Walmart Bans Woman for Life...for Couponing?

Earlier today I read a story online telling that Target and many other retail stores are changing their coupon policies. Sorry but I can't find the story to link it. Basically they are limiting shoppers to only a few coupons each visit. Coupon queens and smart shoppers will find ways around this.

This is my gripe. I went to Wal-mart late this evening to do my monthly grocery shopping. It's 108 degrees in daylight so Wal-mart after dark was my only choice. I selected a line to wait in that I thought would be the shortest only to be dismayed by the woman two people ahead of me. She had a cart full of pens, pencils, markers, and general office supply/school room items. For about 20 percent of the items she had coupons. She made sure the cashier understood the value of each coupon. For the remaining items she had dozens and dozens of sales papers apparently showing lower advertised prices from competing stores. As you can imagine this checkout took forever. I didn't have much choice of moving to another cashier so I just dealt with it best I could.

If people want to use 100000000000 coupons stores need to have a checkout line dedicated to them only. The cashier needs extra training to handle any potential scammers. Time is money and I don't want to waste it standing in line at Walmart or anywhere else.

Originally posted by hadriana
reply to post by Cito

 

That does not sound like the official policy, I'll check.

When I go over 50.00 it locks their register down and they have to get a manager to insert a key to override it.
They know me so it's not a big problem usually.

I tell people behind me that I'm using coupons that they might want to find a new register, but most don't.
While it might upset some that my transactions are slow, it really upsets ME when the person behind me TRIES to ask questions while I am trying to watch my totals come down. I mean, it really ticks me off. And I don't like attention- you'd never catch me on a tv show. Let me rephrase that - I HATE attention.

Yep- the policy has NOT changed- if your store is saying you can't use more than 50.00 worth of coupons, you should write and complain. They are interpreting the policy to make the manager's job easier. Bleh
walmartstores.com...

Trust me it has changed in my area, I've seen 2 refused at walmart and there are printouts and fliers all over the store windows and checkout aisles. And Publix as well, our local newspaper speculated that rest of the grocery stores by the end of the year will have strict coupon limits. And Harvey's grocery store in town has went as far as to not just limit the total dollar mount but X amount of coupons. So they could say ok we'll take 10 or 20 coupons and no more per person.

Store owners really hate how the reality show has lied to lot of people and they come in with massive stacks of coupons only to get turned away. I see it every week I go shopping couponers getting turned away or being told "honey this aint television we only take 1 of each, up to x amount"

reply to post by jude11


Your assuming the coupons were printed by the store, however they werent. Coupons are from the manufacturer. Walmart puts their items on sale, but I have never seen a coupon issued by walmart.

What you are describing is bait and switch, which would be illegal based on certain criteria. However, in this case walmart is telling the lady she is not welcome in the store, which is not illegal. If she wants to buy an item and use only 1 coupon im sure it would not have caused an issue.

The other thing is we are only getting one side of the story. It says she inquired as to why their policy changed. She doesnt go into detail though about her tone / attitude though. I am going to go out on a limb and say her behavior while "questioning" the policy change might be the reason she was banned.

Originally posted by Sanity Lost
For the remaining items she had dozens and dozens of sales papers apparently showing lower advertised prices from competing stores. As you can imagine this checkout took forever. I didn't have much choice of moving to another cashier so I just dealt with it best I could.

If people want to use 100000000000 coupons stores need to have a checkout line dedicated to them only. The cashier needs extra training to handle any potential scammers. Time is money and I don't want to waste it standing in line at Walmart or anywhere else.

She was price matching Staples' sale. They have a lot of school supplies for a penny this week.
Blame the store, they set the pollicies and should keep the lines short even if everyone takes advantage of their policies to the upmost extent.

Originally posted by Xcathdra
reply to post by jude11

 

What you are describing is bait and switch, which would be illegal based on certain criteria. However, in this case walmart is telling the lady she is not welcome in the store, which is not illegal. If she wants to buy an item and use only 1 coupon im sure it would not have caused an issue.

