Most of us are upset (and rightfully so) by people who clear store shelves, leaving nothing behind for others.
But does the game change if that haul is being donated? My answer: no, it doesn’t. It’s still rude.
Oh, the Irony…
Imagine a gentleman going to open a door for a lady. Nice guesture, right? But suppose that in the process of opening the door for the lady, he knocks another lady to the ground in the process, and steps over her.
That is how I feel about folks who choose to clean out stores in the name of charity.
Remember, some families need those items NOW. Believe it or not, a lot of folks may be counting on the stock to be in the store so they can take advantage of the deal now. It seems really unfortunate to me if there are families trying to put food on the table by carefully matching store ads and coupons only to find the stock is gone, cleared out by a generous couponer and sitting at a food bank somewhere.
You might be surprised to learn that many stores also support local food banks. When I toured a food bank last year, I was surprised to learn that my local Albertsons provides the food bank with produce on a regular basis. You might consider chatting with your store manager to find out what they may already be doing, or encourage them to get involved if they aren’t.
Tips for Donating
So, am I saying donating is wrong? Absolutely NOT. I WANT you to be generous and support food banks. But I want to encourage you to do so in a tactful way.
I want you to be that gentleman that opens the door for first lady, and keeps it open for the second lady. This can be done.
Here’s how:
1. Work WITH your store. If you see a great deal? Please call your store! Ask if they couldn’t order in extra stock of a certain item so you can take advantage without clearing the shelves. Incidentally, much of what you may have seen on TLC’s Extreme Couponing was staged. The contestants were able to give their stores a big heads up. (It’s just too bad in most cases the American public was left in the dark about this process.)
2. Work WITH your food bank. Please be considerate of your local food banks too. Not all food banks may be thrilled to see you pull up with a u-haul full of mustard. Determine which items your food bank could use the most. One bank I toured last year was so short on space that pallets of food literally had to be forklifted in and out of the bank every day.
3. Use coupons as intended. Do I really have to say this? Yes, I do, because there has been some serious fraud afoot (which I will be addressing in a subsequent post later this week). For the record: donating your groceries does NOT make defrauding stores and manufacturers OK. You are not a modern day Robin Hood.
4. Teach others to do this! Imagine mentoring another family on how to best use coupons and stockpile. So instead of providing them with a bag of free food, you begin to help them transform how they shop and fill their pantry. (Even better, why not do both?)
5. Look for great opportunities to give. Couponing for Community is teaming with Stamp out Hunger this year to bring in non-perishable food items from May 8 – 14. Please read more on their Facebook page. If many people each gave $20 worth of food, the impact may be more effective than one person giving mass quantities of one item.
What do you think? Is it OK to clear shelves because you intend to donate all those items? Or, do you agree with me and think there are better ways of going about this?
Image courtesy stock.xchng
Amen sister!
I would much rather give $10 in the Food Bank offering at church than run around wasting expensive gas, energy, and my sanity to clear shelves to donate items. They can make that ten bucks go so much farther than me giving them 50 boxes of Total cereal or 30 containers of mustard.
I followed the link to the story about Jaime and her coupon fraud. I HOPE with all the greed that is going on, others aren’t out there in hoards (while hoarding, hah) doing the same thing. Can you imagine the damage that would do (in so many ways)?
I agree with everything you’ve said to a point. However, I also object to your criticism of shelf clearers as being rude. There are many reasons why people shop and I want to share two stories – one of which is mine. I have a very good friend who fits into the classification of shelf clearer and I understand where he is coming from as well. Laid off from his construction position nearly two years ago and still only finding work sporadically, he told me only recently that he can pay all his bills each month if he can bring home only $600 in wages. How can he do this? He shops. He clears shelves. He goes after the money making coupon items (Rite Aid, WAGS, Target, WM) and the money he makes in overage is what covers his day to day needs. He lives simply – no car – and with minimal pleasures that most of us take for granted – but he has what he needs. Now his shelf clearing may cause problems for you and your coupon shopping…but try for a second to respect the ingenuity and determination from this young man who chooses to SHOP (by BUS, no less!) instead of choosing to live off unemployment pay and government hand-outs. I think it pretty cool.
