We went to the dog park today which happens to be next to Target so of course I went right back in to get a few more bags of Alexia!
TARGET: $6.43
2 Bags Sweet Potato Fries $1.99- used (2) $1 coupons
2 bags Alexia fries $2.24- used (2) $1 coupons
Bread Crumbs $1.77
McCormick Seasoning $1.27- Used $1/1 from 4/25 RP
RALEYS: $2.26
Uncrustables $2.99- used Free item coupon
2 bags carrots .49 each
Spinach $1.33
CVS: $1.75
Pampers $8.49- used $3/1 CVS coupon and $2/1 from 3/14 RP= $3.49 (and $1 ECB back!)
2 Oral B Toothbrushes $2.99- used (2) $2/1 coupons= $.99 and got (2) $1 ECB back
I also used a $5 ECB and got $3 ECB back plus an extra $1 ECB for using my bag tag!
After a terrible experience at Rite Aid yesterday it was lovely to go to CVS and get a great deal and get treated nicely at the same time! Love CVS!
So combined with the shopping trip HERE it was pretty much $50 on the nose this week.
What happened at Rite Aid? Usually they are one of my best experiences and easiest to deal with!
What happened at RA and was it the one on Pleasant Grove/Roseville Prkwy?
Yeah I hate that store! That manager is dreadful and I usually go way out to Foothills if I really want to go to RA but I didn’t feel like it yesterday. The little punk cashier told me I was committing fraud for stacking a coupon and as ad perk coupon because they are both “vendor” coupons apparently. I usually don’t feel like arguing so I just left half my purchases. But I did find a $2 cat in the parking lot of Safeway so that perked me right back up.
Oh my gosh,I can’t believe the cashier told you it was fraud! Horrible. At least you “found” $2!
I had a cashier at Target tell me I couldn’t use 2 coupons on 1 item (Target and Mfr). I pulled out my printed coupon policy and told her it was most certainly allowed. Shut her up quickly…lol.
the rite aid on sunrise blvd. and the rite aid off of douglas blvd. in roseville do not allow “stacking” and have also accused me of fraud, not good customer service at all, i’ve stopped shopping at rite aid due to their poor customer service and “new” coupon policy
Jaime that Douglas one is really dreadful. I used to occasionally shop at the one that closed and it was so nasty no wonder the staff was rude. I don’t blame them 🙂
My Rite Aid is pretty bad, well usually the morning crew with the older people are rude. One time, when my purchase was under by like .80 cents or something like that, the cashier basically threw back the $5 off $20 coupon at me. I was like, oh I can fix that and picked up a candy bar. Then handed the coupon back to her. She was not happy. When I tried to do my second transaction with another $5 off $20 coupon, she said that I cannot use it because the coupon said ‘one per person’. But I had my friend with me, so there’s ‘two people’ there. She stopped, glared at me and told me this, “oh I hope you’re using different credit cards”. I was thinking in my head, like that would make a difference? I’ll just pay my friend back…
Oh, I have wanted to go back and tell that cashier at Pleasant Grove/Roseville Parkway store for 2 weeks that she was WRONG! I usually shop there once a week (typically very early on Saturdays) and I had a horrible time there the last time I shopped.
I was told the manager had informed everyone that:
1. You are not allowed to use 2 manufacturer coupons on 2 items in a B1G1 sale (one on each item). They are no longer accepting coupons on the “Free” item.
2. You are not allowed to use the in-ad RA coupons that say anything other than “Valuable Coupon” at the top to stack with a manufacturer coupon.
Of course, I was on my way to work and wasn’t even sure if corporate was in the office that early. So, I tried to reason with her, to NO avail, but she ended up giving me all of my coupons on my items (otherwise, I would have left them). She was very condescending and didn’t understand anything I was trying to tell her. I asked if the policy was a corporate change in the official policy and she was unable to provide any proof or verify her stance. She reiterated that her manager had instructed her.
SO, I was still miffed 2 days later and called corporate, who told me of course they are still standing by the policy we couponers have and that EVERY STORE SHOULD enforce the coupon policy the same, but they have so many stores, it is a challenge to get them all on the same page. Of course, the 2 customer reps I spoke with told me to call them when I am checking out next time (I will certainly plan better) so that they can educate the cashier and/or the manager.
I was told that ANY coupon with the Rite Aid symbol and the RA or RC beginning the bar code was a STACKABLE RITE AID STORE coupon, even if it says “manufacturer coupon” at the top. AND LO AND BEHOLD IN THIS CIRCULAR this week, there is a lovely example printed in their ad on the Band Aid coupon that states it can be used with a manufacturer coupon. It is one of the ones with the “manufacturer coupon” label at top that confuses so many employees!
