<p>I know multiple threads have mentioned this store, and some features, but NOW I need to confirm some details (before I was just reading), and am unable to pin-point the exact threads (I hate when that happens).</p>
<p>Anyway...</p>
<p>Is it BBB that allows you to shop and will allow you to pay for and pick up at the store closest to school? Or is that the other store, Linens and Things?</p>
<p>Also, is it BBB that will allow using multiple of their 20% off coupons? Has anyone had them give grief about that?</p>
<p>We're starting to move into the "final stretch" as we inch closer to move in date. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, it's starting to become "real"</p>
<p>BBB allows order one place, pick up another (at college). And, you may use multiple 20% coupons (one coupon per item or one 20% off the entire purchase coupon); and the coupons can be current or expired, and the current and expired coupons can be BBB coupons or from a competitor (say LNT, for example).</p>
<p>You can pick up or even order online and ask them to ship so it arrives at the time D or S steps foot on campus. Great for those moving from 1 coast to the other.</p>
<p>I had thought BBB would allow you to use multiple coupons (expired, etc.) only if you were doing the college pick-up thing, but they allow it across the board. We're buying a second home on the opposite coast, and I just presented a dozen expired coupons at checkout. Didn't bat an eyelash. I'm accumulating again for my next trip - they come in the mail and are usually also in the Sunday paper (circular with coupon on the back page).</p>
<p>My husband has a fit. He says that I could wallpaper a room with all of the BBB and LNT coupons that I have saved over the years. Of course, when we took our daughter to college and went to BBB he was amazed. I had enough coupons for almost everything. We saved a bundle. I always buy wedding gifts there, if I can and use my coupon. What a great place!!!</p>
<p>We have a "vacation home"... ok, a renovated apt. in a non-beach Florida city.... and it was damaged due to flooding (not a hurricane, the hot water heater in the upstairs apt. burst). Anyway, I saved coupons for 6 months, and when my husband & I got there last winter, we used about 20 of them! We spent nearly $500.... AFTER coupons! He was shocked! So I started saving again in January.... my mom & sister have sent me all of theirs.... and I've got about 40 coupons to do the college shopping with. We'll take them with us when we pick up Son's stuff at the Bed & Bath near GW. I can't wait! He did the choosing on Saturday. Boys are so weird.... he didn't care as long as everything was navy, black or gray, and no stripes. Those was were his only requirements.</p>
<p>BBB clarification -- in order to pick up at a store near the college, you actually have to "shop" at your local store. Can't do it online. You can have it shipped to the school from an online order, but S2's school discourages that.</p>
<p>At least that's what the BBB customer service person told me last night.</p>
<p>Another good thing about BBB: I recently bought a bunch of stuff for S's first college apartment and I used the $5.00 off coupon (the only one I had at the time because like a dummy I didn't plan ahead :( ). Anyway, the young man who rang up my purchases said that if I got another coupon in the mail later on, I could bring the receipt back to any store and get money back from it! I thought that was weird, but I just might try it. Not sure how long that deal is good for though. Anyone try this?</p>
<p>A small warning about BB&B, our order got totally bumfuzzled, probably the fault of our local BB&B, and was never forwarded to the pick-up BB&B. Add to that the fact that my D's school is on quarter system and we were picking up in mid-Sept, well after most of the college buying was done, and you get a mostly unfilled order. Luckily, we had only selected some decorative type items and a comforter, so we were able to substitute a similar comforter with the same color scheme.