Now listen to my story: I don’t really clear shelves (except very occasionally) because it just isn’t my style. I try hard to go out of my way to not inconvenience others…but I am a heavy shopper and I make the rounds at many stores to get a good supply of what I want and need. What I need is far more than what is needed to meet my family needs; I buy in huge quantity and, I confess, I sell it at garage sales. I don’t do this to be rude or to steal deals from any of you…it is MY way of paying MY bills. My father has Alzheimer’s, needs 24 hour assistance, and lives with me. I don’t want him in a nursing home…I love him…and my commitment to his care is top priority. I have choices – put my father in a nursing home so I can go to work and pay college bills and my out of pocket medical bills ($8000 for two surgeries in 8 months) or work from home. Two and a half years ago I began to do extreme couponing with the goal to earn enough extra money to allow my father to continue to live with me and to help pay my son’s college. Like mommy bloggers, I earn nothing close to what I could earn at a minimum wage job…but shopping gives me the same advantage as blogging does some of you…it provides some income to HELP the family finances. Let me address the idea of selling my stockpile. I have customers who come to my sale and buy my cereal (priced at $1 a box) who break down and cry because they can afford to buy food for their children at my sales. I have customers who hug me and thank me for selling groceries and drug store items at prices they can afford because they have been recently laid off of work and are struggling to make ends meet. I have been asked to teach my customers how to coupon and do so willingly and with enthusiasm. Many, however, tell me that they just don’t have time or energy as single parents – or even as stay at home moms – to do what needs to be done to get the same deals I do; I am THANKED for being the “middleman”. Over and over and over, I am told how much my shopping is a service to them and a blessing to their lives.
I am sorry if some of my shopping patterns keep some of you from getting what you need – but consistence and persistence and hard work is part of couponing. Any of us could have our own little pity party about our own needs but how does that get us anywhere? Yes, I know it’s hard to drag children with you to make an extra trip when the shelf is empty…but you chose to be a mom…that’s life. (I was there once. Today I must take my 92 year old father with…someone who can hardly walk and who relies on me to almost lift him in and out of the car. It’s difficult. It’s discouraging. All I can do is what I can.)
I don’t even know where to begin. I’m….livid.
You can defend your actions (or that of your friend) & call them “ingenious” or “determined” all you want. I’ll call them what they really are: selfish & greedy. Do you think your friend is really the only person out of work for 2 years? Hardly. Do you think you are the only peron caring for an ailing family member? Honey, build a bridge & get over yourself.
Not only is what you are doing greedy, it’s most likely illegal. Do you have a reseller’s permit? My guess is no. Which means you are ignoring the laws of WA State (& probably any other state out there). So not only are you greedy, you are unethical.
How can you look people in the eye as you wheel an entire store’s worth of goods out to your car? How do you sleep knowing those people in the store didn’t get what they needed to meet their families needs? Maybe they are out of work, or have a family member with cancer, or a spouse who was hit by a drunk driver & died? How dare snag every box of cereal & leave a mother with hungry children?
Lastly, don’t ever call me, Angela, or any other female blogger a “mommy blogger.” It’s offensive. No one would call a female accountant a “Mommy CPA” & yet you can demean us so easily. I won’t call you what I think you really are, because yes, I am a mom & yes, I have one. And she taught me manners. Sadly, something you seem to lack. Shame on you!
Thanks for sharing your story, even though I disagree with your approach. Shelf clearing, for any reason, seems rude to me. Do you think the person that got to the empty shelf would think, “ah! But I bet this person sold all these items for profit to help their family! So I feel OK about this!”
Several months ago I was approached by someone who wanted me to advertise their online store of resold coupon goods (hey – maybe it was you?), and I declined. Folks are having problems finding stock on the shelves, so how do you think they’d feel if I said “you know those Gillette razors you can’t find anywhere? They’re for sale for $2 more at this site!” Yeah, no. This is not something I’d advocate my readers do. I do “get” that some cannot work a traditional job. Heck, I’ve been helping my family make ends meet by running this blog and doing some freelance writing. There are lots of different ways one can make money at home (I featured them back in August).
So sorry, I have to disagree with your approach. And the story of the gentleman using overage to pay for his living expenses….just didn’t sit well with me either. Sorry.
We all have a need for rock bottom prices and a story that sparked that need. Amber at the Coupon Connection often shares the stories of people she’s taught in her classes in “My Coupon Story”. I understand that this is a difficult time for you. I see many aspects of my own life in your stories. But I don’t think that stores or the manufactures would consider the re-sale of products purchased with coupons ethical (or legal as the case may be). To use coupons in this way in my option is a form of coupon fraud. Plus with the deficits most states are facing in this country selling products without sales tax is like stealing from the state. It causes the state legislator to have to make cuts that hurt the very same people you say your helping.
