Using Coupons At Supermarkets: The Info Thread / No Discusion! UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Broke_Student

CAN A MOD PLEASE MOVE THIS TO THE COUPON FORUM. JUST REALISED I POSTED IT IN SHOP BUT DON'T DROP...

11/10/06: I have decided the best way to approach this thread is as a sort of Wiki for MSE users. It would be great if all of the experienced savers can contribute and build a sort of reference to refer newer users to. Please PM me any bits you would like to add/edit and I will make the changes.

Hi. This is my first go at a 'proper' thread so it might be a little unorganised at first but I will try and learn to keep it structured!

The aim of this thread is to provide money savers with information on using manufacturer coupons at supermarkets. I will try to post clear facts and information on coupon usage. If you have a useful section to add to the main post, please PM me and I will add it. Please do not use this thread for discussion!

INDEX (see post number)
#1 So what's the deal with all this coupon stuff? + Index
#2 Coupon Usage In The News
#3 Supermarket Official Policy On Coupons
#4 Where To Get Money Off Coupons
#5 Useful Guide For Using all types of coupons at Tesco
#6 MSE member stories.
#7 Hints & Tips for getting coupons accepted
#8 FAQs


So what's the deal with all this coupon stuff?
- You can save money on your supermarket shopping using manufacturer coupons, or using coupons for one supermarket in another supermarket.
- Coupons may be accepted without you actually buying the products they are for. Whether they are accepted may depend on the supermarket, the cashier and the coupon itself.
- Remember that having coupons accepted against a shop when not buying the product is a privilege and not an automatic right.

Broke_Student

ISP calls in FSA and OFT as £60m coupon row erupts 20/10/06
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/item/52840/pg_dtl_art_news/pg_hdr_art/pg_ftr_art

Edwin Mutton, director-general of the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP), has accused the UK's biggest grocers of costing suppliers up to £60m a year by accepting money-off coupons without selling their products.

Launching a stinging attack on retailers such as Tesco and Sainsbury's – currently ranked first and third in terms of UK market share – Mutton claimed all retailers "are at it" and manufacturers have been "too scared to put their heads above the parapet" for fear of products being delisted.

The ISP's coupon council, consisting of manufacturers, newspaper publishers, coupon houses and other technical representatives, plans to lobby the authorities to investigate.

Mutton claims: "About 50% of coupons aren't properly redeemed. Ask firms like Tesco their policy and they say as long as they stock the product, they will accept the coupon, whether or not the consumer has bought it.

"It is costing the industry between £50m and £60m every year and is destroying couponing as a promotions technique."

Mutton adds: "It is morally wrong. By way of example, Sainsbury's and Tesco ask to be reimbursed by the manufacturers. All [the retailers] are at it. These firms are doing something that is financially improper. It is unclear whether it is fraud, but a coupon is as good as a cheque."

The ISP will approach the Financial Services Authority about the issue. Mutton says a presentation has already been made to the Office of Fair Trading, which earlier this year referred the UK grocery sector to the Competition Commission. It will investigate claims that companies are distorting competition and harming consumers.

A Sainsbury's spokeswoman says: "Customers must buy the appropriate product to qualify to redeem a coupon and we train our colleagues accordingly."

No one at Tesco was available for comment.


UK coupon industry loses £20m a year in fraud 22/10/06
http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/br/article/593654/uk-coupon-industry-loses-20m-year-fraud/

LONDON - The UK coupon industry loses £20m a year from retailers fraudulently claiming point-of-sale purchase, according to Edwin Mutton, the director general of the Institute of Sales Promotion.

The ISP is now calling on the British Retail Consortium to address coupon fraud, which could affect as many as a third of vouchers issued in the UK.

The industry body estimates that incidences of coupon fraud in the UK have doubled in the last year, blunting their competitive edge and cheating marketers out of millions of pounds.

The fraud problem, highlighted by the Marketingblog, typically occurs when retailer's cash coupons at point of sale without exchanging them for goods.

