HikerT

Not really. You can buy $500s elsewhere for $5.95 fee, so use $5.95 / $505.95 = 1.176% as the benchmark fee. You are really paying $5.95 fee - $105.95 x 1.176% benchmark fee = $4.70 fee for your coupon. Also, if you max your 5% CL every day, Safeway is not the best place to MS because the charges take an extra day to post which costs you $105.95 x 5% CB = $5.29 CB you could have MSed elsewhere the next day. Not that big a deal for $100 of spend, but for significant MS I would take my spend elsewhere.

168icq

Never thought about it this way but I guess you are right the actual cost is higher for the coupon.

ChuckHH

If $200 MasterCard generates two coupons like the previous deal, then the actual cost of coupon is reduced a bit.

jmw

Nice analysis. I agree only if your CL is maxed out. Mine is usually not in danger of being maxed out.

In my case, I use Safeway because of the pile of $10 off catalinas to feed my family. So I can choose to get a $500 (my nearest two Safeway is cash only so I have to see friendly cashiers working during my visit), $100 MCGC, or nothing. Nothing is a bad choice when there is plenty of room in the CL. So the above analysis doesn't apply to me. It's still just $0.95 for a $10 coupon versus the buy nothing option. I can still go to my favorite drugstore across the street and buy $500s regardless of what I do at Safeway.

countingmiles

On the $10 coupon in my experience
- Including a gift card still work as long as there are other qualifying items added up to $25
- Applying the coupon will show -0.01 until I entered my reward number then it shows -$10.00.

uncommonsensical

frankly, i'm debating whether to call them on this false advertising. neither the ad in the paper, nor the promo attached to the rack says '10 off 25'- it says 10 off next purchase with no hurdles. they made this switch in the middle of the last ad campaign- but to now roll out a new campaign with the same blatant false advertising and terms change, that you only learn about AFTER purchase of a non refundable item, is pretty sleazy.

in the 'don't s--- where you eat' category... i have zombie stores that are an ms wasteland around me (can't buy ANYTHING with a credit card as militant storewide policy). ergo, i buy the cards at a friendly store, redeem them in zombieland, where no harm can be done. i suggest anyone else take the same tact- NEVER draw attention in a 'live' store.

i'm quite sure this is illegal and, worse, it really messes up my MS profitability for the promo! anyone else call bs on this?

kxc262

Why do you expect the coupon to be $10 off $10? Sure it was like that in the past, but it isn't false advertisement since you are still getting a $10 dollar discount just with a new requirement.

farwest101

It's probably illegal to advertise the way they are doing - I don't see any asterisks or disclaimers that indicate there are strings attached before you buy. Only when you get the coupon do you find out about the $25 requirement.

HikerT

Agreed, I would expect $10 off with no minimum purchase unless disclosed.

uncommonsensical

you're not doing any critical thinking in your analysis. you're saying 10 off 25
is ok because you feel that is reasonable. however, this isn't about reasonable or not- it's about terms and conditions. you cannot add those after purchase of a non refundable item (or any item, really)- it's bait and switch.

based on your logic (you're getting $10 off, so it's ok), it could also be $10 off $50, or 10 off 100, or 10 off 1000....

however, it is none of those- the terms are "$10 off your next purchase". they do not define the size of my next purchase. if i bring $10 worth of stuff to the register, GUESS WHAT, my 'next purchase' is $10- ergo, per THEIR terms, i get $10 off. PERIOD

cbn42

I sent Safeway an online complaint about this, and they gave me a customer service number to call. The person there said that they would refer this issue to the store manager and I should go talk to him for a resolution. I assume he would give me another coupon without the restriction. However, since this is one of the most useful stores in my area, I decided not to go through with it and just bought $25 worth of groceries.

uncommonsensical

if i only had friendly stores, i would do the same and just sucked it up like i did during the last promo period. but with them doing it again and not putting the terms out there in either the ad or the in store promo stuff, i'm going to challenge this at the unfriendly store (you can't even buy store gift cards with a credit card there- crazy- so it is a throw away store). gonna wait til i have several so when they honor the terms, i have many coupons that need honouring!

i use all my coupons at the unfriendly stores as they are both closest to where i'm staying. i'll also be challenging based on a throw away safeway rewards card, so i can't be blacklisted or whatever.

sechs

Got a print out from the Catalina.

$10 off your next shopping order after buying $100 or more in AmEx GC. No variables. Ends 9/9.


If anyone has gets two coupons for the $200 cards, we'd like to know.

jamesflyertalk

$10 off $25 or $10 off $10?

kxc262

Since they do not define the size of your next purchase, what makes you think you can define the size? Obviously, 10 off 10 is the best as I have stated in previous posts, but again, if you don't agree with the T&C, which are subject to change at anytime, then don't participate. That's what Safeway is going to say to you.