Some voucher users branded thieves by industry body

Former_MSE_Guy

This thread is to discuss the following news story:

Some voucher users branded thieves by industry body

icefall

Thats a bit strong isnt it.

What about when the retailers routinely overcharge?

I am not saying either is ok to do,but retailers cannot brand ordinary people criminals I think.

EDIT oops manufacturers - not retailers I meant

Princess_Coupon

I agree that photocopied/fraudulent coupons is illegal, but if you are using in date legitimate coupons in Tesco for eg, and following their policy handing them over to an SA who is aware you have not purchased the products, I don't see anything illegal or fraudulent in that. The consumer has no idea or responsibility for what a supermarket does with it after they hand it over, they currently accept Morrisons £5 off a £30 spend I don't think they are asking Morrison's for the money.

Princess_Coupon

icefall wrote: »

Thats a bit strong isnt it.

What about when the retailers routinely overcharge?

I am not saying either is ok to do,but retailers cannot brand ordinary people criminals I think.

It's not the retailers it's the manufacturer that are slandering consumers.

sharica

We would not need to use coupons if we could claim all our shopping on "Expenses" :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::j:j:j

pinkprincedss1980

sharica wrote: »

We would not need to use coupons if we could claim all our shopping on "Expenses" :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::j:j:j

Or if the manufacturers and supermarkets didn't charge sky high prices for products lol :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

jenniewb

Quote from article:
Shoppers who use money-off vouchers for the wrong item are shoplifters, according to a trade body representing some supermarket and high street manufacturers.

Would seem to me that supermarkets are saying this, not just manufaturers.

I think its more obvious when you witness others in the supermarket getting around 90% off a £100 bill after using coupons when they have not bought a single product (The women was talking to me at the bus stop and let me know this- seemed very proud of her £90 'saving'). To me, thats abuse. May be money saving, but its still abuse (abuse being termed using something incorrectly, To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.)

I am in no way the law maker on this, this is just my opinion. If you use the coupon, buy the item. I always get questioned if I am using a coupon. So I always buy the said item. I guess others don't get asked? So if your not asked, its likely that they trust you to have purchased the item. Trust is a gift in that sense. Why lie?

Or unless are there parts of Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Morrisons...etc websites that say you can use the vouchers without having bought the items- ie Tesco allowing the Morrisons £5 off voucher. But have not seen a web page from them saying you can use any voucher from anywhere without having bought the item first

COUPON_GIRL

Sorry I think you have been misinformed, it is Tesco policy to accept a coupon when you haven't purchased the product. This coupons are not smuggled in, the shopper is not trusted to have bought the product, but both the customer and the supermarket are aware that the product has not been purchased.

jenniewb wrote: »

Quote from article:
Shoppers who use money-off vouchers for the wrong item are shoplifters, according to a trade body representing some supermarket and high street manufacturers.

Would seem to me that supermarkets are saying this, not just manufaturers.

I think its more obvious when you witness others in the supermarket getting around 90% off a £100 bill after using coupons when they have not bought a single product (The women was talking to me at the bus stop and let me know this- seemed very proud of her £90 'saving'). To me, thats abuse. May be money saving, but its still abuse (abuse being termed using something incorrectly, To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.)

I am in no way the law maker on this, this is just my opinion. If you use the coupon, buy the item. I always get questioned if I am using a coupon. So I always buy the said item. I guess others don't get asked? So if your not asked, its likely that they trust you to have purchased the item. Trust is a gift in that sense. Why lie?

Or unless are there parts of Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Morrisons...etc websites that say you can use the vouchers without having bought the items- ie Tesco allowing the Morrisons £5 off voucher. But have not seen a web page from them saying you can use any voucher from anywhere without having bought the item first

Dr.Who-Who

jenniewb wrote: »

May be money saving, but its still abuse (abuse being termed using something incorrectly, To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.)

I am in no way the law maker on this, this is just my opinion.

Or unless are there parts of Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Morrisons...etc websites that say you can use the vouchers without having bought the items- ie Tesco allowing the Morrisons £5 off voucher. But have not seen a web page from them saying you can use any voucher from anywhere without having bought the item first

Thank goodness you are not my T manager & therefore, your opinion does not affect my T stores. Nobody is forcing consumers to use or the retailers to take the coupons. You may be filthy rich & you don't need all these coupons but there are ppl out there who needs it.

Well said Martin :-

Martin Lewis, creator of MoneySavingExpert.com, says: "The ISP is rightly trying to protect its members. That’s its job, in the same way MSE's purpose is to show consumers how to save money.

"Yet to equate asking a supermarket to accept a voucher, even if you’re not buying the product, with shoplifting, is like saying Lewis Hamilton’s F1 driving breaks speeding laws. Afterall, nothing is hidden, there's nothing deceitful. It's a type of haggling.
"As far as consumers are concerned, the transaction is with the retailer and if the retailer accepts their method of payment, that's the end of it.
While it’s understandable manufacturers are unhappy if supermarkets then ask them for cash, that’s an issue between the two of them, and nothing to do with the consumer.
"For years, supermarkets have offered to accept vouchers they haven’t issued."

Coupon-mad

jenniewb wrote: »

Or unless are there parts of Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Morrisons...etc websites that say you can use the vouchers without having bought the items- ie Tesco allowing the Morrisons £5 off voucher. But have not seen a web page from them saying you can use any voucher from anywhere without having bought the item first

Not webpages (that would be fairly pointless to instore shoppers). But believe us old-hand couponers, there are instore 'pages' (training manuals and policy books behind the CS desk) with this written down. It IS the policy in Tesco and Waitrose to accept some coupons without having to buy the right product. Only instore in Tesco and Waitrose.

Like many coupon-users I have the Tesco policy in writing - copied & pasted from another internet forum but without the usernames - plus 3 emails re-stating the Tesco policy (one from 2007, one from 2008 and one from 2009). I have also seen a copy of Waitrose policy on this subject and had it smilingly confirmed at the till there lots of times.

Both policies clearly state that customers can use certain manufacturers' coupons even if they have not bought the products. Some stores have restrictions on the % you can use, but other stores allow one of each coupon, any amount in total.

Of course this is NOT something Tesco or Waitrose are going to put up on a sign instore, it's been policy for years but they are hardly going to broadcast it. The internet broadcasts it more than enough already! There's no need for it to be on a webpage as manufacturers coupons can only be used this way by instore shoppers, not online ones.

jenniewb

Dr.Who-Who wrote: »

Thank goodness you are not my T manager & therefore, your opinion does not affect my T stores. Nobody is forcing consumers to use or the retailers to take the coupons. You may be filthy rich & you don't need all these coupons but there are ppl out there who needs it.

Lol- love this- my mindset is that of a 'rich person'- am cutting myself above average then as I am so poor, I am still saving for a banking order (mini- bankrupcy) after losing my job last year (I could not afford to live on the reduced wages- reduced as of the recession, of £120 a week in London) so I now work voluntarily whilst going to college to get my skill up. There are nights I cannot afford to eat.

So trust me, using coupons would infact benefit me alot. Things is I can't, even if I did want to, every time I use a coupon I get asked to "show the item" on the coupon. I am good friends with the S.As so don't think its personal in the store I shop in (but maybe should try in the store I saw the lady use all her coupons in!!) but fact is, its not seen as right in any of my stores and I guess I can see why.

Am not suggesting anyone agree with me, thats just where I stand. Am not judging anyone for not agreeing with me, its just a difference on what I believe is OK. And don't think you need to be filthy rich to think like that. (Although I wouldn't mind being so!!)