Target's coupon policy!

Hi Adam! I know you're feeling a tad picked on, and I feel you have a
point...I just wanted to say that your letter made me smile because
the word "coupons" is used...a lot...and I still don't have a clue
about what the situation was entirely.

Take care!

I remember when I went to Target to buy diapers for my toddler about 2
weeks ago. I had a coupon for $1.00 off any Huggies diapers. So I put
the diapers in the cart but I saw that the Target brand was about $10
cheaper, so I got the Target brand instead. I went shopping for other
stuff and when I got to the registers, I accidentally handed the
cashier my Huggies coupon (along with a few other ones), she scanned
it and gave me my $1.00 off, I noticed that when I got to my car.

I use coupons a lot at Target and I've never had a problem.

I am with you on your letter. They should adhere to the corporate
policy regarding coupons. I do the grocery game as well, thankfully I
have never had a problem using coupons and I have gotten some really
great deals. However, they apologized and gave you a $10 gift card.
Really, what more do you want from them?? I'm sure that if you were
persistent that you speak to a manager next time you will get one.
There is always a manager on duty. It may not be the senior manager
but there is at least an associate manager. Someone higher than a
supervisor. And if the supervisor won't help you, go to the service
desk and ask for a manager.

I'm starting to think that you write these letters for the sake of
writing them. You knew that people would go against you for denying
Target's attempt to make you happy. I don't think you will be happy
with any company unless they do exactly what you want the first time,
every time. When you are dealing with mere mortals that will not
always be the case. People will make mistakes. Target was your
golden child until this letter. Now you "don't ever want to step foot
in Target again". As a consumer there is a right and wrong way to
deal with things. Running home and writing a letter to corporate
before you speak to someone who may be able to help you isn't very
effective.

After further consideration, we at Target agree you that are right and
we need to force our staff to follow our policies. To this extent, we
have instituted a "Code AW Policy". Going forward, whenever a cashier
is presented with a coupon that falls out of the norm, ie: the value
of the coupon is more than the cost of the item, they must immediately
get on the PA and call a Code AW. At that point, the Manager on Duty,
Team Lead and Training Lead will report to that cashier station to
ensure that our policy is followed to the letter. If it is not, the
Manager will immediately discharge that cashier.

All current cashiers will receive a copy of this policy in their next
pay check which they must sign and return. We will photocopy those
forms and send them to you. All new hires must acknowledge this
policy during their training and that will be kept on file for your
review.

We hope that this revision to our procedures will be to your
satisfaction and you will think about returning to Target for your
future shopping needs.

Be aware however, that our Security department was against us
enforcing this new policy and have now posted your photo at all our
stores. We hope this doesn't cause you any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Millie
Target Corporate

They offered me a $10 gift card to my follow up email. I sent the
following response.

"I don't want a gift card. I want the store to follow Target's policy
regarding coupons."

Today I received this email from Target:

Subject: No Further Correspndence

Dear Adam Wheeler,

Thank you for your additional e-mail.

As your concern has been addressed from our corporate office, we will
be
offering no further correspondence about this issue. I apologize for
any
frustration or inconvenience this may cause.

I hope that Target will continue to be one of your shopping
destinations.

Sincerely,

Sherri
Target Guest Relations
www.target.com
[THREAD ID:1-3D6NC6]

...down below, you state something about the coupons being
EXPIRED????

Surely you jest. Surely.

So, set the record straight for us. Are/Were these coupons that you're
wailing about actually EXPIRED????

No. I've got to be wrong. Even YOU wouldn't stoop that low.

Or would you?

Question, Adam: I found this down thread:

"no reason to say karma
by Adam W Posted Tue May 29, 2007 @ 4:15 PM

Target cares about their customers and someone from corporate will
take care of this and honor the coupon policy and will most likely
take my expired coupons. This company takes customer service very
seriously and I know they are going to do the right thing."

Were your coupons expired?

I don't understand why you could not use the coupons at Target...I've
never had a problem with using any coupons at Target and I've even
noticed here in Chicago that they have "exclusive" coupons
specifically to be used at Target. There is also a website I use
which I print coupons exclusively from Target which is very handy.

With that said, what would I have done if Target did that to me? I
would go shop at another Target in my area...I've pretty much stopped
shopping at certain stores in a given area because of their selection
and in some cases service...do the same thing if you can and see if
they accept your coupons...

to blacklist you, in all likelihood.

