Couldn't use my Ronco Coupon at Market Place!

If you took a peak at the Coupon Matchups for Market Place last Wednesday, you probably saw that Ronco pasta is on sale this week for 2/$0.98 (or $.49 each).  I had been hanging onto my Ronco coupon for $0.55 off any Ronco pasta from several weeks ago.  And this sale was a perfect time to use it!  BUT, I wasn't able to use the coupon after all because Market Place does not have any stipulation in their coupon acceptance policy to dictate how they handle a coupon with a value higher than the price of the product.  I was simply told by the cashiers that "it'd be like getting it for free" (my least favorite expression, ever) and that Market Place would not accept the coupon.  They were also unable to adjust the coupon value in the register. 

We all know (and love) that the coupon would have been happily accepted at any Walmart.  Even Walgreens would have adjusted the credit amount and then accepted the coupon.  If Market Place had accepted the coupon, adjusted the credit down to 49-cents, they would have been reimbursed the full 55-cents plus whatever handling/shipping fees the Ronco Coupon Redemption Policy allows.  Because Market Place is still behind in their coupon acceptance guidelines, they lost that sale.  Sure, it would only have amounted to about a buck.  But, a hundred couponers wanting to use that coupon and hitting this road block is a 100 buck loss.  Assuming this happens to 100 couponers in all of the (nearly) 100 Food Giant stores through out 8 states, you can quickly see that total rising from a buck to over $10,000.  Wow, that total even amazed me.  Anyone else think Market Place is losing money?  If you think my estimate is out of the ball park, it was reported that 36 million people were using coupons back in 2008.  It's now 2011 and Extreme Couponing has taken the couponing world by storm. 

Market Place, if you are reading this, you have GOT to get your coupon acceptance policy up to date with your competitors.  Doubling coupons is not going to be enough to retain your shoppers if (or when) Walmart implements a double coupon policy.  I am a big fan (inspite of everything) of Market Place shopping but even I am going to shop where the prices are lower and where my coupons are accepted most easily.

Thanks again, and happy couponing!
--The Hopkins County Couponer (7/16/2011)