Extreme couponer banned from WalMart

[crisi]

I am not concerned when companies change their policies based on financial decisions. That's where we see things differently. I don't consider taking stores up on their generous policies(easy returns, double coupons, price matching, loss leader sales) as abuse as long as you follow their rules. If they are losing money and want to change their policies I can choose to shop elsewhere.



This makes the most sense to me!

You may not see it as abuse, which is fine. But if the company feels you are abusing policy, they have a right to ban you. If enough people do it, they will change their policy - which will hurt other shoppers. My husband was corporate management in retail for several years. What you don't see as abuse, the management of those companies do. Don't kid yourself that when you "take stores up on these offers" that they are seeing you as a "valuable customer." Customers who steal the bait (to use your lure analogy), but don't get caught are not valuable, they just steal your bait. The ones that are really valueable don't need the bait. The ones that are marginally valuable take the bait, and swallow the hook.

 

[bigtinklover]

 

[mtblujeans]

If a person plays by the rules of the store when couponing they are not abusing anything. Even if you shop every day, only buying loss leaders, pricematching, and using coupons as long as it is a store policy there is no abuse. The stores have these policies to make money, drawing you into the store for bargains and hoping you'll impulse shop. Most do, so they are still making a bundle on those folks.

I am not saying the story is legit- have no idea- but I was escorted out of Target by security years ago for questioning(not yelling- I am very soft spoken) why the cashier wouldn't take a Target coupon for a Target brand item I printed off Target's own website. The cashier claimed I was "making a scene" by merely asking why then asking her to please get the manager. The manager said her employee shouldn't be "hasseled" and called security who told me to follow them or they would call the police. Individual employees, even managers, don't always follow corporate policy.

That was before video phones but if I had one I'm sure they would make it sound like I was the lunatic in the situation to avoid bad press. I wrote a letter to corporate and didn't get a response.

What you went thru would really scare me!!

I have had a cashier at our Target make a scene because she didn't want to take a store coupon I printed from their site. Someone, I assume a manager, came over and listened and (I guess) she decided I was not the one making the noise. I didn't realize I might be escorted from the store because the cashier was loud.

I have also had a Target cashier have a fit because she didn't want to take my coupons as she loudly declared she hated accepting coupons from customers. I don't go to her register any more.

When our Super Walmart first opened, I had a young cashier refuse to take my coupons because she said she didn't know how to ring them up. From her reaction, I am assuming she had never seen a coupon before. I left a note for the store manager asking her to train her employees on how to ring up coupons and I haven't had a problem since.

I don't understand stores having problems with taking manufacturer coupons as they get back more than the face value of the coupon.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that it is telling that the lady still wants to go to the Wal-Mart store in spite of this. She clearly isn't the least bit annoyed by what happened.

 

[*sarah*]

I agree with the others that there is more to the story. And if she is extreme coupon shopping from there every day, I'm sure she isn't a well liked customer. I would even guess that maybe she was rude about whipping out the camera phone to record it. I wouldn't think that you could get banned from all Wal-Marts too easily.
But I also have to wonder, if she went to a Wal-Mart a few towns over, would anyone even notice that she is on the "ban list"? The greeters around here don't pay attention to anything! lol.

 

[kaytieeldr]

i agree there is more to the story but why do most you assume she is 'wrong'? Walmart is notorious for refusing to honor their own policies. I don't know of any other store where they try to frisk you on the way out (other than a wholesale clue where nothing is bagged...I get that)...walmart thinks they are the Gods almighty of retail. I would love nothing more than to see them go bankrupt.

I'm sure today's Walmart corporation is NOT what Sam Walton had in mind.

Frisk? I've been asked for my receipt as I leave and I have no problem with that, but no Walmart I've ever left has tried to frisk me

 

[mrsklamc]

Should be a non-story. Shopping Wal-mart is not a right. They can do what they want as long as it isn't discriminatory.

 

[eliza61]

i agree there is more to the story but why do most you assume she is 'wrong'? Walmart is notorious for refusing to honor their own policies. I don't know of any other store where they try to frisk you on the way out (other than a wholesale clue where nothing is bagged...I get that)...walmart thinks they are the Gods almighty of retail. I would love nothing more than to see them go bankrupt.

.

I don't think we automatically think she's wrong, it's more like it's very "fishy". I admit I'm a cynic, though.

##2-why is she a liability to walmart? if she coupons correctly, then they not only get the face value of the coupon but also the handling fee. She is not a liabilty...she is a CUSTOMER.

