We’ve all read the term and heard people use it when talking about various things but we most frequently hear the term when dealing with deal hunting, bargain shopping and couponing. So what exactly does this term mean to us couponers? Basically: Don’t draw undo attention to yourself; be invisible.
I’ve been reading how Walgreen’s has gotten snippy with folks asking them to not return to the store. The other day I read someone said they did twenty-five transactions in five days (did not explain if it was five trips per day, three trips split up, or what combination) and was threatened with arrest for trespass if they darkened the door of that particular Walgreen’s again. After reading all the incorrect outrage that “Walgreen’s can’t do that”, because yes, actually they can have you arrested for trespass – a store is deemed private property and as long as the store is not asking you to leave based on race, creed or sex, they can indeed ask you to leave or threaten you with arrest from trespass – (But I am not a lawyer nor do I play one on the internet, so consult your attorney to the whys and wherefores.) I got to thinking… how much is too much?
Is it unreasonable for a store to enforce the “one per person limit” at Walgreen’s (or wherever). I was at a Walgreen’s last week that had a sign at the register that said:
Register Rewards are limited to one per person. Do not ask us to split up orders. Thank you for your cooperation.
Now I may not be recalling the sign correctly, what I wrote above seems a whole lot nicer (if you can believe that!) then the sign I read in the store. My immediate reaction after reading that notice was “Great Customer Service!” with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
But what if they did have someone coming in ringing 12 different orders individually, rolling the RR and coupons, as I read on a different board last month? Is it fair to tie up one cashier for 20 minutes and make other customers wait? Or should the store expect this and over staff just in case someone comes in and decides to roll… ECB, RR, Catalinas or whatever?
How much is too much? Two orders, three? Seven? At what point does a couponer have to accept responsibility for their perceived greed/rudeness/obliviousness? At what point does it cross the line from supreme deal huntress/hunter to greedy smash and grabber?
It is tough for anyone with 15 drug stores in a three mile radius to pass judgment over someone with one Walgreen’s and one CVS in their town or village. Having to travel a long distance to a second store could certain make someone shop frequently at one store thereby becoming “known” and gaining a reputation. The luxury of being able to move on to the next store down the road if the first store proves difficult certainly alleviates a lot of problems.
Is there ever a case where being “known” is a good thing? I do believe so. If you have a grocery or drug store where you are well known for being an honest couponer that knows the store or corporate rules, you will probably find the clerks appreciate you and listen when you offer advice when a coupon does not work, a Catalina does not print, or a product is not ringing up correctly.
For myself, I live in a large metropolitan area where you can throw a rock and hit a drug store or a grocery store. Difficulties at Store A? I move on to Store B. Not a problem. I definitely try and fly under the radar. This includes no more than two separate orders at one time at a drug store (except my local Rite Aid where the manager encourages multiple orders to keep me shopping there!), spacing the days I shop at one particular store, alternating the times I shop and avoiding zero or negative balances. While that seems like a lot of work, I do believe it keeps me from being “too” well known. Certainly some cashiers know me on sight, but I do not have a bad reputation as a smash and grabber, but rather as a good, frugal consumer.
So, how much is too much in your opinion? Would you ever go to the lengths I go to (which read more involved than the actual practice) in order to avoid a negative shopper reputation? And would a lot of the problems be alleviated if the store would just order sufficient stock? After all, when you are trying to sell 1000 of something does it really matter if it is sold to 1000 individuals, or one person?
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I really depends. For me, I think 2 transactions in a visit is just right but you can’t go back to that store until at least a couple of days has past. There are some cashiers that do not mind you doing multiple transactions, as long as, you don’t hold up the line and let others get in front of you to do the deal. Whereas, there are some cashiers even if you have never been that store, as soon as, you pull out the coupons that give you the “side-eye”.
There will always be people that bend the rules or take something all the way to the edge and get band from a store. It’s just a fact of life. I read about the guy that had $500 RR’s and just shook my head. I have like $30 in RRs ($23 from doing the Almay/Lubriderm deal this week).
Two transactions per store per 2-3 days is my limit on a deal.
I only allow myself one transaction per visit, except when my husband is with me I’ll have him do one too. The funny thing is my Walgreens doesn’t like me anyway. I never have more than 5 or 6 items, but they read every coupon for like 5 minutes, and make up rules like a $1 off 3 hunts items coupon is “like” 3 coupons so it counts as three separate coupons. I think somebody else ruined it for me and they are just stereotyping couponers. I think if you have more than one or two transactions you should be planning your rolling a little better, or maybe you should just slow down a bit.
