anyone else hope they start limiting coupon use?

[Jex]

So today I was sent to the store to pick up something, it took going to four different stores to find it. At the second store while staring at empty space on the shelf I asked an employee if the product had been recalled, nope couponers had come and both them out. Not a lot if different shoppers, but people filling their carts, same story at the third store. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.

 

[DawnM]

Ours already does to some degree.

Our store doubles daily but only allows 3 of one item and 20 coupons total.

They used to allow 20 each transaction and that was when shelves were wiped clean more. It is still bad, but not as bad.

Dawn

 

[Jex]

Yea I am guessing that the fourth store had a different policy and that's why they had it in stock.

 

[justintime]

I don't think its just couponers. There are plenty of times when I go to the grocery store and have something on my list that's a good sale, and the shelves are completely wiped out. It happens all the time. Like a few weeks ago, there was a good sale on napkins. When I got to the napkin aisle, it was completely empty. Well the lady that was in front of me in line had like 20 packages of them (I think she single handedly wiped out the shelf). She did not have any coupons (they were store brand). I was so annoyed. The stores should limit the amount of an item that can be purchased. I know a lot of stores do have limits, but I guess not all of them.

 

[sdzman]

I see the same thing all the time. Those couponers can be animals, nobody needs 40 cans of tuna.

 

[okeydokey]

Its bad here at CVS too. The folks with multiple cards wipe out all the good stuff and nobody else gets any.

 

[nsmith]

Get a raincheck

 

[DawnM]

Raincheck is fine if it isn't during super doubles or triples. The sale price will be the same next week with a raincheck, but your coupon won't triple.

Dawn

Get a raincheck

 

[Jex]

Get a raincheck

Was for medicine.

 

[mkstlowe]

Usually our store when an item is on sale. They limit to 4 per Variety. This way if you have a coupon you can only purchase 4. And you must use your store card so it's tracked. You can not return. 1 card per household address.

I use coupons alot, but I don't over buy. i use it to bring my bill down. If i buy what I don't need that usually does not help me.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I have stopped shopping at CVS for this reason. After three weeks in a row of them being out of everything on my list and refusing to issue rainchecks (I was told it was against policy), I was done.

The strange thing is that I used to get the CVS ad every week in the Sunday paper. I have not gotten it once since I decided I was not going back there. Weird coincidence!

 

[SandrA9810]

I've had Target substitute a product and still take the coupon.

One time it was for TGIF frozen snacks, there was a store sale and I had a coupon for it. But they were out of the specific item on sale. So the manager let me choose another TGIF product.

Most stores I go to limit it to 4 per customer.

 

[justintime]

I have stopped shopping at CVS for this reason. After three weeks in a row of them being out of everything on my list and refusing to issue rainchecks (I was told it was against policy), I was done.

The strange thing is that I used to get the CVS ad every week in the Sunday paper. I have not gotten it once since I decided I was not going back there. Weird coincidence!

That's odd they won't give you a raincheck. I get rainchecks at CVS all the time (as the shelves are always empty on the sales items). You should call the corporate office and complain about it (or send an email from their site). I bet they aren't allowed to do that. I actually sent an email once complaining about the store always being out of the sale items, and gave an example for that particular week, and they actually mailed me a raincheck themself.

 

[Kycha]

No, I don't. My main grocery store accepts unlimited coupons. And in the 2 years I have been shopping there I have only encountered empty shelves 2 times. And I suspect that was from some other reason than couponers. My store is very coupon friendly...unlimited like coupons, unlimited doubling(up to .50), unlimited internet coupons. But they also have a well stocked store, especially sale items. And they are very good about writing rain checks.

 

[NYCDiane]

No. Coupons help many families make ends meet (including mine!!).

It's not always "couponers" who empty the shelves. It could be one person (like the woman with the 20 pkgs of napkins) or it could just be that the store is out of the product (this happens quickly if it's an especially good sale).

As far as limiting: The grocery store that I frequent the most limits 4 on-sale items per family. If you purchase more than 4, anything over 4 will ring up at regular price. Coupons: you can have 10 Ragus and use 10 Ragu coupons. However, only 4 will double. The rest will ring at face value. (and my store only doubles coupons up to 99cents)

I actually think most stores have policies like this. The stores you see on Extreme Couponing are probably breaking their own policy to get free publicity and to get paid by TLC.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Our cvs changes prices on Friday evenings, and the sharks are circling as the computer is changing them. :/. I feel so bad for the cashiers. They are sweet people.

 

[AuntTonia]

Maybe stores should do a better job at stocking on sale items.

They know ahead of time what's on sale & if there are coupons out there for the product. Rite Aid even puts it in their ad under a sale item to look for coupon in the Sunday paper. But my Rite Aid is always out of the sale items.

For example two items I was looking for this week Ban deodorant & Ziplock bags are on sale this week. Go to store Mon. day after sale starts Ban shelf is empty, Ziplock has few items left . Associate says truck comes on Wed. I go back Thurs. shelves are still the same. Assoc. says none came in.

Kind of reminds me of the after Thanksgiving sale when there's a great deal on a T.V. but when u get there they're all gone..Gee the fine print said only 2 T.V's per store let me show u this other one that's only $100.00 more.

I agree there should be some limits on coupon use. Someone probably did go into Rite Aid Sunday when sale started and bought up all the Ban w/coupon being .49 cents. leaving none for me, I only wanted 1.
My thought on this also is that where it's stocked fits about 20 sticks. Say it was totally stocked when sale started thats still only 20 deodorants for the entire weeks sale. So even with a coupon limit of 1 per person there still wouldn't of been enough product for all customers.

 

[GinnyEmma]

The local stores have no control over what comes in. So call the complaint line. Maybe corporate will get the hint. Doubt it though. And let's face it. If they got 40 of your deodorant the friday night boarders would still wipe out the shelves for their stockpile.

 

[gina2000]

CVS in particular does a terrible job of stocking for a sale. That's THEIR fault, not the consumer's. I've walked into CVS looking for a sale item the morning the sale begins and there are few on the shelf. The manager has no idea it's a sale item so he hasn't ordered sufficient amounts of the item ahead of time. That's bad business.

My supermarket does a great job of restocking. If there is a sale, the item is restocked all week on a regular basis. There may be times when the shelf is empty, but later in the week they are much better stocked.

 

[NYCDiane]

So today I was sent to the store to pick up something, it took going to four different stores to find it. At the second store while staring at empty space on the shelf I asked an employee if the product had been recalled, nope couponers had come and both them out. Not a lot if different shoppers, but people filling their carts, same story at the third store. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.

I thought about this after posting last night --- how do these employees just happen to know it was "couponers" who cleared the shelves?? Were they put on special post to watch who purchases items? I doubt it. Probably just some disgruntled store worker.

Keep in mind, stores only get a certain amount of an item each week. Most stores gets deliveries on Mondays and Wednesdays. You went on a Friday. If the particular item you were looking for was on sale (at all 3 stores?), it was probably sold out in a regular course of shopping, not by a "couponer" coming in a wiping out the stock (in all 3 stores)