by Dagmara H.
Member since:
November 1, 2007

Walgreens shoppers , can you help?

January 10, 2009 06:08 PM EST (Updated: January 10, 2009 06:11 PM EST)
views: 71 | comments: 42

At first, let me tell you how I am impressed with all of you who know how to combine all those coupons and get many things for free. All of you motivate me to do the same and I sure have learn a  lot of from you. So thanks to everyone who are posting their articles about savings.

Last weekend I have seen really good deals in the newspaper, so I though I would try my luck today. I have never shop in the Walgreens before, so I knew there will be some problem. At first I look for the stuff, of course almost all of it was gone, so I decided to get just Fructis shampoo for $2.99. I gave her one coupon for $2 (from easy saver cataloque) and $1 coupon from Sunday newspaper. Well, the lady ring it up and tell me I owe her $1.29 ( I have no idea, where did she come with this number). she told me I cannot combine two coupons together like that, because I still have to pay taxes. She said when I buy something for that $1.29 I will have that shampoo for free. So ok I went and see if there is something I need and I seen some chcocolate for Valentine's day I grab that and went to checkout. No problems there, but when I asked her about the coupons and how it works, she just looked rude at me and didn't answer my question.(maybe she didn't understand because of my accent) So I quess, I am not supossed to even ask people there about whole coupons thing. Is it secret?

Can anyone explain all this to me? I don't have many people around me to ask about this and if I ask, it seems like people just ingnore me. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

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Comments: 42

.* Sandi * Jan 10, 2009, 6:12pm EST
sorry
i never got too involved with walgreens because they never have it
Vic Needs Coffee Jan 10, 2009, 6:13pm EST
People can be so rude. Sorry that happened.
R B Jan 10, 2009, 6:19pm EST
Hope some of the experts here can get you going on that. Does a walgreens web site explain anything? Your coupon was only good for shampoo, not candy.
donna h. Jan 10, 2009, 6:23pm EST
I am still thinking how did she come up with that figure....The only thing I can think of.
Since this was coupons and not the rebates - 2.99 for the item ..with a minus 2.00 store coupon = .99 cents. You handed her a dollar coupon and technically that exceeded the price that was left. Which would have left you with the .99 cents plus the tax on the item. I am not sure what the tax rate is in your state. She also could have probably just made the coupon 99 cents and wrote that on it. Some cashiers have done that also.

I have run into this issue myself but I quickly throw in a candy bar or gum.
donna h. Jan 10, 2009, 6:25pm EST
..also..sometimes the computer registers pick up the amount and adjusts it automatically.
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:26pm EST
Thanks donna, I just don't understand why they can't take just .99cents and give me pay the taxes
donna h. Jan 10, 2009, 6:30pm EST
...ps..she was right about the taxes, but when you use a store issued coupon..in our state...that is considered a sale price and you would get taxed on the sale price..in this instance ..the 99 cents.

Not sure if you noticed this in CVS...if you pay with CVS ECB's/ CVS coupons...the items that you buy have no tax or less tax because their taxprice is considered on what is left after the STORE coupons applied .