I have been couponing(and at one point a LOT of refunding) for 46 years. I keep track for that is how long I have been married and when I first started “having” to save money. I do not NEED to coupon at all and give away and donate much of what I get. I do NOT go to extremes though. I try to be honest and keep a low profile. I am known around here for even though our city isnt small we dont have an overabundance of stores to go to. So I need to be seen at my CVS and walgreens for there arent any more within a reasonable distance. However my walgreens is a HORRIBLE store and I have totally stopped going there. They NEVER have the items in stock, will find any reason to not accept a coupon, and many of the cashiers(and also manager) are just plain rude!! And believe me, I have never given them a reason to be. So, I think it’s a combination of reasons why couponers have problems, sometimes it is their own fault and sometimes it isnt!
mary
Excuse the pun; but I roll with the deals and all the crap. Twice locking up registers at grocery stores, my greed can cause merchants to change policy, especially on the spot. Some of the Wags I visit, it not just the cashiers glare. Throw in customers who are just clueless on saving money.
A local grocery chain ran another $10 off $50 promotion yesterday. Some woman ahead of me in line, would stop the cashier when the total went over $50 and then scan an EBT card. She did this 3 or 4 times and I suspect the cart before her was done the same way. Now this woman did not use one single MQ. After this long delay, I had people whining behind me when I handed my stack of MQ.
I’ve been treated well, and I’ve been looked at and scrutinized like I’m stealing–sometimes at the same store! I don’t mind speaking up (always nicely, of course!) if I think I’m not getting the deal I should, etc., but I try to keep it low key, and if I have an issue, I usually skip that particular store the next couple of weeks. I’m with Anne, it’s easy to do because for the moment I live in a location with multiples of all three main drugstores.
My hometown, however, where I still spend time when possible, has one lone Walgreens. They are luckily fairly nice there, but if they weren’t, I’m not sure what I would do about it. The nearest alternative, another lone store, is 20 miles away, and beyond that, it’s over 50 miles to nearest city with mulitples.
For myself, two transactions at a time is no big deal; any more than that I will usually go to a different store or at the least come back at a different time. I don’t mind being recognized or “known” as a couponer/deal shopper to a degree, but I certainly don’t want to be banned from a store or looked at as “problem” customer.
Under the radar, to me, keeps everyone happy and won’t ruin it for myself or others.
I am well known at 1 Wags. They are always friendly to me and always happy to see my little boys. I had read on a blog about ordering the bayer meters so that you do not have to scramble all over town looking,so I asked the manager at mine to order 30 of them,no problem she said. Now that means I am going to have to spend alot of time at the checkout(which I will do at the cosmetics counter),and of course I always tell other customers to go ahead of me. Now I have several Wags around my area,but at the other stores I only do 2 orders back to back. I usually have around $30 in RR that I roll,but the meter RR’S are going to supply my diapers for 2 boys for a few months. I have read about people being banned from Wags,and it is sad especially when they only have 1 in their town.
I try to be cordial and fly under the radar. I also limit myself as to how many times I will go to a store in a week (usually twice). I’m new to couponing (about 4 months) and for the most part have been treated very well even at Wags. Maybe more of you should get your husbands to do the shopping as I think I get a “free pass” sometimes. Cashiers and other customers are usually amazed with my coupon binder (that a man is carrying) that they forget that its taking and extra minute ringing through my coupons. Well if you can’t find a man to do the shopping try dressing up as one. Will you get a “free pass” from angry cashiers and customers. What a great study that would be!
Sean aka The man with the blue binder
I do one transaction per day only.
I never really saw the other (merchant’s) side until I read a post about how at certain stores people would come in that had a ‘mom & pop’ type store of their own and using the sales, rewards or whatever bargain method clear the shelves of all the door buster bargains and then take them to their store and resell them for a profit. It gives us good bargain hunters a band name.
I limit myself to two transactions a day. I do the items that will give a RR in one transaction, and the other items in a seperate one. The other day the mananger was standing by the register when I was checking out. I told him how much I love doing the RR deals. He said they are a pain because people will bring up EVERY ONE of the items that are free and want them all! There was a box of candy bars sittng there, he said “If these were free after RR, someone would come up like this” (he grabbed the entire box and set it on the counter) “and want to do seperate transactions to buy them all!”! I think a few greedy people will ruin this for everyone.
