Sunday, February 26, 2012

I Got My Free Milk...Eventually!





I am happy to report that the issue of using a coupon on milk in Maine given the state minimum pricing wasn't an issue at all.  Unfortunately, the representative at the Walmart service desk took it upon herself to create an issued out of this Coupon.  


First, the good news:


Great Value Milk is priced at $3.76, within the $4 maximum allowed by the coupon
I chose a dozen Great Day Eggs as one of the three required breakfast items
They are priced at $2.28, and I used a $1 off coupon from their Facebook Page (no longer available)
My husband requested Cinnamon Toast Crunch so I got two, priced at $2.98 each
I used a $1.75 off 2 General Mills Cereals coupon (no longer available, check your binder!)


Total before any coupons $12.00
After Free Milk and other Coupons, I paid $5.49 for everything!  
That's a savings of 54%, unheard of when Milk is such a large part of the purchase


I also came up with a plan for my next breakfast items...bagels and cream cheese!!!!!




I will be making good use of my $1 off 2 Lenders Bagels and Country Crock Spread coupon from the March issue of All You Magazine!  I will get two packages of bagels and some Weight Watchers Cream Cheese with my $.75 off coupon from the February issue of All You...I love this magazine!!!


Now for the not-so-good news...


I was very proactive and honest by heading right to the service desk before starting shopping.  I brought a copy of the state milk pricing policy with me showing that a coupon for milk can be used if it's not brand-specific.  The representative then doubted if the coupon was within their coupon acceptance policy because of the format requiring the purchase of vague products to get a free item.  I knew exactly what she was thinking of; their price matching policy.  Instead of simply reading what coupons they do and do not accept, and finding that this coupon was within their policy, she repeatedly referenced the price and ad matching policy.  She was working SO hard to prove that this coupon couldn't be used, all the while saying their coupon policy is so vague and what's written doesn't cover everything.  


Really???  Why is it so important to you that you try for ten minutes to find something that doesn't exist just to stop me from using a completely legitimate coupon???  I was irritated, and after a while I couldn't help letting it show.  When she continued to flip through her book, curling the pages up so I couldn't see what she was reading, I asked to see what she was seeing.  I when through each bullet point of the coupon policy and found NOTHING to even suggest that this coupon was not acceptable.  I then pointed out for the fifth time that she kept referencing the price match policy regarding un-specified prices on required purchases in order to get a free item.  I said she needed to move on from that particular topic because it had nothing to do with my coupon.


She again referenced the vague nature of the policy and said she would ask a manager.  The first manager she asked wasn't sure, she kept saying it was his decision.  If he said no because he wasn't sure, I was prepared to march right out of there and never look back.  They then called another manager who said she needed to see the coupon to make a decision.  She checked all of the usual items; expiration, maximum value, remittance address, etc.  She saw no problem with the coupon and didn't even begin to question the requirements.  I guess now we know why she's the manager...I just can't wait to do this three more times :-)



2 comments:

  1. Which Walmart did you go to to get the milk? I'm hoping to use the Q there to possibly avoid any major hassles! Thanks!

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    1. I went to the Windham location, and I think I would have been better off not mentioning it at all! My concern was the state law, and they turned it into a very different issue. Good luck, let me know how it goes!

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