The other thing is we are only getting one side of the story. It says she inquired as to why their policy changed. She doesnt go into detail though about her tone / attitude though. I am going to go out on a limb and say her behavior while "questioning" the policy change might be the reason she was banned.

One thing I HAVE experienced is Walmart putting coupon pads out in stores, or demos with coupons being given out, then not wanting to honor the coupons. (For no good reason other than it wasn't keyed in the computer system and so it beeped, and the cashier could not read to figure it out.) (Literacy is only about 70% in my area and I know it when I see it.)

But the lady really wasn't doing anything wrong with coupons. SHe was pricematching and using coupons, which they DO allow. What they do NOT allow is video taping in the store, and yes, she had an attitude and was coming across like she was trying to make a scene and catch it on tape so she could put it on youtube or something. The Walmart manager tried to shut her camera and she went ballistic.

It was much more about the video taping than the coupons.

reply to post by Cito


Oh I believe you, but I'm telling you - I posted the OFFICIAL CORPORATE POLICY and that IS the policy, period.
It does NOT say you can't use more than 50.00 worth, and if your store is trying to tell you it iS, then corporate needs to know about it. Drop them a line.

50.00 needs manager's approval. That means a manager has to come eyeball you and look at the coupons you are giving. It does not mean that they can't or won't take them.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


I have a couple friends that do couponing, they get $200 to $300 worth of stuff for around $100. The store get reimbursed from the manufacturer, so i do not understand what is the issue. Guess your store should not promises it cannot keep.

Originally posted by littletheif203
reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

 

I have a couple friends that do couponing, they get $200 to $300 worth of stuff for around $100. The store get reimbursed from the manufacturer, so i do not understand what is the issue. Guess your store should not promises it cannot keep.

For some strange reason some people on this thread can't seem to comprehend your last two sentences.
Maybe there really wal mart corporate workers maybe not.

Oh god no...Please you crazy couponers, don't ruin it for the rest of us!! I use coupons twice a month, about 15 to 20 different coupons each time. I clip them, then I match them with sale items at a store that doubles coupons under a dollar. I end up saving anywhere from 20 to 40 bucks a month, and get some name brand items for a change instead of the cheaper store brand crap.

For the last year i have been watching the price of groceries climb little by little each month. Lettuce is up around 2 bucks a head, almost a full dollar more. In the last 2 months the lowest price for a bag of frozen french fries went from 2 dollars, to 2.50, and this week the lowest price of all the brands is 3 dollars!

I understand that people have the right to clip 25 coupons for 1 dollar off of mustard, and find a store selling it for a dollar, and then get 25 free bottles of mustard.

I understand the stores aren’t really losing out.

I'm just afraid the manufactures will stop printing the valuable coupons that i depend on to help me feed my family.

And for the people who get all jacked off when a working mother of 3 whips out 20 coupons....You need to find an uppity grocery store where wealthy people shop, or find the patients to stand there an extra ONE OR TWO MINUTES without sighing and whining!!

And I guess I feel that the stores.... don’t have to let people take advantage of a system set up to help people struggling to feed their families, and are instead lining their GIANT pantries with stupid shat they don't even need!! If you came into my store, I’d ban you too.

My question is how do you get banned from Wal Mart. Does an alarm go off when you cross their threshold? I could see maybe one store if you are well known in there but every store? How is that even possible to enforce? I mean is there like TSA watchlist for Wal Mart? IF so, we have bigger problems then just extreme couponing here people.

Originally posted by Xcathdra

Originally posted by pcrobotwolf
reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

 

F@Ck walmart they pay there employees crap wages ! OOO poor big arse multinational corporation cant handle a lady who uses coupons. They make billions off us This lady should sue them! Any other business i would say sorry lady but walmart is another story.

