Archived Manufacturer coupon discrepancies?

[targetarget]

Kind of a silly question here that I assume might have different answers according to different opinions...Lately it seems as if we have a lot of "couponers" coming in. Many times they will have manufacturer coupons that have a set amount to take off, which is normally several (5 or even more) dollars above the actual price of the item. These items are also small household items that cost only a few dollars to begin with.

So what I was shown to do is to look up the item's price and do a manual coupon entry for an amount no larger than the price of the item, therefore making it free. Is this the correct way to go about it? I read through another thread on here that also suggested writing the amount on the coupon so that Target can be reimbursed appropriately. Correct?

My other question is - if the coupon has no size listed, can it be used for any size? For example, if the coupon has a picture of a clearly full sized bottle of shampoo but has nothing listed, can it be used on a travel sized bottle of the exact same item? I.E. what I'm running into is the coupon is for $7.00 off whatever item, which only costs $1.00 because its a travel size but the guest is positive that I should make the coupon for more than just the $1.00.

I just want to tie up loose ends of training so I don't have to rely on waiting for help when these sorts of things come up.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/2851-Silly-Coupon-Question
dont take them on travel size.

 

[lovecats]

Most coupons for free products will specify on the coupon "not on trial size". You'd be surprised (but then again maybe not) the number of people that will try anyway.

 

[redeye58]

Even if no size is specified, they can only get the item free (retail price). They can NOT get more off than the retail price. Our coupon policy even states this (see target.com>coupon policy). If they tender a $7 off coupon for a $2 item, you manually enter it as a $2 coupon (K4 discount, choose store or manf coupon & enter the amt).
If a guest becomes insistant, call your GSTL over.
Our policy also states that Target reserves the right to refuse any coupon.

 

[3LetterDevil]

Honestly, I don't see why manufacturers don't let couponers use "free item" coupons on trial sizes....if you think about it, they're "losing" the LEAST amount of $$ by giving away a trial size rather than a full size item...

OP, you are correct, though, if the coupon is for $7 and the item costs LESS than $7, you adjust it down to the price of the item. It clearly states in our coupon policy that we do not allow for "overages":


coupon policy

Coupons are a great way to save even more when shopping with us, and it's easy to use them at our stores. When accepting coupons, we follow the guidelines below.
Target stores coupon policy

Manufacturer and Target Coupons:
•Target accepts one Manufacturer Coupon and one Target Coupon for the same item (unless prohibited by either coupon).
•We reserve the right to accept, refuse, or limit the use of any coupon.
•Limit of 4 identical coupons per household, per day (unless otherwise noted on coupon).
•All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier during checkout.
•Item purchased must match the coupon description (brand, size, quantity, color, flavor, etc.).
•Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.
•We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.
•All applicable sales taxes are paid by the guest at the full value of the item.
•These guidelines apply to all coupons accepted at Target (Color Checkout Coupons, Internet Coupons, •Mobile Coupons, Mailed Coupons, Coupons from Newspapers and Magazines, etc.).

Internet (Print-at-Home) Coupons:
•We gladly accept valid internet coupons that contain a clear and scannable bar code.
•We do not accept internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements.

Mobile Coupons:
•Guests can receive Target Mobile Coupons by signing up for Text Alerts at Target.com/mobile or by texting COUPONS to 827438 (TARGET).
•Message and data rates may apply. See site for full details.
•To redeem, simply show your coupon barcode to the cashier. With one simple scan, all applicable coupons are applied.

Buy One Get One Free Coupons (BOGO):
•BOGO coupons cannot be combined (i.e. you cannot use two BOGO coupons on two items and get both for free). Unless stated otherwise on the coupon, the use of one Buy One Get One Free coupon requires that two of the valid items are presented at checkout of which one item will be charged to the guest and the 2nd item will be discounted by its full retail price.
•A second cents-off coupon of the same type cannot be redeemed towards the purchase price of the first item.
•If a Target BOGO coupon is used, one additional manufacturer coupon may be used on the first item.
•If a Manufacturer BOGO coupon is used, one additional Target coupon may be used on the first item.

Returns:
•Returns of items purchased using Manufacturer Coupons may receive coupon value returned in the form of a Target GiftCard.

Exclusions:
•Coupons are void if copied, scanned, transferred, purchased, sold, prohibited by law, or appear altered in any way.
•We regularly monitor the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) website for counterfeit coupons. We do not accept counterfeit coupons.
•We can't accept coupons from other retailers, or coupons for products not carried in our stores.
•Some items may not be available at all stores.
•We do not accept expired coupons.
•We do not accept Canadian coupons in our US stores.



****I didn't realize the policy changed to "4 identical coupons per day"??? Good to know....

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It was reported here last month, on qty change. Has the mobile coupon, impacted sales at the pharmacy?

 

[mrknownothing]

OP, you are correct, though, if the coupon is for $7 and the item costs LESS than $7, you adjust it down to the price of the item. It clearly states in our coupon policy that we do not allow for "overages":
[...]
•Coupon amount may be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied.
•We can't give cash back if the face value of a coupon is greater than the purchase value of the item.

