Coles Raincheck Refused for Frozen Item

nokia3660 on 08/02/2024 - 23:37
Last edited 10/02/2024 - 21:55

Coles had a frozen item on half price and I couldn't find them in the store. When I inquired about getting a raincheck for that, I was told by the staff that they don't provide raincheck for frozen/cold items. When I asked her to show that in their policy, she couldn't find any such exemption. However she refused to provide a raincheck saying that the store manager needs to approve it. I had to leave after waiting for 5 mins for the store manager to turn up.

When I tried looking up the raincheck policy, I really couldn't find anything online, let alone the exemption list. Has anyone had come across a similar exemption or is the store manager just making up his own rules?

Edit: Went in today to ask if they can check which other store has stock. Different staff, and she didn't think twice to give me a raincheck on it for the max quantity.

Food & Grocery Raincheck

Related Stores

Coles
Coles

Comments

  • kizzaaa on 09/02/2024 - 00:19
    +7

    As of a few weeks ago, the rain check slips states:

    All quantity must be redeemed in one transaction. Excludes tobacco, cigarettes, gift cards, iTunes®, mobile phones, mobile phone accessories and prepaid services. No other discounts apply. Valid for 30 days from date of issue.

    A Coles spokesperson said this 5 months ago:

    "If a product is advertised in our weekly catalogue but it is unavailable, customers are entitled to ask for a raincheck coupon. The raincheck enables customers to buy the item at the same advertised reduced price within 30 days of receiving the raincheck," a spokesperson said.

    Source

    • Yabadabadoo on 09/02/2024 - 12:15

      my store always put the qty as 6 and if I get 2 they ask if I want it change to 4 to get the rest later.

  • jv on 09/02/2024 - 00:31
    -4

    When I tried looking up the raincheck policy, I really couldn't find anything online, let alone the exemption list.

    Sounds like it is at the store's discretion then…

    • follow on 09/02/2024 - 00:46

      bad luck if you get a company hero

  • JIMB0 on 09/02/2024 - 05:11
    +8

    Write a complaint to head office. Ham it up a bit about how you were disappointed with the staff not following policy.

    Last time I did this for Woolworths when the grumpy old lady at the service desk wouldn't honour the free item as per the scanning policy. Got a $20 gift card for my troubles.

    • jv on 09/02/2024 - 13:09

      not following policy.

      link to policy ??

      • JIMB0 on 10/02/2024 - 18:40

        You don't need a link, just need to mention it. It's their policy and they have a copy.

        • jv on 10/02/2024 - 20:21

          If it’s a policy, it will be in writing.

    • nokia3660 on 09/02/2024 - 14:22

      how do I write to the head office? The contact us page doesn't have an email, it just shows an option to provide feedback or talk to CS

      • AndyC1 on 09/02/2024 - 17:34

        google "how to make a coles formal complaint" and look.

        • nokia3660 on 10/02/2024 - 18:24

          may be my googling skills are a bit rusty but googling what you said resulted nothing more than the general complaints link that is already in the coles contact us page. Were you referring to the same?

  • mapax on 09/02/2024 - 06:57

    waiting for 5 mins for the store manager to turn up

    My local coles does that often with scanning policy items. They claim they can’t give you the item for free or even the correct price despite what the scanning policy says because they have reached their maximum daily limit and you will need to wait for the manager to approve it, who of course is always busy.

    • Kaz0551 on 09/02/2024 - 07:27
      +2

      When something scanned incorrectly at the self-checkout a staff member said because I hadn't paid for it yet they can just adjust the price to the correct.

      Now even if it scans incorrectly I just pay for it then go to the service desk for my freebie. Allegedly they were bullshitting at the self-checkout but meh, what's a few extra minutes.

      • Yola on 09/02/2024 - 08:12
        +2

        Yes, I have had this happen before. So I always pay first.

      • JimmyF on 09/02/2024 - 08:14
        +2

        When something scanned incorrectly at the self-checkout a staff member said because I hadn't paid for it yet they can just adjust the price to the correct.

        Not just self checkout, its been like this for years at the normal checkouts too. I got caught many years ago, so now pay for it and then go over to the customer service department to get it 'free'.

        Sometimes they try to refund the difference and then need a gentle reminder of the policy.

