You may find the obsessive shoppers in "Extreme Couponing" somewhat entertaining, if over-the-top, but it appears they've inspired so many wannabes that retailers are setting new limits on coupon use.
Some smart shoppers have seen this coming since the TLC show debuted. Karen, in a SavvyDollar forum last month, shared a conversation she'd had with a grocery cashier: She said, "I wish they'd take that show and shove it!" because apparently they've had a lot of customers come in wanting to save like the shoppers on the show and they try to break the store's coupon policies with the limits, complain when they can't, etc. I really hope this backlash doesn't ruin it for the rest of us . . . sounds like it might be heading that direction.
The show has apparently sparked some illegal activity, according to Lesley Mitchell, who described the backlash in The Salt Lake Tribune: "Managers at several stores where I shop think the 'Extreme Couponing' show has increased the instances of coupon fraud, including the practice of photocopying coupons."
Other people have gotten way too clever with coupon tricks, stripping the entire supply of a discounted product from store shelves. That means stores are getting less generous with coupon deals.
Among the changes:
Rite Aid
- A buy-one-get-one-free coupon can't be used with a BOGO promotion to get both items for free. You can find Rite Aid's coupon policy here (.pdf file).
- "The chain is also limiting the number of coupons a shopper can use per item to four, as long as there is enough stock," CBS MoneyWatch's Farnoosh Torabi said.
Target
- Target no longer accepts online coupons "for free items with no purchase requirements," its coupon policy says.
- A BOGO store coupon can't be combined with a manufacturer's coupon to get both items for free.
- Target is "limiting the number of store coupons that can be printed off its website to two (there used to be no limit)," Mitchell wrote in the Tribune.
Publix
- The chain has banned triple stacking and "now formally allows, per item, one manufacturer's coupon and one from either Publix or a competing store," Kelli B. Grant wrote at SmartMoney.
Stores aren't alone in setting limits these days. Grant also wrote, "Procter & Gamble now limits consumers to four of the same coupon per shopping trip, a recommendation that industry group Coupon Information Corporation is preparing to add to its best-practices page for companies issuing manufacturers coupons."
Contrary to rumor, Catalinas will continue to be printed out at checkout along with your receipt. However, some stores have changed their policy for using Catalinas.
Also, Wal-Mart is headed in the other direction, dumping limits on coupons per transaction, for instance, Grant says. (Here is Wal-Mart's coupon policy.)
Do you feel cheated because some stores have imposed restrictions on coupon use? Or are you glad that extreme couponers won't be able to strip the shelves bare? Did the show set a bad example?
Professionals in the coupon industry believe this show creates unrealistic expectations about how coupons work and promotes the misuse of coupons. . . . In real life, individuals attempting to use such large quantities of coupons or attempting to use them in violation of the terms stated on the coupons would most likely have their coupons refused at the register or, depending on the circumstances, be investigated by law enforcement.
And, as Mitchell points out, there are still plenty of coupons online if you know where to look.
Putting these manic shoppers up as role models for the average person, who has a full-time job, cooks, and takes care of their families, is wrong. If we do want to highlight how to save money on groceries, can we please do it in a way that empowers with realistic tips that won't take 30 to 50 hours a week of one's life?
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