Natalie, my sister, is a newbie couponer. She is slowly using more and more coupons – branching out to more stores. Her scenarios and ideas are geared towards those who are new couponers or non expert couponers. Each week she shares her adventures and misadventures in couponing.
By Natalie
There wasn’t much that I needed at CVS this week, so I wanted to try the deals at Target this week. See the photo of an empty table above? That is what I came home with, absolutely. nothing.
Here is how my big Target trip turned into a big Target FAIL.
I had a list of items I wanted to purchase, my coupons, and my Target Mobile Coupons all ready to go. After getting the items on my list, I walked to the register with confidence that I scored some great deals. Everything was going according plan, until the cashier tried to scan my mobile coupons. The mobile coupons scanned, but deducted a total of $0.00. This was my first experience of “coupon rejection“, so I didn’t know what to do. After several attempts, a manager was finally called over to help.
At this point, the grumbling from other customers started. The manager could not get the mobile coupons to take, so she gave up. She explained that she would need to call corporate asked me to come back the next day to follow up. I put on my best smiley face, and said “sure, no problem”. I left Target feeling defeated, failed on my first attempt.
The next day, I pulled myself together and completed a shopping trip. This time, I picked Giant for the instant savings deal. Success!
With any luck, I will be back at in my comfort zone at CVS next week.
calistabsmith says
I am not liking Target very much lately. The managers seem to HATE couponers. Every time I shop at Target and they see my coupons the cashier calls the managers and they quiz me and then call more managers over, then call corp…half the time they approve the transaction and half the time they say NO!! And when they say no it is always after they call the security guard and act as if I am trying to steal. GRRRRR!
michele says
My mobiles failed last time I tried there too. It would only take one cpn off, not the $10 off denim cpn that I had. The clerk finally just entered it manually. If target is going to do mobile cpns they need to make them work. very frustrating. somewhat good to know I am not the only one though
Dave says
I used the Target Mobile Coupons for the Transformers deal on Monday with out issue. Scanned on the first try. Wonder what the issue was with everyone else.
MElanie Durham says
I had the same problem with the mobile coupons. I was supposed to get $10 off my bill with the mobile coupons and they only gave me $5 off. The cashier tried to tell me that sometimes those are manufacture coupons as well. I told her no these are Target coupons. We went back and forth about it and she called the manager over and she fixed it. My mobile coupons didn’t tell me which one(s) had been redeemed either, so i wonder if i can use them again.
anisa says
Hay Nat I took a trip to target last night, and I am new to this myself, I have a target red card which saves 5% off the entire purchase, this includes coupons and clearence, plus I took several coupons some from target and some MFR coupons, My bill rang up 100 dollars, I handed the cashier my coupons and that amount started to shrink, I saved a grand total of 34.27 I was so thrilled since my first trip with coupons saved me a total of 10 dollars. last night was my second trip so I could have saved more, but I am very happy with a job well done, dont give up on target….
Mary Y. says
My coupon didn’t scan either, but the instructions say that they are to enter the big long number below the barcode and that is what finally worked for me!
Michele says
It’s a horrible week for Target. I ordered the jeans on sale and was charged tax. There is no tax on clothing in PA. I sent 3 contact forms, was on hold for 45mins with no answer and have been posting on facebook. I woke up today with a shipment confirmation. I never ever had anything shipped in less than 48 hours by them. I tried calling again and they aren’t home. I tried the contact form again.
I am fed up and contacted the BBB.
Andrea says
Remember that you don’t have to take the merchandise if your coupons aren’t accepted or the trip doesn’t go as planned. I might have left the store without the items if I wasn’t satisfied with the price.
Sara says
I think you are doing great as well! My target mobile coupons also failed this week (on the M and M’s) so maybe like everyone was saying above it’s a glitch with their system. Don’t get discouraged – the clearance deals are Target are like nothing you will find anywhere else! I have decorated myself and my kids and my house for just pennies!
Lindsay says
Like many others, my mobile coupon was a big FAIL this week at Target! My cashier finally just pushed it through luckily. Also- the Target by me is always crowded, so I try to go at an off time, to avoid the crowds as best I can and so the cashiers won’t be too overworked/cranky!
Isabel says
Nat, I look forward to your posts love hearing about your shopping trips, and will have to agree target failed you. For some reason my olay mobile coupon will not go through but after manager comes and checks it out tgey give me that amount off anyways. After reading all these posts I now know this is targets error not mine. Good luck for next week
Heather says
I had the worst time today, too. And the email I got back from corporate said: “your email has been read”. I’m FURIOUS.
