Yesterday, Tatiana sent me an email about a strong rumor that Rite Aid was going to institute a new coupon policy. I immediately called my PR contact and he talked me down from the ledge. He did tell me that the second coupon on B1G1 being no longer allowed had been discussed “for some time”, but said the the “limit 4 alike coupons” was the old P&G memo. He was not currently aware of any plans to limit all coupons to 4 alike.
Today, Robin sent me the contents of the Rite Aid memo she read this morning:
No B1G1 coupon on B1G1 sale.
No coupon on free item for B1G1 sale.
Only 4 alike coupons per transaction.
The memo said it was effective immediately.
I immediately emailed my PR contact.
New coupon policy (you should see revised 5/11 on the bottom. If not, email me and I will forward you the pdf corporate sent me)
Also, the online coupon policy has not yet been updated. This should make for a great time shopping at Rite Aid until they do.
I’m not sure what Rite Aid is thinking on the 4 alike coupons – everyone will just do a separate order. That means more work for the cashier, so it really does not make any sense.
The no B1G1 + B1G1 = two free makes perfect sense to me (you may disagree of course). I always thought two free on a B1G1 sale + B1G1 coupon was odd. Most grocery stores do not allow that. You’d need to buy four and pay for one:
$3.69
$0
$3.69
$0
= $7.38
- B1G1 coupon
= $3.69
That is just an example of pricing, but that makes perfect sense to me. However, I, like all of you, took advantage of the B1G1 sale + B1G1 coupon as long as it was offered!
I wonder now if CVS and Walgreens will follow suit?
Thanks Tatiana and Robin!
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
People will take their business to WM which not only gladly accepts all coupons but also gives cash for overage as well as ad matches any store. They do give real green cash for overage. Does RS have nothing else to do than to constantly be changing their coupon policy? Why this B1G1 change? It was ok for years but not anymore? This is annoying at least. After all they do get paid by the manufacturers for those redeemed coupons.
I agree with you – this is just ridiculous – I didn’t even go to RA this week! I was peeved at the sale on Airwick last week being so ambiguous. Now this? I already have enough toothpaste – I wont shop there !
it looks like i’m going to have to reevaluate my walmart perception and their coupon policy?!? ug! i’m not happy right now.
Crap – I had better run to RA NOW with my Trident BOGO Coupons!
Noooooo, I loved the bogo coupons on a bogo sale, even if I didn’t agree with it! I surely will miss it…it was great while we did have it though.
What about honoring the previous rain checks. I have BOGO rainchecks on airwick, Ive gone so may time and havent been able to get my hands on them?
Saida, this is going to cause as many questions as there are current answers.
Ann
I’m not upset at all, but I don’t understand the change. As you’ve always said, the BOGO in their ad is THEIR sale; the money for the BOGO Q comes back from the manu plus. I DO understand their not taking a Q on their already-free item. That actually went against their own policy of not going negative on any item. Not that it matters, but that is my opinion. I will go wherever I get the best price since I have LOTS of each drugstore in a close vicinity in Atlanta.
I’m relatively new to RA. I haven’t quite mastered the old rules, so I could really use an explanation of the new ones.
I went this morning and used 5 alike coupons in one transaction with no problem.
Well, I actually transferred my prescription to CVS as I’ve been doing more CVS for some reason. Not because they are any nicer or anything but I don’t know… I’m just getting tired of RA. I’m so screwed cause I have $40 in +UPs expiring and I need to use them by Saturday. URGH!
o my Liz., I was worried about using $13 by Sat!
I always wondered about the B1G1 too, but the other changes? Wow. My only thought is that the less organized among us (that’s me) will struggle with the differences at each store, may get frustrated and possibly give up. Is that what the stores want? I say that because I screwed up I don’t know how many orders at Wag’s before I finally figured out their coupon to item rule. I mean REALLY people!! That is the stupidest rule ever!!
I guess this means I will eventually have to pay for Stayfree and Right Guard deod. once my stockpile depletes. Darn it! As for the 4 like coupon rule….that would mean the store would actually have to have more than 4 on the shelf, which is very rare in the store I shop.
Well, their SCR’s have literally “sucked” since their UP rewards have started. This month looks like I”m gonna close out @ a measly $2. Know what RA, make up your freakin mind!!!!!!
You want to take the hit and draw the customers fine. You don’t want to, fine again, your choice, no problem… JUST MAKE UP YOUR FREAKIN MIND!!!
I personally have had a bad taste in my mouth since they re-nigged on their special w/ the tuna a few weeks back. Yes, I had purchased my own tuna the week before (thanks to a very loving patient of mine), however… ppl were depending on this. I’m not talking TLC Extreme that were looking to ADD TO THEIR STOCKPILE… I’m talking everyday Joe – Blow’s that need to provide food for their family. They say one thing, then decide, “nope, not gonna work, the couponers will figure this out”… so they change it… It seems thier *PR REP* has been watching reruns of EXTREME and is basing all their decisions on this…
WE DON’T ALL CLEAR THE SHELVES, WERE NOT ALL GREEDY, WE DON’T ALL WANT 4 ROOMS OF STUFF… we just want to provide for our family!!! GET IT RIGHT AID??? Hmmmm seems the rest of the drugstores do!!
I personally am sick of this and I know I am not the only one. Ann, please forward this email to your rep, and they can more than contact me… maybe a reality check will come out of my rant.
However, seriously… I can take my business ELSEWHERE!!!!
