The downside of coupons: Fraud and clueless cashiers
Posted
Jul 15 2008, 05:37 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Chief Family Officer Cathy is well on her way to becoming a coupon superstar, and in the process has encountered two annoying things that come with the territory -- counterfeit coupons, and cashiers who don't honor legitimate coupons and dis those who use them.
Store managers, take note: Employees had better become coupon savvy as more and more shoppers turn to coupons to offset the higher cost of food.
Some stores have banned the use of printable coupons because of concerns over counterfeiting. Those concerns seem justified.
Bud Miller, executive director of the Coupon Information Corporation, told ABC News, "Counterfeits tend to come in waves, and right now we seem to be at the beginning of a very large wave."
Cathy understands that stores must be vigilant, but she is irritated when cashiers don't properly apply the chain's corporate policies on coupons. She noted that Target recently stopped honoring a certain toy coupon available online after someone had used it to produce a counterfeit coupon.
"Unfortunately," Cathy writes, "many Target employees don't seem to understand the ruling, and it looks like management isn't doing a very good job explaining the limitations. I've read many stories of cashiers and even managers refusing to accept any printable coupons, even if they are right off the Target Web site."
It's also frustrating when cashiers are rude to people who use coupons or don't know simple rules about, for instance, combining two coupons for one product, she says.
The shopper's best bet? Find out the store's policy about using coupons, and ask for a manager if the cashier doesn't follow the rules.
Also, be watchful for counterfeit coupons. The ABC News story offered several tips for making sure coupons are valid.
