As many of you know, CVS does not publish their coupon policy. However, in talking to one of the cashiers at our local CVS this past weekend, it was brought to my attention that they have been notified by their management that soon they will not be accepting black and white printable coupons. All printable coupons will be required to be in color, otherwise they will be scrutinized or rejected. When I asked about this change, I was told that it is in an effort to cut down on their loss due to fraudulent coupon usage. Apparently there have been numerous cases of individuals simply photocopying these coupons rather than printing another.
Personally, I'm not too happy but I can completely understand their stance. I have been printing my coupons in black and white in an effort to save on color ink, since it is so much more expensive (I wish we had a local company that could refill my ink tanks!). I am grateful, however, that they have not decided to completely do away with printable coupons. A few companies have recently begun to accept them, yet a few others have changed their policy to NOT accept them.
It is unfortunate that so many people have not taken the time to educate themselves on how to properly use coupons. In a way, I suppose they must believe that since they were able to PRINT the coupon, then they must be able to COPY the coupon. It is important to understand that each coupon has it's own ID number. Even though you may be able to print a second of the same coupon, it will print with a new ID. These numbers are verified by the coupon clearing house. If the numbers have already been "used" then the coupon is rejected and returned to the retailer. This then equals a loss to them.
I admit that I completely LOVE watching TLC's Extreme Couponing. But at the same time I realize that some of the individuals being showcased are not using coupons in a completely ethical manner. I also realize that the shopping trips they are pulling off have taken them weeks (possibly months) to plan for. It is realistically impossible for everyone to do what they do. This show is giving the impression that everyone needs to jump on the bandwagon.
So, returning to the upcoming CVS change in their coupon policy......at this point I have no choice but to comply if I want to continue using printable coupons there. As far as I'm concerned, this is a non-negotiable expectation. In preparation for their change (and possibly other retailers choosing to do the same) I have begun to print out my coupons in color. I'm not as eager to print a coupon "just in case" because of the increased expense, but I will continue to print those out that I know I will use.