Retailers and newspapers alone spent nearly £70m on coupons in 2005, and the ISP said incidents of malpractice would increase unless immediate action was taken.

The ISP is calling on manufacturers and retailers to adopt authentication and validation checks to halt abuse of point of sale procedures.

The campaign, which is being backed by John Greenway, Conservative MP for Ryedale, is asking for cooperation from other consumer organisations.

Greenway said: "The deliberate policies of our larger retailers to redeem product coupons irrespective of product purchase is as much shoplifting as the physical removal of products from stores."

Broke_Student

TESCO:
How do I use Sainsbury / Safeway / ASDA vouchers?
We are currently accepting coupons for Sainsbury's and Safeway both in our stores and for on-line Grocery transactions. Just hand your coupons to your driver when your groceries are delivered. We'll credit your payment card back at the store and send you a receipt in the post. If you are in-store, just hand these to the cashier.

• We can only accept Sainsbury's or Safeway branded coupons for money off your total transaction.
• We cannot accept coupons valid only for specific products or departments.
• We can only accept up to £15 worth of coupons for one delivery.
• You must have met any requirements on the coupon, such as a minimum spend.
• We can only accept them against grocery deliveries. We cannot accept them for deliveries from our warehouses.
• We may refuse to accept coupons if they appear to be damaged, defaced, altered or copied.
• We cannot accept coupons for purchases of tobacco or infant milk formulae.
• Excludes ROI.

WAITROSE
Waitrose has been reported to have e-mailed members of the forum with this policy:
(somebody please PM me that e-mail!)


ASDA
Quote:
"Thank you for your recent e-mail.

To clarify our policy on accepting coupons; we accept them so long as the
product is sold by us subject to the terms and conditions on the back of the
coupon. We do not have to buy the product, unless the coupon comes from an ASDA Magazine. The level of acceptance is down to the store's discretion, but is
typically 10% of your shop. This policy should be equally applied to all
customers and at all checkouts."


SAINSBURYS/SOMERFIELD/MORRISONS
"Customers must buy the appropriate product to qualify to redeem a coupon and we train our colleagues accordingly." - Sainsburys.

As a general rule, these supermarkets do not accept coupons unless you buy the product so you should not get your hopes up. But it is the cashiers who are trained to decline the coupons - they still scan for a discount on the actual till so you may get away once or twice with a freindly/untrained cashier. Somerfield did in the past accept coupons when not buying the product, but they tightened up policy years ago.

Broke_Student

There are alot of threads on MSE about this so I will keep it brief. The coupons you are after are ones with barcodes on them. Non-store specific coupons are best but store specific ones usually work at Tesco/ASDA.

• MSE! Threads with links to internet coupons or advise on where they can be found.... do a search...
• Newspapers
• Magazines (Even the Sainsbury/ASDA store magazines!)
• Internet coupons to print
• Leaflets & flyers handed out or on display in all sorts of shops
• Sign up to recieve coupons on manufacturer websites
• Buy coupons off ebay

Internet Coupons
Internet coupons are great if you can get them accepted - it is almost like printing out free money! Some stores/cashiers however refuse to take these as they are open to abuse and sometimes hard to distinguish whether they are 'true' internet coupons or just home made photocopies. You should however have no trouble using internet coupons when you actually buy the product.
Make sure your internet coupons have the barcode clearly printed and the T&C's are clearly readable. Poor quality printouts are less likely to be accepted. Print in colour when possible.

Here is a good site to get you started:
http://www.money-off-coupons.blogspot.com/


Buying off Ebay Some tips from user Coupon-mad.
Expect to pay a quarter of face value, sometimes more, but you must be sure that:

The seller has good feedback for coupon selling
The coupons are not copies or internet prints (why pay for them?)
They are 'original' manufacturers' coupons
The coupons are not store-specific (e.g. Tesco logo will not scan unless you buy the item)

Beware if a seller says something vague like, '£xx amount of various coupons, some cut from magazines etc., please ask any q's before bidding'. IME these will all be store specific magazine ones (not readily acceptable, not always scannable, could get a lecture if tesco cashier sees they are Asda ones, etc.). If you are unsure ask the seller the questions I have mentioned above.


