I’m following up on yesterday’s BUST at Walgreens, since it generated quite a response from y’all. I know I should be able to move on and let it go, but as a consumer, and particularly as a blogger with -may I say- a helluva great readership, I feel compelled to get to the bottom of this.
Perhaps, mostly, I can’t let it go because, no matter how I look at the situation, I KNOW I’M RIGHT. Walgreens is simply refusing to follow its own policy.
For the record, I would be the first to back down and admit being wrong, were that the case. (Luckily for me, I’ve never ever had to make such an admittance — wink, wink.)
Y’all have asked for me to elaborate, so here’s a few more details:
- I had BOGO coupons from this Sunday’s paper for Right Guard deodorant, to pair with the BOGO sale listed in their circular.
- Here’s where it may get a little sticky: this week’s sales circular advertised Herbal Essence and Aussie shampoo and conditioner were on sale for $2.99, plus $1.00 in RR. However, they also rang up as BOGO. I certainly wasn’t going to object to this, even if it meant I wouldn’t get the RR, as BOGO was obviously a better deal.
- The store would accept NEITHER set of BOGO coupons. The poor cashier, bless his heart, kept interjecting, “but you still get one of them for free — that’s still a good deal.” I’m rather proud of the restraint I showed, in not reaching across the counter and slapping him silly. Thank goodness for my impressionable toddler and complete strangers, keeping me in check!
- And I hesitate to reveal the specific location, but perhaps it may help y’all out: I was at the Chamblee-Dunwoody location, near the intersection of Mt. Vernon. (Or for you old school Dunwoodians, “the old Brunos”.)
The manager specifically stated that the manufacture BOGO coupon wouldn’t work, since it would drop the price to zero, and that it is illegal to “sell” an item for 0 tax. I showed him my printout of the store’s corporate policy, and pointed specifically to the clause stating:
When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
He insisted again that this is not allowable, sticking to his sales tax explanation. This argument, however, is flawed. Sales tax in Georgia is calculated BEFORE the deduction of manufacture coupons. Since the store is reimbursed for the value of the coupon by the manufacture, the store still generates revenue from said sale.** I only wish I had made this realization about manufacturer coupons and sales tax BEFORE I left the store…
My recommendation for Walgreens, regardless of how corporate answers my inquiry, is that they explicitly address this specific situation in their coupon policy. Yes, it is actually already spelled out in their policy as cited above. However, I think it would behoove Corporate to specifically address BOGO manufacture coupons’ use in conjunction with BOGO store sales; that way, it is crystal clear to customers, cashiers, and managers.
I am a well-educated customer who understands -and can somewhat easily decipher- written policies. However, that same assumption cannot be made for all customers, cashiers, or even all managers. Further, I do not believe in making a scene in a store (or anywhere, really), because doing so does not solves the problem at hand. On this particular occasion, I was on the verge of either shouting or crying. Therefore, I simply had to leave the store, and address the situation at a later time. To be honest, the more I stew on this, the more tempted I am to march back in to that store and give them a piece of my mind. Or at least hold them to their own policy.
Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean…..
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Corporate gets back to me in a timely manner, as promised, and that I can get resolution on this situation. In the meantime, y’all keep sharing your feedback with me and my readers.
**Side note: Register Rewards and other forms of store coupons are a whole separate issues. Since the store is NOT reimbursed for the value of those coupons, that coupon amount is NOT taxable.
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--Barbara
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