Coupon Wording

Have you ever stumbled across a coupon so vague in it’s wording that is allowed you to obtain FREE merchandise?

Don’t you just love these coupons?

One that I specifically remember of recent was the $4 off 1 Knox product, which by the picture one could assume that the manufacturer intended for it to be used on the $6 & $8 joint products. However, many coupon savvy shoppers don’t use coupons based upon the image displayed on the coupon…Now do we?

Many of us looked for the cheapest product for the most savings. With the Knox coupon that product was jello for $1.49. Buying an item that cost less than the value of the coupon created a $3.51 overage that was applied to the total grocery order.

What about the $3 off any 2 Johnson & Johnson product coupon with the Red Cross logo. You remember it don’t you? You know the one that allowed us to get all those FREE Johnson & Johnson buddies bars, First Aid kits FREE plus a $1 overage.

Coupon such as these are made great simply because of their wording.

I have learned that the wording on a coupon is the most important part of any coupon, because both consumers and cashiers depend on this wording to understand what is being offered. To be effective this wording must specifically outline the offer terms, including any restrictions.

The two examples that I gave you above were examples of an unrestricted offer. The wording on the coupon is usually as such;

The wording on a more restricted message would be;

Let’s say you have a less restrictive coupon that states “Save $1 on any brand X product” and you choose to purchase a “brand X product” valued at .35¢ which is a product that cost less than the face value of the coupon. This would result in a .65¢ overage. A few things could happen at the register;

1. The clerk will ring up all of your items and as long as you have included additional items to absorb the .65¢ overage you should be fine.

Number one is what we want to see happen however the following scenarios will more than likely be the outcome.

2. Before or after ringing up your items, the clerk says that you will not be able to use the coupon since it exceeds the value of the item purchased.

3. The clerk may not say a thing, however the register beeps when the coupon is scanned and offers a message stating that the coupon value exceeds the purchase price.

4. The clerk offers/advises you that he/she is only allowed to give you credit up to the value of the item purchased.

What do you do now?

The simple response to scenarios 2-4 would be to respond to the cashier with, “Show me where it says that on the coupon?”

In order for coupons to work as intended and for clerks to make declarations, all restrictions must be prominently displayed on the coupon.

In layman’s terms…a store clerk cannot fabricate coupon restrictions.

If the size or type restriction is not included in the wording, then the consumer is free assume the offer is available on any “Brand X” items.

Let’s say that the clerk insist only on giving credit for the value of the item purchased, hence manually reducing the value of the coupon. This practice of reducing the face value of a manufacturer coupon is considered coupon fraud and is punishable by law.

When that coupon is submitted to the manufacturer for reimbursement, the store will be reimbursed for the full face value of the coupon. Therefore we should be given credit for the full face value of the coupon.

Example of Coupon Fraud

step 1- Coupon states “Save $4 on Knox”

step 2– Cashier only gives me credit for the price of the Knox item I purchase at $1.49

step 3- Store then sends in the coupon (which works like an invoice) to the manufacturer to request payment on the savings it granted the customer

step 4-Store is reimbursed $4 thus making a $3.51 profit from my coupon. A profit that should have benefited me.

If a clerk reduces the face value of a coupon yet the store is reimbursed the full value by the manufacturer the store is now stealing from the manufacturer in getting reimbursed for savings that they did not issue to the consumer.

This is an unacceptable and illegal coupon policy. If you have a clerk that is uncooperative, insists upon reducing the value of the coupon, rejects your coupon or prevents you from using a unrestricted manufacturer coupon, I would suggest asking for a manager and explaining what coupon fraud is.

If that doesn’t work contact the stores district manager or cooperate offices. I would even go as far as contacting the manufacturer. They want to know what stores are stealing from them or impeding their business.

If all else fails please contact Bud Miller the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Cooperation at (703) 684-5307, E-mail:ersalexandria@msn.com or visit the website www.cents-off.com

Now, let’s get back to the lesson

Let’s say that the Knox marketer didn’t intend for me to get $4 off a box of jello, but wanted me to buy the most expensive product for $8. Now instead of Knox making a $4 profit per purchase they could now be faced with significant, unplanned expenses.

This is sometimes the case. Once the coupon is in circulation the company must eat the cost of their marketing mistake. When companies realize their mistake they often correct it. For instance as the $3 off any 2 Johnson & Johnson coupon I mentioned above that coupon has been modified to now reads $3 off any 2 Johnson & Johnson First Aid product. It also expressly excludes the purchase of the travel size First Aid kits for .99¢

So, that’s the lesson pertaining to restrictive and non-restrictive coupons. Any questions?