Internet Coupons? Not at Wal-Mart?

[smokeyblue]

I think the problem is the employee themselves. I have run accross a lot of ignorant employees at Wal-Mart, and I even hate the word ignorant, but it fits the bill at Wal-Mart. I've seen it all, the cashier that thinks they're the manager, the F-bomb dropping deli clerks, the night stocker loudly telling the other worker that she called in sick the night before because "they scheduled her and it wasn't her night to come in, so there was no way in hell she was going to work" and the employee that nearly trampled me to go to his break.

What in the world is wrong with these people? I know Wal-Mart doesn't pay badly where I live. My SIL has been there for 11 years and she makes more stocking shelves than I do and my job requires a degree. And yes, she does get health benefits, and they aren't great, but they aren't terible. For instance she only paid a couple of hundred dollars to have her cataract surgery, in my book that isnt that bad.

There are some really nice people there for the most part, but it's the few that make the whole store look bad.

 

[richmond282]

I work at walmart and can tell you that they have been really cracking down on Internet coupons lately. We can take black and white internet coupons, but they often look the same as photocopied coupons, which are prohibited. There is a very fine line between the two.

This is true. Copying coupons is actually illegal. Would a company actually prosecute? I don't know.

However, the stores should train the cashiers how to tell the difference between a legit and a copied coupon. There is a little box in the upper right hand corner of most (not all) internet print coupons. It looks like a bunch of blobs or a weird bar code. Under that box is a series of numbers. They are different for every single coupon printed out. I once got accused of using copied coupons by a very ignorant cashier. I showed her the box and numbers and explained to her that if I had copied them they would all have the same numbers there. Now why can't managers explain that to cashiers?

 

[scrapquitler]

Most stores around me will not take internet coupons either. Not just Wal-Mart but the other grocery stores as well reject them.

Same here. Most stores have a print out of some sort posted at the registers stating No Internet Coupons.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

There will be less and less newspaper coupons and more internet coupons so the stores better get smart about them.
I have had problems every time I try and use regular sunday paper coupons at Walmart so I no longer shop there.

 

[ajh88]

Fortunately I haven't had this problem because I use internet coupons exclusively. In fact, one of the local grocery stores here as links on their website directly to internet coupons.

Regardless of how long the employee has been there, they get things wrong. Maybe she misunderstood a direction - maybe someone else did - or maybe that store is straying from corporate policy. Slightly OT, but just so you know how some things get led astray - I was trying to cash a money order at Wal-Mart that was made out to me. The customer service clerk said she could only cash it if it was made out to Wal-Mart - that doesn't even make sense, right? Apparently they had been told that in a meeting (or understood that to be the case). They called over another customer service associate plus a CSM, who both said the same thing. They pulled out the policy, which I read and which clearly stated "made out to the customer OR Wal-Mart". Even after that, they still had to get an assistant manager to tell them it was OK to do. He even said "I don't see what the problem is." when he came up to the desk. (I don't assume this is unique to Wal-Mart - I've had similar "Here's Your Sign" experiences at Target, local grocery store, and other retailers too).

I probably would have asked to speak to an assistant manager (not a CSM) - I get tired of individual stores making up their own rules about what company policies are and that is probably something that would have made me ticked enough to call Bentonville.

 

[Psychodisney]

My favorite store will only accept one of each internet coupon and no "free" internet coupons.

 

[hambirg]

This is true. Copying coupons is actually illegal. Would a company actually prosecute? I don't know.

However, the stores should train the cashiers how to tell the difference between a legit and a copied coupon. There is a little box in the upper right hand corner of most (not all) internet print coupons. It looks like a bunch of blobs or a weird bar code. Under that box is a series of numbers. They are different for every single coupon printed out. I once got accused of using copied coupons by a very ignorant cashier. I showed her the box and numbers and explained to her that if I had copied them they would all have the same numbers there. Now why can't managers explain that to cashiers?

This!

I don't trade coupons, but I was reading on another board how someone had traded some IP's. Well, whoever they traded with copied them. . .and that individual little number was traced back to her IP address and now she is banned from Redplum.com. So I guess the moral of the story is don't trade IP's.

