Archived Angry "Extreme" couponers

[calimero]

There is also the buy one get one free that scans ( it is a real coupon) but it automatically deduct the full up to amaount!
The last one was buy a venus disposable razor get one free ,and the product was. $5.98 and auto deducted $10.99.
I caught it,and guest was not too happy and wanted the full $10.99 because the register scanned it that way ! GStl came to my rescue!

Has anyone thought about these BOGO's that give a guest the full amount in this manner:

If Target gets reimbursed for the amount that the coupon scans for which in this is case $10.99 and then a cashier adjusts the amount down to $5.98 making it a true BOGO. So the guest pays $5.98 for the first one and gets one free. Target is then making $10.99 on the coupon plus an extra $5.98 for the one the guest paid for. So my question would be who in this situation should get the better deal? Target making an extra $5 above what they normally would for selling two packs of razors, or a guest getting an awesome deal of two packs of razors for about $1?

I know there are many reasons this is frequently an annoying issue, but maybe that's why BP says to not adjust the value of a coupon in this situation?

Usually ,there is a box on the coupon where you write the amount of the free item !
So ,target hould not get the full up to amount !
You don't adjust the amoubt of a set amount from a coupon ! For example ,the coupon states $2 off ,the item is only $1.50 ,you scan and it deducts $2 .( only it is a non target coupon)

Another thing couponers like to do : present the target coupons first then the manufacturers !
Item is $4
Target q is $2 off
Manuf q is $3 off
If the coupons are deducted that way ,the guest gets $5 off on a $4 item.

But if the manuf q is presented first,then the register will only deduct $1 off fo the target q!

 

[Bored Food Aver]

The fake coupons thing is mostly straight outta 4chan.

And 2 years ago, this happened:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/internet/fbi-busts-4chan-man-extreme-couponing-098561

There are fake coupons for everything out there nowadays... including for free Xbox 360s, etc. People are dumb...

 

[kortz]

The fake coupons thing is mostly straight outta 4chan.

And 2 years ago, this happened:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/internet/fbi-busts-4chan-man-extreme-couponing-098561

There are fake coupons for everything out there nowadays... including for free Xbox 360s, etc. People are dumb...

I can confirm this. I'd never try most of the coupons those guys make; they're all too high in value and those who do get away with it get employees in trouble or fired.

 

[HardlinesFour]

The fake coupons thing is mostly straight outta 4chan.

And 2 years ago, this happened:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/internet/fbi-busts-4chan-man-extreme-couponing-098561

There are fake coupons for everything out there nowadays... including for free Xbox 360s, etc. People are dumb...

While most of the Fake Internet Coupons, are pretty Obvious, the Professional Criminals who makes these, aren't...

From my time in AP, I learned that there are groups of Criminals, who do organized retail crime for a living, and use Coupons. The Coupons are a easy method for them, as there able to obtain receipts and are less likely to get caught, or stopped walking out the doors. From the ones I've seen, there typically printed on nice, shiny, somewhat flimsy media paper, and some even have little peel on holagrams.

What'll they'll do is they'll get a car, and try to hit up ever single store up on a interstate, and at bigger stores (like ours) with multiple entrances, they'll do one purchase, and come back in and do another & another. Most of the time walking away with $30-$50 of free merchandise each transaction, and we can't technically stop them because they have receipts for the "paid for" merchandise.

Popular Items for this Scheme were, Electric Razors (the Norelco ones were very popular), Olay Regenrist (the $40 things..), Prilosec (heart burn medication), Neutrogena (pretty much any facial stuff that was expensive), Iams Dog Food, and The Bigger bottles of Tide.

Sometimes on the Fake ones, you can rub your hand over the printed barcode on them, and the ink will smear... Most Companies Like Procter & Gamble, or Johnson & Johnson, would never print a coupon so poorly...

 

[Bored Food Aver]

Here is a link to cartwheel:
http://cartwheel.target.com/
I am not too sure on cartwheel. But it is like shopkick, same thing.

I tried using both... not impressed.

 

[sher]

Here is a link to cartwheel:
http://cartwheel.target.com/
I am not too sure on cartwheel. But it is like shopkick, same thing.

They're pretty different, but both are attempts to gamify shopping, though.
Shopkick is a bunch of stores. You can collect points for checking in, for scanning certain items, and for looking through lookbooks. You can use those points to get a Target gift card... or a gift card (or some other gift) from the other participating stores. I've earned almost enough points for a Target giftcard. If I'd cheated, I'd already have the giftcard, but I only ever check in if I'm actually shopping.

Cartwheel gives you a number of slots to add coupons to and at the register, your barcode is scanned and all of those discounts (that are applicable) come off. The more you use it, the more slots you get. There's probably a limit and there may be other things you can earn (other than more coupon slots).

I saved $8 on a $25 dress (discount and redcard were also used) so I'm happy with Cartwheel.

My only issue with mobile coupon apps is that I'm scared to use them because I just don't expect all the cashiers to be aware of their existence. The technical difficulties are annoying too. Those things don't always scan.

