Tesco Coupon Policy

quiet_advisor

lipidicman wrote:

My tescos say point-blank 'you must buy the product'. I am so annoyed at supermarkets not sticking to their policies. Next time I am going to make the biggest fuss.

The more people make a fuss about the acceptance of coupons where the product is not purchased, the more likely that supermarkets will stop taking them.

I'm near two Asdas - one will generally accept a fair number of coupons (unless they are very busy at the checkout, which is fair enough), and one will only accept up to 10%.

Customers have no rights in this area - coupons are not legal tender and a customer can't insist on acceptance of the coupon even where the relevant product is purchased. Indeed, some of the continental suprermarkets operating in the UK will not accept any coupons whatsoever - as is their right. Coupon acceptance relys on the goodwill of the supermarket.

Customers do have a right where coupon acceptance is advertised - e.g Asda state on adverts in some of their car parks that they will accept Sainsbury's spend and save coupons - in this case refusal would be a beach of trading legislation (a false inducement to shop), and also probably of advertising standards.

E-mails from head offices do not constitue an advertised offer - check with Trading Standards.

So, take the long view - you can win sometimetimes, but not always. To paraphrase Confucious, the best fish is always just out of reach of the rod, but don't give up fishing!

lipidicman

In response to the post above: I find I agree 100% with this earlier post

bluep wrote:

I have NO problem with Tescos/Asda etc.. having coupon policies about 10% shop, only 1 coupon, no internet coupons, have to buy the product in question. I view it as brilliant that they let us get moneyoff our shop AT ALL.

What I do have a problem with though, is being informed as a customer by Head Office or Customer Services that the policy is one thing, then being told otherwise in store. I shop according to what the total is going to be and if I have £10 worth of coupons then that adds £10 to my budget. I think it is terrible service to make customers feel embarissed, as if they are being cheeky/rude/thieving/stupid etc...

I make a choice as a consumer to go to say Asda for this special offer or Tescos for that - imagine if you got to the checkout and they then said oh yes, I know our advert said that but you can't have BOGOF, the manager has decided against it. I don't expect to BOGOF, but when its offered in national press, that informs what I buy and where. Coupons are the same in my book.

Customer Services should always be polite, informed and CONSISTANT. This is not my experience with Tescos or Asda. They need to make a central decision on what is good for and not good for their business coupon-wise at national level, and then stick to it. If this is 10%, then fine, at least I know. I am now shopping at Waitrose - over 20 mins more drive away becuase I know what i am going to get there. Consistancy.

calleyw

The supermarkets offer to take coupons to get you in to shop and think that you are going to spend more. Does not really work with me as I try and cherry pick the offers to get the best deals I can.

The amount we spend on food as well as other budgets have to be slashed. And I have started to use a few vouchers. Last week it was about £6 ish on a £45 spend. The young lad did not seem to care according to my husband.

But and the big but is don't abuse it. If they are happy to take the vouchers :j then fine. But personally I don't see the point of making a huge scene about it. Just say ok. If you don't want the shopping say you have changed your mind.

We are very lucky here in the states they will not the vouchers unless they buy the goods. But the supermarkets sometimes double of triple the face value which means you get goods for next to nothing. The other big thing that we don't get here but you do over there is rebates on items bought. So any they get there shampoos, soaps, toothpaste etc for pennies.

Yours

Calley

lipidicman

calleyw wrote:

If they are happy to take the vouchers :j then fine. But personally I don't see the point of making a huge scene about it.

The point is that you have taken the time to read, and comply with the store policy. Then you get some jumped up little gobs**te who makes you feel like an idiot! They had better watch out when they see me coming.

Head office at tesco are sending me a letter detailing their policy. This might wipe the smile off the smug CS staff's faces the next time I visit!

calleyw

lipidicman wrote:

The point is that you have taken the time to read, and comply with the store policy. Then you get some jumped up little gobs**te who makes you feel like an idiot! They had better watch out when they see me coming.

Head office at tesco are sending me a letter detailing their policy. This might wipe the smile off the smug CS staff's faces the next time I visit!

To me life is to short to get in agrument or get upset or uptight about a few pounds off a shopping bill even when I have a tight budget. But each to there own.

I have worked in a supermarket stacking shelves so know what a souless job it is for little pay. Let alone working on the till all day.

If you have a problem take it up with the manager not the person on the till or customer services. No one is paid to take abuse fullstop even if you feel that they are flouting there own policies. The manager is in better place to deal with these problems and make sure that his staff are briefed correctly. As you feel that you have recieved less than satifactory customer service.


Yours

Calley

lipidicman

Hey, I am always fair. I have worked in retail in the past (though not a supermarket). I know how to get my way effectively and I promise I wont make anyone cry!

bluep

I used to be a customer services manager in charge of a team of 28 advisors for a well known mobile phone company's call centre and believe me, we got ABUSE. However, I was always reasonable, polite and helpful, listening to people's complaints and providing solutions within company guidelines. I am well aware of the balance between exceptional customer services and profitability - of course a company can't keep up a policy that causes them to massively lose money.

I believe this is where the policy change on internet coupons has come in - people were printed loads of them and manufacturers were refusing to honour them, so the supermarkets lost money on it. Whereas, with the proper coupons, they get the money back plus a handling fee. So, I might get a 50% reduction on my shopping but the supermarket gets 50% from me, 50% rebate from the manufacturers (plus this "handling" fee) which is 100% more than they would have got at all if I'd gone to the supermarket down the road.

I think it takes a very confident kind of person to stand in front of a queue of people and say oh, so you won't take these coupons, well, I'll put that back and that back and that back! I certainly would just get my credit card out and pay out of embarissment no matter how damaging to my budget! I'm not in for arguing with checkout people or customer services at store level which is why now I tend to phone ahead and ask their coupon policy so that I know what to expect at the start of my shop. Then my expectations for the end of the shop are generally in the right ballpark. Like I say though, I'm kind of taken with Waitrose at the moment - they bent over backwards to help me, the facilities for mums with young babies are excellent, the people actually seemed to enjoy working there, the store was clean, the products very high quality and with their coupon policy, affordable!! Well worth missing out on 200 clubcard points a month to do my main shop there and just go to Tescos for special clubcard deals.

phill_4

The thread your were looking for was the one I posted a few days ago:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=67211

purplegirluk1

The ladies in my local Tesco are wonderful. I have only once had a problem with a voucher and that was because it was an internet one and it was massive. The young girl took one rather confused look at it and said that she would have to ask a supervisour who came over and said that I could only use it if I had the product, which I didn't. Other than that I am able to use around £10 worth of vouchers every time for a shop of about £30. Last night I handed over my vouchers and then realised I had given her a tesco own one for a product that they didn't have in stock (and so wouldn't scan) and asked for it back and she said "oh I will give it a go anyway as sometimes they go through without the product". That reasured me that my local store is totally fab and will do anything to help. It shows that each store is different and you just have to try you luck thats all.

mac1611

alarm alarm!!!!!!!
just back from tescos in hove . Self scan tills no longer accept coupons!!! due to a technical difficulty ,my **** !!!.went to normal checkout handed hom one of the joey coupons for £3 ' sorry sir you have to buy the product' ok i said think i'll just leave the whole transaction then left him to sort it all out .Are the coupon days over folks!!!???ll