 

[WeLoveToyStory]

As someone else posted, fake coupons are a major problem these days. I work part-time in the evenings at Wal-Mart. I'm not a cashier but have seen lots of information on the cashier board in the back about being extra careful with printed coupons.

The past few months, Wal-Mart has been in a transitioning time and trust me when I say, that the cashier is probably just trying to cover her own butt. You would not believe the ridiculous things associates are being written up for and especially anyone who has been there for an extended period of time and makes a decent amount of money. If she's been there 12 years, she probably is making pretty decent money, seriously. I know people think everyone at WM is underpaid, but that is not the case.

I totally agree, the quality of people is lacking sometimes. But what can a store do when they hire 20 people and half can't pass a drug test and the other half dont even show up for orientation. The 5 they do end up hiring, maybe 2 stick around for any length of time. It's crazy!

Okay, off my soapbox. Sorry for straying from the actual issues. Anyways, if you ever have a problem at a Wal-Mart, just call 1-800-WALMART. Store managers do hear about the complaints received by home office.

 

[funnygarcia]

There is a Super Walmart location in my area (urban location) that will only take one of a coupon. If you had 3 coupons for juice boxes (3 boxes in your order), you could only use 1 of those coupons per transaction. You could split them into separate back to back transactions if you wish . They have the register set to beep and not allow use after the first one is scanned.
Dumb dumb dumb, interpretation of "one per purchase" language on coupons. Terrible policy at a "super" when chances are you would buy more than one item.

In a nicer area, in a far flung middle income suburb, there were ZERO problems with using coupons.

I gave up on Super Walmart after that hassle.

I had similar issues at Target downtown today, the cashier questioned every coupon and complained about each one, yet proceeded with the transaction. Why bother hassling me if she was just going to let it go thru anyway??

I had used the same coupons in a suburbia location weeks before, not a problem.

Is it a training issue?
Is it because the manager treats them with so little respect?

Is it a cashier who feels bitter that you are getting a deal as they don't understand how to coupon? That sense of "you must be cheating the system because there is no way you could save that much with those little slips of paper" sneer.

And I have to laugh, because yes she/he could do this too and I would be happy to show you how.. if I could just get past that attitude of jealous bitterness.

 

[tlbwriter]

I worked at Walmart one summer while in college, and the sum total of my official training was two videos: one about benefits (which I didn't get, because I was part time) and one about liability (if a customer falls, never say "I'm sorry" because that's an admission of guilt). So I can pretty easily believe training is the issue.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

My wife worked at Wal-Mart for a few years. Now that she doesn't, we find we neither frequently goto the store and I must say, it's nice to have my wife back and out of a funk.

Wal-Mart loves to make up stupid rules. I say just ignore them, call a manager over. If the coupon can scan and doesn't look like a copy, then they should take it. Heck, as long as it will scan, they should take it. I highly doubt wal-mart sends the paper coupons back to their suppliers anyways.

 

[mafibisha]

This is true. Copying coupons is actually illegal. Would a company actually prosecute? I don't know.

However, the stores should train the cashiers how to tell the difference between a legit and a copied coupon. There is a little box in the upper right hand corner of most (not all) internet print coupons. It looks like a bunch of blobs or a weird bar code. Under that box is a series of numbers. They are different for every single coupon printed out. I once got accused of using copied coupons by a very ignorant cashier. I showed her the box and numbers and explained to her that if I had copied them they would all have the same numbers there. Now why can't managers explain that to cashiers?

This!

I don't trade coupons, but I was reading on another board how someone had traded some IP's. Well, whoever they traded with copied them. . .and that individual little number was traced back to her IP address and now she is banned from Redplum.com. So I guess the moral of the story is don't trade IP's.

So on a related note, how can people print the same coupon from different computers in their home? Don't they all come from the same IP number, which usually limits them to two copies?

 

[ceecee]

Weird right? The lady told me that they get too many fake internet coupons. I was just floored. Some of the stuff I made her take back off because I'll go to Target and use my coupons there. I guess just the principal of it. I did email Wal-Mart but don't know if I will get a response. She couldn't tell me if it was just the Wal-Mart I was at, or all Wal-Marts.