I hope this came out right!
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:31pm EST
Wow, now I am all confused.
Heather W. Jan 10, 2009, 6:32pm EST
I used to be a cashier. You cannot use two coupons on the same item. If you get a taxable item, even if you have a coupon, you still pay taxes. It's just how it works. That's how it has been at my store, ever since I started working there and beyond.
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:33pm EST
I understand that I have to pay the taxes, but why I have to buy another product to have something totally different for free
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:35pm EST
Heather I understand that I have to pay taxes, but that means that this $1.29 was for taxes?? The bottle of shampoo was $2.99. $1.29 for taxes is almost 50% taxes, that just doesn't sounds right. And I am from Florida, if someone is wondering
Carol B Jan 10, 2009, 6:37pm EST
I am with you Dagmara. I don't understand what happened there.
Claudia (kitty-cat) K. Jan 10, 2009, 6:40pm EST
I never understand Walgreens' drugstore, because whenever I go they have someone up at the cash register who really doesn't know what they are doing or are supposed to do. Many times I will ask a question only to get an incoherent answer. I wonder if they really are even competent people, or do they hire from Goodwill recipients.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Jan 10, 2009, 6:40pm EST
Well, Dagmara I don't get it either. I have been able to use both a store coupon and a MF coupon at Walgreens.
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:41pm EST
I was wondering the same thing Claudia, as that lasy looked like she was there first day and she looked at me, like why I even bother her shopping there.
Carol B Jan 10, 2009, 6:41pm EST
It sounds to me like she was charging you .99 cents for the product and tax on the total amount of the product. To me it sounds like she was charging tax on the total amount and only using the $2.00 coupon and not the $1.00 one. The reason being if she took off $3.00 it would be more than the product price not including the tax. This is the only thing that I can figure out from this.
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:42pm EST
Well Frugal Mom, it looks like we are al confused :)
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:43pm EST
Ok, Carol, thanks. So what I do then? I mean can I buy just some candy for example for .30 cents?
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:44pm EST
so that way she would accept both of mine coupons
Desiree T. Jan 10, 2009, 6:44pm EST
Dagmara, I have been hearing that many Walgreen's are starting to crack down on using both coupons. I am not sure if that is what happened in your case. If it was me and they said you need to purchase another item to get the free shampoo, I would picked up something cheap to give it a shot.

If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of shopping at Walgreen's, Rite Ad, CVS and other places to get free items I highly recommend the site www.refundcents.com. They have a lot of good information. They charge $12 for a year membership, but IMO it is worth way more!
Heather W. Jan 10, 2009, 6:45pm EST
Okay, your largest value coupon was 2.00 Right? That leaves $0.99 to pay. .. plus taxes. I don't know what your tax rate is but, taxes are figured pre-coupons.
Heather W. Jan 10, 2009, 6:46pm EST
I never accept two coupons for one item. It's scamming, quite frankly. Look on the back of your coupons they say one coupon per item (or something along those lines).
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:47pm EST
Thanks a lot Desiree, I sure will check it out. I need to get more information about all this shopping things
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 6:49pm EST
Well yeah, I have never use two coupons on same item either, but that's why I went to walgreens, because I though it is allowed. I don't know if it scamming, but I know many people do it like that here.
golds g. Jan 10, 2009, 6:51pm EST
sounds ruse I dont know the answer to your question
Heather W. Jan 10, 2009, 6:53pm EST
At my store (company wide) we have it beaten into our heads to be strict on coupons because SO many people scam. They cut off the dates on outdated coupons, try to use multiple coupons on one item, use competitor coupons, get the wrong items, and other abuses.

It makes cashiers bitter about coupons honestly. Not to defend the cashier, but I can relate to her frustration. Coupons are great for customers, and a pain in the you know what for retail workers.

I've seen quite a few people on Gather give coupon tips that we are told to watch out for as retail workers (what I mentioned above) I don't often comment on those articles cause those people will bite my head off lol I know you know I'm not being mean just voicing the perspective from the other side of the counter :)
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 7:06pm EST
I understand that Heather and I am sure they were strict on you , because every shop wants to get the most of their bussiness. But it will be nice if the cashier would just explain to me what I did wrong. Because I wasn't mad at her or something for telling to go get something. Actually I was glad, now I have alredy a valentine chocolate for my husband, so I don't need to wory about that anymore :)
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 7:06pm EST
And thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it
Heather W. Jan 10, 2009, 7:11pm EST
Some people just don't have nerves of steel to explain things. I have days where I have the understanding of a saint and others (usually when my boss is ridding my butt over something stupid) that I'm not very nice :0) Cashiers are human too, maybe she just had a bad day.

On the bright side, don't give up on coupons. One of my regualars who plays by all the rules gets amazingly good deals. She had a $300 order a few months ago (probably around June because that was my last month as a cashier) and ended up only paying 50 some odd dollars. I was impressed :)
Dagmara H. Jan 10, 2009, 7:29pm EST
wow, that is really good. No I would give up on coupons as I can't afford it :) I will just look more on the interent to see what I can and what I cannot. I have much more learn about this whole thing as we don't have a coupons in Europe.

