Comments on: Clarifying Rainbow Foods Coupon Policy

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:24:23 +0000

I agree with you. Are they doing anything illegal . When they get you in with the hope of a good deal but then they deny you when you get there.. It almost sounds something like bait and switch which I know is illegal . I tried to use the Palermos pizza coupon for 1.00 off at the bloomington Rainbow and the cashier told me to wait and came back with a manger that told me that these coupons are conterfit. I called Palermos directly and asked them about this coupon and they said it was real but it was up to the company if they wanted to take it.I dont know what rainbow is up to but I know it is no good. Lisa

By: Jonna

Jonna — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:11:17 +0000

I could be making this more confusing than necessary but would the price it is selling for that day and the price it is on sale for (since that is the price they are selling it for that day) be the same thing too? I could see if the sale price is considered their standard resale price (or retail). But like so many, I usually don’t have a problem with using the shelf price and meeting the threshold. I also find they don’t at all care about the store coupon policy. However, I did have a strange experience where one cashier one week was satisfied with doubling at 20 dollar total precoupon factoring in the sale prices for all items and was super nice and patient, but the next week she stopped me when it came to a 22 dollar total precoupon. She was so nice the week before and maybe was just fed up that day and started using customers as her punching bag? That or maybe it was identical twins that both work there and I really had two different cashiers…

By: Teri Law

Teri Law — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:35:27 +0000

Hello. I am a manager at another grocery store in the twin cities but I do shop at Rainbow on the double daze day! I think I have the answer to your question. You and Rainbow are saying the same thing. When Roundys says “sale price” I think they should say “sell price”. They will double your coupons when the groceries total $25.00 at the sell price, (the price they are selling the products on that day) or ‘sale’ price. Not “price it is on sale”. Same word, two different meanings. The price they are selling it for versus the price it is on sale for. They would be more clear if they said “sell price” not “sale price” because it makes you think they are only talking about the mark down price, not the price it is selling for that day. I hope that helps.

By: Janice M

Janice M — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:54:56 +0000

Would it make sense to direct our efforts toward talking with the manufacturers about removing the “do not double or triple” language from their coupons? In the small print, they could add wording that states the amount rebated to the store is the face value of the coupon and no more, no matter what local promotions the store decides to offer.

Yesterday I printed a dozen coupons from SmartSource and 3 of them included a blue bar with the “do not double/triple” message (Progresso soup, Progresso broth and ChexMix). The other coupons did not include that message.

During the past 2-3 weeks at my local Pick ‘n Save (Roundy’s) in Meno. Falls, I’ve been having more trouble with the coupons with “do not double/triple” on them. Some cashiers are pulling them out and not allowing them to be doubled on Wednesdays. This must be an uncomfortable situation for them. My understanding is that they get audited by store management and get in trouble if they don’t separate out the “do not double/triple” coupons.
I’ve been asking for orders to be voided and items returned to my cart, so I can go back into the aisles and rethink my strategy.

I used to say “Let’s see how the cash register handles them”, and that was good enough. But there must be a focus on this issue by the managment because the cashiers are not satisfied with this suggestion anymore. Maybe with time, this will lessen.
(I find that if I use the self-checkout, my success rate increases significantly.)

I see many disadvantages to this store’s approach: the cashiers have to scrutinize each and every coupon rather than rely on the computerized cash register to “be the bad guy”, customers waiting in line behind me are not happy to see that I’m having troubles, orders get voided (possibly requiring the labor to re-stock the voided purchases), loyal customers (me) begin to look for other places to shop, leads to confusion regarding corporate policy vs. individual store policy, disfavorable blog comments get posted and read by many, many shoppers, and I buy less to pass along to food pantry, shelters, etc.

So we could avoid these types of problems if the manufacturers stopped adding the message.
What do ya think?

By: randi

randi — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:25:02 +0000

I was at the St. Paul Rainbow on Arcade last week. The doubled my coupons based on the before sale price. At the stores that only double based on sale prices, can you buy a gift card to get up to the $25 threshold?