 

[3LetterDevil]

I disagree on the bogo, it says UP to $10.99, so if our price is 7.99, then we should enter 7.99. If it was a $10 off coupon, then it would be a different story.

Anyone else have the couponers filling carts with travel size items even when the coupons say not for use on trial size?

Or my other favorite, the stayfree coupons that say limit one per PERSON?

My sr gstl and i love busting these fraudsters. We had a guest that cut coupons in half so all that was left was the bar code and fine print, no picture, no product description, no expiration date.

It baffles my mind that people think we are really THAT stupid!!! I had one who "conveniently" trimmed all of hers so the expiration dates were all cut off (and didn't even do a good job of it~LOL!) I had scanned one before I even noticed it and it *surprise, surprise* came up expired....I explained to her that they weren't valid with the expiration dates cut off and she turned beet red and said "Oh, well, just throw them all away then" and decided she didn't want any of the items....BUSTED!!!!!

 

[mrknownothing]

My only issue with mobile coupon apps is that I'm scared to use them because I just don't expect all the cashiers to be aware of their existence. The technical difficulties are annoying too. Those things don't always scan.

One thing that may help (someone else posted this a while back) is if you turn up your screen brightness all the way. If the screen isn't bright enough, the scanner has trouble reading the barcode. And as far as cashiers not being aware, they may not have received communication from their GSTLs. I didn't know we had reference sheets for Cartwheel, WIC, and SNAP in our checklane binders until one day when my GSTL had me add the new Front End News to them.

 

[sher]

Ahh, that's probably what it was! I usually keep my screen brightness on a lower setting for the battery savings. That's good to know.

I was on the Cartwheel user support forum and a lot of people who've tried to use it have been met with cashiers and "managers" that didn't know what Cartwheel was. There's gotta be a more efficient way to spread this information than a binder that a TM may never look at.

 

[doxie71]

I see people roaming the grocery section with massive binders of coupons and always pray I don't get called up to ring cause I dread getting stuck with them. We had A LOT of problems with scam coupons when the store opened. Basically now we follow the rule of "if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is". Our GSA's and GSTLs are pretty cool though. Any problem with coupons they will gladly come over and help. I did have one lady one day buying the toothpaste/toothbrush pouch from travel bins and had a coupon for toothpaste and it excluded travel sizes. I tried the coupon at her request and it didn't work. I explained that it excluded what she bought that she didn't buy the right item and she just kept trying to tell me "yeah just take coupons off. take them off" (she spoke broken English). And I held my ground and was like no this item isn't even close to what you are trying to buy. And she gave up and had me take them off. She did buy like 30+ bottles of water and energy drinks with proper coupons though.


I haven't encountered anyone using Cartwheel yet, I'm going to try it myself for the first time here soon. Excited that you can use Cartwheel AND a Target coupon on items. We will see how it goes.

 

[GlobalJ]

I haven't encountered anyone using Cartwheel yet, I'm going to try it myself for the first time here soon. Excited that you can use Cartwheel AND a Target coupon on items. We will see how it goes.

And a manufacturer coupon as well

 

[sher]

I had a Cartwheel customer the other day. I was kinda happy she came to me and not the person next to me who probably didn't know what it was.

I had a few guests come in making multiple transactions to buy Head & Shoulders with coupons to get the $5 gift cards, then they'd use the previous gift cards on the next set of shampoos. Now I'm forced to believe all extreme couponers have dandruff.

Later, my gstl told me multiple transactions were against the rules. I didn't know. We wouldn't limit them if they came in once every day during the $5 gift card promotion, so I didn't know there was a difference. I really don't even know why multiple transactions were necessary. Is there a coupon limit?

 

[Barcode]

Multiple transactions should usually be OKAY. However recently coupons have stated "Maximum Four Coupons per VISIT". So they can't ring up multiple transactions like they would do before.

 

[3LetterDevil]

I had a Cartwheel customer the other day. I was kinda happy she came to me and not the person next to me who probably didn't know what it was.

I had a few guests come in making multiple transactions to buy Head & Shoulders with coupons to get the $5 gift cards, then they'd use the previous gift cards on the next set of shampoos. Now I'm forced to believe all extreme couponers have dandruff.

Later, my gstl told me multiple transactions were against the rules. I didn't know. We wouldn't limit them if they came in once every day during the $5 gift card promotion, so I didn't know there was a difference. I really don't even know why multiple transactions were necessary. Is there a coupon limit?

4 identical coupons per household per day (per the coupon policy)

 

[thetargetman]

We have shifted to an all out war against our couponers that come in. When we first see them we make note of what lane they go to. If it is a cashier that I don't entirely trust to deny coupons, I will wait till the couponers unload then I will have the cashier switch out with someone else who will stand up to them. At this point I then have someone else watch the lanes while I do the strength in numbers thing and stand at the end of the lane and watch EVERYTHING.

While I am doing this they will try and distract me with small talk, I know better than that. During these audits I will always catch a couple coupons that they "forgot" were in there and they will then decide to not buy the product. They normally use these coupons to try and chip away at a high value item like an iPod. What do they do with the iPod you ask? They have a side buisness where they resell everything they bought whether it was a coupon product or the higher value item. We have let AP know because they have business cards and everything.