That’s the BOTTOM LINE!!!!!
Oh, and for the record, it has nothing to do w/ the 4 alike, no B1G1 w/ a B1G1 or the like… it’s the “secret memo” to their staff w/out changing their corporate policy all on the DL that pisses me off!!! ENOUGH!!!!
I have been less than thrilled with Rite Aid in the past few months, now this! When I started couponing in September of 2010 OMG…Rite Aid was the place to be at the butt crack of dawn on Sunday. Now the deals are….well…ho hum.
I am on a first name basis with the store manager in town. I did a deal last week to get some Huggies Pull Ups and he asked me where have I been? I told him the sales have been not so good and they changed the Ad Perk coupons, and so on sooooo, I have not been shopping there.
He commented that on Sunday he would have 4 couponers in the morning and he does not see us anymore. He was real concerned as we are a small community. I gave him my feedback and was going to pass it along to his D.M. Now there are even more restrictions. UGH! It is sad cuz they are so WONDERFUL there! I have to wonder why the change? Were they not making money did the TLC show make them gun shy?
I feel the same way TB does. If I can take their ad to Walmart and price match that is what I will do. Nice thing is they will have the stock. I think they are going to keep losing business. Couponers go where the best deals are!
I am so fed up with the RA stock situation. I can go at anytime- Sun AM or after “the truck comes” and NOTHING but a empty shelve. Between the toilet paper and tuna fiasco, I am about done. Even with rainchecks….empty. They just never order enough for the sales.
Hey Ann, is this part of the change that you said was coming to couponing awhile back (with the advent of ‘extreme couponing’)? Not fun. Not fun at all.
That was part of the reason this happened, as confirmed to my in a long telephone conversation yesterday.
I stinks being the oldest person couponing that recalls the olden days and what happens when couponers/rebaters gone wild.
Ann
I blame the exrtreme coupoon show for this. BEfore that show we had better deals and coupons werent such a pain to use for the stores.
Your blame is not misguided.
Ann
Recent conversation with a coupon newbie who watched the TLC show. Her: “I’m going to show my husband we can save $1,000 per month on groceries!”
Me: “How much do you spend now?” (There is only the 2 of them.)
Her: “I don’t know, but on ‘Extreme Couponing’ one gal said she saved $10,000 in the last year and if she can do it, so can I.” (Mind you this gal is a full time teacher.)
Me: Bite my tongue, smile, suggest starting small and getting a sanity check with Couponsdealsandmore. Also, told her she might want to figure out how much she is currently spending on groceries. This part ALWAYS kills me. People have no idea how much they spend currently.
oops……..thought I better clarify my comment above.
I do not go around asking people their grocery spending. That is their business. This gal asked me for advice on making ends meet. Cost of groceries came up.
And, the $10,000 a year savings ~ I believe that’s from the full retail price (which does anyone ever really pay?!). The $10,000 is not cash in their pocket, unless they were spending that much, which wow, is a lot on groceries for a family of 2! O, maybe some do if you count dinners out and they are gourmet cooks. Eeee……..maybe I’m the one out of touch with reality!!!
Yes, this does indeed suck!
Thanks Ann for the updates and passing along your information to us. I appreciate your blog and will just wait and see how this all settles out. In the mean time I’ll learn to work in the new system. Sigh.
Each week it seems there is less to be found at RA, it is disappointing since it is the closest and most available of the 3. I wonder if summer is just a slower time??
Just wanted to say thanks for your help! Got my 10 ups for the weekend warrior
talk me down from the ledge, indeed! but, i read what everyone above wrote and it made me feel a little bit better.
even so, i loved their old coupon policy and took full advantage with the coupons i had.
Totally bummed about the BOGO MFQ on a BOGO sale.
Ah, well. Roll with the punches!
I tried to price match and use coupons on the Dole Apple Crisp at Walmart with the Walgreen’s ad last week. I didn’t realize this would cause so much commotion! Walmart had just rec’d. a revised coupon policy that morning and it certainly caused a frenzy! Do you know what the coupon policy is concerning this? Are you not able to get a price match and use a coupon for the same price matched item at the same time? At Walgreen’s, the Dole Apple Crisps were on sale 5 for $5 and then with the coupon, they were $.25 each. Unfortunately, there was only one left on the shelf, which led me to Walmart and the commotion.
Hi, I ran into a new one at RA last week. I got a raincheck from 1 store and they applied the UPS so that when I do purchase the item, I can use a coupon and my UPS will be taken off. I went to another store, which was also out of the Centrum I wanted and they gave me a raincheck for $9.99. I said, “What about the UPS?” and the clerk replied I wouldn’t get it because I wasn’t purchasing it in the right week. I ask if there wasn’t a way to apply it to the raincheck and she said not that she knew of. I don’t want to make a big issue or get the manager of the 1st store in any trouble. Has anyone else run into this? I read the new coupon policy and this isn’t addressed at all. Thanks.
Mat that clerk did not know what she was doing. Please call corporate, tell them the store and the situation. They will call the store and correct the clerk.
Rite Aid does give their managers discretion on how to give rain checks, either:
1) Reduce item price by the amount of the +ups and give you the rain check (even if it says $0.00)
2) Sale price and the +ups on a gift card
or a sale substitution at the reduced price. Most stores will only deal in #1 and #2, and that is what most customers want too. My closest store gives me a choice of which I would prefer, #1 or #2.
So do call corporate because until someone does that store will continue to do rainchecks incorrectly.
Ann