Anyone have trouble redeeming Borders Rewards coupons?

[Libertus]

Borders/Waldens has a new rewards program, and one thing it entails is them sending coupons via email.

I printed out a few and took them to my local store. They wouldn't scan. Since I am a (very) regular customer and the staff know me they typed in the number to activate the coupon, but she said that 'policy' is that if the coupon doesn't scan it can't be used, so I should not expect to be able to use them at other stores.

Does anyone know if this is true?

Must I purchase a new printer to get the most of this rewards program?

robert

[Collectonian]

What kind of printer did you use? Was there any bleeding in the barcode that might have caused the problem?

I'd hate to think a store would be that lazy that they teach their employees not to type in the numbers if something won't scan.

[pete5883]

Well it should never be a problem at a Walden's, because the directions on the coupon never tell them to scan it at all. Though I don't have a Borders, so I can't speak for the scanability of the coupons.

[Elana]

We've been on the program since last year (benefits of dating someone who's a Borders employee). It seems to work just fine. We've never had a problem and the Christmas shopping discounts were great.

[slrcosmos]

Sometimes the coupon won't scan, but then sometimes my rewards card won't scan. I think if an employee tells you that you can't use the coupon because it won't scan, ask for a manager/supervisor. I think someone just doesn't want to type in the number. It's not like their own register printed coupons even have barcodes.

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
slrcosmos said:
Sometimes the coupon won't scan, but then sometimes my rewards card won't scan. I think if an employee tells you that you can't use the coupon because it won't scan, ask for a manager/supervisor. I think someone just doesn't want to type in the number. It's not like their own register printed coupons even have barcodes.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's likely it's a training issue. Sometimes the employees get a little nervous with new things and this is a departure from what they're used to.

[kymaera]

Mine don't scan about half the time and they've always just punched in
the code without saying anything.

[Nani]

My Borders coupon never scans. They just type it in, I get my discount, and I'm on my merry way.

[Oniko]

It's the same with the print outs of coupons I've made. I think they scan maybe 10% of the time at most. But most of the time they just type the coupon number in anyhow. And I've never been told it was policy to not accept a coupon that doesn't scan.

Half the time the employees at the local Borders' don't even bother to scan it and just type in the code. When they do scan it, it only works around 75% of the time and if it fails they type in the code anyway.

[touma]

My coupons usually do not scan but nobody has ever said anything about it, they just enter the code. One employee keeps a good coupon at the register. If the customer's coupon does not scan he just scans the good one.
And the instructions on the coupon tell the employees to "scan or enter coupon #."

[shuironeko]

As most people have said, the coupons don't always scan. I've had this occur on coupons printed by various inkjet and laser printers, even inconsistently for the same printer. The "come-back" coupons printed by the register can't be scanned anyhow, since they have no barcode.

So what you were told is bogus. I've had many "training" issues at some Borders (where they think you can't use an e-mail coupon and a come-back coupon with a different code # on the same transaction.) Seems they have some difficulty with the English language as printed on the coupons at times. /images/graemlins/stunned0.gif

If they keep feeding you that line I'd escalate to supervisor and up. Most of these sorts of issues have smoothed out over time. With the recent changes to make the Rewards part and the Bonus Shopping Day easier it is really quite nice for those items where you just don't want to wait for better prices online.

[Elana]

Just wait until the cafes switch to Seattle Best (scheduled for early May in the Boston area). It's going to be a nightmare of training issues.

I'm going to miss being able to get French Sodas...

[Helschadenfreude]

What's Seattle's Best?


I don't know, all the coupons were typed in if they weren't scanned. I think the employee was as previous posters said, didn't quite understand the rules.

[Marrach]

[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
What's Seattle's Best?

[/ QUOTE ]

The worst coffee ever.

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
Marrach said:
[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
What's Seattle's Best?

[/ QUOTE ]

The worst coffee ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're owned by Starbucks, to give you an idea.

[shuironeko]

[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:
[ QUOTE ]
Marrach said:
[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
What's Seattle's Best?

[/ QUOTE ]

The worst coffee ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're owned by Starbucks, to give you an idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, that explains the disturbing similarities in their menus. Our Borders Cafe's out in Oregon went SB quite a number of months ago. I only bought a hot cocoa there once so I could fill out some paperwork in the store without guilt. /images/graemlins/sweat000.gif

They seemed to have no training issues with Borders Rewards, however. Just asked for my card and gave me my come-back coupon with my receipt.

It's too bad they have no real food any longer. /images/graemlins/sad.gif

[railohio]

I've found employee training with the card has been spotty at best. I got the card a few years ago when the Toledo store opened as it was one of the test markets before the systemwide launch. I used it widely on my travels from Chicago to Akron and from Ann Arbor to Knoxville and every time they had to be instructed on how to use it either from me or the manager (or both!) because nobody realized the card might be used outside the test market. D'oh! As others have said it only gets scanned about three quarters of the time when I use it and the rest of the time it has to be punched in manually.

[Elana]

I spoke to my boyfriend about this issue (he a manager at Borders and helped roll out training on the Borders Rewards program for his store). The employee was wrong. End of story. They can type in the coupon codes.