@Heather I understand why you are offended by the term “Mommy Blogger” You (and Angela) put so much work into the blog it should be considered a part time job (full time during the Christmas season). Thank you (both) for all the hard work you put in. My children got extra Christmas presents because I saved so much money by following your blogs.
You asked me not to demean you…I’m sorry that I did. I have always thought of the term mommy blogger as a good term…a mom who is blogging so that she can stay home with her kids. I like those values and support them completely. I meant nothing negative.
Now, I ask you for the same respect. Your opinion of my reselling is your opinion and you have a right to it as long as you are polite and respectful of my choices as well. In your comments, I hear accusations of tax fraud and illegal selling. That is not what I do. While I see no need to defend myself, I will anyway. I record my profits and pay income tax (in spite of the fact that nobody except me would ever know if I chose not to submit these figures to the IRS.) Did you know that in the state of Washington, anyone reselling only needs to pay sales tax once…I choose to pay sales tax at point of my purchase and not at the time of reselling. I pay MORE sales tax to the state of Washington this way…I pay sales tax on full price before coupons…and resell for a fraction of the cost. If I chose to collect sales tax at my garage sales instead of at the original time of purchase, the state would earn LESS money from the sales. As far as needing a reseller’s license, the law states that as long as my profits (after expenses!) are less than a certain amount (check it out yourself), I do not need a license. Don’t worry. I’ve investigated. I want to be legal and ethical.
Of course, your real issue is not the tax issue. It is that you are afraid that you – and others – aren’t going to get your fair share of what is on sale because of what I do. I’m sorry you feel that way – I really don’t think it is true. The stores where I shop stock their shelves well – in our area most people are pleased with how, for example, the local Albertsons stores prepare for each and every one of us couponers. Very seldom are they out of what is on sale and if they are, rainchecks and prebuying are always options. I would encourage each and every one of you to work with YOUR stores for that option instead of complaining about what is, in your opinion, rudeness.
Please note that the comments on the illegal/tax issue were not mine (Angela, the author of this blog and post). I personally don’t know enough about law regarding that topic to comment on that aspect of your business. If you re-read my comment (in yellow), I don’t feel I disrespected you. I shared that I disagreed with you, but I don’t feel I disrespected you.
I do agree that the term “mommy blogger” is demeaning, and I said this to another poster once already on this thread. Is any man that blogs a “daddy blogger?” I think not. I feel so long as people think of me as a “mommy blogger,” my ability to grow as a professional is inhibited. I know this may not be apparent to everyone, but I think the point has been made, so we can move on. I get you meant no harm by that. 😉
Obviously your post struck a nerve. How could it not?
I get about the hoarding and the greed, of course. But I am starting to feel a little guilty about the last two bars of deodorant I took from Kings last week. After reading this, I kind of feel like they were the last two croissants at the Easter table and I snatched ’em up before my husband could get them (which I would obviously never do). They were the last on the shelf so technically, I cleared it. For the sake of coupon etiquette should I have left the other one for the next free deodorant seeking shopper?
Someone has to take that last deodorant, ya know? This is not the sort of thing I was referring to when I wrote this post. What I would be more concerned about is if there were 80 and you took all 80. I wouldn’t lose sleep over this. 😉
Ashley, no you shouldn’t feel guilty. That’s not what we’re complaining about.
So, let’s agree to disagree on this issue. Each of us has to come to grips with our own consciences and with the choices we make. I think it is extremely important that that evaluation be done, that grappling with ethics is neccesary and good…but I also think it is extremely important that we respect each other’s right to think differently and to respond differently.
Please, I would like to be done with these comments already since we’re clearly never going to agree, especially since you’ve not even chosen to identify yourself. Again, if you read MY comments (the ones in yellow), I felt I was respectful. Believe it or not, I actually did not approve another comment directed towards you that I felt was particularly rude.
Okay…I’m not guilty anymore. I’ve had so many of my couponing world friends just outraged about shelf clearing though. I wonder the percentage of couponers that actually do this.
Now, in defense of “anonymous”. She has done a typical American thing by creating a job for herself. It is not unethical to purchase bulk items at a discounted rate and put the items in a vending machine or sell them at a fair, or ball game to make a profit. For those that are not burned by these maneuvers it is considered ingenuity and good business practice. It bites for us that buy smaller amounts of stuff, but it is not unethical or illegal assuming she has appropriate forms lined up. Let’s hope she doesn’t get too successful or get too many franchises (i.e. copycats) going!
WOAH, Ashley. So you go from “I feel guilty about two deodorants” to all of a sudden defending this “anonymous” poster? Just not following the leap at all.
