internet coupons at Asda

fathertedsfavenun

apologies if this is the wrong place to post this......

Last week when I did my shopping at Asda I took some money off coupons with me - some were off the side of boxes or magazines, some were printed from the internet. The lady on the checkout told me they were no longer allowed to accept coupons if they have been printed from the internet - yet they were pukka coupons from websites. She didn't know why they'd just had a memo saying they weren't allowed any more.

Has anyone else come across this or is it just my Asda (Sutton In Ashfield)? I imagine the companies who promote themselves using money off coupons would be quite annoyed if their customers weren't allowed to use them, might put people off trying their products

Em xx

lexuslass

my mum had no problems using a voucher at the Tamworth store that was printed off the internet for an airwick air freshener last week.

did you actually buy the products that the vouchers were for?

Sorry - I'm only asking that because of this thread that is ongoing on the freebies board:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1201049&highlight=asda

they used to accept any vouchers regardless of whether you purchased the item or not but they have stopped it now.

Or maybe, the cashier at your branch was just being over cautious as apparently the staff have been told that disciplinary action will be taken against them?

lucinad

yes well i had a similar problem at asda last week, i won a hovis loaf and was emailed the voucher which i printed off and tried to use along with a £1 of pampers nappies that i got from a baby website that i joined because i am pregnant. i had a grand total of £2.25 in vouchers and spent £125!!!! cant believe they were querying it. and yes i did buy both product, i would never even try to use a voucher for something i hadnt bought!
anyway the guy at the checkout said that he didnt think they were allowed to take internet vouchers anymore!! so he rang some one else who said she didnt know so she went off to ask someone else anyway she came back and asked how much it was for and then said that it was ok to put them through! i felt like i was being criminal in some way, was awful as there was a few people in the queue behind me by this time, was not a good experience.
i know what you mean though, these are legitimate coupons from legitimate websites, i thought they changed to these new vouchers to stop people getting more than is fair and so be more secure for the shops taking them. think it might be a while before i use any more vouchers at asda anyway

lexuslass

lucinad wrote: »

i would never even try to use a voucher for something i hadnt bought!

Don't get me wrong - I have never used a voucher if I haven't bought the product either... I am just aware that they used to accept them!

brightonman123

perhaps shops are getting fake coupons being haded over (coupon says 50p off, barcodes says more..? till person may not notice difference, if it's busy..)

might be worth printing the whole page that coupon is on (in b/w only, save yer special inks!), and check with info desk if there is one, before shopping..

in an ideal world, they (i would, anyway!) keep a log of enquiries, and adapt their policy accordingly..

otherwise i feel its a poor case of bait and switch (or just deny any money off), leaving people at the till and perhaps too embarrased to kick up a fuss..

:mad:

iliketosave_2

Its not just Asda, i have heard of others doing this.
I had a problem in WHSmith last week. I joined their privilege club where they email you money off vouchers. I used one last week and was almost refused and told they dont accept internet MOC's. It was accepted reluctantly.
Its bad enough being refused but when its their own voucher and club, well words defy me.
I emailed WHS and was told they will contact store manager to advise staff. Also they told me you can print off and use as many times as you like until expiry date, which is good as they do £5 off books costing £10 or more until 31/12/08.

lucinad

lexuslass wrote: »

Don't get me wrong - I have never used a voucher if I haven't bought the product either... I am just aware that they used to accept them!

i dont mind if people do this but for me i think i would just die of embarrassment if they wouldnt take it because i hadnt bought the item... cant really argue back with them not accepting any vouchers even when not purchasing. i know they use to accept any vouchers whether or not but i still wouldnt use them then lol in case alarms screamed out and i was dragged off by security!!!! oh the nightmares that go around in my head!! hee hee

lexuslass

lucinad wrote: »

i dont mind if people do this but for me i think i would just die of embarrassment if they wouldnt take it because i hadnt bought the item...

ooh crikey... same here!

lucinad wrote: »

i still wouldnt use them then lol in case alarms screamed out and i was dragged off by security!!!! oh the nightmares that go around in my head!! hee hee

can you imagine!! If that was going to happen to anyone... it'd be me!! :rotfl:

grannybiker

Will hold my hands up and confess....
I regularly used money-off vouchers when I hadn't bought the product. Indeed I often picked up leaflets etc simply to take advantage of such offers.
All those odd 25p, £1 off etc really added up and made a huge difference to my very limited shopping budget.
To be fair, this was before widespread use of the internet and printing of money-off coupons, although we did get high-value ones on soap packets etc. Back then most supermarkets took all vouchers. The only exceptions were supermarket-issued coupons, where you had to buy the product. Later, some decided to honour others' vouchers as well as their own, but again, only if you bought the product.

I rarely seem to get coupons these days. What's happened to them? All the Tesco clubcard ones have to be used against goods purchased. If you don't buy it, the scanner bleeps at you!

I certainly wouldn't feel embarrassed if the checkout operator refused to accept a coupon when you're bought the product. It is the store who should feel shame at not honouring the deal, particularly the ridiculous case at W H Smith quoted above! Personally I'd ask to see a supervisor to clarify the policy and if they still refused to honour the deal, put the product back. (Then buy it elsewhere if I really wanted it, after making my protest!) But hey, I can do feisty granny with a charming smile so no-one takes offence! I'm also getting too old to feel shame when I don't deserve it!

grannybiker

I think Asda are tightening up their coupon acceptance policy all round, given the number of different threads lately.