RETIRED: Target chit chat

Thanks for the reassurance! Luckily a lot of our laundry was due to be washed anyway...I threw together a few extra loads of stuff and anything plush-like that I knew they'd been playing with just to be sure. Dh was home today and gracious enough to help me clean thank heavens because I never attempt to clean the house in one day anymore, it is too daunting a task! We tackled it and are almost done, I will remember to check dd's hair every day thanks!

it will take awhile. our lives revolve around coupons but only about 3% of coupons ever get redeemed (maybe a few percentage points more now due to the economy) and most of the population don't even use them. it's not big news. look how long it took for the target thing to get going and only b/c it was a slow news month. i think the update was around june and those consumer reporters didn't pick it up until august and only b/c the state DA's were starting to get involved. i think the biggest effect was that target and walmart read the coupons and law very carefully and now just give overage b/c it doesn't happen all that often and has a minuscule effect on their bottom line.

somebody has to inform the mfrs, their legal teams have to investigate and then they may not do anything to her personally but they'll just cut down or discontinue some coupon promos. the legal fees may not be worth it unless they want to make an example of her. she may only get tarred and feathered by public opinion but she has to have done enough $ worth to bring it above a misdemeanor for it to be worth it. what's the limit for grand larceny in MD? hmmm- http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_va...n_Maryland

what was her total and how much was illegit?

her target runs were only misdemeanors so probably not enough to get the corporate lawyers interested.

many mfrs and retailers may also be just waiting for the gs1 databar sunrise on july 1st. they will have spent millions of dollars on it. although i understand from that article i posted several months ago that that retailers can choose not to read certain sections of the databar just like target doesn't right now.

Key Points

* GS1 Company Prefixes. The existing structure only allows companies with a 6-digit prefix the ability to coupon. The new format can accommodate variable length prefixes.
* Coupon value codes can now be in any amount up to $999.99, and the are not limited to a table of only 100 possibilities.
* Precise offer descriptions and validation of offers involving specified quantity purchases can now be expressed.
* Fraud reduction due to complexity of description and save values. Also, the entire bar code encoded data is not presented in human readable format.
* Automatic expiration date checking for retailers.

i think the 3rd part is silly. just because it's not in human readable format doesn't mean somebody won't have a scanner and not be able to decode it. duh!!! iphones and androids can scan barcodes right now. somebody will sit there and decode them all and publish a list of all the values on the internet eventually. anyone who can scan them will be able to decipher them instead of going by the numbers underneath the barcode right now.

In fact, coupon use has grown so monumentally the statistics for 2009 are staggering.

27% increase in coupon redemption [from 2008 to 2009]

More than 3.3 billion coupons were redeemed in 2009, for a total savings of $858 million

Internet coupons are on the rise, but they still represent only a tiny fraction of the market, less than half a percent. But of all coupons redeemed, they account for 1.5 percent.

In 2010, the survey reveals that 78.3% regularly use coupons compared to 77% in 2009, 75.8% in 2008 and 63.6% of consumers in the pre-recession survey of 2007.

Not sure where you found that current redemption rates are only 3% but that is not the case since the start of the recession in 2008. *snip*

Word, that show is amateur hour, for sure.

I have been *this* close to a nervous breakdown all farking day. I started sobbing on the way to soccer tonight. I'm just totally stressed out and I feel like there are 1 million things going on all at the same time. And I totally know that I should shut my pie hole because there are people with real problems out there, but that doesn't help pack my house any faster! I'm having a tasty beverage to settle my nerves!

This was posted on Jill Cataldo's site this morning....these people are good!

Submitted by onlyethicalcouponers on Fri, 04/08/2011 - 03:20.

A lot has happened since Jill's original post. Got to read this as it sure looks like J'aime committed coupon fraud on TV.

Smart readers took screen shots from your trip and nothin's matchin' up, J'ai'me.

