asda are not playing ball

doodle_bug

My local Asda says they aren't taking internet coupons any more, they get too many unpaid one's so that is it. Well, I'm not shopping there any more then.

Tim_L

Like for like, Asda are 15-20% cheaper than Sainsbury's in my experience and a fair bit cheaper than Tesco's. So it's probably worth sticking with them whether or not they're taking Internet vouchers. In fact it's not all that hard to get 'proper' printed vouchers (Asda give them away sometimes - check the customer services desk), and applying for every freebie going will turn up a fair few.

It's not all that surprising there has been a clampdown if they can't get paid back for the coupons going through the tills - as a longtime coupon user I always felt that the 'vouchers as word document' was really pushing things a bit too far for comfort, particularly when sent around tens of thousands of people on the Moneysaving e-mail. Nice that people have benefitted from the idea short term, but no company would stand the sort of cash outflows this causes for long (there are now fairly widely enforced restrictions even on printed vouchers at Asda, which I suspect has the same route cause).

I suspect the next big thing will be 'try me free' promotions or mail in rebates, rather than coupon campaigns. These force the consumer to try the product, which is after all the point of these promotions.

It's also interesting to have a look at the other side of the fence on this one - when looking for coupons I found a few marketing companies that run coupon campaigns. One of the big issues they have is the danger of over-redemption, and part of the deal with the brand management companies is to take on some of the risk when this happens.

doodle_bug

Fair comments Tim, but Tesco just about price match Asda, a lot of Tesco items do cost more but the quality is generally higher and you get loyalty points with Tesco.

I think the bubble is about to burst with coupons, no one probably realised the genie they were setting free. It would be interesting to see just what happens with those coupons, durex must have thought the country had gone mad for their condoms. See what happens. If it does finish then I'll probably do more shopping at Morrisons

FieryBlondeScot

i agree. recently my local asda started to refuse inernet vouchers and even proper vouchers if i had not bought the item so i dont even go there any more. i hear that other people generally get a result in asda but not me! i use them all at tescos mind you today i split my monthly shop into 2 trolley loads and twice put my vouchers through, the £2 durex one would not scan and nor would the system accept it so TWICE the young checkout lad started waving my durex voucher about - i nearly died of embarrasment. he then had the nerve to ask me for my phone number at the end! >:(

must say though.. as i walked away i was thinking about the 10% staff discount they get and i was nearly tempted!!

jellyhead

my asda have always refused internet coupons. each store manager can change the general policy to suit themselves regarding internet coupons. they take up to ten percent of the shopping bill in vouchers though, so if you can get hold of them you still get a good saving. i think ten percent is great, considering i would have bought my shopping whther i got the discount or not, but sometimes if i have a lot of coupons i like to buy something special (christmas or birthday gifts, wine, clothes etc.), feeling that i got it for free really because i saved ten percent on my shopping bill.

when buying clothes from 'george' you don't have to pay at the george till, you can pay at the checkout and use coupons (george don't accept coupons). if you return something you get the full cost refunded by george, so if you have any coupons that will expire that week use them all, buy shoes, etc. in 2 different sizes and say you're trying them on at home lol! that way you get to use up all of your coupons but can taker the clothes back the next day and get a refund with no questions asked. aren't i horrid lol!

pampers and huggies are good sources of coupons. i also buy them off ebay. you can pay up to half of the value of the coupons but it's still worth doing if you don't have any coupons of your own. there are people selling batches of coupons online, they're probably paper delivery people keeping the vouchers back.