Fellow Couponers - HOW could this have been done?

[ilovediznee]

Dear Fellow Couponers,
I just went to Publix, armed with my coupons and felt good, UNTIL I went to my one of three usual cashiers and he said that a lady and her husband just left. Their total was $389.00 and Publix had to actually pay them $3.02 after coupons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just don't understand how they didn't pay for anything. For example, let's say that Clorox wipes are 2 for $4.00 and you buy 1 so that is $2.00. If you have a coupon for $1.00 off, that still leaves you paying $1.00, correct? Is he saying that they used 2 $1.00 coupons for that one product so it was free? I thought that stores would only take one coupon per item, and most are manufacturer coupons anyway.

PLEASE advise!!!!!!! Thanks - Diane

 

[ShiPooOwner]

Dear Fellow Couponers,
I just went to Publix, armed with my coupons and felt good, UNTIL I went to my one of three usual cashiers and he said that a lady and her husband just left. Their total was $389.00 and Publix had to actually pay them $3.02 after coupons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just don't understand how they didn't pay for anything. For example, let's say that Clorox wipes are 2 for $4.00 and you buy 1 so that is $2.00. If you have a coupon for $1.00 off, that still leaves you paying $1.00, correct? Is he saying that they used 2 $1.00 coupons for that one product so it was free? I thought that stores would only take one coupon per item, and most are manufacturer coupons anyway.

PLEASE advise!!!!!!! Thanks - Diane

I have no idea! I use coupons a lot and have never had a store return money to me and walk out with $389 worth of their items. I would think they had to charge at least tax on something?! And yes, unless the store was taking a mfg. coupon and a store coupon on items, they should've only used one coupon per item. Maybe you should've asked the cashier how that could've happened. I'm stumped.

 

[LadySiren]

IIRC, Publix has their own internal coupons, the way Walgreens does, no? If that's true, then it's possible they stacked a mfg. coupon on top of Publix coupons and sales prices to increase savings. I often do this with Target coupons. For example (completely theoretical):

1. Publix publishes a $1/1 coupon for Clorox wipes.
2. Publix puts Clorox wipes on sale for $2.
3. A Clorox coupon for $1.50 comes out.

The couponer could then conceivably have savings of $2.50, resulting in $.50 overage. Target has their own coupons that they publish and I've found that they often do this in conjunction with sales. Since Target will let you stack a mfg. coupon on top of their own, when you add in the fact that item is on sale, it's shamefully cheap.

 

[MercoBear]

I go to the website for Hot Coupon World. On there is a FAQ for Publix (and other stores) that explains how to use coupons there.

And I believe for Buy One Get One sales you can typically use two manufactures coupons. You can also use store coupons. And Publix will also take competitors' coupons.

 

[hlkeck]

and some coupons get doubled. So if you have an item that costs $1.49 and you have a 75 cent coupon and it gets doubled to $1.50...then Publix owes you a penny.

However, if I was a supermarket I would sure have a policy that you can't deduct more than you pay for an item!

 

[MercoBear]

I forgot - some coupon rules change based on what state you're in, so look it up or ask at the store!

 

[delmar411]

store coupons plus sales plus manf coupons. It can be done rather easily, whether you actually get money back in hand is another matter. At Meijer the u-scan just gives you the change but at Kroger they don't allow you to get change back so something has to be adjusted to make it zero due and Target would never allow change back either.

 

[LadySiren]

I was surprised to read that the cashier mentioned Publix "owing" them the overage. I'd think they'd have adjusted it down or made them buy some sort of filler. We don't have a Publix up here so I'm not familiar with their policies.

store coupons plus sales plus manf coupons. It can be done rather easily, whether you actually get money back in hand is another matter. At Meijer the u-scan just gives you the change but at Kroger they don't allow you to get change back so something has to be adjusted to make it zero due and Target would never allow change back either.