J'a'i'me's shopping list shown on TV shows only the product family code part of the bar code and the dollar amount. Why would someone make a spreadsheet of coupons that might work on other products made by the same company? Well let's see.

To use .75 Fiber One cereal coupons on Kix, Cheerios and Lucky Charms. The .75 Fiber One cereal coupons will scan on any General Mills cereal but they are higher value then the other cereal coupons that were out the first week of February for her trip.

To use Buddig Deli Cuts $1 coupons for 12/16oz. meats for the cheap little 2 ounce Buddig packets on sale for .89 and get them free. Only missing about 10 more ounces of meat plus it is the wrong item.

To use .50 Pillsbury French Bread coupons on the tiny cans of .99 Pillsbury rolls, because the coupons will double to $1 and get them free. Only again, completely wrong product, total fraud.

To use $5-off-2 Nivea Body Lotion coupons on Nivea Body Wash, because the lotion is almost $6 but the body wash is under $3 per bottle. Wrong product again, princess.

What next?

This is only what got shown on TV. What didn't? Hope J'a'i'm'e is ready for a coupon fraud charge.

Only Ethical Couponers.

Ugh, my SIL just called and let me know that my niece has head lice....this is the one that it with us several days/week. I am washing stuff in hot water, etc. and have checked dd's head....anything else I need to do?

I was surprised her store managers are so willing to give out all that information...And calling your store before going to find if there is a change in cpn policy..Can you imagine calling T every week and asking about changes in their policy ..They don't even know their original policy, forget the changes

Not sure where you found that current redemption rates are only 3% but that is not the case since the start of the recession in 2008.

While the reliability of the statistics on this site [ilovecouponmonth.com] may be questionable...most of the other stats found on other sites are similar.

I've come across #'s of 27 & 29%


The last quote is based on 2009 statistics.

So, it's not as small as you think.

And stats on those that use coupons...

Not sure where you found that current redemption rates are only 3% but that is not the case since the start of the recession in 2008.

While the reliability of the statistics on this site [ilovecouponmonth.com] may be questionable...most of the other stats found on other sites are similar.

I've come across #'s of 27 & 29%

The last quote is based on 2009 statistics.

So, it's not as small as you think.

And stats on those that use coupons...

I hate HATE my front loader washer and dryer.

I haven't done anything today at all..That.Is.All...I was working much more efficiently when my kids were sick...cleaning the house top to bottom, doing laundry, cooking...I have 1 load of laundry on my dining table to be folded, another in the dryer, kids toys scattered around, have no idea what I am making for dinner, tons of cpns arriving in the mail that would need filing, pack DH's bags...Can we start the day all over again

Recycled bank has $10.00 off $50.00 at staples for 10 points for today only. Just got mine.
Wanted to pass it on. Got an alert, don't know original poster or who to rep. (sorry op person, if you happen to see this, I thank you, my buddies thank you)

I haven't done anything today at all..That.Is.All...

I have a front loader Samsung set and I love them. No problems whatsoevah.

*back to my spiked Dr. Pepper

Me too and I wish my Dr. Pepper was spiked

I have heard that a lot of ppl hate their front-loaders m2c And then I'm sure there are some ppl that are happy with them too. One complaint that made sense to me was that it is very hard if not impossible to add anything to the load once it is started? I know I find myself doing that on occasion. DH and I bought extra-large-capacity Roper washer and dryer (slightly used) shortly after we were married because someone offered us a great deal on them and the ones that came with the house weren't that great. That was nearly 5 yrs. ago and we've had no issues (well, except the water backing up which was a plumbing issue, not a washer/dryer issue) and I just love them. My washer is sooooo nice and roomy. We have enough clothes that I can usually manage 3 big lds. every week-and-a-half or so. They are not HE but at least the big capacity means bigger loads less often which is supposed to be more energy-efficient.

I have a front loader Samsung set and I love them. No problems whatsoevah.

*back to my spiked Dr. Pepper