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I wanted to purchase a Spellbinder die this morning at JoAnn's with a 50% off coupon. I've successfully done this several times before. This time, however, the computer wouldn't take my coupon. Turns out the fine print on the coupon now reads that all die cutting machines AND dies cannot be purchased with their coupons. I called and spoke to a Customer Service rep and that is their new policy. Guess I won't go out of my way to stop at JoAnn's anymore!
That's too bad. I'm sorry you weren't able to get your Spellbinders. Hopefully you were able to use your coupon on something else, so it wasn't a wasted trip.
I noticed that today on both my 50% and 40% off coupons - luckily I wasn't buying dies, but I was buying an embossing folder and the way their categories work, I wasn't sure . . .
What a bummer! I guess I'm glad I got my big sets of Nesties off the website when the coupons were still ok to use on them.
Their online ordering drives me BONKERS! They only allow for one coupon code. So, most of the time you have to choose between "free shipping" or your coupon discount. It does not do an automatic free shipping once your cart reaches a certain limit :(
If you are in the store, use another companies coupon that does not limit the items purchased. my store takes as many coupons as you have from all different stores and their own, as long as the numbers are different on the bar code.
I think that if J's is doing this, it is only a matter of time before the others will be doing it too. Thanks for the tip of using m or acm coupons at j's. B.
Last edited by mheartm; 08-18-2012 at 05:41 AM..
Reason: misspelling
Michael's is becoming more restrictive too. In the past I could use a Michael's coupon and a competitor's coupon on the same visit if I made a separate purchase. Now they are enforcing the one coupon per customer per day .
I went to Michael's last Sunday to buy cemetery cones with a 25% off everything coupon . Cemetery cones never go on sale. I tried to make a separate purchase with a Joann 40% off coupon for a die and they said I can only use one coupon per day.
The clerk acted quite surprised when I told her to take the die off the bill. I guess she thought because I wanted it I would just pay the higher price . By using the 25% off coupon rather than the 40% off Joann coupon on the die it would have cost me an additional $3.75 for the die. That is nearly the cost of a gallon of gas
There was no point in going to my car and coming back into the store to use the coupon since they only had one clerk at the registers. I certainly was not going to return the next day to buy it since it is over 16 miles round trip. The cost of gas would negate the savings of the coupon.
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Last edited by Barbara Jay; 08-19-2012 at 07:43 PM..
Best way to use 2 coupons at Michael's? My husband uses one!
I use a check, he uses a debit card. Works every time!
He's so used to it that he now asks me what item is "his!!" He's a gem!
Once, I was in JoAnn's and he was right behind me and the clerk laughed and said, "just give me all your coupons and items and save the hassle." I had two more coupons and ended up using 4 coupons that day on 4 regular priced items.
Best way to use 2 coupons at Michael's? My husband uses one!
I use a check, he uses a debit card. Works every time!
He's so used to it that he now asks me what item is "his!!" He's a gem!
Once, I was in JoAnn's and he was right behind me and the clerk laughed and said, "just give me all your coupons and items and save the hassle." I had two more coupons and ended up using 4 coupons that day on 4 regular priced items.
This is all a surprise! I used to shop exclusively with coupons.
Have you also noticed they've gone down to 30% instead of 40% off? the Joann'sand Michaels and Hobby Lobby are 35 miles from here so I make the trip count with the gas prices. I did get a buy on Joann's for Spectrum Noir markers at 7.95 for six and had free shipping which made it worth while.
Best way to use 2 coupons at Michael's? My husband uses one!
I use a check, he uses a debit card. Works every time!
He's so used to it that he now asks me what item is "his!!" He's a gem!
Once, I was in JoAnn's and he was right behind me and the clerk laughed and said, "just give me all your coupons and items and save the hassle." I had two more coupons and ended up using 4 coupons that day on 4 regular priced items.
I've done this too. My husband is a real sport when it comes to this. When on a shopping trip with friends, I had all five of them come in and each buy a Nestability set with a 40% off coupon. The sales clerk knew what was going on and gave a nice wink and a smile. She told me if I wanted more, to come back again in another 15 minutes and she wouldn't remember me.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
Have you also noticed they've gone down to 30% instead of 40% off? the Joann'sand Michaels and Hobby Lobby are 35 miles from here so I make the trip count with the gas prices. I did get a buy on Joann's for Spectrum Noir markers at 7.95 for six and had free shipping which made it worth while.
That's a bummer, especially for those that drive quite a distance for items like that. :(
I'm looking at a Joann's coupon (50% one regular priced item); "all papercrafting machines, cartridges, and dies" was listed as exclusions.
For Hobby Lobby's 40% one item, the only exclusion I see is the Tom Holtz Vagabond machine.
I've done this too. My husband is a real sport when it comes to this. When on a shopping trip with friends, I had all five of them come in and each buy a Nestability set with a 40% off coupon. The sales clerk knew what was going on and gave a nice wink and a smile. She told me if I wanted more, to come back again in another 15 minutes and she wouldn't remember me.
that is sooo sweet;)
Someone else on SCS said they were afraid that the others (Hobby Lobby and Michaels) would soon follow suit with the coupons. I'm afraid she may be right. big sigh Well it was good while it lasted. At least I got my Big Shot and a stock of basic dies last winter with the coupons. I signed up as an SU demo last month, so I've really been able to build stock of dies, embossing folders, card stock and punches.
Wow that is great. Most of them go through the fine print on the coupons with a magnifying glass ( not literally ) in Winchester. I have handed them back stuff they wouldn't honor.
I was able to use a 50% off Joann's coupon (from the Joann app on my Ipod) at Joann's on the Cricut Scoring Tip w/ Housing. The moral of my story is that you should ask them to try, just in case.
