Report: Walgreens
Category: Bait-and-Switch
Walgreens WALGREENS REGISTER REWARDS M-I-S-L-E-A-D-I-N-G!!! Bakersfield, California
*UPDATE Ex-Employee responds ..Register Reward is a scam
Walgreens
Fax:
Bakersfield, California,
U.S.A.
Submitted: 3/2/2008 8:26:23 PM
Modified: 6/1/2009 9:28:45 PM
Unhappy consumer
Bakersfield, CaliforniaDate of incident: March 2, 2008 @ 8:12AM
I am writing to express my frustration and disappointment regarding Walgreen's Register Rewards Program. It is misleading consumers, and I was one of them!
I went to my local Walgreens to take advantage of their register rewards program.
This week's ad (Mar 2-8, 2008) states:
Buy Select P& G products and get Register Rewards, use like cash on next purchase.
Buy 3 items for $10 - Get $4 cash register rewards good on next purchase
Buy 6 items for $20 - Get $12 cash register rewards good on next purchase
I decided to buy 6 items to get the $12 cash register rewards.
Unfortunately, when I was paying for the items, the register did not print out the reward coupon because I did not spend the actual $20. With the purchase, I used various manufacturer's coupons totaling to $16.00.
I read the fine print prior to proceeding to purchase the items at Walgreens and it does not say their promotion does NOT accept manufacturer's coupon.
The cashier's name is Jessica who was not so welcoming, nor apologetic. Then came the manager, who was also non-apologetic.
Bottom line, I expressed my disappointment and frustration to both cashier and manager of the store. They should indicate in the ad the restrictions of their promotion because it is misleading consumers such as myself. Wasted time, energy and gas!
The striking comment that I got from the insensitive manager when I told her that in the past, Walgreens would accept my manufacturer's coupon, at the same time take advantage of their cash rewards program. This was her reply:
'They must've changed the rules and becoming stricter on their policies due to people abusing the promotion'.
ABUSE? You call people with coupons, ABUSING the store's promotion? That is ridiculous. If Walgreens does not intend for people to ABUSE their promotions, then don't put out MISLEADING ads.
I am never an Abuser, I am a WISE buyer who would not buy full priced items, rather take advantage of good honest deals through promotions.
Walgreens ad is VERY MISLEADING, so consumers out there, WATCH OUT.
Unhappy consumer
Bakersfield, California
U.S.A.
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Updates & Rebuttals:
- Register Rewards Allencass [3/15/2008 3:03:30 PM]
- This is WALGREEN'S Conduct to Customers Daniel [3/20/2008 5:55:54 PM]
- There was no need to read the fine print. Akizukisakura [7/13/2008 8:34:21 PM]
- Plain English??? Uhghhh Thecoupongh0st [4/10/2009 8:00:36 AM]
- It happened to me today... Bonny [4/19/2009 2:10:57 PM]
- Update... Bonny [4/22/2009 9:15:10 AM]
- I agree with everyone else Fwalgreens [5/31/2009 1:03:49 PM]
- Indeed Diogenes [6/1/2009 2:32:08 PM]
- Register Reward is a scam Dogdonut [6/1/2009 9:04:33 PM]
Submitted: 3/15/2008 3:03:30 PM
Modified: 3/15/2008 4:58:14 PM
Allencass
Malden, MassachusettsU.S.A.
Register Rewards
I am part of the management with Walgreens and unfortunately the register rewards program can be confusing. Most people think that walgreens is responsible for these programs because they are advertised in our flyers. While walgreens is a partner in these promotions, it is the makers of the products who are ultimately offering these rewards to you, through the catalina marketing company. On occasion these register rewards do not print either due to a network error, or printer error or some other reason.