 

[smkiya]

I know I get dollar off your total coupons. Like $10 off $100 purchase, $10 off $50 purchase, $7 off your shopping order, etc. They can be stacked, so with those 3 I'll automatically save $27 off a $100 bill before they even start deducting the manufacturer coupons. I make my list from the circular, only buying items on sale. Like Betty Crocker icing $1, with a $.50 coupon doubled, it's free, etc. Doing that with dollar off and percentage off total coupons it can be done. Especially if you have manufacturer coupons for everything in the cart.

 

[Soon2B4]

I worked at a grocery store for several years and did just about every job on the front end. We had a policy that your coupon could not exceed what you paid. Our registers wouldn't let us and we would have to adjust the coupon. Also, if it was say a .99 item and you had a .50 mfr we would only double it to .49. Our registers did that automatically.

 

[smkiya]

Sometimes I get $2, 3, 5, 7, 10 off total with no minimum required. It's a store coupon not for any specific item. I will buy less than the coupon one day and see what happens.

 

[tinkarooni]

When I was in HS I worked as a cashier and we were never ever supposed to give somebody more than the actual cost of the item, so owing them would not have happened unless we had made a whole bunch of mistakes.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

I know I get dollar off your total coupons. Like $10 off $100 purchase, $10 off $50 purchase, $7 off your shopping order, etc. They can be stacked, so with those 3 I'll automatically save $27 off a $100 bill before they even start deducting the manufacturer coupons. I make my list from the circular, only buying items on sale. Like Betty Crocker icing $1, with a $.50 coupon doubled, it's free, etc. Doing that with dollar off and percentage off total coupons it can be done. Especially if you have manufacturer coupons for everything in the cart.

You must be heading to ShopRite this week for your Betty Crocker needs? LoL

 

[smkiya]

You must be heading to ShopRite this week for your Betty Crocker needs? LoL

Actually that was last week and the week before. I got 5 boxes of cake mix and 3 cans of icing for free with my coupons!

 

[DawnM]

I have never done that well either. When we have triples or super doubles, I go every day because you can only use 20 coupons per day.

I have done well, but it took more than just one visit.

Dawn

 

[steph124ny]

I've never been lucky enough to get overage, but I frequently get things for completely free with coupons. I am lucky that my store doubles up to and including 1.00, and will also allow one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon per item. Factoring in produce and meat (which we don't have coupons for in NY) I generally save anywhere from 65-80% off my grocery bill.

 

[LadySiren]

Ahhh, a fellow Harris Teeter shopper! When are we gonna get triples again, I wonder? Wish they'd hurry.

I have never done that well either. When we have triples or super doubles, I go every day because you can only use 20 coupons per day.

I have done well, but it took more than just one visit.

Dawn

 

[cm8]

Ahhh, a fellow Harris Teeter shopper! When are we gonna get triples again, I wonder? Wish they'd hurry.

I love HT!!!!! The prices not so much

 

[LisaInNc]

I have been couponing for years there are a few ways this could have been done.

first a "free spree" people save up free item coupons they get from promotions and then use them all at once. Doesn't explain the tax though

Some couopns are generic I get them all the time from wine and beer companies that say generic things like 1.00 off any baking item or 1.00 off a salty snack. Those types of coupons will scan for ANY product so if the cashier isn't reading them they can be used on any items and items that are less than 1.00 so if you used them on things that were .89 you would be making a .11 "profit"

Not all states allow the wine and beer coupons. I LOVE them!!!

Lisa

 

[ali2000]

I know I get dollar off your total coupons. Like $10 off $100 purchase, $10 off $50 purchase, $7 off your shopping order, etc. They can be stacked, so with those 3 I'll automatically save $27 off a $100 bill before they even start deducting the manufacturer coupons. I make my list from the circular, only buying items on sale. Like Betty Crocker icing $1, with a $.50 coupon doubled, it's free, etc. Doing that with dollar off and percentage off total coupons it can be done. Especially if you have manufacturer coupons for everything in the cart.

Where do u get your $10/$100, etc. coupons from? I used to get $5/$25 from Publix, but didn't get them that often and haven't gotten them in a while.