[Helschadenfreude]

[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:
[ QUOTE ]
Marrach said:
[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
What's Seattle's Best?

[/ QUOTE ]

The worst coffee ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're owned by Starbucks, to give you an idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

Er, wasn't Starbucks in Borders anyway.. oh wait, nevermind Borders had their own cafe thing. So no more real food? I thought they had bread and stuff.. but they used to have soups and stuff. /images/graemlins/relief1.gif I still can't see anything about Borders Rewards, should I just ask the front desk?

[joelgundam01]

[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
I still can't see anything about Borders Rewards, should I just ask the front desk?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, just ask the front desk. They will give you a pamphlet and you can sign-up. At least that's what I did at my local Waldens.

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:
[ QUOTE ]
Marrach said:
[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:
What's Seattle's Best?

[/ QUOTE ]

The worst coffee ever.

[/ QUOTE ]

They're owned by Starbucks, to give you an idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

Er, wasn't Starbucks in Borders anyway.. oh wait, nevermind Borders had their own cafe thing. So no more real food? I thought they had bread and stuff.. but they used to have soups and stuff. /images/graemlins/relief1.gif I still can't see anything about Borders Rewards, should I just ask the front desk?

[/ QUOTE ]

There will be food. Sandwiches. B&N has Starbucks, BTW.

They just won't have the soda machine anymore so no soda water = no more French or Italian sodas.

[rainking187]

[ QUOTE ]
PsychoIdiot said:I still can't see anything about Borders Rewards, should I just ask the front desk?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's surprising, I went to a Borders the other day and they practically wouldn't let me leave without a card.

[BART]

Isn't this essentially the same program they've been doing all along? Why do I have to give my e-mail to them twice?

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
Mortimer said:
Isn't this essentially the same program they've been doing all along? Why do I have to give my e-mail to them twice?

[/ QUOTE ]

Short answer: No
More complete answer: Borders Rewards (http://www.bordersrewards.com) is a program where you get a card and it scans at the register each time you purchase something at Borders or Waldenbooks.

When you spend $50 or more in a qualifying month, you get a personal shopping day. You can use this day to get 10% on whatever you purchase the entire day. It's not a single coupon.

On top of this, 5% of ALL your purchases accrue in Holiday Savings. You can then SPEND that money around Christmas-time.

What's going on is, in order to promote the program, Borders is distributing 30% off coupons to rewards members as well. You also get the regular email coupons, possibly some different ones than previously. That part is the same. The rewards part is new.

[railohio]

[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:On top of this, 5% of ALL your purchases accrue in Holiday Savings. You can then SPEND that money around Christmas-time.

[/ QUOTE ]

But only when you spend more than $50 each month or when they send an e-mail lowering it for a month (like they did last July).

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
railohio said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:On top of this, 5% of ALL your purchases accrue in Holiday Savings. You can then SPEND that money around Christmas-time.

[/ QUOTE ]

But only when you spend more than $50 each month or when they send an e-mail lowering it for a month (like they did last July).

[/ QUOTE ]

$50 = 5 manga. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[bubble]

[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:
[ QUOTE ]
railohio said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:On top of this, 5% of ALL your purchases accrue in Holiday Savings. You can then SPEND that money around Christmas-time.

[/ QUOTE ]

But only when you spend more than $50 each month or when they send an e-mail lowering it for a month (like they did last July).

[/ QUOTE ]

$50 = 5 manga. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, I received an email on Feb 23 stating that they've done away with the $50 monthly minimum for Holiday Savings. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
Rain said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:
[ QUOTE ]
railohio said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:On top of this, 5% of ALL your purchases accrue in Holiday Savings. You can then SPEND that money around Christmas-time.

[/ QUOTE ]

But only when you spend more than $50 each month or when they send an e-mail lowering it for a month (like they did last July).

[/ QUOTE ]

$50 = 5 manga. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, I received an email on Feb 23 stating that they've done away with the $50 monthly minimum for Holiday Savings. /images/graemlins/catgirl0.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was wondering about that, because the only thing it said on the website was "Qualifying Purchases" and their glossary wasn't clear on it.

[joelgundam01]

[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:

I was wondering about that, because the only thing it said on the website was "Qualifying Purchases" and their glossary wasn't clear on it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just look at your order history. It shows you how much credit goes to your Holiday Stach (that's what I'm calling it). I just bought one GN for $5.82 (after 30% off coupon) and they added $.29 to my holiday stash. Plus when you take the survey online, you get a free gift of your choice. One is $5 to your holiday stash.

[Elana]

[ QUOTE ]
joelgundam01 said:
[ QUOTE ]
Elana said:

I was wondering about that, because the only thing it said on the website was "Qualifying Purchases" and their glossary wasn't clear on it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just look at your order history. It shows you how much credit goes to your Holiday Stach (that's what I'm calling it). I just bought one GN for $5.82 (after 30% off coupon) and they added $.29 to my holiday stash. Plus when you take the survey online, you get a free gift of your choice. One is $5 to your holiday stash.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't actually have my own account. My boyfriend and I share an account. /images/graemlins/happy.gif