Plus, of course, I was also told I could use up to 2 coupons (1 store and 1 manufacturer coupon) on each item in a B1G1 sale!
GRRR… I will go out of my way to avoid that particular store in the future since I know it is problematic!
Yeah, I actually don’t even read your rite aid posts because I don’t want to be tempted to shop there anymore…too many bad experiences here in the sacramento area and even after complaining numerous times to the customer service dept I’ve decided to give up and boycott.
I just signed up on the website for the rebates program, but the only Rite Aid near me is the Pleasant Grove store. I think I might just go ahead and stick with CVS (in Lincoln). I love them, and their employees are always so nice!
Well good grief! I had no idea there were so many local readers! How exciting but I better start dressing nicer when I do my shopping trips.
Charlene nothing can beat my experience at Target. I went to Target last Friday to get some weekly deals. I found some items in their trail section which I had coupons for. So I went to checkout with a bunch of trail sized items (5-6). But the cashier there told me that they are not allowed to accept coupons for trail sizes. When I told her that there are no exclusions, she again stressed and told me that no cashiers are allowed to accept coupons on trail sized especially when the coupon amount was more than the total amount of the item. I told her to adjust the coupon amount down to the amount of the item but she seemed to be too scared to do it and called the manager to confirm. When the manager and another girl came over they told the cashier to take it and told me that it was a favor done to me. Seriously? And this was just a small part of the entire experience I had at their checkout lane. I had to checkout the second time as my first cashier and the other girl completely messed up my coupons. So I went to the same manager and told her that I don’t want to pay $34 for something I know I should be coming out of pocket not more that $8-9. She resisted and kept telling me that they did whatever was possible and that the two girls (one cashier and the other girl who came later) would have made sure the coupons were all scanned. When I told here that there is no way I am paying so much and the only option for me is to go to customer care and return all items if she can’t checkout once more, another employee standing next to her volunteered.At this time the manager came with that employee to the customer care desk. Now, this girl starts of by threatening me in high-pitched tone that she will not accept any coupon(which she picked up from my first cashiers desk) that don’t not work, as if earlier some special exception was made to me and I should just pick up all my stuff and run back home paying them $34. I polity said fine as I wanted her to finish off the checkout as quickly as possible as it was already almost more than 25 minutes I was with these ladies. Then she started to take out all the items from my bag. At the end there were a few receipts that were left from my earlier trips and a dirty towel which I accidental had brought from the car. She literally picked up each and every receipt of mine and went through them. Even when I resisted she kept picking each and every receipt left in the bag and read it. She had no reason to go through my personal item. More over she had my current transactions receipt in her hand so going though my earlier receipts made no sense. I can’t even believe some body can do that. Then she starting grilling me over my towel and asked asked me if it was mine or from here, I told it was mine, I took it from her hand and kept it back in the same back along with all the receipts that I took from her. She went back into the bag and picked up the towel to see if there was a tag, kept it bag only to pick it up the THIRD time. I was flabbergasted, Shocked and at this point I was fuming but kept quite. Now remember that the Manager is still standing next to her while I am literally being treating like shit for using coupons and being tainted as a possible thief, but not a single word did she utter. Then the girl started scanning all the items and the corresponding coupons with them. She denied taking my coupons for items on clearance and I promptly took coupons back and told her to keep the item aside. There was one item for which the coupon did not match (obviously my first cashier did not catch it), so I told her to keep it aside, to which the manager smirked and asked this girl “so is she not taking it?”, the girl said no. Another Shocker! At the end I came out of pocket $6.66 instead of $34. I took my stuff and said thank you to the girl and to the manager to which the both replied with a simple Thank you. I was shocked, after making me go through so much neither of them had the courtesy to say sorry. On the contrary the manager had the audacity to smirk and make fun of me when I did not take an item to which my coupon did not apply. They obviously do not understand that a lot of couponers come and shop not because they need something but because of the sheer fun of being able to get things at a lesser rate while making their store a profit too. At this point of time I am completely jaded. I don’t know if it was only because I use coupons or also because I am an India using coupons. For sure I am not going to Target after this unless and until I have in dire straits. It is definitely off my list!
Where did you find the Alexia $1 off coupon? Thanks 🙂
Poor Anu what a terrible trip. I agree I would not go back to that store either! I love Target and CVS but they also treat me so nicely- Target is like my Cheers! I take my business to stores that treat me nicely and I don’t care what I can get for free from the ones that don’t- it isn’t worth the hassle.
My opinion on trial sizes is very unpopular but I never bother with them. It is rare to find a cashier or store that is extra nice when you use coupons on them regardless of what the coupon says. Just my opinion but even a friendly cashier will sort of give you the eye like you are trying to get away with something. I just let them keep the trial and I use coupons to get a full size item free instead ;P
Anu, I am so sorry for you. My two Targets in Sonoma County are wonderful. Some of the managers even have asked me where they can get the great coupons I have. I try to on a regular basis talk to the managers and tell them how grateful I am that in this economy their store is so wonderful with coupons, price matching etc. I also regularly tell them how great their staff is and I always fill out their surveys for free popcorn/drinks. I would report your poor service to corporate.
