Albertsons Leaving Texas Market to become United. Deals Massive Blow To Couponers.

Last year when Albertsons purchased United Supermarkets in the Texas region, many frugal shoppers were excited about the prospect of the United chain becoming more like the Albertsons' stores with better sale prices, double and triple coupons being offered, and a variety of other things that could help shoppers save a little more than usual and not have to drive out of their way too much.

Well, first, as we broke here at Reality Retail & Couponing, Albertsons in Texas eliminated double coupons back in early April of 2014. It seems to be the industry trend. We did not like it, but with some solace and virtual mourning, we dealt with it.

Effective early June of 2014 and is still ongoing as we speak, the first location to be changed to an "Albertsons Market" in Abilene, Texas offered this as their sale flyer:

This effectively ends Albertsons as we know it in Texas. 

The other locations to be changed over to an Albertsons/United/Unitedsons/Albernited will take place before the end of the calendar year, and also through the early part of 2015.

Here's where their United/Albertsons ad is now located: http://albertsonsmarket.com/

What does this mean for shoppers? Couponers? Extreme Couponers? You are screwed, that's what it means. 

Employees at the Albertsons location in Abilene, TX have reported as much as a 60% drop in sales and numerous cashiers have reported that they "have lost a ton of customers."Also despite the promises of the new holding company that owns this chain many employees have also suffered from a dramatic cutback in hours, with many fearful of losing their jobs.

Also pending appears to be the closing of the United Supermarkets that is less than 1/4 of a mile down the road from the current "Albertsons" location with a consolidation of some variety being the inevitable endgame as it makes no practical sense to have two different stores running the same pricing and sales that close to one another, the volume of neither support it.

It would be like a Wal Mart down the block from another Wal Mart. That just doesn't happen.

This means the following will be dead in Texas: Albertsons buy 1 get 2 free meat deals, Chicken Wing and Fried Chicken deals, B1G2 fish and shrimp deals, 4/$1.00 Albertsons rolls, No more crazy 8 sales, no more Mega Deals, no more Coupon Mania. The list goes on and on.

So combine that with the ending of the double and triple coupons earlier this spring and this new United format, Albertsons for as long as it even keeps that name, will die a slow death in Texas.

Extreme Couponers lose, Couponers lose, every single customer that depended on Albertsons deals to feed their families lose, even the Albertsons employees themselves will lose. The only winners are the stockholders and management of United that despite using a broken business model that got themselves bought out, will still reel in the profits, on less sales, but profits bigger nonetheless.

This leaves, HEB, United and Wal Mart as the only true food shopping centers that people can look for deals at to shop in, and leaves United in a virtual monopoly of this market. And it will do the same as they parade themselves through the state of Texas.

The loss of Albertsons in this region is a death blow to Extreme and regular couponers all the same.

If will also effect other retailers' pricing in the area and anyone that is looking for good sales on grocery and household items.Without a true Albertsons ad to keep them honest, expect a decent percent increase for all "sale" items in this region by stores such as Target, Wal Mart , Sam's Club, CVS and Walgreens.

It is yet another win for Wal Mart, as that is where a vast majority of these displaced shoppers will go, sadly.

If this isn't Retailer's Revenge compounded with greed, then nothing is.

Albertsons Ends Double Coupons And Has To Remind Customers They Accept Them At All

Fresh off the heels of Albertsons ending double coupons in Texas effective 04/09/2014, a story that we here at Reality Retail & Couponing broke first, here we have the first post-Memorial Day ad from our local Albertsons dated 05/28/2014.

And in the header it states as above "We Accept Manufacturer Coupons At Face Value!" Is this supposed to be something new? Are they reminding us of this as a way to say they are doing us a favor by actually accepting coupons at all !??

To further add insult to injury here, they post this advertisement next to their classic "Crazy 8's" sale. This sale used to be a bastion for couponers getting ready for the summer season with dirt cheap or free condinments such as ketchup, mustard, snack pack pudding, barbeque sauce, baked beans, etc.

Under the old Albertsons double and triple coupon policy you could really have scored a good deal here and wow, I know I did and so did many of you.

Now they've resorted to insulting the couponers in this fashion.

Or maybe they have lost business from the couponers and felt the need to reassure them they are still coupon-friendly. Fact of the matter is that I alone have made about 75% less trips to Albertsons since they killed the doubles in early April of 2014. Hazard to guess I am not alone, as often on many days of the week and early on weekends the parking lot just isn't as full as it used to be.

Is it the lack of double and triple coupons? Is it the across-the-board price increases that many of these Albertsons stores in Texas have put in place since early April? Is it the lie of "better manufacturer coupon deals" that their Facebook page promised and has never delivered on? Or is it a combination of all of the above? My guess is the latter.

So now, with Albertsons flying and boasting about how they accept coupons at all,  this ad will be good for one thing and one thing only - price matching at Wal-Mart or Target.

Albertsons may still accept coupons, but they sure won't be mine.

Coupon Blogs to be Blacklisted by the CIC.

Have Google Adsense on your blog or coupon forum? Well, you better make sure it is squeaky clean otherwise the CIC (Coupon Information Corporation) will have your website blacklisted from advertising.

Yes, this is where we are at - a new level of Retailer's Revenge.

When we read this article titled "Coupon Blogs May Pay a Price for Irking the Industry" it kind of hit close to home as well, this is pretty much what we do here. And what that is - is to bring "Reality" into focus for couponers, extreme or otherwise. Citing the article above and the "new best practices" guideline that came from their annual meeting that states “We believe it is counterproductive to directly or indirectly fund individuals or organizations that attack the coupon industry or actively support practices that violate basic industry policies,” we kind of raised an eyebrow and read on. "Directly or indirectly fund" means that basically to put your coupon blog or forum advertising based on keywords from Google. This means that in their mind they are "legitimizing" or "funding" the use of online blogs or forums via their advertising showing up on your blog.

I can see that. But really, how much money is anyone making off of the Google Adsense linked to your blog or forum? Pennies a day if that? 

The issue here isn't the actual money - it is the mentality behind it. Did we speak out here and expose them for what they really are in this post titled The CIC Exposed For What They Really Are - And it's not about informing you , yes we did. Did it upset them? We hope so. And we will continue to bring real issues to light here as well as expose the continued tactics of the billion dollar a year retail manufacturers and companies and their attempt to limit the savings and make you pay more for your groceries and food items than you actually should be. They will not stop raising prices and using tactics to "save their interests," translation: to pad their fat wallets - and we will not stop posting to save your interests. I won't miss silly amount of money this blog generates. That's far less than one of the coupons that you and I can no longer obtain or use in the manner that we used to due to the strongarm of the CIC.

Although the "new best practices" statement is either not on their website or is in an impossible to obtain area, we will cite the original poster and take their word for this one. It falls right in line with the bully pulpit practices of the CIC over the past few years, so it makes sense.

What we did find on their website are some new and revised items, geared toward threatening you regarding the use and/or sale of coupons, and one startling admission. See the screenshots below taken from their website:

So basically the CIC now admits on their website that there is no direct criminal penalty involved for anyone selling coupons. So if you see a troll on a forum be it on an eBay message board, coupon forum, blog, or otherwise, please link them to this blog that now officially states from the CIC itself - that coupon sales are NOT ILLEGAL.

And then, a new favorite:

 

Wait a minute. Does that mean that the local high school charity, sports team, band, or extra-curricular activity group that goes door to door selling coupons is now a con artist??

That's the way it reads to me. Your child - is now involved in organized crime by selling coupons for a charity or group and to "never buy or sell coupons."

Wow.

Are there exceptions? Of course. We're not blind to common sense. Are there real con artists of course. But what the CIC (who work for the manufacturers and retailers as proven in the blog above) wants to do it pick and choose who, what when and how their coupons are sold.

That's not how the real world and the law works. 

You can't say this person can sell coupons door to door for a charity, you can't say it's ok for the retailers and manufacturers to "sell" their images and coupons to both Red Plum, Smart Source and your local newspaper to be "transferred via sale" three times before you get it then tell you that you are a gang banger or involved in organized crime for selling the same coupons that are authentic and obtained. Open your mind and think about it.

So the next time that kid from the local high school tries to sell me a book of coupons to support his local football team or cheerleader squad I will tell him that the "Coupon Information Corporation" says he is involved in organized crime , a con artist and that I would be the same if I purchased them. Then I will give him the contact information for the CIC.

I'm sure that child's parents will be none too pleased.

And with all of these antics going on that effect millions of families and their grocery bills all over the country - you shouldn't be either.

Kroger Ends Double Coupons in Michigan - And infuriates their customers.

Kroger began their personal purge of double and triple coupons in the Texas area beginning in 2011 right as the "Extreme Couponing" took off and ever since has not only been closing stores, but eliminating doubles everywhere in the country. Latest victim: Michigan on May 14, 2014.

Despite the outrage on the Kroger Facebook page , they continue to state the following, almost robotic sentiment to the many, many customers that have voiced their displeasure with the recent changes, here is their robot response to yet another angry customer:

Yes, we believe you too Kroger, we believe you. 1%? That must be the "coordinated" response that Albertsons, Safeway and Kroger and the rest of the greedy retailer whore mongers have come up with to justify this swift retaliation to not only Extreme Couponers, but every single person that utilized that reward for being a customer of Kroger. If you also watch on their page, you will see that Kroger's lie is also very much the same as Albertsons' lie and whoever else is ending double coupons to pad the coffers of the six figure management of these companies. 

This robo-sponse makes it seem like they are doing us all a favor by accepting coupons at all. 

This flagrant disregard for their customers says all you need to know about where the tide is turning in the Supermarket and retail landscape as we have said in this blog time and again - the dark days for consumers looking to save money are upon us and faster than we would like to realize. 

"Invest additional resources into lowering prices on everyday items." Yup, we believe that too Kroger. Just like the other areas of the country that had the prices actually increase once Kroger eliminated their double coupons.

Next stop on the Kroger Kill Wagon : Tennessee. 

The last area on the country where Kroger will double your coupons. 

For how long, remains to be seen.

Be smart and thrifty my friends - it's the only way we will be able to survive this true climate of  retailer's revenge.

Albertsons Ends Double Coupons - And Nothing Changes.

As a follow up to the story that we at Reality Couponing and Retail broke first here regarding Albertsons elimination of double coupons , we decided to give them about a month to see if their promises of "new and exciting manufacturer's coupon deals" to replace the double and triple coupon elimination would actually come to fruition. 

And well, clearly it has not. 

The ads since are full of the same (literally) products over and over again, and with their prices not lowered, but consistent where they were at prior to the elimination of double and triple coupons with actually some being higher.

A message sent to their Facebook page on April 30, 2014 received no response questioning where these new savings are.

Their lack of response speaks volumes.

This is right in line with both the Kroger policy to end double coupons in most areas and the bold and shameless Safeway announcement they are raising prices instead of lowering them as promised

articles linked above.

And since Albertsons acquired Safeway, we can safely assume that this is part of a larger price jump for all Albertsons stores and their subsidiaries now including Safeway and United Supermarkets.

It appears the dark days for not only extreme couponers, but all consumers are rapidly casting their shadow over the landscape.  

This all makes CVS Extrabucks, Walgreens Balance Reward Cards and of all things Wal Mart and Target price-matching basically the only luxuries that people looking to get good deals on groceries can utilize anymore.

That is where we are at. And to consider those items "luxuries" is a scary proposition in and of itself considering the past and present practices of those retailers in regards to honoring prices and having sale items in stock.

Combine all of the above with the lack of quality tear pads being posted in the stores and the complete dearth of usable decent-expiration-date coupons in your Sunday paper - and what you have here is a war being waged by the retailers and the manufacturers.

And the victim is the consumer.

The CIC (Coupon Information Center) Exposed For What They Really Are - And it's not about informing you.

Hello everyone and welcome to long-awaited CIC expose. "CIC" is the abbreviated name of the

"Coupon Information Center" or as their website states "Coupon Information Corporation." Either way, it's still bad for you and your family despite this bemusing facade they have. And here, we are going to expose why with real terms in real time. Worst of all, by explaining what their purpose really is - in their own words.

Before we launch into some "reality" about the CIC, let's point out the one good thing that they do - notify the public about truly fraudulent coupons and practices. This list of fraudulent coupons and offers seems to be updated quite frequently and gives just about the only "information" that consumers should be aware of. I think we all can agree that people that make coupons and commit real coupon fraud should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. And as so eagerly boast here that they have never lost a case while working with law enforcement. The CIC is not a legal body and has no legal authority whatsoever! This kind of verbiage gives the false impression that the CIC is some arm of the law regarding the monitoring of coupons and their use and transactional process throughout the industry. But an impression is all it is , and all it should be to you and your family as this entity as a whole has no legal authority whatsoever in the real world. It's easy not to lose a case when you catch people red handed with fake coupons committing coupon fraud in a store and someone calls the cops. Let's be real here. The CIC works for the retailers and manufacturer's.

Who does the CIC work for?

And this is where we being to unravel what exactly the "Coupon Information Center/Corporation" is really about. Below is a list, taken from their own website, regarding who they "represent" which we all can easily say "sponsored by" or even a better translation - "Paid By:"

 

They "represent" the companies above by doing the following below:

The third bullet point and the notation at the bottom is where the true focus should lie. "Continuously seek new and better ways to protect their shareholders' assets," and "you owe it to your shareholders, employees and clients and "other" stakeholders...to participate in the CIC - the industry's only watchdog group."

Only watchdog group?

If you can find me another entity that includes every single one of the manufacturer's listed above, to regulate their coupons and provide "loss prevention" (aka people using coupons) well hat's off to you. People must read these posts and when I talk about "coordinated efforts to shut down coupon sales, savings and promotions," that I am some kind of a crazy person. I know I would think of it that way too. But they are all "coordinated" with the CIC now aren't they? I mean, they admit it above. Can't get any more crass than that.

Coupon Sales on the Internet

This is our favorite topic. And here's the CIC's take on that. From here on out we can pretty much assume the term "CIC" includes every single retailer above as that is who they "represent" and are "paid by:"

Oh my dear friends at the CIC, you really should update this section with all of your achievements over the past year! Like being the sole reason that webstore.com has restricted coupon sales as shown here via a message I received last summer:

But even this is conflicting as per this webstore.com response, you can still charge for your time and supplies, and per the CIC screen grab previously, you can't do that as it "admits you are doing something improper." Improper is different than illegal. Improper is letting your 15 year old daughter sext out her nudes to her 24 year old boyfriends' friends. Hell, that's more "illegal" than this. And even less "improper."

So their theory is shot one way or the other, either it is or it isn't. Besides, who in 2014 actually still uses that terminology? That terminology was born in the mid 1980's from work from home scams stuffing envelopes for thousands of dollars in cash a month that never seemed to appear. Maybe they should update this too.

And of course, they were a driving force behind the massive eBay selling coupon policy change that was instituted last year. At least for the top two lines, instead of "should" it really should now say "all." 

Except Couponfleamarket.com. How that is even still running with all of this going on is a mystery to me. It can't be for much longer.

The last four bullet points are amazing and take this misconception of what the CIC really is saying to that special level. Every one of those statements say "may." Let me ask you, in legal terms, does any law regarding this say "may?" It is legal or is it not.  If an officer arrests you and charges you with theft, when he reads you your rights does he say "you may have stolen that item?" Nope.

May we have some clarification?

The Non-Transferability Clause

Sheeple on the internet as well as trolls that drop snippets and parrot from the CIC on coupon and eBay discussion boards will tell this to you until they are blue in the face. 

Like it is law. 

Like it has a law. 

Isn't the "non-transferability clause" a contradiction in and of itself?

If it is such an ironclad thing, then well, why isn't it a law already and why hasn't it been enforced?

The rationale of why it can't be enforced is actually pretty simple. Think about the common chain-of-possession of the coupons and inserts from your Sunday paper.

They are transferred from the retailers and manufacturer's to Red Plum and Smart Source (the two primary,) this is transfer via sale #1. 

Clearly, they don't send them to them for free.

Transfer via sale #2 is Red Plum and Smart Source selling them to your local newspaper to place in their newspapers to sell to you. If they didn't, how many Sunday papers would they really sell? 

This is transfer via sale #2.

Transfer #3 is completed when you walk into your store or into the newsstand and purchase your paper. 

So by the time you actually get them in your hands, the non-transferability clause HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN THREE TIMES !!

And now once it hits your hands, it is supposed to magically kick in and be Gospel. If you sell them, you are breaking the clause, if you give or get them from your grandmother, you are breaking the clause. If you are a newspaper delivery person and purchase them from the newspaper to deliver, you have also broken the clause, as has your customer. If you donate the coupons to charity. You are breaking the clause.

Lots of criminals out there. 

This above is exactly why selling coupons is not illegal. 

I want to see that law stand up in court. It never will and it never will because it makes no sense. Any coupon that states "void if transferred or sold" is in violation the minute the manufacturer sells the image to Red Plum and Smart Source to reprint, reproduce and profit off of.  But according to the CIC:

"Any sale or transfer voids the coupon." See the statement above the screenshot, then re-read it all again. 

See why there is no law and this is nothing more than smoke and mirrors?

My absolute favorite snippets here are the parts about "people purchasing coupons have often been associated with organized criminal activities," and "individuals selling coupons to crime rings have been charge and convicted of criminal violations."

If this isn't enough to scare a sheeple person or someone given this link for "Coupon Information" wouldn't be scared out of their wits thinking if they buy a coupon on eBay that they are on the same playing field as the mob, then I don't know what is.

It is probably the most ridiculous two paragraphs on their entire site.

Re-read them again and think about what they are saying to you, with absolutely no law on the books to back it up !! 

What absolutely is mafia-like is consorting with the manufacturer's that pay you to "watchdog" how their coupons are being used and distributed to stop "loss prevention" for their "shareholders, stockholders and parties with interest."

But hey it sounds cool to call the housewife , stay at home mom, someone trying to supplement their income or unemployed person trying to make a few dollars to survive in this brutal economy a mobster!

That will scare them off !

The only way they could potentially get you for reselling coupons is via a copyright infringement for the "use of their images without consent for profit." But that clause simply doesn't exist on a coupon, it has this ridiculous "clause" that people worship as the Word of the CIC Gods.

The reality is far different.

The reality is that the "Coupon Information Center / Corporation " is nothing but a strong arm for the manufacturers who want to tell you what coupons to use, in what area to use them in, where to use them, what price point to use them at and how many you can use at once using deceptive and manipulative practices to give the impression of being "law enforcement" to protect the interests of the shareholders, stockholders, employees (translation: six figure management), and parties with interest of the manufacturers listed above.

We have proven this here. In their own words nonetheless. People just have to step up their knowledge and education.

This isn't an "information center," it is a bully pulpit.

If you sell or buy coupons you are a gang banger and a mafia member and contribute to organized crime rings.

But only after that sacred clause has been broken three times before you even touch your weekly insert.

Better get the paddy wagon, there are about 33,000 criminals on eBay right now. That doesn't even count the buyers or bidders, probably closer to a quarter million.

 Prosecute the real criminals, not the people selling legitimate coupons.

Leave the rest of us alone.

Thank you for reading.

Please click here for the July 2016 update to this posting!

Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready Pizza Price Jumps to $5.55 - Right before Good Friday

Ahh what would a holiday be without someone trying to make an extra buck. Especially around a holiday. 

Good Friday is the one day of the year where most people that celebrate the Christian faith do not eat meat. So , Little Caesars decided earlier this week to take advantage of that fact by raising the price of their "Hot-N-Ready" Pizza to $5.55 from $5.00 effective immediately claiming "higher cheese prices."

This 11.1% increase has been toyed with by Little Caesars in various markets on and off during the year, usually when sales slump at the $5.55 price (and they always do,) they remarket it back to $5.00. This has been going on for the better part of the last six or so years. But never quite as flagrantly as this one in regards to timing. Of course the disclaimer also says "prices will go back to normal once cheese prices stabilize" which in the real world translates to - "after the Easter and Lenten season."

Let's face it. This pizza is far from gourmet. If you are looking for cheap eats and really don't care about how your stomach feels in an hour by all means, eat it up. But if you are looking to not get ripped off by an opportunistic big box food chain like Little Caesar's then you might find a better pizza option elsewhere this weekend - and odds are they haven't been effected at all by "higher cheese prices." 

Strange, isn't it?

Update 5/18/2014:

On the local Sunday Paper - Guess what we saw?

Guess the "higher cheese price" landslide has been scaled back.

Nah, it was just the end of the lenten season.

Just like we called earlier.

These big box chains, retailers and manufacturers will stop at nothing to squeeze every last dollar out of you.

The only thing keeping them afloat - is the ignorance of the consumer.

Our job is to keep you aware and informed.

Albertsons Double & Triple Coupons Ending on 04/09/2014

..at least in the Texas region anyway. I saw a sign that was placed on the window of my local Abilene, TX store on 04/6/2014 indicating that effective 04/09/2014, they will no longer be doubling or tripling coupons.

They were the only remaining store in at least my area that continued to double manufacturer's coupons up to 50 cents and triple up to 39 cents. One of the last stores to show their customer they appreciated them still. Apparently their acquisition of Safeway back in early March of 2014 included acquiring Safeway's anti-double and triple coupon policy as well.

The "rumors" posted on the Facebook page are true. And despite the "claim" to lack of knowledge of this happening by the Facebook Albertson's social media response bot earlier this week, the sign I saw on my store this morning was pretty clear and to the point.

What does this mean? For me and my family personally, it means a dramatic reduction in my trips to Albertson's. And it probably will be for you as well. Please spare us the rationale of "we are doing this to lower prices throughout the store for everyone" line of nonsense. Didn't happen with Kroger or Safeway, and it sure will not happen with Albertson's either. Here is their Facebook Customer Service bot response:

Sure we believe you. We want to believe what you are saying. Hopefully it will not be like Kroger who promised to "lower prices throughout the store" when they killed their double and triple coupon programs. In an era of dying doubles, this will perhaps be, the final nail in the coffin since Albertson's now owns United Supermarkets , Safeway and everything under their wing. Who's left ? Depends on your region but the options are falling by the wayside.Hey Kmart still doubles right? Sort of, of course that is a losing proposition in and of itself, so why bother.

But hey, at least Wal Mart price matches still and in my area HEB generally has lower prices even after they eliminated stacking some time ago. I guess I will save my gas and make that extra trip to one of those stores instead of visiting my local Albertson's with the frequency I used to. Shame, I really did like the store in my area. I guess I will still shop there for their mega-deals. Maybe. Or maybe I will just make Target or Wal Mart price match it. Probably the latter. I went out tonight kind of like in mourning of the loss. So I went through my binder, took all of the coupons that made sense to use as a double or triple and headed off to Albertson's. Here is my last receipt ever of them showing the savings using their soon to be ending double and triple coupon policy:

And yes, this will be the last free toothbrush I receive from Albertson's using a .50/1 coupon on a regularly priced  .99 Colgate manual toothbrush:

I said something to the cashier about it also. He simply stated "we can't afford to do it anymore." Of course that makes no sense as Albertson's just purchased both United and Safeway Supermarkets. But no matter. The reality is as follows: No more savings club cards, now no more doubles and triples at Albertson's - one of last safe havens in the industry. This policy saved my family hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the past 3+ years I have been aware and keen to it and shopped accordingly. Now well, just like every other good thing for consumers these days, this too, is coming to an end.

Welcome to Reality Retail & Couponing 2014. These are dark times indeed for consumers looking to save money without question. The good ol CIC has shut down coupon sales on eBay and webstore, eCrater ran for the hills at the end of last year regarding coupon sales, manufacturer's are going digital, tearpads are either non-existent or useless, store policies like the one above are changing and not for the better - the list goes on and on. All in a coordinated mass effort to rip savings out of your pockets and squeeze you for every last penny you can (or more than likely can't) afford. Of course all of this is going on while the corporations continue to just get bigger each day and we are powerless to stop it unless we wise up and shop with our feet.

That or maybe they just want us to eat bagged rice 3 meals a day in America, grow our own food and use wooden utensils to eat and bathe with homemade Lye. At this rate this is all we will be able to afford much sooner than later. They do it in China and they own us right? Go figure.

Thank you for reading.

Taco Bell Breakfast Review - Waffle Taco and the $1 A.M Morning Taco

So the long-awaited Taco Bell breakfast has been released. I finally decided to take the plunge and get some in my morning travels. And well, to be honest, I was pleasantly surprised.

The famous "Waffle Taco" priced at $1.99 is pretty much what you see above in the box. Egg, sausage (bacon or steak) eggs , cheese and this waffle concoction.  It's pretty big for the price point it is at. I put some syrup on it and after the first bite it sort of reminded me of a Sausage McGriddle flavor wise. Despite what some jaded posters are saying about it online, it is not "greasy." The texture of the waffle itself is well, sort of also like a Sausage McGriddle with the same kind of flavor.

Massive difference? Well, the Waffle Taco is about 33% bigger than a Sausage McGriddle and well, costs about 30% less. The price point of the Waffle Taco is $1.99. The McGriddle from McDonald's AVERAGES about $2.79 depending on your market. So value for the dollar, this one goes hands down to Taco Bell.

Then I tried also this "A.M. Grilled Breakfast Taco" with sausage. And for $1, I wasn't really expecting too much. But it was pleasantly surprising. Add some strawberry jelly to it and if you are comparing real $1 menu items compared to say, the Sausage McMuffin, with this you are actually getting an egg, a meat and some cheese, where with the $1 Sausage McMuffin you get some slimy sausage patty and a "who knows what temperature it will be today" muffin.

So if you are going for value for the buck - this one also goes hands down to Taco Bell.

If you haven't tried their breakfast yet, I strongly advise you to do so. Funny, barely a week into this new menu offering I actually had to wait in line for a little bit in the Taco Bell line. But the more telling picture was the McDonald's breakfast line was about 1/2 of what it normally is in this busy intersection.

This is a trend that we can hope will continue until McDonald's realizes that their name cannot save them alone any longer. They have to appreciate their customers, offer specials and be competitive with their sandwiches and offerings. I saw a report where they want to become more "Centered around Coffee." Well, the only reason anyone would go there is if they are giving it away for free and even then , the line was half of what it normally is pre-Taco Bell breakfast launch.

Maybe one day they will get it. Probably not. But at least for now, I have a new place to dine for my fast-food breakfast cravings and it sure isn't McDonalds.

The Death of the McDouble - McDonald's Strikes Again.

McDonald's makes it too easy to call them out on their greed. A few months back, they took the McDouble off of their Dollar Menu and placed it in this ridiculous menu called "Dollar Menu and More." More is about accurate, as you are paying "more" for just about everything.

As in paying 19% "more" for your $1 McDouble that is now $1.19. As in paying "more" for that one piece of "is it bacon?" for your $2 Bacon McDouble now. Paying "more" like $1 more for some terrible combination of ranch and buffalo sauce on this new McChicken stomach-killer at $2. I ate one and was sick for two days. Bottom line is, you are paying "more" for everything. Their justification is absolutely ridiculous also.

"Higher Beef Prices" was the reason given for this 19% increase for the McDouble. Really? That's funny. I guess it is only McDonald's beef that has risen in price. Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic and Carl's Jr or Hardee's seem to be doing just fine. As a matter of fact, they usually have much better specials ( Like Burger King's 2/$5 deal for real sandwiches, chicken, burgers and fish.) So what gives Mcyd's ?

It's no secret that McDonald's same store-revenues are in one of the worst downward spirals in the company's history. You can google it and see it just about everywhere. Yet they do nothing to change it. This practice of "raising the price" of popular items (first it was the Double Cheeseburger that was $1 now it is the McDouble that used to be $1.00) is ridiculous. They aren't raising employee wages, aren't offering anything that remotely resembles a special. Their advertising has gone from Ronald McDonald (remember him?) and the Hamburgler to this constant nauseating millenial-themed mid 20's hipsters and people that weigh about 92 lbs soaking wet enjoying their ridiculous sandwiches. Does every single mid 20's millenial african-american have a massive head of hair , glasses or an afro ? Apparently McDonald's thinks so. I haven't gone into one in over a decade were any of that kind of person is eating at. It's nauseating.

The problem with McDonald's is very simple. They don't even know who they are. The management in this company is absolutely destroying it. They are a fast food joint. They aren't Starbucks. They are not a diner. Hell, you could get a cheaper meal (burger and fries) at DENNY'S for $6.00 compared to the $6.79 Quarter Pounder meal anymore. People say the economy has improved. I call bs. People still want to shop and dine for value and quite frankly McDonald's is a terrible value anymore compared to the other options that are out there. The lack of lines in their drive-thru at any given time it seems these days clearly shows that fact.

They just don't get it . Their advertising, marketing, specials and value for the dollar honestly just suck. I remember a time when they were the best in town for taste and value. Now they suck at both.

Their latest move on the McDouble shows just how much they don't get it. Sooner or later it will be another R.I.P offering from McDonald's right next to the $3.99 for five "Mightier on your wallet than taste Wings" and the "I've been cut in half but my price has doubled" McRib. They think their name brand can overcome these things, but the trend is that it can't and has not - and will not.

They also blame "People eating healthier" for their problems. Anyone but the marketing idiots, company policy and lack of specials. People are eating healthier, and cheaper too. Just not under the banner of the Golden Arches anymore.

Maybe they will wake up one day and realize what they are before they become JcPenny's who might never recover from their nightmare makeover.

Until then, R.I.P McDouble. I long ago enjoyed the last one of you I will ever consume.

Extreme Couponing Spring 2014 - Retailer's Revenge -Where have the Tearpads Gone?

 

Seeing a tearpad in your local Wal Mart or Supermarket like the one above would be an extreme couponer or an eBay reseller's dream come true now wouldn't it?

Be nice if they existed today. 

I'm not talking about the specific product above - I'm talking about tearpads in general..

For the better part of 2014 so far, the usual "Spring Fling" of tearpad season that usually starts right after the Super Bowl has kind of well, started off as cold and frigid as this past winter has been.

I thought it was just me, or my area why I am not seeing the usual Vitamin Water, Smart Water, Fuze, Gatorade, Powerade, or anything for that matters' tear pads in the stores. Figure after being blitzkreiged for the better part of the past four years with tear pads being resold, I figured my area just decided to slow it down.

Well, it's not just my area - and the tactics are getting pretty frigging ridiculous.

You don't find them on eBay either like you used to, lighting up the Category of Inside the Home -> Home & Garden -> Food Coupons either. People don't list in that category anymore and if you resell them and wonder why you get hit with limits, that would be why. People have found alternative means.

But even any of the item-specific searches above pull up well, next to nothing.  Good luck finding even those candy-bar coupons for things, nope, those are all removed before they are put on the floor also. For fuck's sake they even took all of the Deep Woods OFF! coupons off of their shippers right after putting them on the floor for sale. I mean, like no one really cared enough to sell those anyway.

This directive has come from somewhere. From the retailers? From the stores themselves? From the companies issuing them? No one quite knows why. Here are some prime examples for coupon tearpad hunting in 2014 - extreme. These are the worst of the worst:

Super Bowl Sunday. A massive shipper of Doritos and Doritos Salsa arrives in my two local Wal Marts. Six full tear pads on each. REJOICE !! Better check that expiration date. They were put out on Saturday 02/03/2014 and expired on Super Bowl Sunday, 02/04/2014. You know where a few of them thar full tear pads wound up? On the floor being kicked around by children. Did I contribute to that? You bet I did. I bet those shippers were sitting in the back for a month and the vendor just put them out on that Saturday giving you ONE DAY to use them and no window to resell them or keep for a sale to use in the future. There ya go Wal Mart, you're not the only one who can play games.

This week. Local 7-11's and other convenience stores in the area FINALLY received the yearly Simply Beverages .55/1 tear pads. It was a sight for sore eyes. A closer inspection saw the expiration date of these to be 03/31/2014. Are you fucking kidding me? You put these out on 03/21/2014 with 10 days before they expire.  Can't sell them, no store doubles over .50 in my area so I can't use them the way I want. I left them there. Good luck. Nice way to lose sales. You can add Simply Beverages to the Unilever Boycott based on their poor coupon practices and distribution.

Even United Supermarkets got in on the action in January. A MASSIVE shipper of tear pads for those Velvetta Blocks ($5.99 retail) with about 200 coupons on each hit the floor last week of January of this year. I found them on 01/25/2014 and they weren't there the week before. You know when they expired right? 01/31/2014. If you tell me that store planned on selling almost 1,000 Velveeta Cheese Blocks in six days with no sale going on, I will call you a god damn liar.

Is this what we have to look forward to? Shorter expiration dates on tear pads or them being held back to the point of not being useful except for impulse buyers at all? Not like you can sell hundreds of them online anymore especially on eBay. So what's the rationale? Retribution for all of the years people made some pocket change selling them and they got into the hands of people that actually wanted to purchase and buy the products? This is backwards if you ask me.

It smells like another episode of Retailer's Revenge to me. Stay tuned. Maybe these instances were just an abberation (cough cough.) Right.

Thank you for reading.

My eBay Blocked Bidder List - March 2014.

I feel that anyone that sells online should have the right to know what kind of person they are dealing with. In the lack of seller protection (aka none) that eBay has for their sellers no matter how long they have been there, I feel the need to inform and get the word out about buyers. Below is my current eBay blocked bidder list from 2000 - current:

1317gaild, 19baccaro70, 1onnaypapa, 2xxlarge, 304*radcliff, 4296nicholas, 523armystrong, 6392michael, a_pozos123, ably7416, aca_basketball, ahlcardsnmore, ahmai1, amandapoohbear09, andrew2561, anthony_cacciola, april17powell, aroundunitk, astroschica1984, b-rent24, badshaw81, bamacolemsn, barone8765, baseballdsl, belknasm, bkd67, blackwood1980, blessed2givehope, bobbypryer, bondsbondsbonds, booboobooby, bostonsuperfan1974, boutiquebyleah, bpcardsfl, bucktail1928, bz344, cardkid777, cardtrip, ces615, charlesmingill, ckandice, codygavin10, coll003, coondog332013, couponkathleen, dailysales37096, dcruz222, debnturner, desmond201, dojrblu, dougjean1023, dubbledutch81, eaglerock95, emmett825, empstar, evaughn1212, express3430, fabulousfab29, ffadaei, garciaparra517, gholmesjr, gm_mad_man_machine, hammer1175220, helentran408, highsierra98, hoerl69, hops2100, hottie520, howellrgnhw2012, illinitopptrader, imonit3362, incspot, indy183288, is300alex, ishomerfred, j962717, jackbeep, jackydeonburgess, jasconb, jasondavy81, jaytam80, jima4863, jmurphy1976jessica, jnor5431, joc0god, joes865, jon_tamy, jordans-allday-everyday, joshborders54, jsampson123, jwyldz, kcsportsnut, kissmygritsmel, kuponasaj, l.stewart79, lakrby, lapaz7, lcolla2, leomommy31, lillianabella2008, loupalmisano, makeanofferyoucantrefuse, marinerscollector, mart5551, mattginterfan, mbeachcards, mcknight210, meissaprincesss, merk4321, mikes-memorabilia-4u, mildred6421, militry2, morgengreen, mpratt5, my_duster, nilnilnil13, nlanderson, noblebield, nohrmund2012, nowunodogg, nursegash, okbluestarmom, olly610, orihco51, out_of_tw28, ozzie0308, packgraphs, packripper, pecker7700, pmr-md, quig3, r.m.woodcraft617, raiderdave63, ramador49, rashondar2007, rbaklpcd301, rbush025, reegs1958, rilla1008, rodro-sl-wvnm8q, ronald2790, rudybos, russelldink812, ryan3066, sammymarta13, savillesdeals4asteal, seemayer132, shayfann, sheaball, sokahmom, solodolo12, sportking7777, star4life31, straightballa32, superbol, sweetie7542, swg19651965, tamra0124, taurusmay19, teddym_3, texasdogbaseball, texaxes, tgreenlovinlife, the_g428, thepricefamily2011, timetogo83, tudicicero1, turbybug, vegasdiva10, virtualyardsale2013, waldlaw, wallydogger2010, wingalingdingding, winst1025, yaddy80

It seems like I add new ones weekly, especially since most of my eBay sales are for coupons and items under $5.00. And until the USPS First Class Tracer program actually hits the mainstream, who knows when (testing was under way in the Fall of 2013), you ship items on eBay at your own risk using first class postage in a letter format.

All of the buyers and sellers above have met at least one of the criteria over the years. The criteria that I use to block bidders are as follows:

1. Leaving neutral or negative feedback.
2. Stealing my item by claiming it was never received (mostly for coupons and first class-mail related items)
3. Claiming the item was damaged when in fact, it never was.
4. Slow shipping.
5. Bad communication.
6. Filing an eBay protection case.
7. Ignorance and failure to read listings in their entirety.

Since no one on eBay is doing anything to protect sellers from this garden variety of fools, I feel this is one of the only ways to stop others from suffering the same fate I have with the eBay ID's above.

This list will be updated monthly.

If anyone has any other members they would like to add, feel free to mention the eBay ID and the category of sale below.

Thank you for reading.

Harbor Freight Tools Coupons - Where have they gone?

Hello. It's been quite some time since I've posted out here, busy with the holidays and post holidays trying to catch up. For those in the know and follow such things, we can't help but notice the massive roll back in coupons and advertisement being issued by Harbor Freight Tools. To the point of being non-existent.

Maybe we took it for granted. All of the years that I have been here in Texas (since 2008), there is one thing you used to able to most certainly count on in your Sunday paper - a Harbor Freight Tools insert.

Apparently those days are gone with the wind.

Back toward the last quarter of last year, Harbor Freight Tools went on an advertising spree. There were inserts every Sunday in the paper, various mailings as well as coupons in various magazines ranging from local electric companies, to car, truck and hunting magazines. As an added bonus, they even sent out an flyer in those monthly advertisements that get mailed to your house full of Life Insurance, DirectTV, fast food coupons, checks, As Seen on TV, etc. These were good times for those looking to catch a real bargain for tools and things for the home, or for those who endeavor in such things, to sell on eBay (more on that later.)

I have a Harbor Freight Tools store local to me here in Texas. I often save them due to their generous expiration dates, for use when I need something. The 20% and 25% off any single item coupons work very well also and I have used them in the store more times than I can remember. I like the store, the people and the deals. I'd rather buy a shop vac there for $25-30 as opposed to getting ripped off in stores like Wal Mart, Home Depot or Lowes' paying almost double for a product that does the same thing.

However, at the end of December 2013 and is still ongoing as of mid-March 2014 at least in my area, there have been no Harbor Freight Tools flyers and inserts in my Sunday paper as well as none mailed to my address via the monthly flyers mentioned above. Nothing, done. Finito. Even the one-page flyer they print still in the SmartSource coupon flyer has been dramatically reduced to the same 12 (it used to be upwards of 20) items over and over again.

I went in the stores recently and asked a clerk why they no longer advertise like they used to. Of course being the clueless $8.00 an hour clerk that it was, he stated it was "probably to get you to buy one of these things" and picked up their $30 a year Inside Track club membership card.

Really? I've seen those advertisements for Harbor Freight Tools that those "Inside Track Club" members receive and it is a joke. The prices are all incrimientally higher that the normal advertisements that we used to get via mail and the newspapers on Sunday. Various forum posts on the internet if you Google it, will be full of regretful stories about how they purchased this under the guise of receiving better deals - when in fact the deals were actually worse.

I've never purchased one and I never will.

People sell these on eBay and apparently make good money doing so. A pre-2014 count if you do a search for Harbor Freight coupons would have netted anywhere between 3,000-4,000 hits. Now? You are lucky to find 1,000 hits and the range goes from a low of 900 upwards of 1,200 on any given day. That's a 75% reduction in listings, leading us to assume this trend is nationwide. Was this the reason for the cutback? eBay sales? For the record, Harbor Freight Coupons are NOT manufacturer's coupons so they do not have to adhere to the ridiculous eBay coupon policy instituted in September of 2013 as these are STORE coupons. Massive difference.

Also for the record I have seen people bidding anywhere from $50-$200+ for coupons for such things as rolling tool cabinets, motorcycle lifts, winches, saws, greenhouses, solar panels etc. If you do this and do not read the listing that 99% of the time clearly indicates it is a coupon you are purchasing, and really think that someone is going to send you a 2 ton motorcycle lift or greenhouse for $29.54 or whatever that low bid you have is going is with free shipping you are in serious need of mental help.

This is what happens, the eBay sellers mails you the coupon you actually won for this outrageous amount, then the usually-low feedback buyer gets it and is furious thinking they won a portable greenhouse that's 10x10 feet or something for $12.33 shipped for free. Even when the listing clearly states you are bidding on the coupon. Ebay will not protect the seller under normal circumstances, let alone this kind, so the buyer usually gets the coupon , their money back and a wonderful chance to leave a negative feedback for the seller. Even though the seller clearly did nothing wrong and it was the moronic buyer that actually believed they were getting a rolling toll card that weighs 75 pounds for $47.46 shipped for free. Cmon people. Use your brain and read. Obama and the government may be giving you everything you need to live as it is, but at some point, you have to take personal responsibility for being an idiot. It's these situations that makes it hard to sell on eBay overall, let alone under these circumstances dealing with clowns. I know so many sellers that have left due to situations just like the ones mentioned, and it is indeed a shame. eCrater took the Harbor Freight coupons with them also when they instituted their cowardly "Ban All Coupon Sales" mantra in August of last year. That took another 500-1,000 Harbor Freight Coupons off the market.

If there was ever a website that was so afraid of success in being an eBay competitor, it would be eCrater. People are dying for an eBay alternative and they just haven't stepped up to the plate in any way, shape or form. In fact, when they have an opportunity to cash in on an eBay misstep or bad policy, they usually run as far away from taking advantage of it as they can.

So what this has meant to me personally is a dramatic reduction in my trips to Harbor Freight Tools be it either online or in the store. It's a little out of my way so to go there requires a special trip that used to result in good savings. Now, who knows what you are going to get there. I have been spending more time in Home Depot and Lowes as of late, at least there you know you are going to get a little better quality item and bent over as opposed to having the savings ripped out of your hands by a company that is apparently nickel-and-diming its' way into irrelevance.

Welcome to the first post of Reality Retail & Couponing 2014. There's many more stories just like the ones above, so stay tuned.

Thank you for reading.