Target just denied the 5%

[LadyBeBop]

I do feel sorry for y'all. Although a part of me thinks that now I'm back on a even playing field since I'm not eligible for the pharmacy rewards (Federal Employee Health Insurance Plan).

I'm wondering if it's due to these pharmacy rewards coupons on eBay. Assuming you buy a coupon for $100, you have to spend at least $2,000 in gift cards to make it worthwhile. But it doesn't only have to be Disney. If you spend $1,000 a year at Starbucks (a large coffee, five days a week for 50 weeks), maybe $1,200 a year at your favorite restaurants (dinner for two twice a month), $500 a year at the movies (movie tickets for two twice a month), $200 a year at iTunes (about 15 albums). Can't remember if Amazon is considered an entertainment card (I buy my Amazon gift cards when my grocery stories have gas rewards), but I'll buy at least $1,000 in Amazon cards a year. And they pretty much compete with Target.

 

[SUSIEQ]

Yup, I am going back to Walgreen's for our pharmacy needs...open 24 hours, closer to home and has a drive-thru.

Exactly! There's nothing like being able to use a pharmacy drive-thru window when you're not feeling well!

 

[juliebug]

ahh this sucks i have my certificate from the pharmacy and was hoping to do this. I too will not be using the pharmacy anymore as it cost more and no drive thur i can use walmart that is closer and cheaper. i guess i will try today and see if i can get them to do it. other wise oh well guess no more pharmacy for me.

 

[bitty246]

UGH... this bites! I haven't been frequenting the Budget Board lately and had no idea. I had a 5% coupon I stupidly let expire last month, but just got another one and was planning to buy about 2k in GC to pay off our trip. I feel like I'm always a day late to the party!

Ah well, I still need quite a few things trip related (OTC meds, clothes, snacks, etc) so I'll just apply it to that.

 

[aprincessatlast]

Since everyone is putting their 2 cents in here is mine!

No I do not think it has anything to do with the 20% debacle in December. More like Target is doing really bad and can not afford these kind of perks perhaps? (profits went down 440 million after breach) or The whole selling your rewards cards on ebay got wind to corporate. Now that is crazy and I had no idea you could even do that but selling these for upwards of $200 for a 5% rewards is going to send up some red flags.

I for one am bummed as I procrastinated once again and was planning on going this week to pick up the gift cards. In reality it is a lot of work for the discount though. I am heading to Kroger instead for the rewards on gas as that = out to more for us actually was just hoping to use pharmacy too.

I agree the pharmacy is really hit or miss. Just the other day they only gave me a 3.5 day of 5 supply of antibiotics for my son while I waited for an 1 with 3 sick kids right in front of them. They could have cared less. We have used Target for about 3 years just for the rewards and now will be going back to Walgreens.

 

[supergoofy]

Its Targets right to stop this and mine to stop using Target.

 

[Lisa71]

I love target and our local pharmacy has been awesome. While the discount was nice I would shop there just to avoid the local wal-mart which is trashy..the nice one is 30 minutes away. I love target.

 

[havaneselover]

Since everyone is putting their 2 cents in here is mine!

No I do not think it has anything to do with the 20% debacle in December. More like Target is doing really bad and can not afford these kind of perks perhaps? (profits went down 440 million after breach) or The whole selling your rewards cards on ebay got wind to corporate. Now that is crazy and I had no idea you could even do that but selling these for upwards of $200 for a 5% rewards is going to send up some red flags.

I for one am bummed as I procrastinated once again and was planning on going this week to pick up the gift cards. In reality it is a lot of work for the discount though. I am heading to Kroger instead for the rewards on gas as that = out to more for us actually was just hoping to use pharmacy too.

I agree the pharmacy is really hit or miss. Just the other day they only gave me a 3.5 day of 5 supply of antibiotics for my son while I waited for an 1 with 3 sick kids right in front of them. They could have cared less. We have used Target for about 3 years just for the rewards and now will be going back to Walgreens.

The Kroger deal is much better for me. I rarely get prescriptions filled (except at Costco for my money pit dog) so the Target deal wouldn't work for me. But I still get close to 20% off at Kroger when they do 4x fuel points which they are currently doing (including 6% back from Amex). It makes my DCL indulgence every 3 years or so much more affordable.

