopping at Target, buying items with coupons, and would return them for the total purchase price plus the value of the manufacturer coupon. She said she has been traveling around the midwest states making thousands doin this? What could she possibly be charged with for doin this?

[cbms]

Well... I don't know if it's illegal, but it's certainly unethical to PLAN to do it... it should be illegal if it isn't. I've returned things on occasion-but it's purely incidental. And I never return things I've gotten for free.

[honeybear1]

IMO-- I think it constitutes fraud, when planning on doing it (ie planning on only buying something with a coupon in order to return it for the full price).

AND it give couponers a bad name. She knows what she is doing is wrong- or she wouldn't be state/store hopping. Shame on her.

[DianeScraps]

If you purchase an item with a coupon, and return it, unless they can give you your coupon back they should give you the value including the coupon (they are getting the value of the coupon from the manufacturer)

But this should not be abused.

Also, Target has some pretty strict return rules, I assumed their system also tracked this from store to store. And Target has, from my understanding, one of the best store loss prevention teams, so I would expect her to be dealt with by Target.

[justamom2six]

I don't see how she can do this at Target. My receipt from there always has the coupon attached to the item, indicating what was actually paid for the item. I think it even says something about the amount you would receive if you returned it? Someone at Walmart told me they are doing the same thing - only returning the actual priced paid and attaching the coupon amount to the item. What do you all think??

[cybilx10]

THey could charge her with fraud or theft-not stolen. It really depends upon the jursdiction of whoever files against her. Its a sticky subject, many dont even deal with it until it goes federal. You never know they could be tracking her already just waiting to make a good solid case against her. We do something very similar where I work. Most of the time we wait until they do enough so we can file federal charges against her.

[cbms]

I don't see how she can do this at Target. My receipt from there always has the coupon attached to the item, indicating what was actually paid for the item. I think it even says something about the amount you would receive if you returned it? Someone at Walmart told me they are doing the same thing - only returning the actual priced paid and attaching the coupon amount to the item. What do you all think??

If the store keeps the coupon, they MUST return the $$ FOR the coupon (if it's a MQ). They can only keep the $ for their OWN coupons. Otherwise, they're double dipping-which is fraudulent. They can not NOT give the person the $$ back in a return and keep the coupon to turn in and make extra $ on it. If they don't refund the $, they have to give the coupon back.

Here's the example: Shelf price of Huggies: 19.99-3.00 coupon. Customer returns, they only give back 16.99, and they turn in the coupon for redemption. They have made 6.00 on said Huggies (that are still on their shelf!!!) because they kept both the coupon AND the customer's 3.00 FOR said coupon. They can't do that. It's wrong, wrong, wrong.


It would only track this lady at Target if she paid by credit/debit all the time. There is no way to track cash purchases.:shrug7:

[Weinergirl]

I don't think what this woman is doing is right, but I also don't think it's right for the store to only refund the "amount paid" by the customer if you return an item. If you used a coupon on the item, then the store was reimbursed for the coupon, and if you return the item and only get back the cash you paid, then the store gets to keep the extra money from the coupon (b/c you know they aren't reimbursing the manufacturer!!).

[joshmamabear]

although Target receipts show the MQ used for the item(s), it doesn't mean they should NOT give full purchase refund to customer.

HOWEVER,

there should be limits on this since posts on the net have proven that this is a career path others have taken since they found them profitable (this is actually stealing by converting coupons with no cash value to Target GCs or cash)

Hopefully, Target can plug the loophole on this even such customers hop state to state doing this "buy with coupons with intent to return" scheme.

UNFORTUNATELY, it is also hard to determine the legitimate returns. Where do we draw the line? If there's something wrong with the product? by all means, whether coupon was used or not, it is okay to return them. if one buys tons of make-up using high value coupons making them cheap/free and says later on, they do NOT like the shade, flavor, color, etc,

isn't it suspicious for one who doesn't like the shade/flavor/scent/color of something and still buy tons of them while paying with coupons? why not just give them away if they were cheap/free instead of bringing them back to the store for full refund? I don't blame stores that look down on couponers who do this.

For habitual returners, their returns should be treated as suspicious, unless proven otherwise.

M2C.

[Zena]

My Target doesn't allow but 3 returns a year without a receipt. When you have your receipt the amount for coupons taken off is listed. She would only get back what she paid oop...she would never get away with this at my Target!
I also know someone who used to work for Target years ago and she did this same thing. I won't get in to details with this but she was fired. If you know your doing something with coupons that isn't for it's intended use you are wrong, it is fraud and it's causing the rest of us to be scrutinized beyond belief. (Hello Walmart and yes, my Target!)