There is no grounds for a lawsuit.. Walmart is a private company and can do business with whomever they choose. Not sure why that concept is so difficult for some of you to understand.

There is grounds for false advertisement. They say we accept coupons but here a lady tries to use them and gets banned.

What kind of amateurs bother with coupons anyway? It's the 21st century, just ring x maker of x product and say you found a wasp in your bag of chips and they'll send you boxes of free stuff.

It's ridiculously easy, to the point you could fill your kitchen after a day on the phone.

Everytime I've rang up about a faulty good I've never once been asked to provide evidence, they seemingly take you at your word

reply to post by wardk28


I knew someone would beat me to this observation - it's not like WalMart is any Casino in Atlantic City or Las Vegas where they have enough expensive security and databases to enforce a ban. Licensed professions enforce bans all the time through regulation -but customers? You're 100% spot-on about the level of security needed to enforce a ban even at a single walmart much less the 20 or so in my immediate vicinity or throughout their corporate empire. (muuaaahhaahaha)

ganjoa

Originally posted by Bixxi3

Originally posted by littletheif203
reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

 

I have a couple friends that do couponing, they get $200 to $300 worth of stuff for around $100. The store get reimbursed from the manufacturer, so i do not understand what is the issue. Guess your store should not promises it cannot keep.

For some strange reason some people on this thread can't seem to comprehend your last two sentences.
Maybe there really wal mart corporate workers maybe not.

Sorry little sleep right now. what i was saying is the the store gets the money back from the coupon's manufacturer, and that Wal-mart should not make promises that they are not willing to keep.

IMO stupid...

I like coupons but I'm horrible at remembering them

I know couponing is the "in" thing now however coupons have always been there. I remember my mom having a coupon box. I know with the Internet now coupling is easier but I highly doubt one woman will bring walmart down.

If they don't want people couponing then stop making them!! You can't punish someone for using something you made or contracted with another company over. I've seen some good deals with coupons and if I remember them I use them!

I used to go shopping with a friend of mine who started getting into extreme couponing thanks to that show. Every time she goes shopping now it's a huge hassle and there's always some sort of verbal argument with the cashier/manager/etc. So we don't go shopping anymore lol

I have nothing against coupons and use them time to time but I don't care to be extreme with it. I don't have that much time to dedicate either.

I'll never be able to get my head around this extreme couponing business. Maybe because it's not so prevalent here. Whats the deal with it? Why go nuts buying up stuff you wouldn't ordinarily buy? - And if they do what do they do with it, sell it on?

I more or less buy the same stuff week in, week out - My eyes constantly on the bargains, but my eyes tend to be on the things I need and will not waste.

Originally posted by wardk28
My question is how do you get banned from Wal Mart. Does an alarm go off when you cross their threshold? I could see maybe one store if you are well known in there but every store? How is that even possible to enforce? I mean is there like TSA watchlist for Wal Mart? IF so, we have bigger problems then just extreme couponing here people.

I got removed from Sainsbury's once for being tipsy in charge of a shopping trolley.
Apparently giggling over a finger of fudge is an offence.

Originally posted by Dance4Life
reply to post by Tharsis

 

Most definately is. I agree.

It is rather sick. Plus, it is like, "Hurry the **** up already up there in line!" I hate slow people in line. That goes for you out there as well, shuffling through your change for 5 mins after you have had plenty of time to plan

I like to get in the store, get my stuff, and get the heck out and fast. I'm not into shopping for long periods of time.
Florescent lighting makes me feel bad too.

Originally posted by wardk28
My question is how do you get banned from Wal Mart. Does an alarm go off when you cross their threshold? I could see maybe one store if you are well known in there but every store? How is that even possible to enforce? I mean is there like TSA watchlist for Wal Mart? IF so, we have bigger problems then just extreme couponing here people.

I shouldn't joke about this, but it's probably a signal that goes out to someone in charge in the walmart, from the RFID chips you are either wearing from walmart clothes, etc.