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  • Busted!

    I had a doozy yesterday.

    I see a woman at SCO with what looks like a shedload of coupons. Nothing too unusual about that...until the register starts rejecting coupons. Again, nothing too unusual...wait, a few of those look like printer paper.

    I go over and she starts in "No take coupon! I put in!" I see something suspicious; she appeared to have scanned four $5 coupons, three $3 coupons, two $4 coupons and who knows how many others. For the '$X off total purchase' issued by the store there is a hard limit of one per transaction. I retrieve the one that hasn't fallen fully into the box...it's a printout or photocopy. I can't tell which, but I can tell that those coupons a) hadn't been issued since October or so and b) expired on 12/25.

    The SCO error is very cryptic and the only options it gives are to suspend or void the transaction. Had all the coupons gone through it would have resulted in cash change, so the system probably locked up so that would not happen (just for fun I attempted to bring up the normal assistant menu and could not--did they actually make a change that makes sense?). I open the coupon box to retrieve the rest and she tries to stick her hand in. Uh, no. Then she confirms which coupons from the box she tried to use...helpful or stupid? J is watching and signals to me to just give her a nonconfrontational excuse why they won't go through. If she leaves the order she leaves it, but he and F want her to return and try again.

    While these did appear to have dashed lines at the edges the web coupons look nothing like the Catalina coupons (as these did) and I'd expect the image quality to be much better. A few were even cut to the same size as Catalinas. At this point E swoops in and starts telling SC: "You can't use photocopies."...um, E, shut up.

    I voided the transaction and just told SC that she needed to go to a cashier and I could not give her back the coupons as they were expired. I kept the receipt that printed, stapled some of the offending coupons to it and gave it to F (assistant manager) who told me that if she comes back to let him know.

    Ended up returning a cartful of (mostly perishable) expensive stuff, but at least it stayed in the store. Part of me is considering finding a cheap 'spy pen', partly for my own edification and partly for proof (not legal proof of theft, but at least I can let everyone else know who to keep an eye on).
    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

  • #2
    Spy pen? Do you mean like the counterfeit markers we keep at registers to check bills?
    -I feel like I need to take a long shower and contemplate where I went wrong in my life to end up here
    -But what if skeletons?

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    • #3
      The pen I'm thinking of has a mini video camera, like this. Probably against some policy though.
      "I am quite confident that I do exist."
      "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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      • #4
        If they have cameras in the store then there shouldn't be a problem. I don't think it can be used for prosecution but if the store already has camera's what's one more?

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        • #5
          Quoth HiddenMica View Post
          If they have cameras in the store then there shouldn't be a problem. I don't think it can be used for prosecution but if the store already has camera's what's one more?
          This one wouldn't be where corp could control the evidence. I'd bet there IS such a policy, and that they'd get pretty peeved if they found you using such a thing.

          Corp types don't like evidence that lingers out of their control. They prefer stuff that goes away when the 'retention perios' expires.
          Life: Reality TV for deities. - dalesys

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          • #6
            Quoth Dreamstalker View Post
            The pen I'm thinking of has a mini video camera, like this. Probably against some policy though.
            I feel dumb now. that makes so much more sense than what my brain came up with (for the life of me I couldn't figure out how a counterfeit marker would help with coupons)
            -I feel like I need to take a long shower and contemplate where I went wrong in my life to end up here
            -But what if skeletons?

            Comment


            • #7
              As a couponer, I wonder if she did that herself, or was scammed by a bulk seller. Regardless, catalinas are one per transaction everywhere.
              "My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is." - Ellen DeGeneres

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              • #8
                I really hope management changes the computer setup ASAP. If I read the OP correctly, the only reason for the error was because she scanned more coupons than the total value of the order. In other words, had she not tried to get everything for FREE, she could've paid less than a buck for a cartload of expensive goods, and you would've been none the wiser. Your register setup allowed the coupons to scan, probably because there aren't many of the legit versions floating around. I hope management can take the receipt and coupons you voided and immediately block those bar codes from future use. Geez.
                A lion however, will only devour your corpse, whereas an SC is not sated until they have destroyed your soul. (Quote per infinitemonkies)

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                • #9
                  She would never have gotten away with any of that where I shop. Those SCO's can't take most coupons for some reason and I always end up having to ask the attendant to scan them in.
                  When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                  • #10
                    Yeah, I'd probably get fired if I started carrying a camera pen. The receipt is timestamped, but unless something actually happens (usually involving the cops) it's hard to replay. From what I've been told recordings are not stored onsite and the only easy way to view footage is live (this is why I wish there was a fast way of notifying the MOD/office about something hinky).

                    Most of the store Catalinas mention a minimum purchase on the coupon (usually $25), but I've seen them be accepted without that minimum (sometimes they go through if the only item in the order is the item on the coupon).

                    If the culprit used their loyalty card, theoretically they could be tracked that way (I know AP has that capability as they've done it in other districts to catch people..but my store has no security/data mining so often trends aren't noticed until it's too late to do anything useful). This SC did not use a card. (I would think that the $X off coupons should be tied to the card that generated them..but that would mean actual work for someone)*

                    * My dad did some work on this stuff, I should ask him what would be involved
                    Last edited by Dreamstalker; 01-13-2015, 03:08 PM.
                    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                    • #11
                      Quoth shanarocks View Post
                      Regardless, catalinas are one per transaction everywhere.
                      Maybe now, but not during WW2. Having that restriction back then would have caused needlessly duplicated paperwork between Consolidated and the U.S. (and allied) military.
                      Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                      • #12
                        Sounds like a Catalina Caper to me.

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAr3y1-e9Xc

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                        • #13
                          'Needlessly duplicated paperwork' is now par for the course around here.

                          I found more of said coupons in the boxes last night. F wasn't there, but I let the shift lead know and left a note for whoever has to sort the coupons (taping two of said coupons to the note; there were probably more in the bag). I hung on to a few of the bogus ones that E threw away to show SM when I get a chance.

                          I'd think it would be trivial to block certain barcodes after expiration (go figure, the system says some legit coupons are expired and lets some expired ones through up to two days after). We have so many issues with those things it's not funny (and I suspect it's part of the shrink issues if the system is allowing coupons it shouldn't be).

                          J mentioned that maybe SC knows my schedule and now comes back when I'm not on...or she's not the only one doing this. In any event, it needs to be posted where everyone who watches SCO can see it. Someone put those coupons through (all the more reason not to let my card out of my sight).
                          "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                          "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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