A few weeks back there was a coupon for $1 off Bush’s Grillin‘ Beans in the newspaper inserts. We love Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans so I thought that we may be able to find a type we love of these Grillin‘ Beans and stock up for cheap. So I started trading for these coupons and decided to hold on to them until they went on sale and I could get them for very cheap. Sure, Walmart had the cans for $1.25 but I knew the opportunity to get them cheaper was waiting around the corner.
I only had to wait for Memorial Day weekend and the grocery store’s sales of grilling items. One of my grocery stores has the can of beans for 99 cents each so free after coupon. Oh wait! I haven’t told you how many coupons I ended up trading for: 47 coupons!! Because I know how much people hate when other people clean out the shelves, I decided to take the store’s sales circular to Walmart and use some of the coupons there.
So I went to Walmart and picked up 15 cans of beans and a few other items and headed to the register. I left the cans for last and told the cashier that those I wanted price matched. I showed her the sales flier and she adjusted the price of the items. Then I pulled out my coupons, and this is when she informs me that I can not have an item price matched and use a coupon on the item. I told her that yes I can do that and I have that done that before. So, she calls her supervisor who says the same. Then she also adds that I can’t use the coupon because it is for $1.00 and the value of the item is only 99 cents. So I tell her that I am not interested in the extra one cent and to adjust the coupon down and I even tell her how to do it! because it has been done before. She won’t budge. We call the Assistant Manager who won’t budge either. So I said, “No problem, I know it can be done and you will be getting a call from customer service telling you that it can be done.” I then ask the cashier to void those items from my order because no way I am paying almost $15 for beans I can get for free at my grocery store.
I got home and called Walmart’s customer service and wouldn’t you know it, the phone attendant apologized because you CAN use a coupon when you are price matching an item. So now I am waiting for a call from the local management to clear things up. Those are twenty minutes of my life I won’t get back! And in case you are curious I do not intend to keep all 47 cans of beans, that’s a lot for our little family of two adults and one three year old. Even though the cans don’t expire until 2010. I have already shared some of the coupons with my neighbor and the rest I will take to the food bank.