Citrus Heights/Fair Oaks shopper. Enjoy CVS much better than RA
I’m not exactly local (Butte County), but I work in Roseville 1 day or so a week. Learning which stores adhere to corporate policy takes time… but sometimes you can get a better selection in Roseville than in my small stores locally. Thankfully, for the most part, my local RA has been much better (once I educated the staff with the policy). I would hate to give it up all together. CVS ANYWHERE has thus far been my favorite, and Target is a close second to coupon shop.
Charlene: Thanks for those consoling words. I remember you mentioned about your trail size experience before and how you avoid the whole thing but I just got tempted this time looking at the fully stacked section, usually when I go it’s pretty empty. Also I needed a few items to keep in the car so thought of grabbing some from the trail section. Another thing that I did not mention was that they did not allow me to use 2 Target Seventh Generation coupons on 2 different 7th Generation items in one transaction. The lady told me it is one coupon per transaction as mentioned on the coupon. Never knew that before.
Teresa: I tried to contact the General Manager of the store the same night after coming back home and a couple of times after. Each time they told me that the manager wasn’t available and asked me to leave my number; I have not received any call back. So, yesterday I called the customer care and took their corporate address, I will mail them. Thanks for the advice!
I am in Natomas and both RA and CVS is great here. Wags is really bad though. Last time they told me there are two options and I am free to choose:
1.use a coupon and not get RR or
2.if i want RR i should not use any coupon
I choose not to buy anything and I do not think I am going to be shopping from WAGS again.
PS: Thank you very much Charlene for everything, you are the best!!
Dee, did they say they wouldn’t give you the RR if you used a coupon or that the RR wouldn’t print?
When I was starting couponing and learning the many, many rules at Walgreens I was told many things that simply weren’t true by the cashiers. A lot of them thought if I used RRs in payment, RRs wouldn’t print. Well, that is only true if you are trying to use it on the same item you received the RR from… no rolling RRs usually. Several times I was told I would not get RRs to print and I just smiled and had them do the coupons and RRs and boy, were they surprised when they were shown what they had told me was wrong.
It is a bit of trial and error at first to learn each new store and their rules, but it is great when you understand better than the employees! It often makes your life easier to coupon when you know all the possibilities. That said, Walgreens is not my favorite store since there are SO many rules and not a great printed policy to clear up issues! I do shop there when there are stellar deals.
I think that there are just some stores that are just “bum” stores – or cashiers that are quite uneducated when it comes to coupons. I try to stay away from the Walgreens closest to me. But I found one near my daughter’s college that I stop at when I pick her up 🙂 There are a couple of Rite Aid’s near me that are great! I stopped at one Sunday morning right when they opened, and a manager rang me up. I had used the $5/25 q along with lots of other coupons, and my total was $1.75. He looked at me and said “good job!” So sweet… I wish they all could be like that.
BTW,I’m a Buckeye – waaaay over here in Ohio 🙂
Hi Serafina!
Actually I havent been going to walgreens for couple of months, because of rude and untrained employees but last weeks vitamin deal seemed really good moneymaker. I got one Natures bounty, I had a coupon for $3 off, I paid cash (no other coupons or RRs) and RR did not print. Cashier did not know anything, he called the manager. Then manager came and said what I wrote. She also said by using coupons and asking for RR; I am trying to take advantage of manufacturer two times and it is wrong. So, I just wanted a refund and go..
Interesting. I wonder if that store has their machines set differently? I used coupons at 2 stores over here last week on that deal and had NO problem getting the RR to print.
I definitely say shop at the stores that give decent service and skip the ones that are a pain!
Yep – you better start dressing nicer (LOL)…you are being watched or at least discussed! We talked about you at a homeschool group and how one of the gals reads your blog to always find out the good deals and especially because you live locally. So now I am a fan!
And Mona – I had a similar experience with Target on Pleasant Grove. At the time, I was new at “couponing” so I just bought the product with one Target coupon. I went home read Target policy, printed it and stuck it in my binder. Since I am only minutes from Target, I went back and got both my Target and mfr coupon! Love Target – always get good deals!
Love CVS too and I always seem to get the same clerk that is always nice! And I love the bucks! So much fun!
I sent my husband with coupons to Walmart yesterday and the gal told him that Walmart will match any sale price if you bring the ad in. Plus they always take expired coupons my friend said who is a coupon queen.
So sad about Rite Aid…no wonder it is always dead in there!