Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to express my frustration over the condition of my Sunday paper.
On Saturday, I decided to pick up a Sunday Advance paper at Safeway to review the coupons and do my weekly deals posts for my blog. As I had two little ones with me, I didn't have time to peruse the contents of the paper – I foolishly assumed I would be getting a complete paper. Exactly what I paid for.
You can imagine my disappointment when I noticed you'd ripped off the Albertsons doubler coupons from my ad. Obviously, you thumbed through this paper (and likely others) to procure the doubler coupons for yourself without having to pay for a paper. The condition of my Albertsons flyer also begs the question, "why didn't you just take the whole flyer?" If you think that your action would be less noticeable by only ripping out the doubler coupons, you are sorely mistaken.
Most importantly, I feel your actions are borderline shoplifting because you damaged store merchandise without paying for it. I also would like to point out that your mischief making was completely unnecessary. Both Albertsons in our area provide these doubler coupons at Customer Service.
If you are the guilty party of this crime, I respectfully request you email me at thecouponproject at hotmail dot com so I can let you know where you may mail me my doubler coupons. You know, the ones that I paid for.
Sincerely,
A Frustrated Couponer
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s awful! Like you said, why not just take the whole thing? My Sunday paper was jacked up too. No USA Weekend and the Redplum insert with the $3/1 Snuggle was missing. At first I thought our region just didn’t get it but my aunt who gives me all her coupons got it, so luckily I’ll still get one but it’s still frustrating.
WHAT???????!!!!!!!!!!! That’s even worse than my doublers! Oh, I’d be SO mad! Rifling through inserts? Shame on you people!
I noticed some of the papers at my albies had been sampled too and wondered who would do that. I’m sorry you were a victim of another couponer’s thoughtlessness. We can all just hope it’s someone who also photo copies printables and will eventually get caught.
Julie, oh dear. Let’s just hope they didn’t photo copy Leslie’s Snuggle coupons!
I hope everyone reading this understands my viewpoint on this is VERY definite: ripping coupons out of papers you don’t intend to buy is both OBNOXIOUS and WRONG. Don’t think for a moment I would ever condone this kind of behavior. If I EVER catch anyone doing this, there will be words. And possibly, a quick trip to Customer Service to report what you’re doing.
I have had this happen before. It’s terrible, kind of like people who take peelies off products without purchasing them!
The worst thing happened to me last night at Albertsons. I left my large coupon box in my cart accidentally, and when I returned for it, it was gone! I checked every cart, walked up and down every isle, left my name and number with customer service, and checked back today. No luck. I just hope that whoever has it needs it more than I do, and that person is in my prayers. Time to start from scatch :{
I may look dumb for doing it, but every week when I get my paper I inspect it before buying it. I stand at the register (so not to look fishy) and make sure what I want is in there. I have seen too many papers that are missing inserts or Albertsons ads.
I’ve had the same thing happen to me with the paper and it is frustrating.
@Kim – I’m so sorry about your coupon box! I am very attached to all the coupons I clip – so much work! So I feel for you. Your really kind and generous thought about the person reminded me of my mom, who always left doors unlocked on the car and the house. And if anyone said, what about your groceries in there or your car or your tv or whatever?? She’d say, if they need it that badly, then they can have it. And it’s not like we were rich!
I bought a paper once from Safeway completely missing the coupon inserts. I had already torn the WHOLE thing apart before I realized it. Safeway told me to put it all back together and bring it back in (which took me about an hour) and then they acted like I stole the coupons. So frusterating! I wish they didn’t leave them out like they do.
Some people are so selfish. There are plenty of ways to legitimately acquire coupons without stealing out of the newspapers. Pretty soon they’ll be kept behind plexiglass like cigarettes. Plus, doesn’t Albertson’s keep plenty of doublers at the customer service counter? My store does.
COUPON INSERT ALERT!!!! I called my local paper – The Everett Herald to investigate why the papers I bought in the stores don’t have the same inserts as the one I get at home. One day at Alberston’s, I noticed not all the inserts were in my paper – I sifted through about 5 papers and they were all missing the same inserts, so I called. I was informed that the only papers that are guaranteed to have everything are the home deliveries. They said they “purchase” these inserts and don’t always have enough to go in every paper. Example: they have 47,000 copies of the coupon inserts, but print 51,000 copies of the paper. They will short change the ones that go to the store, rather than short change the home deliveries. That made me feel SOOOO much better than thinking someone was out there stealing! Maybe that is what is happening in some of these cases.
Clearly, whoever ripped the doubler coupons out of Angela’s paper should be taught a lesson!!!
Elise, that certainly IS interesting information!! What bothers me is when folks are clearly rifling through the paper and ripping out what they want. NOT COOL. But you make a good case here for subscribing.
Another good lesson from this – it may be worth it to know ahead of time what inserts to expect and make sure whatever paper you’re picking up actually contains said inserts.
Angela,
I live in Northern Indiana and have to get the Chicago Tribune for my coupons. I have to drive a distance to get them and the CVS I get them at has begun keeping them behind the register because people were taking the inserts without buying the paper. I know exactly how you feel. BTW…I enjoy your site very much!
Baaaad coupon karma!!!
(Just picked up a full paper for the doublers while shopping at Albertsons today…)
My personal limits go up to 10 tearpad coupons when they are out (unless I’m going to use them right away..)
K, after everyone’s comments – some of you have had FAR worse happen than my poor 3 doublers! Carla, that is RIDICULOUS about the papers behind the counter. What next?! LOL! I’m glad you’re enjoying my site…I enjoy working at it every day!!
That’s terrible.
I used to work as a cashier for a frame shop and they used to run these really great ad’s for 10dollars off any item, they didn’t care how much the item cost as long as it only one per transaction.
Well, the last time they ran that ad, a couple of gals came in with like 20 coupons each and tried to use them all at once. I was shocked at the number of coupons and asked them how they possibly got so many. They told me that one of their family members owns a mini mart and they had gone through all the papers and taken out the coupons.
That was only time that I hated processing a coupon. It truly felt like stealing. They both paid a few dollars for hundreds of dollars of frames. They didn’t even buy the paper!
The store never ran that particular ad again. Talk about ruining it for the rest of us!
Ang, I hunted through quite a few papers today at Albie’s to find doublers! I only found ONE! And most of the papers were missing inserts too. Who is this serial doubler thief? GRRR And, Albie’s didn’t have any doublers at CS today. Oh well, good thing I was only planning 2 trans, and just went with 1 since that’s all the doublers I could find. Not to mention my kids were going crazy, today of all days, when it was pouring rain! Okay, wrong forum for me to be venting. TTYL
My husband will pick through all the papers to pick the one he thinks looks the best and then he will go through the paper to make sure that all the coupons are there for me. He is a good husband for doing this for me!
Last Sunday (3/21) I stopped at the Dollar Tree and bought 3 newspapers (1 Olympian & 2 News Tribunes)…not a SINGLE insert to be found in any of them! No problems in any before and no problem this past Sunday (yes, I did check each one before leaving this time).
I love the couponing blogs, websites and community as a whole. Consistently they all remind us about couponing “ethics”…just seems like basic right & wrong- you didn’t pay for it, it’s stealing and that’s wrong. Frustrating, yet sad too.
I get the TNT Sunday paper delivered and they gave me a deal if I signed up for a year. I only pay $1.00 a week for my paper. So for some of you that are having trouble getting all your inserts you might call your local paper and see if you sign up for a year if they will give you a discount that way you can get one paper with all the inserts. I am not sure if they can or will deliver more then one paper to an address. Just a thought, cause I had the same trouble when I use to buy my paper at the stores.
According to my own analysis, millions of persons all over the world receive the mortgage loans from well known banks. Hence, there is a good possibility to find a term loan in all countries.
Albertson’s will give you doublers if you ask at customer service. I do it all the time.
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