Help - Sainsburys and coupons

tom.senex

Hi I am a Sainsburys shopper. It's local. And am new to coupons.
Tryed to use the Times coupon - first attempt to use a coupon - against my shopping and it was refused as I din't actually buy the magazine.
It seems that most of you use coupons at Testo or Asda, while somebody's favourite is, of couse, Waitrose. Yes it's you am talking about.
Anyway, are Sainsburys usually strict on coupons?
What's your story.

Needless to say, tryed to use some coupons I'd been given some time ago - before I discovered their real value - which I did on this website - at Tesco near work and they went through fine. That was a huge satisfaction by the way.

Go on open my eyes.

mummyemma

Sainsburys will not accept a coupon unless you buy them, hence why i dont shop there.

Emma

V_Chic_Chick

Sainsbury's will only accept it when you buy the product Unfortunately dad likes to shop there, so I have to save up all my vouchers for ages and then persuade him to take me to Tesco lol.

BargainMad_3

Although I am bargain mad I am hopeless with vouchers ! I tried to use the £2 Times voucher in Waitrose. I even bought a magazine for £3.60 although not Harpers I must admit. Anyway I got all my shopping and handed over the one voucher. The checkout operator looked at it and then put it in the till whilst I was bagging up. It was only when I left and looked at my receipt that I realised I didn't get the £2 reduction and I had handed over the voucher. Ah well - better luck next time - I didn't even want the magazine I bought for full price :rotfl:

Broke_Student

Tesco
Tesco local CS Over Phone:
"We well urrr ummm we aaaa will take 10% ish"

Tesco non-local branch:
"Can only take 10% in non Tesco vouchers" - always well informed here.

Experiences at local Tesco:
"I cannot take this 24p coupon against your £15 shop as you have not bought the product"

Me - "Do you think this £3.50 somerfield voucher will work on my £4 shop?"
Him - "Ye let me see if it scans"

Me - "Excuse me your self scan has crashed (attempting a £3.50 net coupon on £6 shop)"
Her - "Ill have to cancel shop and take this print out and charge you for it at counter"
Some dude shouts out - "He's used a coupon. Don't forget to put it in other till"
Her - Scans coupon without looking at it and apologises.
The self scan her now has been updated with the 10% rule built in!!!!!!

Her - "Have you bought this Harper Bazaar thing?"
Me - "No but you normally take a few coupons depending on how big shop is"
Her - "Oh ok."

Me - "Do you still take sainsbury coupons I remember you had a sign. I have these £5 off £15 clouthes but I wantsome Tesco shirts instead"
Her "Ye I think we do" Then she grabs them both out my hand and scans them for £10 off!!.


ASDA

Me - "So you are saying this is the wrong oil of olay so I can't use voucher?"
Supervisor - "Yes by all means use it on correct product. You can also use it on a shopping trolley but for that you will need to spend more. Say £50."
Me - "Is it a rule it accept them then?"
Supervisor - "Its up to the cashier. Best thing to do is always ask the cashier what they will take. Nothing set in stone."

Her - "Yes I think it should be fine as you have bought the product. Let me make sure with my supervisor." (different supervisor this time)
Him - "Only take one per shop even if buying product."
Her - "Hold on a second look it has super drug written on it....."
Him - "Take one" and walks off.


Waitrose

CS Over Phone:
Me - "Hi. Whats your policy on accepting manufacturer coupons if I don't buy product? I know you take some but how many? Wanted to make sure before I come over for first time." (something like that)
Her - "We will take a few"
Me - "So how many?"
Her - "A reasonable amount as long as you also do some shopping"
Me- "ok cool. bye" (obviously not getting a clear answer from her)


First and only visit (just a test run on the only small store other side of town):
Till Lady - "Hi there" (as I walk past)
Me - "Hi. Urrr how many coupons can you take off my shopping if I don't buy stuff"
Her - "Yes. Well atleast a third of your shopping" (think she said it wrong).
Me - "Ok thanks for that, so i know what to make my shopping up to"

I had a £5 olay but couldn't bring myself to even risk spending £15 cash as everything was just so damn over priced! Spend of £7:
Me - "Well here are my coupons"
Her - "We don't sell this. Can't take it. We don't sell this. Can't take it. Sorry we don't sell this. Can't take it. What is Harpers Bazaar? Oh we don't sell mags so can't take that one.
Me - "Well do you sell nappies? I just found one in my wallet"
Her - "Yes we sell these."
Her after me paying and getting my £1.25 discount: "Sorry about that, you know if you had spent £10 I could have taken that £5 olay one in your wallet!"

Sainsburys
No point trying. I have read the threads and my mum has confirmed getting denied back when I was a baby!

SuperSaverSmith

What do the stores actually do with the coupons after you hand them over?

Do they just bin them all at the end of the day??

Can anyone confirm who has worked in a supermarket before?

With thanks, very curious!

Coupon-mad

SuperSaverSmith wrote:

What do the stores actually do with the coupons after you hand them over?

Do they just bin them all at the end of the day??

Can anyone confirm who has worked in a supermarket before?

With thanks, very curious!

I haven't worked in a Supermarket but I THINK I'm right in saying that Tesco has a Coupon Redemption team in Dundee, so all the stores send their coupons there. Asda & Waitrose, not sure how they redeem their coupons, centrally I expect, same as Tesco.

I believe they send them off in batches to the coupon-provider or NCH (central coupon-handling place) and may have to prove they have sold x number of products in order to get the money back plaus a handling fee.

I certainly can't see them just throwing them away, except - once accounted for - the ones they can't redeem anywhere (such as the Sainsbury's £2 off £20 spend ones which Tesco accepts as a loss-leader). Even then I expect they have to be counted first to make sure that they are not giving away too much of their profits! :rotfl:

halojones

They even get a handling charge on most of the coupons..They get paid to take them.

Years ago Sainsburys used to take coupons, it was while I was a student, and I thought it was great then. Now I take pot luck with Tesco's.

Dormouse

I have used coupons for stuff I hadn't bought in Sainsbury's - very occasionally. They do go through the tills just like in Tesco and Asda, it's up to the SA whether to accept them or not.

Personally, I've used things like coupons for magazine X when buying magazine Y, or cereal X instead of cereal Y. Sainsbury's get their money back anyway (plus the handling charge), so I don't see a problem.

But as I said, the official policy is not to accept them, so I don't shop there unless I have a good reason to (like good Nectar vouchers or something )

tom.senex

Many thanks for your suggestions.
I read that some of you use the self scan machines.
How do these work with coupons?
SAs usually keep coupons, what about self scanning machines?

TraceyB_2

I havent used a self scanner before but think there is a 'slot' that you pop the coupon on to. Have read somewhere that SAs keep a beady eye out to see what goes in - as some people have put in blank bits of paper:eek: