Last week, we tried to figure out a promotion from Hotels.com that had an extremely lengthy list of hotels specifically excluded from a coupon. We’re glad to note that not only was that promo not as bad as we thought, but a new coupon from the hotel aggregator clarifies things a bit for the easily confused. Like us. [More]
exclusions
In Sale Flyer, ‘Only At Macy’s’ Means ‘Not Necessarily At Macy’s’
By 10.19.15
One Boston shopper found what looked like an amazing deal on shirts at Macy’s, advertised in the weekly flyer. Unfortunately, Macy’s now seems to regard their flyer as a random assortment of product pictures and disclaimers. The item wasn’t available at his local Macy’s, and employees just sort of shrugged. [More]
Furniture Company Mocks Coupon Fine Print With Rambling 350-Word Disclaimer
By 10.9.15
For years we’ve been highlighting ridiculous coupons with fine print so restrictive that it basically ruins all the fun of saving money. In that spirit, the folks at home furnishings chain Lovesac decided to create a discount that is nothing but fine print. [More]
Sears Holds Appliance Sale, Redefines The Word ‘All’
By 11.3.14
In recent weeks, Sears has had some really great appliance sales, trying to drum up some business. That’s great news for Sears and for anyone who needs a new dishwasher, but confusing news for consumers who took last week’s ad literally. It offered an additional 15% off “all appliances” for customers who used their Sears credit cards, which some customers naively thought meant all appliances. [More]
Kmart Gives Me BP Coupon For 30 Cents Off Gas. Excluded Items: Fuel
By 5.13.13
When Scott checked out at Kmart, a pretty sweet coupon printed out. What was it for? Thirty cents off per gallon (limit 20 gallons) at his local BP gas station! That’s actually a pretty good deal, and a nice Kmart/BP cross-promotion. Then he noticed the exclusions. Good coupons almost always have a lot of exclusions, so it’s smart to check them before heading for the newest BP. Scott didn’t expect the coupon to just cancel itself out, though. [More]
You Can't Use A Barnes & Noble Gift Card For Ebooks
By 11.13.09
Update: Barnes & Noble says they’re changing this policy. If you or someone you know is getting a nook, Barnes & Noble’s version of the Kindle, this year and you want to use a gift card to fill it with books, forget it. For mysterious reasons, the retailer won’t allow it. (By contrast, Amazon does.)
Macy’s Makes Fun Of Coupons With Its Latest Coupon
By 4.7.09 — Updated: 11.26.13
Did you know the asterisk in the Macy*s logo is actually part of a clever branding campaign to associate the brand with fine print? It must be true, because no other department store has such a love of fine print on coupons—and such an apparent hatred of actual coupons. Their latest masterpiece in exclusions won’t cover electronics, wigs, mattresses, shoes, watches, about a million clothing brands, and more. What does it cover? Probably a shoehorn from the Notions for Men department.
This Sports Authority Coupon For 20% Off Cannot Be Used For Anything
By 2.23.08
Sports Authority misses you so much that they sent out a 20% off coupon that doesn’t apply to sports equipment or 68 named brands. You might, might be able to get 20% off a pair of socks.
Circuit City Excluding Whatever It Feels Like From $15 Coupon
By 11.2.07
After getting my items added with the sales rep on the phone, when it was time to use the coupon I was again told that it was invalid – this time, however, I was a given a reason. The sales rep told me that the coupon was not good for video games or movies (I was ordering a game and the flight of the conchords DVD). I told the rep that the coupon stated neither video games OR movies as restrictions for use and he got a manager. Three managers and supervisors later, they wouldn’t budge. Needless to say, I didn’t make the purchase through them. I told them that I had previously worked in retail, knew that they had the power to manually take $15 off of my purchase if the coupon wouldn’t go through, and would not be making my purchase unless they honored the coupon as it was stated in their own promotion.
In Case Of Nuclear Strike, Your Cellphone Insurance Is Void
By 10.29.06
Your cellphone is not insured against loss in a nuclear crisis or a warzone.
