The Customer is Always Right...

...except if she's using coupons! I rarely have trouble using coupons. It's not worth the time and effort to get up a great scenario only to have it ruined when the cashier tells you your coupon is only valid on the 6.0 ounce toothpaste, not the 4.0 ounce tube. why is she being so difficult?? Well, it's not really her, per say, but the advancement of computers. Now, registers will select the product the coupon is valid for, and link them together. Not that you would intentionally try to pull one over, but it's hard to do these days!

So why do I bring all this up? No, I didn't try to use a coupon for an item I didn't have, I merely wanted to get some good deals with the coupons I DO have for the items that match them.

Let me start off by saying I NEVER have issues at CVS. I have respected the cashiers telling me "no", until I have learned the ropes, and they know that. So my transactons always go smooth as silk. Until Friday night.

I asked if I could use a Walgreens coupon from the Easy Saver on the SoBe water at CVS. The manager (in the office), yells 'NO!". We don't take ANYTHING from Walgreens. Well, considering they are RIGHT ACROSS the street, maybe you should. So I said okay, well, I have manufacturer's coupons from tearpads at Walgreens I'll use. MANUFACTURER'S coupons. Well, they say Walgreens on them, not only valid at Walgreens, just "Walgreens" printed on them. The cashier scanned them, and theywent through just fine, but wait, it says Walgreen...

So she calls over a- manager?? I don'tknow if she was the maager or not, but the lady refused my coupons. She commented, tese are copies anyway. Um, NO. I'm not committing coupon fraud over 40 cents and 3 ECBs. THEN she starts looking through my other coupons. These are are copies, too. I said, "you are allowed to take those. I verified it with CS. If they scan, they are valid. I shop here once or twice a week. the cashiers know me, and I am NOT going to risk being able to shop here for 40 cents! You have a great rewards program, and I want to be able to take advanatge of that. NOT take advantage of you." She just says, Hmmm, then gets to my Excedrin coupon and my CVS Excedrin coupon:

"You can't use these together."
"Yes, I can. One is a store coupon, and one is a manufacturer's coupon."
"Well, this one says "do not double". If you use them together, that's doubling."
(laughing on the inside). "No, that's not doubling. If you doubled that one to $4, that's doubling. The CVS one is for $3, so together they are $5. I'm stacking them, not doubling. CVS allows that."
"Well, I just don't think you can do that. And THIS one is a copy."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? So I said, "forget it. I'm not getting any of this stuff." I looked at the cashier, apologized for wasting her time, then looked at the "manager" and said. I have NEVER had any trouble with using coupons. I am familiar with the coupon policy here, and I follow it. I will just call customer care on Monday, and we'll get it straightened out."

Then I realized my CVS papertowel coupon was expiring the next few days. I'll be out of town, and they are FREE, so I went back inside to get them. The cashier apologized and said the other lady is from out-of-town and won't be here long. I told her I understand them being cautious, but like I said, 40 cents isn't worth it. No biggie, I'll be back!

So avoid this trouble. How? Take the following steps prior to coupon shopping...

1. Be sure the item stated on the coupon is the item you are buying.
2. Check the expiration date! This is a minor detail that often gets overlooked, but most registers will catch it, or the cashier will.
3. Email the store you frequent and get their coupon policy. I would even print it out and keep it in your coupon binder.
4. Keep transactions small, if possible, so not to overwhelm you or the cashier when using so many coupons.
5. Make a list of the items you are buying, with prices and even coupon amount you are using. this comes in very handy when working up scenarios.

I knew the coupons I was using and the items I was getting matched up. I knew I was in the right. But me walking out and refusing to buy ANYTHING when I was given a hard time struck a cord with the troublesome lady. She started to back pedel, and I refused to buy anything. When I went back in to get the papertowels, I just said, I know this coupon is okay, I got it here!

And if you need help with all this coupon stuff at CVS, you'll want to visit The Thrifty Mama's site on how to shop CVS. NOW is a great time to start because she is starting from the ground up!! Take a look HERE.

Thanks for hearing my vent, and GOOD LUCK!