BTW; I was cashier too , but it looks like people behave a little different to the customers here. I was today in Walmart waiting in the line and people in other line was waiting for the lady for at least 5 minutes. She was just taking her time, to check on item. I am not saying I was running when I was cashier and needed to check on something, but at least I was walking fast so my customers doesn't need to wait for me. But I know , everybody are different and maybe she had a bad day too :)
Mary G. Jan 10, 2009, 11:34pm EST
I have used 2 coupons for the same product at Longs. One one was in their coupon booklet, so a store coupon and the other a manufacturer coupon. I asked the cashier before using them and she said yes. She allowed me to use one store coupon for each product in the ad with a manufacturer coupon, so lowered my detergent costs. There were 3 different brands of detergent on sale.
J. P. Jan 11, 2009, 12:05am EST
D, you have to buy another item without coupon so it won't be a negatif amount. I use coupon from newspaper inserts and but the good thing at walgreens is that they are accepting internet printed coupons too, unlike King Soopers in my area. Like M said, you can use store coupon and the manufacturer coupon, same thing with Target Store I heard. But you have to make sure it won't ring negatif. Thus, just buy other inexpensive item/s along with those great sale. One of my experience, when I used 1 Walgreens's Register Reward in the next couple day after I got it and before those expired, the machine rang, the inexperience cashier would get panic and called the manager and gave me dirty look too, but the experience ones can just do something to accept it like typing the number manually or something like that. It's their own coupon and I almost couldn't use it.
J. P. Jan 11, 2009, 12:11am EST
One Best Buy in my area is doing those other's competitor price match, but the closer one is not and almost always gives us trouble to do the price match even if it's the company's policy. So we just prefer to go to the other one further away. I guess this is why people say 'your mileage may vary'. My point is, this kind of thing is not happening just in Walgreens.
ELLEN B. Jan 11, 2009, 5:53am EST
I find the best way to shop at Walgreens is "plan" what you want from the sale ad. I try to go early the week of the sale. I also add up my "expenses", tentatively before I go. I have used two coupons before, and at my Walgreens, if I have a problem, I always ask for a manager. I remain polite. I used to work for them in cosmetics some years back, and the turn-over rate can be high. So the check-out gals may be new. The system that they had back then is a little tricky to punch in. They do have great in-store sales on a lot of items. Good luck dear. You can save quite well if you work at it. I have always said they should pay women by the hour to shop with coupons!:))

The same at the grocery store. I try to use my coupons to buy items that are already on the store sale. It is the best way to save money.Good luck. Ellen B
Monica H. Jan 11, 2009, 10:18am EST
I have no idea. Maybe just find a different person to talk to the next time you go to Walgreens. Steer clear from the rude cashier. ha ha
Jenn P. Jan 11, 2009, 7:35pm EST
havent shopped there in forever
Nurse Nancy S. Jan 12, 2009, 2:06pm EST
When you use one of those Saver Coupons that is considered a "coupon" If you read the small print, it says only one coupon per item. That is probably what the deal was.
Dagmara H. Jan 12, 2009, 5:49pm EST
Thanks guys, I think now I am prepared better for my next shopping trip
Amy just hangin' out M. Jan 13, 2009, 12:38pm EST
This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least ten comments, and as such has been removed from Comment Speedway! Congratulations!
Sarah (I want points) Jan 15, 2009, 11:13am EST
Sorry I have no idea! I certainly hope that someone here had the answer.
Desiree T. Jan 16, 2009, 1:18pm EST
Heather I just wanted to say you mentioned it was illegal to use two coupons. That is not the case in all instances. If the store has a coupon, that is an amount they feel they can take off without taking too much of hit.

The manufactor coupon is one that is used by the customer and the store then gets that money back. Most stores don't have their own coupons as well. Walgreen's, CVS, Hy-Vee, Kmart and some others do. In this case it is perfectly fine.
Vikki M. Jan 24, 2009, 9:36pm EST
We don't have any Walgreen's here yet, but they're building one in town and no one is happy about it. But if it has good deals, I'll be sure to visit. I'm sorry that cashier was so rude.

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