Well, clearing the shelf is clearing the shelf. Whether we take the last one or the last 80. The result for the next shopper is still the same; disappointment, regardless of the previous shoppers haul (1 or 80). Since the post is motivated by the feeling of us shoppers who show up to the store when the product is sold out, it is our condition that we are concerned with. The couponers I know are mostly blaming “shelf clearers” for being greedy and taking the last of the product. To be quite frank – if we are to apply manners to one another while shopping and follow the “golden rule” there would always be at least one item left on the shelf for the next person. I acted selfishly by taking the last two when I only needed 1. Everyone seems to be so upset about the greed displayed on the Extreme Coupon show or with greedy shoppers. Yet we think nothing of ourselves when we take the last of the deodorant that we probably don’t need anytime soon.
I think there should be a a new term coined… like…inventory clearing or something to that nature to describe the type of shopping you are referring to.
The two topics are not entirely connected – one is about me and my personal coupon etiquette, about greed, and how I should personally be couponing and treating fellow shoppers. I don’t feel guilty but I am making a personal rule as a result of this topic – “I will not take the last item ever, out of respect for the next shopper.”
The other topic is: “anonymous” is doing what Walmart does. Buy bulk items; sell them to poorer people for less than they could buy, but for enough for her to personally turn a profit. Walmart is loved and hated; just like anonymous. She’s loved by her customers and hated by her competition, other couponers. (hated is a strong word, I used it for the sake of comparison). It’s just business. Bad for us, good for her and her customers. It seems that her character is being attacked thus my reason for defending her. We may not like what she does because that type of shopping negatively impacts our shopping but putting feelings and character aside, it’s simple business.
I’ve “heard” store policies are changing in order to diminish this type of shopping. I hope it’s true.
Hope that clarifies.
Sorry I did not read every single comment but I just wanted to first of say that I never thought Mommy blogger is a bad word.
So lets just call them bloggers for now. So people say shelfclearers are greedy? I dont clear the shelf…hhmmm maybe I have before because I really like that item but I can’t even remember so it’s something I usually avoid or just dont do. But that is just me.
I am more thinking about a lot of bloggers being greedy. Sorry to say that. They teach and teach and teach and teach more and more coupon shops and just dont get enough. They get paid for every person unless they offer 1 free workshop here or there. How many people can you possibly teach in a little area like Olympia/Lacey? So okay we are not supposed to clear the shelf but there is “only” 10 items on the shelf but since you taught all those people now there is 300 people that want in on the deal. How is that supposed to work and when is it enough? I do understand that they wanna educate BUT those people dont go there to just listen, they wanna go out into the world saving all that money, saving tons of money, making money……
This in my eyes is worse than clearing shelfs, creating a coupon “Army” that runs through town chasing deals down and try to out hunt the other……..
I just went through this same argument with another poster, and I don’t really feel much like repeating myself. If you want to see what I had to say, please wade your way back through the comments.
And I’m terribly sorry to disappoint, but I don’t intend to shut down this blog. Sorry.
One more comment in regard to what Yvonne wrote. I would continue to encourage you as bloggers to work more intensely with the stores around you to get them to order more merchandise. I shop the same stores as Coupon Connections and am 100% impressed by how well she works with our local Albertsons to make certain that the store is as well prepared for upcoming sales and the corresponding coupon redemption. There is minimal – if any – complaining about empty shelves in our area because she works so effectively with store management that the shelves are very seldom emptied by either an army of couponers who each want to buy three items nor shelf clearers (No matter what you say, I’m not one!) When the shelves are empty, the store freely offers rainchecks or the option of prebuying.
BTW: When Fuze was on sale week before last, both Amber and I bought 100 bottles…you’d have to criticize her if you’re going to criticize me. I saw someone else yesterday with a whole grocery cart full of Fuzes that she had also prebought during the week of the sale. This kind of purchasing is allowed and encouraged at our store. (Bottom line for Albies – they were paid $1 for each bottle they sold. Why would they not want to sell as many as possible?)
Here’s how prebuying works. If I want 100 Fuzes and there are none on the shelf, my Albertsons allows us to prepay for them and pick them up when they are back in stock. Nobody is significantly inconvenienced and everyone…including the store…wins. This week I preordered just one box of Crackerfuls. Our Albertsons allows us to double nine coupons PER transaction but, in the Buy 10, get $5 off promo, there were only nine boxes of crackers…any kind of the included crackers…left on the shelf. I bought nine boxes of crackers and prebought the tenth one so as to get $5 off. I will return to Albertsons next week to pick up my already purchased box of crackers.
