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So, today I went to Family Dollar to use the $3/2 printable coupons for Suave Deodorant, to get them FREE that I told you about a few days ago. I bought everything I needed and left for another store, once I was leaving that store I looked down and still had the coupons for the deodorant! I had forgotten to get them, so I go back – I am making it sound worse than it is, they are actually in the same parking lot! :-)
I got my 4 deodorants, which were $1.75 regular price each at my store, making them $.25 each, not FREE. I get in line, I give the cashier my coupons after she rings the deodorant up. They Beep! Uh-Oh – here we go! She tries again, they Beep! So, she gets the deodorant out of the bag and checks to make sure I bought the right thing, size, name, it all matches… She tries again – they Beep! Then, she calls over the manager on duty. He looks at them and says “We don’t take internet printed coupons.” Well, I know many of you have already done this at your stores, so I knew they worked. So, I told him, “I know other people have done this deal with these coupons”, he said “Well, they shouldn’t have taken them, because we don’t take internet coupons.” So, I thank them both and tell them I don’t want the deodorant and leave.
I come home and look up the coupon policy, again, to make sure I am right. The Family Dollar Coupon Policy is to take internet printed coupons. So, I call the store and speak to the gentleman who told me they don’t take them. I ask if the policy had recently changed, and he said “We have never taken internet coupons.” So, I tell him I am reading their website and it says they do, my coupons met all of the requirements for internet printed coupons. He gives me his store manager’s number – Barbara.
I call Barbara and leave a message explaining the situation telling her I would still like to use them. Barbara calls me back within minutes, I was surprised! She had gotten my message, contacted her District Manager, and called me back! In minutes! She was quick to resolve the issue. We discussed if they met the requirements or not, then she called the store and told them to go ahead and take them She did say, however, that her District Manager said, if they Beep – they don’t have to take them. Keep that in mind.
So, I tell my husband I am going back to the store, he looks at the coupons and reminds me they have 2 barcodes and maybe they just need to cover the one. Oh, Good Point! So, I go back to the store, the cashier has the deodorant ready for me and she tries to scan the coupons again, she even folded them over so they only had the correct barcode showing and they Beeped!
So, the Manager on Duty came over and assisted her in taking off the correct amount (although, I think she knew how, but, he was telling her anyway! 🙂 – Men! lol) She was very nice and very helpful from the beginning, she tried to determine why they wouldn’t scan and asked for help from her Manager on Duty, she was great!
After I left I called Barbara to let her know that they were very helpful and everything went well, how I appreciated it and to have a great weekend!
So, the coupon lesson, I promised? The same one I always try to instill – “You catch more flies with honey, than you do with vinegar!” If I had been mad, frustrated – and frustrating – they would have NOT been so willing to resolve the issue and I may have had to go all the way to the District Manager myself!
I totally get how frustrating it can be sometimes – can anyone say Wal-Mart? But, storming out just raises your blood pressure and makes it hard for a cashier to look kindly at any couponer again! So, think about us all (the couponing community) the next time you have an opportunity – because there will be another opportunity – to choose – because it is a choice – to Be Nice or Be Nasty! Which will benefit you and the rest of us?
Paula says
I always have trouble with internet coupons at family dollar they always beep so I calmly ask for the coupon back and do not purchase that item there. Then I use the coupon at walmart they use the hand scanner but it does work. My walmart seems to use the hand scanner for every internet coupon and they always work
Dian says
@Paula: Thanks! That’s good to know. I wonder why they don’t work at Family Dollar? She tried hard to make it work.
Oh well, it’s nice to know, though, that the hand scanner can make a difference, good to keep in mind!
Thanks again!
Dian
Jennifer says
I went to Family Dollar today also to use the same Suave deodorant coupon. The cashier had to ask her manager if she could use them. Apparently there have been counterfeit coupons. This is the first time I have used a coupon at family dollar. I am a new coupon user. The first coupon scanned fine. The second one beeped. The cashier figured out she had to ring the second coupon on a separate transaction. It worked. At my store they were on sale for $1.50. I got out of there just paying the tax. Took a few minutes but worth it. Thanks for all the coupon tips!
Dian says
@Jennifer: You’re welcome and Good For You!
Thanks!
Dian
Jme (lol) says
Dian,
I did this at the Dollar General on Mid Cities in Watauga. They went through fine and they were on sale for $1.50 each. I bought 8 and used my coupons. They went through fine, however the woman did comment that most had not been going through. I don’t know how you print yours, but I always do mine in color. It seems to help. I only print the ones I know I will use.
Jme
Dian says
@Jme (lol): Yeah, Jamie,
Mine were in color, too and I looked to be sure they were very clear and dark. I don’t know what it was, but, oh well I get them for $.25 each, not bad!
Dian
Oh now, I get it… J Me cute! You’re so silly! lol
Jme (lol) says
I figure since there is two Jamie’s maybe more lol I would spell it the way I spelt it most my life lol
Dian says
@Jme (lol): Works for me!
Dian
Tanaka says
I did mine in Austin, Tx and it beep too but she jus did it manually snd jus took three dollars off the total because they were on sale 2/2.50. She said that it was a new coupon and haven put it in the computer yet. And I told her thank you and that was very nice of her. IN AND OUT IS MY MOTTO!!! LOL
Dian says
@Tanaka: Great motto! It’s funny the District Manager told me once that all the prices should be the same and so far we have seen them: $1.50, $1.75 and now 2/$2.50!
It was nice of the cashier to do that for you and of you to thank her!! That might be the explanation, maybe she’s right!
Thanks!
Dian
ann says
Thats a great info for me 🙂 thanks or sharing your experience. It happened to me last week at Meijer for Crystal deal with 12 pack water Free! Where I didn’t get my free bottled water! I really learnt a lot form this article. Thank you.
.-= ann´s last blog ..Dinner Served on a Palm Leaf Plate =-.
Dian says
@ann: Thanks! I try to share as much info as possible to make things easier for everyone!
Thanks!
Dian
Sarah's Deals says
Great job handling this!
The manager at my local store and I concluded that the problem is most likely due to the fact that the computer is trying to only attach the coupon to 1 of the items, not 2. So it thinks that the coupon value is higher than the price of the product(s).
As they did for you, they can override it and they do it often around here.
.-= Sarah’s Deals´s last blog ..Sephora: $5 Smashbox Lip Gloss! ($10.95 with shipping) =-.
Dian says
@Sarah’s Deals: Thanks for sharing! Hadn’t thought of that!
Thanks!
Dian