 

[danygirl]

Stopped using target after they filled my kids' chewable singular with the adult non chewable. They screwed up and were really rude about it when I came back. No apology no concern for my child. I will NEVER use target pharmacy. Even the 5 percent discount did not lure me back. The cc breach really made me think twice about target.

 

[maxiesmom]

"Injustice", really? I mean it's been crazy that they have allowed it for so long.

It's not a violation of anyone's rights that they stopped doing something that they were likely losing money on. That is what "injustice" is. Not Target changing so someone can't save 5% on a Disney gift card.

Really wish we had a "like" button.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

I'm really bummed about this... I was thinking of this today and it just so happened I was on the way to a grocery store, AND I needed gas, AND I happened to be passing a Kroger, SO I decided to give the "Kroger Method" I have heard about on these boards a try.

Unfortunately, they were out of $50 Disney Gift Cards and I didn't want a bunch of $15 ones, so instead I bought $250 of Universal Cards, as I plan to buy annual passes later this year. Since they have 4x their rewards on gift card purchases right now, that means that, although I paid face value for the gift cards, I get $1 off per gallon of gas, up to $35 gallons. So I bought the cards, using my Disney Visa (2% back on grocery purchases, so that will be $5 in Disney dollars) and then went and filled up. Unfortunately, my minivan only holds 20 gallons, so I only needed 16 gallons, so save $16, plus the $5, so that is about 8% savings. Not as good as stacking the pharmacy rewards, and a little more complicated since I had to get gas at Kroger, vs a possibly more convenient location, but not bad. I could have gotten up to 35 gallons of gas, so if I do it again I will bring my husband with me stop the pump, shuffle the cars, and finish pumping my 35 gallons...

The other bright spot is that Target didn't sell Universal cards, so nice that I can use this discount method on those...

 

[wendow]

I could have gotten up to 35 gallons of gas, so if I do it again I will bring my husband with me stop the pump, shuffle the cars, and finish pumping my 35 gallons...

This is what we do. Between our two vehicles, we can take about 31 gallons. So we save $31 rather than just $16 since my van only takes 16.

 

[seashoreCM]

Are you sure that Target instigated this loss of the discount?

Maybe Disney increased the wholesale cost of its gift cards. So stores that sell the gift cards had to adjust their retail pricing to make up for that.

 

[DVC Sue]

Can't say I'm surprised. Look at how many of use used the discount for gift cards...

 

[Marionnette]

Are you sure that Target instigated this loss of the discount?

Maybe Disney increased the wholesale cost of its gift cards. So stores that sell the gift cards had to adjust their retail pricing to make up for that.

I would believe this to be true IF it had only been a change affecting Disney GCs. But it appears to be a change that involves ALL the GCs that Target sells, including iTunes and Starbucks.

 

[omegsmom]

Did they announce something or is everyone just finding out by trying and hearing from others? I just paid off my trip 2 weeks ago with gift cards purchased with both the red card and pharmacy rewards... I was about to fill 2 more prescriptions so I could get another reward before I go... to pay for food, but fortunately, I don't need much more anyway since I have half of it in a Disney Visa Reward card... Disappointed, but understand... feeling grateful I got the extra discount while it lasted.

 

[Pesky]

Bummer. Oh well, at least I picked up a few last time and got to use it for the DLR trip. While our local Walgreens is TERRIBLE (gave me someone else's Rx for DD when she was a baby -- not even remotely the same name), our Kroger is closer too. Just not worth the hassle of going out of my way to Target now.

 

[suecait]

I can't say that I didn't see it coming. The 20%-off coupon fiasco in December drew too much attention. Those whiners, complainers and "guests" who brow-beat cashiers and managers into applying the discount were too plentiful and too vocal.

Exactly. That is who you can probably thank for this.

 

[SUSIEQ]

Just not worth the hassle of going out of my way to Target now.

Seems like A LOT of people feel this way!

 

[andrews_dad]

What???????????????? OMG. I have a coupon in car. Was planning to get $4000 worth today!