As far as I know, you can still use the 40% off monthly coupon to the online store Ucutathome.com for Spellbinder dies (and it's free to sign up for the VIP program). I used to buy 1 set every month for years!
I am not surprised the big box stores changed their policy. Crafters by the droves bought all the big ticket die cutting items with a 40 or 50% coupons cutting into their profits.
I had the same thing happen to me. I thought the restriction was on all die cutting machines, but it seems now it's on all the accessories as well. The cashier told me that it is because it is not a Jo Ann's item?? However, I did find several of the dies marked down on their website and was able to use the free shipping coupon for orders over $50
I had the same thing happen to me. I thought the restriction was on all die cutting machines, but it seems now it's on all the accessories as well. The cashier told me that it is because it is not a Jo Ann's item?? However, I did find several of the dies marked down on their website and was able to use the free shipping coupon for orders over $50
Ark,
Friendly FYI: this original thread is from 2012.
While I cannot comment on Joanns, I will say that I read (in the Washington Post?) that merchants such as Bed, Bath, and Beyond may need/or are considering reducing the coupons as it's harder to compete in today's marketplace. The article stated that BBB was late to the game online and are now trying to improve on that because their coupons eat into the profit so much and now all customers in-store have come to expect to use a coupon (not just as an incentive, but an expectation). Brick-and-mortar stores just can't survive that way.
I NEVER pay full price for non-essentials. Why would I? Maybe some of the stores regular prices are totally out of wack. No coupon...I don't buy. As far as BBB goes, they are the only place that will take a coupon for every item you are buying. The mgr actually said I could use as many coupons as I had items.
As far as BBB goes, they are the only place that will take a coupon for every item you are buying. The mgr actually said I could use as many coupons as I had items.
Exactly. This is exactly what the article mentioned; that because of the proliferation of coupon use and the expectation that a coupon could be used for each item, the margins at BBB are extremely low. That is coupled with low in-store sales. Yesterday, there was an excellent article in The Business Insider about BBB's earnings and how the past 12-months have been particularly rough and even worse than management had predicted.
As I said before it was BBB management that told me that I could use a coupon with each item I bought, or I would never have known it. If they are not doing well, they should check out their prices. The coupons are only for 20% off. So their prices are still too high. I am not singling them out. Other stores regular prices are ridiculous, too. Without using coupons we would not be buying anything there. Even with 50% coupons, they are not losing money.
I have a Love-Hate relationship with Joann's. They will email to me with a coupon code for free shipping or $1.99 shipping then when I go to the website it has a different offer and code on the home page. They change the sales so often, it's hard to keep up. BUT I have been able to jump on sales where MOST of the card making items are 50% off: Stamps, dies, papers, etc.
You just have to read the details for anyone's sale or coupon. I just don't even go in the stores anymore with a coupon, because most of the stuff is marked 30% off already. In my opinion, they shot themselves in the foot by carrying DCWV almost exclusively...in general, not my style.
As I said before it was BBB management that told me that I could use a coupon with each item I bought, or I would never have known it. If they are not doing well, they should check out their prices. The coupons are only for 20% off. So their prices are still too high. I am not singling them out. Other stores regular prices are ridiculous, too. Without using coupons we would not be buying anything there. Even with 50% coupons, they are not losing money.
@mheartm: Please do not misconstrue that I don't acknowledge or agree with what management has told you. I'm merely speaking of their current financial situation.
Joannes' takes the fun out of shopping and I don't even waste my time anymore trying to use their coupons, or viewing their ads. The last time they wouldn't even take a coupon for a xyron create a sticker tape refill. they don't change their stock enough, so disappointed in that store
__________________ Carolyn
my avatar: (such desparation), Dear God, if you can't make me thin; make my
friends fat"
Try using another store's coupon--like Michael's. I tried one day to buy two dies with two coupons. They rang up the Michael's coupon first, which accepted it, then they tried to use the second coupon and, because Joann's computers knows what the coupon will/will not accept, it would not accept it. But I still got to use the Michael's coupon. Go figure!!!
__________________ Brenda
<-My sibling kitties, Milo and Rousseau
I noticed that when I went into Michael's with my 40% or 50% coupon, they have everything I would want to buy on sale at 10% or 15% off - so I can't use the coupon for anything any way. All machines, punches, TH, pencils - it's all over priced and then has a 10% sale tag on it. All I can get at 40% off is an ink pad or a cheap pair of scissors.
Every time I go in there it looks like the store is on complete liquidation. I shop on line for 98% of my purchases now.
Joannes' takes the fun out of shopping and I don't even waste my time anymore trying to use their coupons, or viewing their ads. The last time they wouldn't even take a coupon for a xyron create a sticker tape refill. they don't change their stock enough, so disappointed in that store
I had the same experience and was told the coupon could not be used on paper crafting items. What?!?!? What would qualify as a papercrafting item? I just put back my items and left the store.
Generally the coupons for percents off total have the same stipulations as far as what items are not included. Do keep a look out for the fine print though because some weeks these machines and accessories ARE included. Also, as far as using a competitor's coupon, even if lets say you have a Michaels coupon which doesn't exclude something that you want, it's their store policy to not accept coupons on machines or dies so it doesn't matter about coupons.
I think their management is out of touch with their customers. One of the Tulsa stores, in a high-traffic shopping area was 'redone' with weird lighting, really high on the really high ceiling...then they would dim the lights !!! I asked the store manager and she could only say that was the direction from Management. This is a store where everything is shopped for VISUALLY and they turn down the lights??!!! I asked her to tell Management that customers were complaining...don't know how far that got!
It's not worth going into the store except for the sewing notions on sale at 60% off...but that's not really worth driving over there often.
JoAnn's coupon Restrictions