Tj says
The same thing happened to me. The coupon wouldnt scan then when entered manually it only took off for the transformer. The manager wouldnt enter it manually so i missed out on the m&ms and olay. :(
Danielle Jones says
Well, at least I know I’m not the only one that had an issue with the mobile coupon! I thought it was my fault because I forgot to give it to the cashier -so she said to just go to customer service-which I’ve done before to get refunded for paper coupons i forgot to give and they just gave me the cash back. Well, this time, they said that because it was a mobile coupon, they couldn’t do it that way.
Well, I had three items on there worth $10.00: the Transformers toy-$5.00, the Olay-$3.00
and the M&Ms -$2.00. I asked if they could just do a return on the items and then re-ring them up and deduct the mobile coupons.
They tell me no, that they could do the return and because of their policy, they could not just re-ring the stuff back up for me. I had to go back through the store get the items a go to a register and checkout again, this time use the mobile coupon. I had my two kids with me (almost 5 and almost 2) which were getting tired and fussy at the time so I was not up to it (not to mention I’m pregnant and due in 12 days!). Then my son got upset because he wanted his Transformers toy. Sooo there we were going back through the store getting the stuff again. Ugh! So we go back to check out and the damn mobile coupon only takes off $7.00, not $10.00!! I was like…seriously??? The cashier called another manager over and she would not give me the other $2.00. She told me to call corporate about the Olay since that was what it did not take off. I gave it back to the girl and had her just take it off the bill! Ugh I was so stressed after that and the kids were really fussy by this time!! My first unpleasant experience with Target!! Damn mobile coupons! Lol
susan says
I went to Target for the Transformers and Olay. My mobil coupons would not scan either. They were kind enough to go ahead and give me the coupons. All they did was manually enter them in as a Target coupon. I scored.
Sue says
Natalie you didn’t fail in your trip to Target….Target failed you!
I’m a newby too and I think we’re doing great.
Andrea says
@Nat~Same thing here with my mobile coupons (even after they manually entered the code). I have had trouble with them before, so this time I took my purchase to customer service, explained the issue and finally a manager came and had them enter it as a store coupon and I got my free Olay. The transformer one (separate transaction) went through without a hitch. Keep trying, Target has some amazing deals you can’t get at the drugstores (ex: I got a free Merona shirt using the $3 coupon on a clearance item). Try customer service if the cashier can’t help you. Good Luck!
sonal says
Hey guys , would Target accept the print out of mobile coupons?
(i can print my mobile sms)
Alexis says
My free coupons for the Herbal Essences with Bamboo Extract that were mailed to me had the new barcode on them, and they didn’t scan at Target. The cashier I had didn’t even blink an eye, looked up the price of my items, and entered it in manually and wrote the price down on the coupon! It was great! I walked out with 3 hair dyes and 4 Suave styling products using all free coupons for a total of $0.00! The cashier was like “Now that’s the way to shop!”
**I think I found my new favorite Target cashier… and I drove 15 minutes to go to a different Target because the one by me has turned into the coupon nazis!
Shanta says
Hey Shannon, I hear ya Nat. My Olay mobile coupon wouldn’t scan at 2 different stores. but luckily the 2nd Target I went to, I have a pleasant cashier that just entered it manually. then I was able to get my free Olay. But keep doing what you’re doing Nat!!!!
Jenni says
I had problems with my Target mobile coupons today too. The cashier just put through the coupon manually as it stated on my phone. I loved getting 2 bags of the new Pretzel M&Ms for $1 (they were on sale for 2/$5, I had 2 $1 coupons + I used my mobile coupon).
Kimberly says
My Target mobile coupons didn’t go through either!
Jaime says
My mobile coupons NEVER scan for some reason. Not even when they manually enter the code. Thankfully, the cashiers just enter the discount as a store coupon.
Crystal says
Nat,
I know how you feel. I e-mailed Shannon earlier this week about my failure at Target with the mobile coupons. Honestly, I do sooo much better at Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Giant and Weis. Target seems to just derail me.
Stacey says
My mobile coupons didn’t scan either. Luckily the manager just entered the 3girls discounts manually as store coupons. I hope they correct the problem soon.
Lindsey says
My target mobile coupons failed as well. I showed the cashier what the values were supposed to be on my phone and she entered them in manually. I wonder if there was a glitch with the coupons this week.
Sheila says
Don’t give up at Target, Nat! I’ve gotten some really great deals there. Just this week I got two new shirts for 74 cents each!