All we can do to remedy this is to print out a form which you can mail in with a copy of your receipt to receive the coupon by mail. I have had this happen to me on several occasions and wish there was something that i could do. I have had people tell me to give them money off of their purchase which we are not able to just do. If it was just a walgreens sale we would and should be more than happy to correct the problem. However, when it is a manufacturing coupon issue we cann not due that as it would be coupon fraud on our part to enter something into our registers and if my cashiers were to do that it would also show up as a shortage from their register and they make get into trouble for coming up as short, coupons translate like cash in the registers. we get a check from the manufacturers when we submit the coupons. without them it is a loss for the store and company. I hop this helped to clear it up a little.
This is WALGREEN'S Conduct to Customers
To the unhappy customer,
This is Walgreen's Conduct to customer, lure you in with saving money and then decide to take your money to fill their fat pockets.
See, they said that they are concern with customer but in reality, are concern protecting $100 worth of cosmetics, protect their cash cow, not worry about customers, promote bad employees and firing great employees.
Oh yeah and as far as Jessica and that manager, soon as Walgreen's sees this report, they will go to them and say, 'good for you and we will promote you.'
I would tell everyone out there not to shop at WALGREENS any more, take you money over to CVS. Start telling the media and I would file a complaint with your state's AG. They need to know about this.
It is time to expose the scum that they are.
There was no need to read the fine print.
'Buy 3 items for $10 - Get $4 cash register rewards good on next purchase
Buy 6 items for $20 - Get $12 cash register rewards good on next purchase'
It says there, in plain English, 'buy 6 items fo $20'. How can you get the rewards if you don't spend $20?
While the manager was probably wrong to bring up the subject of 'abuse' in this instance, the fact of the matter is that there ARE people who try to abuse the system. We had to put out an alert on one woman because she took advantage of so many stores that we ended up owing her money - this woman tried to use six coupons (exageration) on a single item.
I had a woman come in having looked up a procedure on the internet so that she bought things in a specific order. She bought several vitamins and other various items. She spent perhaps 50 cents on each ticket and ended up with at least $100 in register rewards, if not more. This is the reason were were always very, very careful about coupons.
If the manager and employee were rude then, yes, you have every right to complain. However, you are wrong to think you were ripped off because your purchase did not fufill the requirements - you didn't spend $20, now did you?
Submitted: 4/10/2009 8:00:36 AM
Modified: 4/10/2009 10:10:00 AM
Thecoupongh0st
Kansas City, KansasU.S.A.
Plain English??? Uhghhh
I know this is an old article but I had to respond.
QUOTE:
There was no need to read the fine print.
'Buy 3 items for $10 - Get $4 cash register rewards good on next purchase
Buy 6 items for $20 - Get $12 cash register rewards good on next purchase'
It says there, in plain English, 'buy 6 items fo $20'. How can you get the rewards if you don't spend $20?...
RESPONSE:
As one of the other employee respondents posted. Coupons are treated by the register and the company as equivalent to cash since the manufacturer reimburses Walgreens in FULL for each coupon that is redeemed. Therefore as long as she spent more than $20 BEFORE coupons on those 6 items then YES she should have received her Register Rewards.
I realize you are a former employee but the lack of training on proper coupon policy to employees and managers at many stores not just Walgreens can be very frustrating to us consumers. There is no reason we should be treated as some sort of criminal just because we are trying to save money with coupons and register rewards. It can be so frustrating that one store will treat me like a respected customer and even special order in additional items when I remind them of a particularly good sale coming up. Where as others have actually refused to sell items to me that had store coupons even if I offered to buy it without the coupon, just because I had used the coupon earlier that week to buy it. Giving me some song and dance about needing to keep some on the shelves for other customers even though their shelf was fully stocked and I was only trying to buy a small fraction of what was there.
QUOTE:
I had a woman come in having looked up a procedure on the internet so that she bought things in a specific order. She bought several vitamins and other various items. She spent perhaps 50 cents on each ticket and ended up with at least $100 in register rewards, if not more. This is the reason were were always very, very careful about coupons...