I guess I'll print off that policy and just keep it in my purse.

Thanks!

I was told the same thing when I tried to use a coupon from the internet! I went to Target instead.

 

[Lovin' Disney]

This is true. Copying coupons is actually illegal. Would a company actually prosecute? I don't know.

However, the stores should train the cashiers how to tell the difference between a legit and a copied coupon. There is a little box in the upper right hand corner of most (not all) internet print coupons. It looks like a bunch of blobs or a weird bar code. Under that box is a series of numbers. They are different for every single coupon printed out. I once got accused of using copied coupons by a very ignorant cashier. I showed her the box and numbers and explained to her that if I had copied them they would all have the same numbers there. Now why can't managers explain that to cashiers?

Actually, I did not know this. Thank you for that info. I will pass it on to the others I work with. However, the problem is that a lot of the people that copy coupons do know this and will only use 1 in their transaction. So unless we kept a record of every coupon used and by whom, we wouldn't know if they were copies or not.

 

[Sparkleshine]

So on a related note, how can people print the same coupon from different computers in their home? Don't they all come from the same IP number, which usually limits them to two copies?

The problem isn't with PRINTING the coupons but in actually copying them. Like using a photo copier and scanning and printing out dozens of a coupon. In that case they don't have unique codes and it is wrong. A photo copied coupon WILL still scan which is the problem and why many stores will no longer accept them. The store will not be reimbursed for the coupon and will be out the money since the unique code can only be paid out once and will go to the first merchant to turn it in.

So if I printed out a coupon legit but was part of a swap and sent the coupon on someone could take that coupon and copy it and print out however many of that coupon all with the same code obviously, which could then be tracked back to me since I printed the legit coupon in the first place. That is why it's not a good idea to share IP coups.

 

[mafibisha]

The problem isn't with PRINTING the coupons but in actually copying them. Like using a photo copier and scanning and printing out dozens of a coupon. In that case they don't have unique codes and it is wrong. A photo copied coupon WILL still scan which is the problem and why many stores will no longer accept them. The store will not be reimbursed for the coupon and will be out the money since the unique code can only be paid out once and will go to the first merchant to turn it in.

So if I printed out a coupon legit but was part of a swap and sent the coupon on someone could take that coupon and copy it and print out however many of that coupon all with the same code obviously, which could then be tracked back to me since I printed the legit coupon in the first place. That is why it's not a good idea to share IP coups.

I do get that, but what I DON'T get is how someone can print the SAME coupon from different computers in the same house, since they all (computers) in one house should have the SAME IP number? And the limit per is usually two.

(maybe this is a computer techy question?)

 

[hambirg]

I do get that, but what I DON'T get is how someone can print the SAME coupon from different computers in the same house, since they all (computers) in one house should have the SAME IP number? And the limit per is usually two.

(maybe this is a computer techy question?)

Yeah. . .to be honest, I don't know how that works. We only have one computer at home. . .but I have been known to ask a non-couponing friend to print me her two before.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I do get that, but what I DON'T get is how someone can print the SAME coupon from different computers in the same house, since they all (computers) in one house should have the SAME IP number? And the limit per is usually two.

(maybe this is a computer techy question?)

The technical reason:

Multiple Computers can look like the same IP address, very true for schools, hotels, offices, in fact, almost any place of buisness or school, etc. Even some internet providers, like those that make website faster for dial up by using a proxy server or satellite internet users who also use proxy servers for speed increasing.

 

[mafibisha]

The technical reason:

Multiple Computers can look like the same IP address, very true for schools, hotels, offices, in fact, almost any place of buisness or school, etc. Even some internet providers, like those that make website faster for dial up by using a proxy server or satellite internet users who also use proxy servers for speed increasing.

So... if they can look like the same IP address, they still must not be? Because I read here that some are able to print the same coupon twice from each computer, when the limit is two from each IP? (jealous LOL)

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Most stores around me will not take internet coupons either. Not just Wal-Mart but the other grocery stores as well reject them.

Same here but they post signs saying as much.