Well I had a strange, tangentially related experience today. I was in Kohl’s (I don’t like that place but they do often have good luggage sales). I had a 30% off coupon that came to me in the mail, and it was sticking upright from my purse. As I was checking the price of some luggage, a woman came up to me and asked if I had a 30% off coupon and then basically badgered me to let her use it, insisting that it could be used more than once. I let her know I wasn’t ready to check out yet (we were in the back of the store) and that if we were in line together I’d see if I could let her use the coupon. Just then a sales clerk came up who said that they now track the coupons and that ONLY the person whose store credit card is attached to the coupon can use the coupon, and that it could be problematic if my coupon was attempted to be used by someone using a card other than my store credit card. The lady (the customer) insisted that she could use my coupon with no problem and that she didn’t want to pay the price of the running shoes she had in her hand. The sales clerk just kept repeating that she could not use my coupon- that the store tracks the coupon to the associated person’s Kohl’s card. The lady finally walked away with her shoes.
Now plenty of times in the past I have given extra coupons (usually general coupons- not ones that came personally to me) to customers in line, at department stores, supermarkets, etc, and have on occasion asked the sales clerk at the register if the person behind me could use my personal coupon (after I have completed my purchase). I have never had anyone come up to me in the back of the store when I am still shopping and essentially ask me for my coupon (there is little likelihood in my mind that she would have returned my coupon to me if I’d given it to her). And the ONLY reason I was in Kohl’s is because I had the 30% off coupon (and today was the last day). I was uncomfortable with the pushing s’s of this stranger who wanted my coupon. Thank heavens the sales clerk came up when she did.