RESPONSE:
Again as long as she was using the appropriate coupons and/or register rewards for each transaction it makes no difference if she paid 50-cents in cash or even less. As I state before. The stores are reimbursed in FULL by the manufacturer for each coupon a customer uses. In addition each Register Rewards program at Walgreens is negotiated with the participating manufacturers and again the MANUFACTURER reimburses Walgreens for each Register Reward that is used. So Walgreens has not I repeat NOT lost any profit by accepting these coupons and rewards.
In all actuality Walgreens benefits from the savvy coupon shopper as we spend more 'money' in their stores than the average shopper. Before I started using coupons and following register reward programs I probably purchased around $500 of product per year Walgreens. Now I easily purchase over $2,000. and am able to donate what I don't need to local causes.
If anyone is 'losing' on these deals it is the manufacturers who have to reimburse all the stores for the coupons that are being used. But come on if they didn't want people to use the coupons the manufacturer didn't have to put them in the Sunday Papers or post them on there company websites for printing.
It happened to me today...
I had to laugh when I read this report. I had a similar problem at my local Walgreen's today. I bought an item, used a manufacturers coupon and didn't get the Register Reward I was entitled to. The excuse used by both the cashier and the manager was 'I think if you use a coupon, it won't give you the reward.' Why? Walgreen's gets the money back on the coupon from the manufacturer. If that were indeed the case, then something is very wrong. My using a coupon should not affect me getting a Register Reward at all. I've used them before and never had a problem.
I made a complaint via email and want them to call me back on it. We'll see if it happens. I've not had very good luck with contacting Walgreen's Customer Service via email in the past.
It was only $1.00 but it's the principle of the thing. Don't advertise something unless the system works. If there are restrictions, you as a company have an obligation to advertise the restrictions. No where on the Register Rewards information does it say anything about restrictions on using manufacturers coupons.
We'll see what happens...
Submitted: 4/22/2009 9:15:10 AM
Modified: 4/22/2009 10:26:20 AMBonny
D'Iberville, CaliforniaU.S.A.
Update...
I ended up calling the Walgreen's customer service number when I didn't get a call from them as requested. Basically it comes down to the fact that the company that controls the coupon machine decides what the rules are. And yes, if you use a manufacturers coupon, you won't get your register rewards. The person I spoke to was apologetic but basically, it's out of their control. I made it very clear that even though it was out of their control, it reflects badly on the Walgreen's name, which they agreed with. I definitely won't make that mistake again, any store other than Walgreen's will get my business when I have a coupon. So Walgreen's, even though the company that control the coupon machines is ultimately responsible, you're the ones that will lose the business. Lesson learned.
Submitted: 5/31/2009 1:03:49 PM
Modified: 5/31/2009 5:53:07 PMFwalgreens
Ney York, New JerseyU.S.A.
I agree with everyone else
I thought that these register rewards could be used as 'walgreen currency' regardless of expiration date, number of items, etc. I had register rewards from a month ago and went in today to use them. B/c of the expiration date, I was unable to do so. If it were CVS I could have, b/c they don't care if the expiration date has passed. I love CVS. And sorry to say walgreens I will never shop at your store anymore, no matter what deals you have. b/c you know what? CVS will match it! HAHA
Indeed
I've never had a problem with my CVS card. My reward money is always posted, no matter what. Walgreen just opened a store in my town, but I doubt it will last long. You just cannot expect to treat customers in this manner and hope to survive.
Register Reward is a scam
As a former manager for Walgreen's we absolutely HATED This program. Even when the customer did everything correctly they would not print about 35% of the time. The manager who said that nothing could be done if the machine would not print out the coupon is wrong. Simply re-ring the purchase, enter the total as cash and it will always print this way. You then need to void (total 34 enter) the sale. This was done at all the stores I was at as it is so problematic. Loss prevention can go F themselves if they have a problem with the voids. They could not figure their way out of a paper bag much less provide good customer service to customers.
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