By: C

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:08:45 +0000

At the Cottage Grove Rainbow, the $25 is before any coupons…store or manufacturing. We double the coupons that say do not double or triple. We do not accept “free” item coupons. (Meaning…get one free package of Kraft cheese). The cashiers tend to be patient with customers that go through the line many times, especially if they only do one to two orders at a time if someone else is in line. This is due to the fact that waiting customers tend blame the wait on the cashier. We have a couple that shops at a store that does so many orders on double day that it takes the cashier over 45 minutes to complete their order. It is best to simply do a couple at a time and get in line again.

By: Teri

Teri — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:58:51 +0000

I have had the same experience at the Forest Lake Rainbow. It all depends on the cashier. I once stopped by the Service Desk and asked about doubling a “Do Not Double” coupon. I was told that it is coupon fraud to double these, and it was also coupon fraud to accept expired coupons. Hmm Cub has been accepting expired coupons for as long as I can remember. Oh well, let’s not pass this information on to Cub.

By: Anita

Anita — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:41:52 +0000

Forgot to mention that the last time I emailed Rainbow about the double daze I did bring up the sale price vs shelf price and that different cashier are telling me different things and that some friends are able to get $25 shelf price while others have to go by $25 sale price. they basically ignored that part and just gave me their policy which was the $25 based on sale prices and after store coupons, but nor after man. coupons. hopefully, since having a recognized blog you will have better luck in getting an answer.

By: Anita

Anita — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:36:09 +0000

I think it all depends on the cashier. I have always had issues with Rainbow doubles but other people (from other sites) NEVER have issues with the SAME store.
Also, not rainbow foods but relevant, my sister mostly shops CUB. she has always been told they don’t take internet printed coupons!? I use IP’s all the time at the SAME CUB. I haven’t had a chance to make sure she is using a reputable site but she usually never gets the cashier to scan them. WEIRD!?

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:40:15 +0000

Thanks so much for trying to clarify Rainbow’s policy. I have also sent an email to corporate trying to get more information, because I was made to feel like I was cheating last Wednesday when I was shopping at the Plymouth Rainbow store. (I also haven’t gotten a response yet). I followed my normal policy which is to split my order into two, and then bring it out to the car, before doing 2 more transactions. The cashier in charge would not let me double my coupons on the last order because he said that I had already benefitted enough. I was too tired to argue, but have decided that the store doesn’t do enough business and so I felt too scrutinized. I think that I’ll do another Rainbow this week.

By: erica f edwards

erica f edwards — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:17:09 +0000

Rainbow coupon policy is so confusing I refuse to go on Weds I am so tired of being emabarrased and mislead when I get to the register. I feel they are anti coupon sometimes.

By: Dawn Miller

Dawn Miller — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:02:07 +0000

Cindy,
I shop the Forest Lake Rainbow and it all depends on what cashier you get that will or will not double the “do not double coupons”. I like the cashier that I went to last week that would not double “the do not double” coupon because she said it was illegal!! I thought she was nuts so I put all my stuff back into my shopping cart and went to another cashier and had no problem.

By: kniftymom

kniftymom — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:48:47 +0000

Rainbow Fresh will not double my coupons that say “do not double” but Rainbow Foods will. What is the difference? I have only tried each place once since I am just getting the hang of doubling so it may just be a cashier thing too.

By: Celeste

Celeste — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:37:31 +0000

The 5 or 9 that Courtney is referring to above applies to the actual UPC bar code number. That’s the part that cashiers scan and is similar in size to the UPC you would find on most products in the grocery store. The number below the bars is styled x xxxxx xxxxx x. The very first number would be the 5 or 9. Just looked a couple of my coupons that say “Do not double” and the begin with 5s.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:23:56 +0000

FYI to area shoppers: It has been my experience that the Forest Lake Rainbow will NOT double a ‘do not double/triple’ coupon. They will also NOT double any coupon over $1. And they let the register figure if you are over $25 in sales pre-coupons.