Here's my story: I picked out three items (navy blue blazer, pants and a really nice belt) totaling $124.98. At the register, I applied for a Kohl's card. That gave me a 15% discount or $18.75 off. With tax of $8.23 added, the grand total was $114.46. The cashier gave me a 15% off coupon for my next purchase and $20 Kohl's cash. The store was clean, the Kohl's employees were top notch service professionals and the clothing selection (i.e. Chaps and Levi's) seemed pretty darned good! If this promotion was designed to introduce Kohl's to new shoppers and impress them, they did a great job!

If the promo does come through with a two night stay at a Manhattan Hilton and two dinner entrees, I will be infinitely more impressed.^^

Of course, YMMV!

Now, I just need to find a new girlfriend that wants to spend a weekend in New York!

Perhaps they have negotiated low rates to pay the hotels. I've read where Marriott, for example, might reimburse its hotels only abour $30 for a $200 hotel bill when the customer used points.

I couldn't believe how low their Dockers prices were yesterday, had to buy 2 shorts and 3 golf shirts and then still add something else to get to $100 (had been even cheaper before I got there due to a special sale!) Plus the $20 Kohl's Cash, and *hopefully* the 2-night stay coupon... I only wish I had paid better attention to this promo so I could have planned better. I did buy everything in duplicate on 2 different receipts (that size issue...), would be worth it to get a store credit or something similar for the returns (without receipt) to be able to have a friend help me with this promo... I can think of about 101 uses for the hotel/meal certs with our son's wedding being next year :)

Guess we'll see how it all works out, thanks for this thread!

No, I didn't know about the 2 nights at Marriott until I read it on here just now.

My total at Kohl's came to $100.96 pretax. I was sort of doing the math in my head and knew it was close. Almost everything was 50% off and then I saw the $20 Kohl's cash cert when I got home. I think they're using the marketing strategy that people won't end up redeeming or will forget about their certs, like with rebates. A huge percentage of people don't bother. Of course that wouldn't apply to anyone on FT!

Okay...here's the deal on the free hotel night offer at Kohl's. I am familiar about how these types of programs work. First off, this offer is not a scam of any kind. Dockers would never mess with one of their biggest customers (Kohl's) and jeapardize their relationship by funding or supporting a "bad offer."

So how do they do it???

If you do the math you'll quickly see that Dockers (or Kohls) can't make any money selling $100 in pants and giving away a gift-with-purchase (GWP) that has a value of as much as $500 (if you are lucky enough to book the best hotel on the list). The promotion company (Kohls and Dockers) are banking on the fact that "breakage" will occur. History suggests that only 30% - 40% of consumers will ever take the time to book their free trip. That means as many as 70% of consumers will spend the $100 on Dockers apparel, but never redeem the free offer. As a result, the promotion company can charge Dockers a small fee for each certificate redeemed based on the breakage model described above. The only loser in this deal is the promotion company (Vendor) if redemption comes in higher than expected.

That's why the promotion company adds "steps" in the program to increase "breakage" - i/e. must mail receipt to fulfillment center to get a reservation form, then fill out reservation form and send back to fulfillment center, then choose 3 hotels and 3 different dates, an so forth. All of these steps are designed to increase breakage so the promotion company can make money. The biggest breakage factor is time. History again suggests that if the offer is valid for one (1) year, many consumers will simply file away the free travel certificate and forget about it until its expired.

The promotion company rarely gets much of a break on hotel charges from the participating properties. The bottom line is that if you take the trip, the promotion company pays. Sure they negotiate favorable rates, but not $30 rooms like some of you suggest. In essesnce, they go out and buy rooms that would have gone unsold anyway because occupancy rates are low. If occupancy rates are high and they can't obtain a low rate, they will simply book you in your second or third choice property. I wouldn't bank on staying at the Hilton Times Square folks!! It looks nice on the hotel list, but rarely available. Set your sites on the Courtyard or Ramada Inn and you won't be disappointed.

This offer is really for the person who is flexible and enjoys a good deal at a reasonable cost (i/e. buy $100 in Dockers). As long as you are very flexible in your travel plans, and can adjust your schedule based on when the rooms and dates are available, you will go on vacation as promised. If you go into this offer thinking that you'll stay in Times Square over New Years, or Panama City FL over spring break, you'll be very disappointed.

In short, this deal is real and you WILL get one of your three choices, provided you are flexible. Again, Dockers and the promotion company would never attempt to scam a Kohl's customer, nor do they want to upset them in any way.

By the way, the JCPenneys free airfare deal is run the same way as the free hote ofer. It's the same promotion company and works very much the same way. Persoanlly I don't like the free airfare offer because it makes it difficult to book a second ticket for the person(s) you may be travelling with, especially if fares are high for the second ticket, or worse yet unavailable. You WILL NOT earn frequesnt flyer miles or qualification miles for your free trip (same with the hotel offer). Also, ever wonder why there are only 10 cities you can travel to?? It's because those cities are almost always serviced by AirTran, Southwest or other low-cost acrriers where there are usually low fares to be found throughout the year. If you asked to go to Miami in December, you might be told that Chicago (your 2nd choice is available). Why...because Southwest flies to Chicago Midway and perhaps offered a very low fare at the same time you were looking to go to Miami.

Anyway, that's the deal!

Boeing 727, perhaps you would know:

Short of receiving the 'original receipt', what other tracking of the original purchase may occur? Some things I bought need to be exchanged, which would be easier with at least a copy of the receipt -- but I am concerned that any computer reference to the original transaction would show exhanges (usually showing as returns of the original merchandise and re-purchase of new) past the 6/16 deadline (if this makes any sense!)

Just a reminder: For the Kohls deal, you need to submit your receipts within the next two weeks

Another reminder: While YMMV, I received $20 Kohls Cash, which must be used by today.

BUT... you can fly FROM lots of cities, even some very small one, such as Decatur, IL where I think only one carrier services. And since WN and AirTran (I think) do not offer connecting flight with legacy carriers, they would have to use major airlines. I know Champaign, IL was also a Fly From city. Only served by AA and NW.

As others state, your 3 destinations should be 2 high cost cities, and the third the one you want.

727,
you are right about the "breakage". For me, I won't be using the $20 store credits since I don't have a Kohls' cc (also declined to get one when offered at the counter). But I will try hard to use the hotel deal.

Macy's Dockers and Golf
 

Did anyone recieve the golf certs yet?

You don't need the Kohl's credit card to use them. I used the cert and paid with a credit card for the rest of my purchase.

I used the $20 Kohl's cash for a pair of $29.99 Levi's jeans, worn below the waist, like the cool cats do, these days. $20 off, then 15% off, add sales tax and I was out the door for $9.14.^

Has anyone gotten their hotel voucher/book yet? I am at week 7 so I guess they have another week to get it to me.

Nope. Haven't seen mine yet either. Sent it in right away. I did call 2 weeks ago, and they said it hadn't been processed yet, and that I should call back in 2 weeks.... guess it's about that time.

Isn't there another thread on the Kohls/Hotel version of this deal? Seems it would be useful for people to post their choices and what they received so that other people can optimize their selections. Of course, keeping this all in one place would be useful!

I received my Hotel packet under the Kohls promotion last week. It contained a list of participating hotels and a voucher (with serial number) that needs to be completed at returned with your top three hotel choices and top three dates. Upon receipt, they contact you with availability. I'm saving mine until the spring.