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I wonder if another type of coupon abuse has happened, namely a store printing coupons specifically for the purpose of messing with another store (NOT printing coupons with the other store's name, but which due to the other store's policies would cause the other store problems). Example:
Store "X" carries Bunnycell AA batteries in 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 24 packs. They accept competitor's coupons, and a double coupon day is coming up.
Store "Y" carries Bunnycell AA batteries in 4, 8, 16, and 24 packs. They arrange through a 3rd party to have a particularly "juicy" store coupon for 20 packs of Bunnycell AA batteries distributed. They also post an alert about this coupon at their cash registers, taking the form of "someone's trying to stir up shit - this coupon is for a package size we don't carry, don't accept it on the other package sizes we do carry".
Customer brings the coupon to store "Y" - cashier, not knowing the tricks head office is pulling, apologizes to the customer and tells them (based on what they've been told) that an unknown third party is trying to cause problems for the store by distributing what's clearly a fake coupon (store coupon for a package size the store doesn't carry).
Customer brings the coupon to store "X" - since they take competitor's coupons, they take it. SCs, who can't understand anything other than "Free" or "deep discount", save the coupons for double coupon day. Since SCs have no loyalty (try telling that to the suits), store "X" doesn't sell them enough other merchandise to make up for the doubled deep discount on the batteries.
Result: store "Y" loses a pile of money on coupons printed by store "X".
Side note: I have seen very high value ($4 off) coupons for Bunnycell batteries - the ones I have seen were manufacturer's coupons (if leaking Bunnycell batteries with a current date code damage a device, Bunnycell will replace it and the batteries, and send you a bunch of these coupons).
Store "X" carries Bunnycell AA batteries in 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 24 packs. They accept competitor's coupons, and a double coupon day is coming up.
Store "Y" carries Bunnycell AA batteries in 4, 8, 16, and 24 packs. They arrange through a 3rd party to have a particularly "juicy" store coupon for 20 packs of Bunnycell AA batteries distributed. They also post an alert about this coupon at their cash registers, taking the form of "someone's trying to stir up shit - this coupon is for a package size we don't carry, don't accept it on the other package sizes we do carry".
Customer brings the coupon to store "Y" - cashier, not knowing the tricks head office is pulling, apologizes to the customer and tells them (based on what they've been told) that an unknown third party is trying to cause problems for the store by distributing what's clearly a fake coupon (store coupon for a package size the store doesn't carry).
Customer brings the coupon to store "X" - since they take competitor's coupons, they take it. SCs, who can't understand anything other than "Free" or "deep discount", save the coupons for double coupon day. Since SCs have no loyalty (try telling that to the suits), store "X" doesn't sell them enough other merchandise to make up for the doubled deep discount on the batteries.
Result: store "Y" loses a pile of money on coupons printed by store "X".
Side note: I have seen very high value ($4 off) coupons for Bunnycell batteries - the ones I have seen were manufacturer's coupons (if leaking Bunnycell batteries with a current date code damage a device, Bunnycell will replace it and the batteries, and send you a bunch of these coupons).
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