Hmmm. I would never hold up a line. If I want another transaction(which I do occasionally for drugstores and frequently for grocery deals)and there is a line, I go to the back and wait. I usually shop early in the morning for just that reason. If there is a problem with something not ringing in correctly, etc, and there is a line, I will let it go rather than hold up everyone else. I see it as simple courtesy. I usually will hit a store a couple of times a week. In October, though, there were a couple of deals at Walgreens that spoke to my condition, and I was a close to daily customer. I always had my coupons in order, stayed away from busy times, and was very patient when the catalina messed up and I never got grief.
What a good story to post! Something different and good to know! I usually only do 1 per store per day but I dont really get into RRs or ECBs like others, too busy with grocery stores! Im always afraid that the people behind me are mad and I always apologize to them!
I don’t hold up the line or do “usually” more than two transactions. But I do make sure I have all my stuff organized and ready to go, so no wait time on my part, and I always let someone go ahead of me if I am doing more than one, or I will go out and come back in. I also usually have my two young sons with me, so I don’t want to be in the store long anyways. But, I have one walgreens within ehh, a good 30 miles, so when I go to that store I will do all my transactions that day (maybe not all at once) but I wish there was another, because they are usually rude, and don’t have any idea what they are doing, something is always incorrect, but I “roll” with it, because thats how it is, I can choose to shop there or not, I am not going to tolerate disrespect but if a “deal” doesn’t go as planned I move on. At my favorite Rite Aid, the store manager loves to be there when I check out to see “how low” I can make my bill, he even told his wife about me, most of the cashiers there love to see the deals I do that day and are nothing but happy about it, another rite aid will actually sigh and act annoyed or “like I am stealing” (I don’t go there as often, even though its the closest). I don’t think it matters how many trips/transactions you do as long as you give respect, you’re polite, and honest. Who wouldn’t love a deal shopper like that?!
The other day I was in Walgreens and got behind a woman who was purchasing at leasts 25 (maybe more) boxes of Zantac. I’m sure she had to do each box in a separate transaction, because it was a RR deal. Although the cashier seemed very happy to oblige her, and the customer did offer to let me go in between some of her transactions, I was irritated–and I’m a couponer!! Imagine what image this must give to people who don’t understand couponing. To me this is total greed in action. I understand the value of a great deal–we use Zantac and I had visited Walgreens a couple of times that week to do the same deal. But to see her totally clear the shelf like that was, quite honestly, embarassing. I think it’s only a matter of time before folks like that mess things up for all of us!
I at most, do two transactions per store. I have ton of WAGS around me, so its not an issue. I often give the cashiers coupons too, so I stay in their good graces. I even have one cashier who asks me for certain coupons. So the next time in I’ll bring him what he was looking for.
My Walgreens is such a pain that I would never dream of doing more than 2 transactions at a time. I usually do one transaction and then go and pick up the items for the second transaction so I’m never holding up the line. I usually try to make it look like I’m using the RRs from the first transaction for the second transaction although they are usually RRs from a previous day.
It is amazing that some people can manage to get away with numerous transactions at one time. Their Walgreens must be very different from the one around here. When the deals are very good, I might try to go every day but I would go at different times of the day so I don’t run into the same cashiers. The Walgreens around here tends to run out of sale items so it is rare that I would actually be able to get things every day. Sometimes they are out of the sale items immediately!
I think that Walgreens system is a huge part of the problem. If they want to limit RR deals to one per customer; they should have a card like CVS. And while they are at it, they should make their RRs easier to use like CVS’s extrabucks.
This is an interesting subject.
Personally, with a big family, We buy 2 full grocery carts of stuff EVERY WEEK. So there’s no way around holding up the line. I hate the attention, but we need a lot of food!
I stay away from anything that could be considered “faud”, but let the stores decide which of the policies they’re going to keep. (For example, the coupons that state: only one per purchase. I will get as many as I feel I need, but if they want to call me on it that’s their option.)
I only have a Rite Aid that is close, and they’re extremely nice there.
I can do seperate orders, and have done up to 5… but I will let people go ahead of me between orders to not jam up the line.
I don’t like “clearing” shelves, unless it is a legitimate need. It seems unfair to fellow couponers, especially if it is at a store that I suspect doesn’t have anything to re-stock with.
Mostly, I just try to be nice. I “expect” problems, and don’t get upset when they happen.
Hi Jennifer:
For example, the coupons that state: only one per purchase.
Every item you are buying is a purchase. If you have four widgets and (4) $1 widget coupons, you are entitled to use all (4) $1 widget coupons on one order. You are purchasing one item per coupon.
