Amazing how there are still people are pretty ignorant that CVS corporate gives A LOT of Discretionary Power to its Regional / District / Store Manager on how to run their stores. Even at real customer service issues, the store manager still have the power to refuse serving a customer if he deems he has valid reasons after a discussion with his district manager.

Go demand what you want as you like. If you get your way, then Great. You have the bragging right. If not, then may be you finally Get It on how CVS's corporate policy is implemented. Unless it is pricing errors, expired products, and other true consumer issues, there is no such thing the corporate can force down something from the top down. Let alone merchandising VRs.

Though I gather there are always some people who will never get it until they may one day be thrown out of the stores - and yes, that can happen if the store manager decides you are a nuance or feel your making a scene at the store disrupts other customers and the store's operation, he can do something pretty nasty to at least inconvenience you or embarrass you or whatever.

Let those want to be aggressive as aggressive as they push it and see how far they can go. Remember dont forget to report back here, be it victory or defeat.

It appears that you haven't been reading this thread that long as if you had you would know that Store Managers have the power to set their policy how they choose, usually they get the General/regional mangers approval for it. So to you Sir, I am NOT wrong that in that he can't set his own rules. It would behoove you to read this thread and educate yourself on the workings of CVS. I for one believe that cooperate sets guidelines and the stores should have their own rules since not all policy really can work at all stores.

What would you say if I told you, you can buy 20K a day it's not hard to do, and you don't have to cross stateline to do it.

But there are people who think it is their right to correct people and make waves, then wonder why the game gets changed....

Thank You.....

This is very interesting and VERY DIFFERENT from UK - Completely agree that a store can refuse to serve a customer and ban a customer from their store. But are you saying that each manager can set their own daily limit in his store? So even though corporate policy is now $5000/day, a manager has the "discretionary power" to change this for his store?

Appreciate the insight - as I said, next week, will be getting a feel for this "in the flesh" as I will have the opportunity to visit 4 CVS stores close to each other (which I will assume would come under the same Regional/District manager).

Is there any update yet if "SERVE" cards can be loaded directly on a cash register at CVS (without having to first buy a VR)? I know reading elsewhere that the registers are set up for this, but have not read anywhere if this is "live" yet.

Would pretty much make serve equivalent to Amex for Target (so Serve AKA Amex for CVS).

Hey my apologies - you are right, I have NOT READ all 180+ pages of this thread, as until this week, it has not been applicable to me as CVS stores were not an option.

I find it shocking that there can be such wide differences in policy under the same brand name. The whole concept of a brand is uniformity so that a customer feels a level of "comfort" when he visits another store in a different location to his/her home store. This is not the appropriate place to discuss this concept - but I find it an eye opener.

You seem to live in an area where it is relatively easy to get a large amount of the VRs. So for you, I can understand you electing to take a "softly softly" approach. You may in fact also have a reasonable amount of spare time (no way for me to know) so that if one location is being "more strict" you can take the time to drive elsewhere.

However - not everyone is in that same position. Some people may only have 1 store available to them. Or they may have time constraints. And if they feel that the manager "is going against corporate policy", they most certainly have the right to challenge that manager, in much the way the poster above did - even getting an apology from the manager.

You have the right to disagree with this - we are allowed to have different views. But you have now "prepared me" that different managers have a degree of flexibility in how they apply the rules. That does not mean I wont challenge them should I need to next week. I would however, hope all goes well, and that I can do $5000 a day for 5 days next week.

I may add this, even if you can buy all the VRs as you feel you are entitled to because of the Corporate policy or whatnot, the Store Manager CAN request the Corporate Security Dept to DEACTIVATE all your VRs if he feels you may be of something No Good.

This has happened to one person I know before the $1K limit was lifted. A store clerk happily sold this person $8K worth of VRs on one visit. The Store Manager later found this out by the daily report. Later all $8K VRs were deactivated. Needless to say, it was a real mess to sort this out. While the money was eventually returned, the whole MS effort was lost, plus a lot of time and effort and headache involved subsequently to get the thing resolved. CVS Corporation does not say a word of apology, says the Store Manager has to make a judgement call and he made it accordingly. End of the story.

Like I said, be as pushy as you can, but keep in mind "the customer is always right" does not apply on this. And there might be some unexpected consequence. Dont come here to whine or seek help should that happen to you and you scream, Can CVS do that? Yes, they can.

some CVS managers act as "owners" and not in tune with the corporate policies, they act strange not only to U but others and cashiers, eventually it reflects on total store sales, then they are pushed out the door/store....I have seen many managers being fired.

I had a very interesting conversation with my regular store's manager today. He said he got a call from a company that they work with that helps them track fraudulent purchases -- he said he forgot the name of the company that called him but that it was like FMsomethingsomething or JM... whatever. Anyway, he said that they called him to check up on what I was doing. There was one particular day when they system to verify the DL wasn't working and so I asked him only do 2 VRS at a time at $999.99 -- did 5 of those transactions and I left the store. He got a call later that day from this company that CVS works with to ask about those transactions -- they said that they were concerned I was trying to skirt the DL scan. They also asked about all the other VRs I've been buying and what they were for -- the store manager told them that he had never asked me as it was none of his business what I was using them for.

SO HEADS UP -- they're definitely tracking the $499.99 VR purchases. IMO, it's a safer bet to have them scan the DL than not, funny enough. It'll probably keep this gravy train going for a lot longer.

I'm really pleased I posted on this thread, as it has opened up some conversation about the "downside" of what can happen. Happy, that is a SHOCKING story - do you mind my asking how long did it take to sort all that out? $8000 is alot of money to be stuck "in VR cyberspace".

What prasha11 mentions about managers acting as "owners" was EXACTLY why I first posed the question, if CVS were franchises - which they are not. It is why I find this whole "individual behaviour" so completely against what "corporate uniformity" should be.

But atleast it makes for good discussion

In regards to "spare time" not really, I did my leg work and found the CVS's in my city that have VR's and go their. I travel for work, I'm on the road anywhere between 2-14 days, of course when I have down time on the road I have my CVS's I visit too, MS has become a hobby, just remote control cars or airplanes is a hobby, you need to spend some time at it to fully understand the rules.

So you haven't learned anything from this, please go and "challenge" the store clerk and piss them off... Brilliant idea... OR go and be smart and just do each $500 transaction separately and not have to worry about a daily limit.. I can buy 3K at one store and do these as $500 transaction and be done in less than 5 minutes. It's your call....

I have heard this but not once have I had a company call me and ask what I plan on doing with all the VR's I buy, I'm not saying it hasn't happened to you, but I have done some hefty purchases of VR's...

Something similar to this happened to me just this week, but at 711 where I usually buy 2 sets of 2x PP or VGC. (I've found their POS is programmed to reject 3 or more at once - but only when paying by card). The clerk told me that last time I came in a little while after she got a call from my credit card company (Chase Bold) about the purchase*. I've also had this happen at a different 711 but while I was in the store and the clerk was really cools about it with "yeah, he's a regular".

So this stuff is being watched actively by systems with people behind them.

*I suspect is was the fraud watch company, not Chase.

I don't understand why someone is buying $499.99 or $999.99 purchases. Just follow their rules and don't try to skirt around anything.

It reminds me of structuring. If you're making a bank deposit, you'll draw less attention by making 1 deposit than to try to break it up into several smaller ones.