Newspaper Coupons
Newspaper coupons work in the same way as regular coupons - they have a barcode. The are favourites of members of this site as they are usually of high value i.e. £2.60/£4 coupons are commmon (usually for money off magazines/books). However, they also tend to have a short expiry date so do not go and buy more than you can use are you will loose out on buying the actualy papers.
You can save money here by collecting coupons from the papers in your workplace or buying newspapers from a Student Union for less than half price (get your kids to buy a few if you know about coupons in advance).
Finally, look out for the daily 'Newspaper Coupon Summary' thread on the Vouchers board. These threads are very useful as kind MSE members save you alot of flicking through pages by posting what they have found in the days papers!

Store Magazines
ASDA - FREE - Usually have small value vouchers totalling about £1.50. Grab a few mags from the checkouts or on special displays.
SOMERFIELD - FREE - These typically have high value money off wine coupons which are great. I have not seen the Somerfield mag for a while though (don't know if thats linked to coupon abuse). Found at checkouts and entrance displays.
SAINSBURY - COSTS £1.60? - The Sainsbury mag has high value coupons for varied products. Take a look through before buying in store. The magazines are sometimes a good read and can have other good offers such as free cinema tickets etc...
TESCO - FREE - But Tesco's own vouchers only work at Tesco and when buying the actual products.

Broke_Student

I think it is important that some buyers be-aware about some of the cavettes with vouchers for Tesco. One such problem is that it is standard for a cashier to check that the voucher name/clubcard number matches that of the customer's clubcard (which needs to be present to process Tesco vouchers), a way round this is to use the keyfob or a non-named clubcard.

The second point is that non-store specific vouchers are often only accepted to the value of 10% of the shopping and identical coupons are limited to one of each kind. Because of abuse some stores no longer accept vouchers for products not purchased, it may be wise to find out first before invested in coupons.

As an example, you cannot pick up £20 of wine and expect to pay with 20 £1 Pampers vouchers unless you are lucky enough to find a inexperienced cashier. Although if you can source many different non-Tesco coupons you can use them even if you haven't brought the product (again only up to 10% of the value of the shopping and only one of each type). Tesco coupons are product specific although in some cases they fail to work as expected and a supervisor can override the system and allow you to have the points/value, but be aware of dates (both valid to and from), flavours, sizes and specific store locations printed on coupons.

Tesco coupons carry anti fraud protection and use one time only codes so be aware of using copies, likewise a cashier should not accept an obviously copied of defaced voucher. The self-service tills require an assistant override to accept certain types of coupons and in some cases will not take coupons at all.

A final point is that if a seller has scanned online coupons as a picture on his listing, the one-time codes may have already been used by a user visiting the listing and by time you get the voucher, it may not work. Online vouchers and vouchers without barcodes will not work in Tesco (excluding government/luncheon vouchers). Check out the internet as many 'printable' coupons and online codes can be sourced.

Tesco does accept Sainsburies vouchers, but only in the format £X off of a £XX shop. I don't think the date matters although you may find the cashier will want to check anyway. Bear in mind Tesco are allowing the use of these vouchers to get you to not shop at Sainsburies so they take a profit loss but they are typically for large amounts (£40+). You will also be limited in how many of these you can use (no more than one per shop).

Luncheon vouchers may only be used on food items not including alcohol and must be presented with the book that they came in, you can use any amount of luncheon vouchers but will not get change.
Milk tokens are only for the named party/postcode area and are government issued, they have limited longetivety and are worth the value of 7 one pint of standard milk, currently this is £2.31 (7x33). You must buy standard milk (not dried or 'luxury brands'), typically you don't need to buy 7 pints but will not have any change refunded to you. Infant tokens are different and have specific conditions on them and are not usualy accepted for the for the value of the dried milk, in this instance it would be wiser to use them at a chemist/clinic.