How can you have such high expectations that business people do things
right the first time when you write a letter like this? Why should
people have to read 3 or 4 of your letters to find out what heppened
in one situation? It was the same with your previous letters.

When you call people trailer trash and suggest they have battered
woman syndrome, do you really think they would want to read your
letters? Yes, I read the first one, but that is it. There are
replies and corrections and commentary all over the place with your
name on them. Seriously, who has the time or incentive to read them?
Why not spend a few extra minutes in the store instead of an hour
here?

My guess is some people here wish you had first hand experience with
the receiving end of battered woman syndrome. Is this something you
find funny?

The first letter that came with the coupon policy also stated they
were going to follow up with the store on the proper use of coupons.
It didn't do any good because when I went back they still didn't have
a clue. Nobody is asking for a gift card. I want them to follow
their own coupon policy. It's very simple!

I read your letter, which as I understand it is exactly as Planet
Feedback is to be used. The letter makes no point. "The issue I had
with the coupons." Which coupons? The ones for free movies at, say,
Blockbuster? Please, please tell me you weren't trying to use
Blockbuster coupons at Target. I understand now, you called
Blockbuster on Memorial Day, they told you they were closed. You got
a bit peeved, waited till the next day, and drove straight to Target
to get your movies there. And they wouldn't accept Blockbuster's
coupons.

Why, oh why, are you still shopping at Target? I thought you WANTED
Target's employees to be able to override corporate policy. What
about your loud complaints about large corporations, mom and pop
stores making their own decisions, etc.

It sounds like you want whatever you need to fit you needs. If you
want to return something without a receipt, corporate policy has no
business here! If you want your mysterious coupon to be honored, well
gall darn, you have the corporate email to prove they should!

well it seems to me that reading the various posts that if you are
printing coupons from the net that arent legit, and trying to pass
them off as legit, you are running a scam on someone, mainly the
consumer, who ultimately pays the price for the loss. so follow the
policies and no problems, right?

So, what is the store's policy about the coupons you got?

Not an unreasonable request. It's good to take a stand on issue alone.
I find it difficult to imagine, though I'm sure it happens, that any
company would leave a sore "manager impared" because one is on
vacation. That alone shows a lack of responsibility on their part.

I just don't folow the "I don't ever want to step foot in Target
again" part, then offer them some sound advice that makes sense.
If I was treated like this, the LAST thing I'd do is tell them how to
do a better job. Since I'm not going there again.

why didnt you ask to talk to one of the other managers. paula is only
team leader and not store management. she can be fired for not
following corp policy. make certain to talk to store manager when back
from vacation.

I suppose I should go into more detail about my original problem. I
have been playing "The Grocery Game" (google it if you don't know what
it is.) I brought some coupons for some shaving cream and for some
soap. The ones I bought cost less than the coupon value. The coupon
clearly states "save $1.00 on ANY XXX product" Target only charges
.97 for these products. Therefore Paula would not accept them. When
I emailed Target to get clarification on the coupon policy the email
clearly stated that Target will adjust the price of the coupon. Paula
refused to do this even though the email was very clear in what
Target's policy is.

Some of the coupons that she had refused the first time had expired
and she refused to take them because of that. They have now all
expired. I expect them to still honor the coupons since they were
incorrect in refusing them in the first place.

I don't understand what this woman's problem is. The store is
reimbursed the face value of the coupon plus .08. In this case they
are making an extra .03 on each one because they are adjusting the
price of the coupon. They make more money since I am using the
coupons!

These were not internet coupons. They were coupons from the Sunday
paper.

Internet coupons aren't the same as "regular" coupons (like from the
Sunday paper advertising section). That's been covered at this
website ad nauseum.

I've never had a single problem using coupons at Target (or anywhere
else). What kinds of coupons are people trying to use that lead to
letters such as this?

I have never had a problem using coupons at Target or Walmart, ever.
I have even used the internet coupons and they don't have a problem
with them.

As the other posters have said, Karma is a bad B!!

Just think of all the gas you are wasting going back and forth with
those coupons. I know some of the internet coupons aren't accepted
there and I'm not sure where you got your coupons but that might be
one of the problems with them.

Maybe Paula doesn't work there anymore and quit.

Maybe the emp reads PFB and saw your letter that bragged about
returning a DVD to them that you didn't purchase there?

:)

Why was she going to call you?

And why didn't you ask for a manager instead of writing to PF?