I would not use the buy and hold for pick up method unless it is necessary (cross country move, etc), and be aware if your daughter has her heart set on particular things they are selling as this year's back to college stuff (as opposed to the usual stock merchandise), you might want to buy and ship, JIC. Luckily, the necessities like extra long sheets and mattress covers I bought and shipped.</p>
<p>I figured I'd call about 2 weeks ahead to confirm the order is correct. My son didn't really pick anything too bizarre.... solid navy xl sheets & a nautica comforter... plus lots of incidentals... laundry stuff, a lapdesk, some storage supplies, extension cords, lamps.... really we did it just to simplify driving down. Even though I have a large car (2004 Durango), with 4 passengers (myself, husband & 15 yo son, plus the freshman), there's not that much room (except for me, all are over 6' tall!) He'll have all his clothes, a 20" TV, computer, printer, etc.... in the back of the car.</p>
<p>I was at my Linens and Things the other day, and learned that they changed their policy. Now they only accept expired coupons dated within the last three months. This holds for their own coupons and those from BB&B. If you don't have the coupons with you, you can bring coupons back to the store within 10 days and they will refund the 20% off. </p>
<p>I got my mother-in-law to save her own coupons and send them to me. Now she collects them from her friends who are not using them. They are accepted at BB&B because they don't care how old they are. That is the way I was able to get a bunch.</p>
<p>Cangel- I am surprised you had trouble; our order went throught without a hitch. I was told locally that if an item was out of stock at then nearby store, they would have one shipped from another store. We received a list of our items the day we scanned stuff, and then a week or two later, we received another list from the store by school. It showed out of stock for a few items and when I called that was when I was told they would get the item from another store. </p>
<p>After seeing the dorm room, my daughter realized she didn't need some of the things she ordered (iron, ironing board, wall mounting stuff, etc.) so we just didn't pay for those items. While the girls had decided who would bring which big items, they didn't discuss shower curtain, phone, iron, fans, and many other things; there were a few duplicates so I returned what we didn't need.</p>
<p>I also hoard BB&B and L&T coupons and keep them in my car. I most likely have 15 at any given time, sometimes more! If I am buying something that one of the stores carries, I always go there first. It helps that there is a BB&B 2 miles from my house!!</p>
<p>I'm so glad I saw this thread with info about multiple coupons. I took three coupons with me last night to B,B& B and saved over $20! I told the cashier that I had three coupons and asked her how I could use them because they each said that you could not more then one at a time. She said to just give them to her and the computer would just apply them all. </p>
<p>It was interesting shopping with both of my kids. Daughter is 21, likes to shop and wanted to get her brother just the right color-coordinated stuff. Her brother, otoh, had a single minded goal of getting the minimal amount of stuff and getting out of there as fast as possible. He was not happy that we went to Target after B,B&B. The only time he perked up was when he was choosing a clock radio.</p>
<p>Pokey, mine is about the only snafu experience with the BB&B program that I have ever read about here, so maybe it was isolated. I think we ran into problems because we were picking up at the very tail end of the season - mid-Sept - and although I ordered in early August, the selection was just not there at pick-up time. The store manager in Concord did offer to call the other store about 10 miles away, but it just wasn't worth it to us, since we couldn't wait around and we had driven 50 miles to do the pick-up at the Concord store. They said they never received the order from our home store - who knows what happened?!</p>
<p>I think Katiep has summed up the typical male interest in stocking the dorm space - that is little to no interest!</p>
<p>You guys must have great stores near you. Our BB&B doesn't allow the use of more than one coupon or expired coupons either. Once when I didn't have a coupon handy and asked for one at the customer service desk, they were snippy with me. I didn't understand the reason for the attitude, since everyone gets them in the mail anyway--it's not like you need a BB&B charge account with them or something.</p>
<p>I used 7 coupons last month (all at once). Some had expired, and I even asked if they accept expired coupons. They accepted all seven coupons. My H was amazed.</p>
<p>Oh, and kathiep, your son did better than mine. My S told me to buy whatever I wanted. He chose not to go. He keeps asking why I am buying so much for college. I don't think that he realizes that he would need sheets until move in day! He does not feel that he needs anything.</p>
<p>ditto for my son, northeastmom. I wouldn't mind standing by, letting him procrastinate shopping and packing, and then experience the consequences of being unprepared....except for one thing. If we buy stuff close to home on sale, and with coupons, we will likely spend much less money than if he has to purchase the same things from the convenience store close to campus.</p>