If we have multiple couponers show up at the same time we corral all of them into the same lane so that I can watch every transaction. We don't give them a choice. They don't like us, but they are the ones who provoked us into war!

you are awesome! I love when people who commit fraud realize they will not get away with it!

 

[thetargetman]

I really do not care if a guest uses a lot of coupons and get 70% off as along as they are getting the right stuff, and using the coupons correctly. if the coupon says save 6 dollars and the product is like 5 I will adjust the coupon down... I don't care how much they moan and bitch about it.

 

[masterofalltrades]

Yesterday I had a couple women come through my line with $20 off any DVD coupons, four coupons per person. They scanned at POS, but it seemed super fishy to me. They also had $10 off any Energizer product (I adjusted those down as necessary). Anyone else seen these?

Never take those in any form. they are always fake.

 

[GrumpyAP]

i am sick and damn tired of the coupons. all of em.
it says a dollar off too, so i'm using this one for item number one and this one for item number two, right?
no lady. no. why? because you can't read and you think I can't do math.
but they let me do this at T-8675309
sorry ma'am, they shouldn't have. it's not policy.
bitchbitchmoanmoan
i end up getting over-ridden by some etlbubble head
lather rinse repeat

 

[ZombiePanties31]

I hate them. My GSTLs and some (but not all) of my GSAs will tell us to take almost any coupon as long as it's not obviously fake. Lately I've been taking Walmart coupons, expired coupons, and coupons for similar-but-not-the-same items. It's all about "vibing with the guest." I'm scared of the couponers, and I'm ANGRY that our store establishes a policy and then fails to uphold it. There's no consistency.

 

[redeye58]

At this point, I'll refuse it if not legit.
You wanna go over my head & call a GSTL/ETL over? Fine, do it.
You're gonna have to work that much harder to get your way. I'm not making it easy.
If spot doesn't care, neither do I.

 

[bigtex]

these people drive me nuts. It has gotten to the point that I know who they are, they know me, and avoid me at all costs. I go over the coupons in great detail when I'm training a new cashier because I can't stand how some people try and scam the system.

I had a guest come in about 2 weeks ago and had over $400 in softlines stuff. everything you could think of, socks, underwear, womens, mens and kids clothes, hats, shoes. Then everything is scanned and bagged and the women handed me a stack of fake coupons. it was at least 100 coupons for all target brand things. $10 off of $11 of Mossimo...yeah right. I told her I would need someone to look over them, My GSTL came over took the stack shoved them back in her face and said "we are not accepting your bogus coupons!" the lady didn't argue. just said she didn't want any of it and walked out. I expect her to be back soon, she tries the stunt every few weeks.
at a gas station here when someone is caught stealing, they take a picture and hang it up in the window. its a nice little shame game they play. I wish we could do the same.

 

[daninnj]

but they let me do this at T-8675309

Are the only things that Target sells in entertainment are cassettes of Tommy Tutone?

 

[GrumpyAP]

these people drive me nuts. It has gotten to the point that I know who they are, they know me, and avoid me at all costs. I go over the coupons in great detail when I'm training a new cashier because I can't stand how some people try and scam the system.

I had a guest come in about 2 weeks ago and had over $400 in softlines stuff. everything you could think of, socks, underwear, womens, mens and kids clothes, hats, shoes. Then everything is scanned and bagged and the women handed me a stack of fake coupons. it was at least 100 coupons for all target brand things. $10 off of $11 of Mossimo...yeah right. I told her I would need someone to look over them, My GSTL came over took the stack shoved them back in her face and said "we are not accepting your bogus coupons!" the lady didn't argue. just said she didn't want any of it and walked out. I expect her to be back soon, she tries the stunt every few weeks.
at a gas station here when someone is caught stealing, they take a picture and hang it up in the window. its a nice little shame game they play. I wish we could do the same.

we've been getting counterfeit coupons for champion (not c9) and Carters (not carter) and Hanes. All are like this, $10 off stuff. They get shut down pretty quick when confronted. We just like to stall the shutdown long enough to get license plate info

 

[thetargetman]

Today I had a woman hand me a stack of coupons that made a good chunk of her stuff free. she was fallowing all the rules and I had to hand write the value on all the coupons. I ended up leaving 10 mins past when I was to leave but I was not going to let her get more off than she should have. security ended up taking the coupons to look them over after it was all said and done.

 

[Interrobang]

I've rung up the same extreme couponer a few times. She would buy close to $200+ worth of stuff and use paper coupons, cartwheel, and multiple $5 off mobile coupons that always rang up "no items available for this coupon" and get her total down to around $5.00. I have no idea what these mobile coupons are for; all I see is "$5 off" on the top of the screen. Whenever the topic of coupons comes up during huddles, we're told to accept anything ("Empower the guests! Accept expired ones! Even if there are no items for the coupon, take it anyway-- we want the guests to feel like they're being taken care of!" blahblahblah).
Has anyone come across these mysterious $5 off mobile coupons and know what they're for? I have a bad feeling about her, but is she actually doing anything wrong?