When you cost the store more money, you're a liability. Another example similar to previous posters.
When I worked for Macys in NYC we had women who we called "serial" returners. we would have a huge end of season clearance sale and these "customers" would come in a literally simply swoop in buy up a bunch of stuff and then 2-3 months later return it.

Well that's a huge liability to a store, so even though "legally" they are shopping correctly, the store loses money every time they do this.

As a result like Crisi and other posters have pointed out, return policies are getting stricker. Not only that but it used to be that if you made a bit of a fuss the store would generally do what you wanted. Not anymore, these stores are now very firmly making sure they follow the guidelines to the tee.

 

[fakereadhed]

What you went thru would really scare me!!

I have had a cashier at our Target make a scene because she didn't want to take a store coupon I printed from their site. Someone, I assume a manager, came over and listened and (I guess) she decided I was not the one making the noise. I didn't realize I might be escorted from the store because the cashier was loud.

I have also had a Target cashier have a fit because she didn't want to take my coupons as she loudly declared she hated accepting coupons from customers. I don't go to her register any more.

When our Super Walmart first opened, I had a young cashier refuse to take my coupons because she said she didn't know how to ring them up. From her reaction, I am assuming she had never seen a coupon before. I left a note for the store manager asking her to train her employees on how to ring up coupons and I haven't had a problem since.

I don't understand stores having problems with taking manufacturer coupons as they get back more than the face value of the coupon.

The incident at Target didn't scare me because I walked out quietly without a fuss. It DID make me embarrassed and angry and they lost a loyal shopper. I still go to Target once in a while, as a last resort, when it used to be my first choice and I'd spend hundreds in there each trip. Now I rarely spend more than $30. All over a stupid .50 off Target brand box of granola bars.

I am not an extreme couponer. I do like to use coupons and if a store doesn't want my money and loyalty that is fine with me. There is a little grocery store in our area that takes double coupons that I go to weekly. While they don't make a lot of money from me, I recommend them to everyone I know as a great place to shop with the best customer service anywhere. It is in an out of the way spot and few people know about it until I tell them about it. Maybe that doesn't matter to big box stores but I'm sure it helps the local stores.

 

[JUJU814]

Based on the news video and the fact that they shop at Walmart every day, and the lady's elaborate coupon binder (exactly like the ones on Extreme Couponing and every coupon blog and website on the internet) I find it very hard to believe that she was not very much aware of Walmart's coupon policy and that as of last April, they do not take competitors coupons. It is very very clearly written, and has been posted on every couponing blog and website from here to Tim Buck Too.

Also, in the video, she was definitely raising her voice and IMO sounded kind of rude. I don't blame the manager from putting his hand up to stop from being videotaped. I mean, who the heck does that??

There's definitely more to the story, but if I had to take a guess at it, I'd say she's a problem customer and they'd just had enough of her.

Walmart changed their coupon policy back in mid April and when a store like Walmart changes it's coupon policy, it's posted on every single website in milli-seconds. And if she had her giant coupon binder set up properly, then she'd have her own printout of the policy on hand. I wonder if she hadn't been trying to work around the system.

It's extreme couponers like that, that behave so obnoxiously as to try to videotape the manager stating the coupon policy, that make those avid couponers that are trying to do it correctly and honestly look bad.

I know some say well the guy shouldn't ever touch someone else's personal property. True. But put a video camera in my face without my permission, and see what happens to your personal property.

 

[Kycha]

Based on the news video and the fact that they shop at Walmart every day, and the lady's elaborate coupon binder (exactly like the ones on Extreme Couponing and every coupon blog and website on the internet) I find it very hard to believe that she was not very much aware of Walmart's coupon policy and that as of last April, they do not take competitors coupons. It is very very clearly written, and has been posted on every couponing blog and website from here to Tim Buck Too.

Also, in the video, she was definitely raising her voice and IMO sounded kind of rude. I don't blame the manager from putting his hand up to stop from being videotaped. I mean, who the heck does that??

There's definitely more to the story, but if I had to take a guess at it, I'd say she's a problem customer and they'd just had enough of her.

Walmart changed their coupon policy back in mid April and when a store like Walmart changes it's coupon policy, it's posted on every single website in milli-seconds. And if she had her giant coupon binder set up properly, then she'd have her own printout of the policy on hand. I wonder if she hadn't been trying to work around the system.