This wording was inserted approximately 40 years ago on coupons because prior to that, you did not need to purchase the item to receive the coupon money! I recall going to Acme with my grandmother where she’d hand over a number of coupons (they were a lot harder to come by 40+ years ago, she might have 10 varying in denominations from 2¢ to a HUGE 10¢ coupon), and they would hand her the face value of the coupon back!
You’ll still find the oddball coupon that does not have the “one per purchase” type of wording, but they are few and far between.
Ann
The free glade soy-based candle coupons were the last one I happened to notice that limitied it to one per purchase, and at 2 stores (I think) they called me on it, saying I could only use 1 coupon and get 1 free candle per order. Sooo… since are you saying they shouldn’t limit it like that? Oh, I just found another one, it says “One coupon per person” on the free Marcall TP coupons. That’s probably what it actually said. (I’m still new at this.)
Hi Jennifer,
How many items were you purchasing? The marcal said something like one coupon per person. There is a big difference.
Ann
Ann and Jennifer, I tried to explain the “one per purchase” logic (kindly!! of course) to the two Walgreens within 40 minutes of me that I visited. They were both really nasty and refused, and also they would not let me use a coupon with the John Frieda Root Awakening deal over the summer, AND one of the stores didn’t want to let me use an RR from Monday for a new purchase THURSDAY–totally different product and manufac! It was so rude and mean. Even though I had at LEAST $50k of scrips there over the years…I transferred them over the summer. It was just too nasty for me to deal with them there, and I was doing only one transaction and following their rules to the T and am sooo nice at the register. Inexcusable!
Wow Betsy, that is inexcusable!
I had an issue at a Walgreen’s myself some time back. They went from nice and coupon friendly to crabby and anti-coupon. They never refused anything, but I do not need an attitude when I shop!
I too pulled all my scripts and refused to shop at that particular Walgreens for a year.
I have just recently started going back to this store, but will still not check out at the beauty counter as that clerk is a real piece if work!
Needless to say when I moved on, it was to two Walgreen’s that were under five minutes away. I have that luxury. For you, it looks like no Walgreen’s until they either get a store manager with a better attitude, or a DM that understands coupons and forces the store to understand them as well. Mine was an attitude problem rather than a coupon problem, so the problem went away when the manager left. Otherwise I still would not shop there.
Ann
i do everything in one day, i hate shopping throughout the week, it’s annoying and what i consider a waste of gas and time. what i’m doing this week, like i did last week for the pepsi deal, was i broke down the 10RR to a 1RR or a 2RR. this week i’m buying only tostitos and stacy’s chips, i make sure that my coupons/RR are no more than the cost and items. next i’m getting the tresmme shampoo, use the 10RR spend 2 and get back 5RR and after that i’m getting the bags/pencils with the pert plus, and hopefully get that try me free sticker on them. and get back either 1RR or 2RR so that way next week, i dont have such a high RR to work with or so many multiples. that was a problem i was running into before was having too many of them.
we go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds.
i also go the end of the line for my next transaction, i think that is only fair for the ones already standing in line.
i do get those sighs, and ughs from people when i hand over coupons, but i will NEVER apologize!!!! i’m not sorry for saving money, but i am sorry that they aren’t.
When stores that I frequently shop at start making up new rules and so forth…I simply flip to the back of my coupon book (a three ring binder).
Before I do this though, I ask them if I can see a copy of their store policy regarding coupons.
Most will say they do not have it…That is when I tell them..”no worries, I DO.”
In my binder, I have the store policy regarding coupons to every store that I shop at. Just printed out and put into sheet protectors. Takes up almost NO space and has been VERY handy when I have encountered ignorant or hostile cashiers or managers.
When they want to give me a hard time, I just flip to their corporate policy and ask them to show me where this “new” rule is.
The pages have their corporate logo on them and a date time stamp at the bottom.
This is MY money and MY time. I don’t play around with it.
In my mind, this is business, it isn’t personal.
And if what I am buying is going to clean out the shelf, I go to the store manager and ask them what they would like me to do. Clean them out, pull it from the back or place a special order?
Just thought I would share…Awesome blog btw!
It’s practically impossible to fly under the radar now. Even if you only have ONE coupon for a cart full of groceries…people are looking at you strange…thanks to “the show”!! But, it’s interesting to read these comments a year and a half later and know that couponing has been “frowned upon” for much longer than just since “the craze” began.