In my opinion, there is a threefold responsibility for responsible couponing: responsible bloggers who effectively work with grocery management to make certain enough products will be available for consumers (no matter WHY or HOW they shop)… and responsible store management who choose to order enough merchandise to meet the needs of all their customers… and responsible customers who are both considerate of the needs of other shoppers and who are consistent and persistent in their couponing while respecting the goals and needs of others no matter what they are. We all have to work together.
I totally agree. And many of us coupon bloggers do exactly what you suggest. A few weeks ago I actually met with a couple people from the corporate division of a local grocery store. Please don’t assume these conversations aren’t happening. I know as a coupon blogger for this community, I have an obligation to advocate for my readers. Trust me, I don’t take that lightly. 😉
I do find it completely interesting you have no problem identifying Amber (who I do know), but you choose to remain anonymous. Why is that? Do I know you?
I don’t criticize pre buying or pre ordering AT ALL. If you read my post, it’s exactly what I advocated for. Again, going back to the point of the post – my upset was with people who clear shelves without pre ordering and then say “but aha! I’m donating it all!” That was truly the point of this post. That was my beef. This post wasn’t even so much about shelf clearing, but shelf clearing done in the name of charity.
This convo can go on forever, but honestly, I feel we’ve honestly found something we can agree on (personal responsibility), so that feels pretty darn good in my book. I sure wish though given the amount of comments you’ve left, you would’ve had the courage to at least provided me the pleasure of knowing your first name. Regardless, best wishes.
Dredging up an old thread but I received this today. This is from the Washington Department of Revenue:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding flea market sales and similar activities. You ask:
I have a question that I hope you can clear up. It is going around the blogs that a lot of people in Washington are purchasing items at stores that are on sale very cheap or free (toiletries and groceries in particular) and selling them at garage sales, flea markets, on Craigslist and on ebay. They are claiming that this is perfectly legal and that they don’t need a special license to so do, nor do they need to pay further tax on the sales since they paid tax when they purchased the items. I don’t intend to do this, but want to know if this is an illegal practice. In my opinion, it certainly seems unethical since they are clearing store shelves and depriving other shoppers of the sales deals. But what about the legal part of this?
Response
Individuals who buy and resell goods are engaging in retail sales and should be registered with the Department of Revenue. When making sales at retail a business is required to collect sales tax and provide the buyer with a receipt showing the amount of tax charged. This is true even if the seller has already paid sales tax on the goods (although the seller is later allowed a credit for tax paid at the source when completing their tax returns).
The Department generally does not require someone to register as a business if they restrict their activity to occasional garage sales. By “garage sale” the Department means selling items that the individual already owns, as opposed to goods that were purchased with the intent to resell as described above.
Individuals who purchase and use goods in this state without paying sales tax will owe use tax on the value of those goods.
See also the Department’s flyer on registration requirements.
If you have further questions, please write again.
State of Washington
DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
That almost exact information was provided to me by two different tax people at the state department of revenue. (My husband wanted me to make absolutely certain that what I was doing was absolutely legal so I contacted TWO different agents for verification.) However, one slight detail was left out of the letter above. I was told by BOTH tax agents that as long as my profits after expenses were less than $11,000 per year, I did not have to register as a business or to pay further tax. I was told to keep receipts as proof that I had originally paid taxes. Would you like the names of the tax agents I spoke with so you can verify the information I was provided?
Oh good gravy, please tell me this thread hasn’t been resurrected….commence the aspirin.
PS I would appreciate it at this point, we can all agree to disagree on this one. No bringing in backup, doing research with state depts, or paragraphs long discourse. This thread is NOT even what I intended to discuss on this post which is clearing a shelf (without pre-ordering) and then excusing your behavior by saying “but hey – I donated it!” In fact, if you even read the post, my goal was to share practical ideas for generosity. This particular thread caused me much annoyance last week and I nearly deleted the whole thing. While anon has done something I disagree with, obiously she’s done her work and decided she’s doing the right thing and there isn’t much I can do to say otherwise. So please, for the love of all that’s good and lovely in the world, let’s be done. (Said in the most nicest, gracious way I know how.)
If you are going to comment further, you’ve been warned: stay on topic!!!! For more on my comment policy, see this: http://thecouponproject.com/disclosure
LOL, no I’m done. I just received it today so passing it along. I won’t re-visit this thread, and won’t post on it any more.
It’s up to the store to keep their shelves stocked, not me. If I have the capacity to buy what is on the shelf, it’s up to the store to restock that shelf. Take it up with the mismanagement. Not me.
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