Asda - possible crackdown?

Tim_L

It's appears that Asda are starting to crack down on use of coupons. I usually (for the last few months) get around a tenners worth through, and these are generally proper printed vouchers, not home printed internet ones.

However I had trouble on my normal weekly shop on Friday when the policy was stated as two vouchers only if you don't buy the item (this was a very studenty looking male operator - not the stroppy middle aged women you usually get trouble with). I queried this with customer services and had the same response there. I then went back this afternoon and did a smaller shop - same response from a similar type of operator, though on going round again for a few more items I got the remainder of the coupons through OK - clearly this is a more coordinated policy than most. They did let me choose which coupons to use, so obviously it's worth keeping the high value/short date ones close to the top of the pile.

I don't think it's a coincidence that this crackdown has followed shortly after the printed internet vouchers tip - presumably this has had some sort of major effect! It would be interesting to hear of any similar experiences.

Smartasss

Seems a pointless exercise as moneysavers will just make more trips to the checkout (with smaller purchases) to use up their coupons.

jellyhead

my asda has recently started refusing wishvalue coupons (even if you've bought the product) and will now only take one voucher of each kind, up to 10% total including any vouchers for products you've actually bought. i'm gutted because usually i get 10% off my shop, and i've bought loads of vouchers off ebay lasting until xmas, paying up to half the value of the vouchers each time, i won't be able to make my money back now as they're mostly for the same product :-(

i'm going to try shopping in smaller lots, going to a different till each time and using my coupons, then doing another shop and using coupons for the same brands at a different till. i'm a dozy mare though, i'm bound to forget to buy the frozen stuff on the final trip, not the first, lol!

Tim_L

You can probably sell them off again on Ebay, so not all is lost. I haven't bought any myself, but have quite a number to chug through before the end of Sept which I'd hate not to use, so the plan is to use multiple trips as others have suggested.

I thought I'd try a 3/4 shop and the best bet operator to attempt to get a load of vouchers through, then go round again to get a few more. Then I also have a list of items that I can buy which we won't use faster for having them in the house, which gives me options for working through additional vouchers.

In my saner moments, I tell myself that this is really too much trouble to go to to get a couple of quid off the groceries... But then again, it is great fun finding a way through the system, and there's the delicious anticipation of not knowing exactly what's going to happen when you ask whether they can put "any of these through?"

jockettuk

doing multiple shopping is great but the thought of going round asdas/tescos etc more than once a week with kids on school hols doesnt appeal to me at the moment.. roll on sept lol

jellyhead

lol! i'll do my shopping during the playscheme at the local school, 2.5 hours is long enough for me to do a quick shop (can't pass boots without taking advantage of their points offers these days lol!) then do another shop next day while play scheme is on again.

i've also found UCI ticket velvet toilet rolls in tesco now, so will try there, buying 3 9-packs for £10.92 and using a £1 huggies or pampers coupon (tesco are really strict, up to ten percent but no more than 6 coupons, all must be for different products, no internet coupons or wishvalue coupons accepted). that's much cheaper than paying for the UCI cinema, just need to find a place to store all of the loo rolls, all of my cupboard space is used up with the half price gift sets and the natural collection stuff from boots, waiting for xmas lol!

scotnan

jellyhead,

Just in case you were going to buy more of the toilet paper to get the free cinema tickets , if you have a Co-op near you, they are doing them at £4.50 for 2 so (although Co-op don't normally accept vouchers unless you buy the product) if you buy 4 in Co-op that's still cheaper than getting them in Tesco and using one of your vouchers.

jellyhead

thanks for that. i thought i'd tried every shop in my town on my UCI packet hunt, but i'd missed out the co-op. it's 3 miles away, will try to talk hubby into driving there lol! i see that the uci tickets are still selling for near enough their value on ebay, so if i bought too many packs i could probably sell them on lol!

my asda doesn't have the uci packets.

back to the original topic, asda has lots of rules and regulations for its staff. lots of them are being disciplined and issued with warnings for not sticking strictly to the voucher policy. i think separate small shops using different tills is the only way to get around their tightening up the policy

FieryBlondeScot

i done a 17 quid shop in my local asda (london e17) today and used £6 in vouchers, not internet ones though, i was very surprised they went through as i had rung cust services a few weeks ago to ask about their policy and theyd said u can only use the vouchers if you buy the item. first time i have tried asda, i usually go to tesco with about 20 quid worth of internet vouchers.