I was told not to adjust manufacturer's coupons, as Target would still be reimbursed by the manufacturer for the full value of the coupon. When using a manufacturer's coupon and a Target coupon together for the same item (assuming both coupons are correctly matched with the item), scan the manufacturer's coupon first, and if the Target coupon would result in an overage, the Target coupon is automatically adjusted when it gets scanned.

****I didn't realize the policy changed to "4 identical coupons per day"??? Good to know....

I believe this started with the last upgrade to the POS software. (Or maybe it existed before, but the POS didn't know...)

 

[calimero]

There several coupons buy one get one free that are autodeducting the maximum amount even if the product was for less ! I changed the amount ,but the guest threw a hissy fit because an another cashier had not changed the price in her previous trip !
This one was for shampoo!!! Herbal or pantene !!!

 

[redeye58]

I changed the amount ,but the guest threw a hissy fit because an another cashier had not changed the price in her previous trip!

That was then, this is now.
I don't perpetuate the mistakes of others.

 

[mrknownothing]

There several coupons buy one get one free that are autodeducting the maximum amount even if the product was for less!

Sadly, the POS doesn't give us a way to avoid that. See this thread: http://www.thebreakroom.org/showthread.php/2851-Silly-Coupon-Question

 

[Retail Girl]

There several coupons buy one get one free that are autodeducting the maximum amount even if the product was for less ! I changed the amount ,but the guest threw a hissy fit because an another cashier had not changed the price in her previous trip !
This one was for shampoo!!! Herbal or pantene !!!

Funny, I was changing the amounts down, and the GSA got after me about it! There are days, I tell ya...

 

[mrknownothing]

Funny, I was changing the amounts down, and the GSA got after me about it! There are days, I tell ya...

But I'll bet if you leave them alone, that GSA will get after you about not changing them.

 

[Retail Girl]

But I'll bet if you leave them alone, that GSA will get after you about not changing them.

Yep...this GSA will do anything she can to tell me what I'm doing wrong. Thankfully we don't work together much.

 

[redeye58]

*pats Retail Girl on the shoulder & gives her one of TargetAnnie's fresh-baked cookies*
I worked with "one of those", too....

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Gives a beer to red & Annie off the clock, passion tea to rg before they close.

 

[ThatAPguy]

I would suggest showing the coupons to AP even if you already accepted them. Especially when it's for things like $8 off of an item that is $4. Or just looks strange to you. There are a ridiculous amount of counterfiet coupons out now. We can check the coupon information center (CIC) for counterfiet coupon alerts. They post probably 5-10 new counterfeits daily and Target gets nothing for the entire amount from the manufacturers for these.

 

[ThatAPguy]

One last tip is for coupons for free items, like a 12 pack of coke, most companies now will have a hologram on them that is a long strip with little circles that say CIC. Most major manufacturers such as P&G, Johnson and Johnson, Coke, etc. always use this hologram for any free item with no purchase requirements. My store accepted quite a few Iams dog food free coupons (up to $40) in the past few months which were fakes.

 

[Retail Girl]

As I remember, the rule on free item coupons is that we cannot take them if they are from the Internet and do not have a purchase requirement with them...which helps some, too.

 

[mrknownothing]

There several coupons buy one get one free that are autodeducting the maximum amount even if the product was for less ! I changed the amount ,but the guest threw a hissy fit because an another cashier had not changed the price in her previous trip !
This one was for shampoo!!! Herbal or pantene !!!

So I asked my GSTL about this, and she said it's a glitch in the POS software from one of the recent upgrades. She told me we're supposed to enter the coupons manually (K4 for Discount + K2 for Manufacturer's Coupon) even though it won't be tied to the item.

 

[HardlinesFour]

One last tip is for coupons for free items, like a 12 pack of coke, most companies now will have a hologram on them that is a long strip with little circles that say CIC. Most major manufacturers such as P&G, Johnson and Johnson, Coke, etc. always use this hologram for any free item with no purchase requirements. My store accepted quite a few Iams dog food free coupons (up to $40) in the past few months which were fakes.

My store lost a TON of money to those iams Coupons..

What I don't understand is, how to these coupons even scan through?

 

[redeye58]

My store lost a TON of money to those iams Coupons..

What I don't understand is, how to these coupons even scan through?

They are either d-coded or they don't scan but (thanx to "the Vibe") GSTLs/LODs will tell the cashier to accept them.

 

[ThatAPguy]

My store lost a TON of money to those iams Coupons..

What I don't understand is, how to these coupons even scan through?

Usually they take the bar code from a legit manufacturer free coupon (say the Iams free bag of dog food). There are plenty of free bar code writing programs online so I punch in the #'s from the bar code and it gives me a pic of the bar code that I can then paste on to whatever fake coupon template I want to and print 1000 copies to sell on ebay. That's why I say always look for the CIC hologram. I explain it like this to all TM's: A $20 bill, travelers check, and personal checks all have security features... So why wouldn't a coupon for a free $20 item? The manufacturer pays us $20 for that coupon. So think of the coupon like cash, then tell me if you think it's suspicious looking. That's usually when you see the light bulb in their head turn on and hear "yeah that makes sense."