It's extreme couponers like that, that behave so obnoxiously as to try to videotape the manager stating the coupon policy, that make those avid couponers that are trying to do it correctly and honestly look bad.

I know some say well the guy shouldn't ever touch someone else's personal property. True. But put a video camera in my face without my permission, and see what happens to your personal property.

Could someone provide a link to WM's coupon policy that states they don't accept competitor coupons? I am looking on WM's corporate website and the coupon policy that I see allows some competitor coupons.

 

[JUJU814]

Could someone provide a link to WM's coupon policy that states they don't accept competitor coupons? I am looking on WM's corporate website and the coupon policy that I see allows some competitor coupons.

http://walmartstores.com/download/4730.pdf

The only competitors coupons they take have to have a *specified price* ie: Cheerios 18 oz for $3.00

not something like:

take $1 off any box of Cheerios

 

[DizneyDogs]

I agree with the others that there is more to the story. And if she is extreme coupon shopping from there every day, I'm sure she isn't a well liked customer. I would even guess that maybe she was rude about whipping out the camera phone to record it. I wouldn't think that you could get banned from all Wal-Marts too easily.
But I also have to wonder, if she went to a Wal-Mart a few towns over, would anyone even notice that she is on the "ban list"? The greeters around here don't pay attention to anything! lol.

She could go to the Caldwell, Meridian, or Boise stores and I doubt any of the cashiers would notice. It's not like they are going to have a wanted poster with her mug shot on each register.

 

[JUJU814]

She could go to the Caldwell, Meridian, or Boise stores and I doubt any of the cashiers would notice. It's not like they are going to have a wanted poster with her mug shot on each register.

that's funny! Can you imagine?

I doubt anyone at another store would notice.., but now that she's plastered herself and her husband all over the news, it's going to be harder not to be noticed.

 

[JB2K]

She could go to the Caldwell, Meridian, or Boise stores and I doubt any of the cashiers would notice. It's not like they are going to have a wanted poster with her mug shot on each register.

No, but if she comes armed with a gazillion coupons, that would certainly send-up a red flag...

 

[disney*mom*82]

Not to mention if she did get caught trespassing, Im sure she could be arrested or have some kind of consequence and it sounds like Wal Mart is putting up with her, so Im sure they would seek the hardest punishment they could get. Not worth it to shop at Wal Mart.
Im not a hard core couponer, but I do go to the same local Wal Mart, I know which people to go to and who not to, simply because some are great about ad matching and accepting coupons and others act like you are putting them out and I feel like they are looking down at me. I use correct coupons, bring in the local ads I wish to match and have been doing this since I moved out on my own in 2000. I hate that all this new "extreme coupon" crap is making it harder and harder for people to be able to do their normal shopping with a small handful of coupons.

No, but if she comes armed with a gazillion coupons, that would certainly send-up a red flag...

 

[MomToOne]

Wow. I am absolutely appalled at the rush to judgement I see on this thread. There are clearly holes here, on BOTH sides of the story. How about waiting for more info, before deciding either side is the "wrong" one, instead of making up scenarios in your own heads and convicting a person based on those?

 

[Sagginit]

the store is private property, and she did not have a right to whip out her camera and start filming an employee. we all know stores like this have their own cameras and if she was in danger from the store employees (ex the manager smacked her hand with coupons in it, not the phone) the police then have every right to come in and demand footage. i go with the link to the blogger....she was banned for filming inside not for coupon use. the store also may have felt that she was a threat to employees and other customers in the future being that she clearly exhibited irrational behavior and would rather ban her than be liable for her showing up next week and punching a cashier over a coupon and then the cashier says you know she was as mad as a box of snakes and let her shop here and the suing. at the end of the day a major retailer has no choice but to make a decision like that based on the overall well being of everyone.

 

[Kycha]

http://walmartstores.com/download/4730.pdf

The only competitors coupons they take have to have a *specified price* ie: Cheerios 18 oz for $3.00

not something like:

take $1 off any box of Cheerios

Right. But they do accept competitors coupons. We have no way of knowing what coupons the woman in the video was trying to use. But I've read a couple of people post on here that WM does not accept competitors coupons...period. And making it seem like the woman was doing something shady. When that is not the case. We don't have enough information to determine if she was she was following WM's coupon policy or not. The competitor coupons she referred to in the video may have been for a specified price.

 

[GinnyEmma]

The lady wanted people to rush to judgment.