This guide should not be taken as absolute certainty, many stores have different polices and the training of staff regarding these matters is varied. You may want to ask a superviser even if it is after your shop is complete (although it is easier during the transaction), presenting your vouchers upfront can help by giving the cashier time to get a superviser.

Broke_Student

This post is for the stories of other MSE users. Several of our regulars have had funny experiences or horrid trips to the supermarket. Please PM me your story and I will add it here!

Broke_Student

If you are unconfident about using coupons, try some of these quotes/techniques at the till:

"I have these coupons. Will you take what you can please."
"Will you see if/do you think any of these coupons will scan?"
"Will you accept these few coupons please?"
"I am usually allowed to use a few coupons in this supermarket"
"CS has told me you will take up to 10% of my bill as long as I am paying most of it"

Just hand over your credit card, tesco points vouchers and money off coupons in one pile to the cashier. Use a confident approach like you already expect them to scan them with no problems. Carry on bagging without looking at him. I find using this approach that sometimes the cashier does not have the balls to stop you and tell you they cannot be accepted.

If trying to use ASDA/Sainsbury/Morrisons/Somerfield marked particular product coupons at ASDA/Tesco/Waitrose, try giving one or two in with a pile of manufacturer ones. The cashier is less likely to notice or say anything if they don't see a bunch of other supermarket coupons.

Know your self scanners. If it has a 10% rule built in then try not to go over as it will go into lock down and call the SA over. This could result in her cancelling all coupons but in my experience they just unlock the machine and I do not use anymore.
If your self scanner is unlimited then work VERY slow when scanning last item or in payment mode. As soon as the cashier goes to assist someone, scan your £3 coupon, drop a few coins in the slot and get the hell out of there!

If you are lucky and get a cashier who scans all of them without batting an eyelid then it is worth asking "could you take a few more please?". No harm in trying as they are unlikely to cancel what you have already used. Also remember this cashier and always use them when you can!

Broke_Student

Can I use supermarket branded coupons in other supermarkets?
Yes. Barcoded coupons from Sainsburys/Somerfield/ASDA/Morrisons/Waitrose will 'scan' on each others tills, and also scan at Tesco. This is basically because they all use a central coupon provider/system. However, actually getting supermarkets to accept each others coupons is another issue.
Tesco's own couponswill only work on Tesco tills, and only when buying the product. They use their own computer system for their own coupons.

How many coupons can I use?
This is one many MSEs would like an answer to. It really depends on the store/manager/cashier/self scan restrictions/your approach/size of total shop. Just start off low and keep trying more everytime you visit a particular store/cashier.
Between the supermarkets, members of this site have heard things like:
"Can use 3 coupons per transaction, of any value"
"10%/20%/30%/50% of total bill"
"You cannot use any when not buying the product"
"As many as you have, as long as we stock the product"

Is this illegal?
No. Don't worry - coupon usage is cery common!. It may be against the T&C's printed on the coupons to use against another product, but it is not illegal and some stores have been known to encourage customers to use more coupons. Once they are accepted from you, it is up to the supermarket to deal with the coupon and out of your hands. If they do not accept it a coupon, then you can not in any sort of trouble as you have not used the coupon!

Can I use out of date vouchers?
Some out of date vouchers will 'scan' if they are still on the system. However I would not recommend using out of date coupons. If the supermarket cannot claim the money back on the voucher are likely to tighten up their coupon usage policy due to abuse. This will spoil for all.

What if I need to return a product? Will I loose my money?
Coupons are taken off the sub-total and not off actual products on a recipt. They are as good as cash to the supermarkets. You will get a full refund if you return anything where coupons where used to pay against a shop.
You may get queried if you purchase a single item using multiple coupons, then try to return it.