Real-life MMD: Is it wrong to be a supermarket voucher vulture? 9 May 2013 at 12:09PM edited 14 May 2013 at 12:27PM in MoneySaving polls 53 replies 10.4K views

Navvy

If everyone handed their vouchers to the next person in the queue, at least all the vouchers would get used. It really annoys me when I get a voucher after a transaction and I know it will be wasted because I don't go back to that shop often enough.

If everyone did it, maybe one day I would benefit from the person in front of me. This might even be a reason to be polite to the person in front, instead of wishing they would hurry up. It might even discourage queue-jumping?

Cimscate

this is NOT a moral dilemma!!!
:mad::mad::mad:

minicooper272

To be honest, you don't really know if it's a money off voucher or just a receipt they've left behind. I wouldn't immediately go swooping in (like a vulture) to see what it is and to pick it up - I collect my receipts at the end, and it turns out someone else's money off voucher is there as well, then of course there is no harm in picking it up as a perk. I don't think there's any guilt in it, it would either go to someone else or go in the bin!

However, if you wish to hover around the self-checkout to instantly collect receipts people have left behind, then that is morally wrong. I'm sure there are some out there who do it, but I'd hope the supermarket would throw them out!

Flat_Eric

I used to get very irritated when shopping in s*perdrug as my receipt always used to be followed with a till spit which invited you to complete an online survey and thus get 10% of your next shop over £10. Instead of giving me this till spit, the assistant would screw it up and bin it? I never saw the logic to this as it only meant I wouldn't be returning to spend more money?

nakmeister

I don't think it is anything like change or anything, which I would always hand back. I'm the person who found £120 on the stairs in a pub and gave it to the manager in case anyone came back for it. This isn't a dilemma- it's a paper voucher from the store if they left it behind they do not want it- use it.

luciandan

I presume we're talking here about those vouchers that say "We've done a price check and you will get 38p off your next shop" - ie not tied to spending £50+ in the first place?

Personally, the warm glow from telling someone they've left their voucher behind is worth more than spending the 38p that wasn't intended for me in the first place.

socialben_2

emiai wrote: »

I would use it, especially if it a conditional spend voucher.

The system is at fault for not offering everyone the same money off conditional spend vouchers. The systems - especially the nectar system does not reward long standing loyal customers, but aims to entice new customers into the store with often outragous offers

I have picked up and used £3 off a £20 spend, £4.50 off a £30 spend - and heard of an £8 off a £40 spend in store!! Its worth shopping around, and well worth using these coupons if you can find them.

The price promise ones - are slightly different. They are generated a result of the store overcharging a customer. Saying that, If I found one on the floor - I would still spend it without any second thought.

Would you not pick up a pound coin if it was on the floor?

I wish Tesco would do that, my coupons are always rubbish and I don't do a lot of shopping in there.

hannerrbabes

Dolly_DD wrote: »

Oh my days, what is the world coming to? For goodness sake! I agree, it's like someone walking off without their change. What if they left their debit card in the machine by accident, would you take that as well? It is from someone else's transaction. End of.

A bit of an overreaction there?
I think taking a voucher receipt with £1.36 off your next shop is a little different to stealing somebody's credit card. Jeez

tallgirld

I personally wouldn't take it as it seems a bit cheap to me.

Would be very embarrassing if they actually did want it and turned around only to catch you swiping it up!

Ami-Rose

I was putting my trolley back at the end of a shop this week at Asda and there was a discarded receipt in the trolley in front of me, no one around who it could've belonged to. I always check their price guarantee online for vouchers so I picked it up to give it a go and ended up with a 41p voucher.
I wouldn't go to the extremes of picking receipts out of the bin, but when one is just sitting there I see no harm in using it. If the person who it belonged to was nearby I'd point it out, but if they're long gone then it's only going to go to waste anyway.