      • stoodamire on 09/02/2024 - 09:55
        +3

        Staff is wrong.

        Refer to this

        https://www.coles.com.au/help/products-offers/products-scann…

    • JimmyF on 09/02/2024 - 08:12
      +1

      because they have reached their maximum daily limit and you will need to wait for the manager to approve it, who of course is always busy.

      None of that is your problem, that is a store/manager problem.

      What this tells me is the store has an ongoing problem about getting the prices correct on the shelf ;)

      They claim they can’t give you the item for free or even the correct price

      Then that would be illegal if they are not even honouring the ticket price on the shelf, aka they charged you more and won't refund the difference, let alone not following their own policy.

      • mapax on 09/02/2024 - 09:06
        +1

        It was always before I had paid, once I switched to paying then going to the service desk they would at least refund to the correct price.

        • JimmyF on 09/02/2024 - 09:48
          +2

          It was always before I had paid

          For me, if you picked it up before you paid, they would just correct the price. So I always pay and then inform them.

          once I switched to paying then going to the service desk they would at least refund to the correct price.

          Then you need to remind them of the policy that the first item is free, any remaining items are at the correct price.

  • Yola on 09/02/2024 - 08:14
    +2

    Coles stores/staff are frequently making up their own rules. Especially when selling the Coles Mastercards.

  • payless69 on 09/02/2024 - 08:25
    +1

    Coles website says: Wrong pricing up to $50 free and when I show them the printout they never argue.
    Unavailable perishables I guess it is not worth barking up a dead tree.

    Get them up to 50 freebies instead!

  • djsweet on 09/02/2024 - 09:11
    +5

    I just can't understand why employees do this. Put their neck out by not following the policy, piss of a customer, potentially cost the company extra money in compensation and associated administration costs. All the while thinking they are doing something "good" for the company. Total losers tbh, and that kind of thinking is going to have you working at Coles for the rest of your life (which to-be-fair, might be why we frequently encounter this kind of behaviour in retail)

    • JimmyF on 09/02/2024 - 09:51
      +2

      I just can't understand why employees do this

      Agree, its not their money at the end of the day nor did they create the policy.

      All the while thinking they are doing something "good" for the company

      I'm guessing someone above them has a KPI to meet and this hurts them, so they apply downward pressure to 'bend' the rules. Bit like the poster above whos store claims they have "reached their maximum daily limit" for refunds. LOL WTF!? Yeah that isn't how refunds work.

      • dtc on 09/02/2024 - 14:09

        Maximum daily refunds minimises the risk of theft/fraud. Rather than let someone process 250 refunds in a day and then disappear. Or process 5 legit and 3 non legit refunds a day without being picked up

        • JimmyF on 09/02/2024 - 17:07

          Maximum daily refunds minimises the risk of theft/fraud

          It doesn't at all…

          Rather than let someone process 250 refunds in a day and then disappear

          Ok sure stops this….

          Or process 5 legit and 3 non legit refunds a day without being picked up

          So it doesn't minimise the risk of theft/fraud then at all?

          What is stopping them refunding $500 in one hit or more and bolting?

          As I said, in another comment, any 'limits' is a their problem not a customer problem. If they have hit their limit, they need to sort it out and not make a customer wait around.

          It wasn't the customers fault the pricing was wrong on the shelf, it isn't the customers fault the store has some limit, but the store is making it.

          \

          • dtc on 10/02/2024 - 11:07

            @JimmyF: I’m not sure how you got ‘it doesn’t minimise the risk of fraud’. Minimise does not equal prevent. Fairly easy distinction I would have thought. People don’t steal $500 and bolt from their job; they steal $75 a day for years on end

            And, guess what - every time you transact with a business, you are dealing with their fraud and theft policies. Most of the time you don’t notice, but sometimes you do and ‘boo hoo’ for your precious time being ‘wasted’

            • JimmyF on 10/02/2024 - 11:41

              @dtc:

              I’m not sure how you got ‘it doesn’t minimise the risk of fraud’. Minimise does not equal prevent. Fairly easy distinction I would have thought. People don’t steal $500 and bolt from their job; they steal $75 a day for years on end

              and putting a limit either transaction numbers or $ refunded allowed doesn't stop them stealing $20 or $30 or $50 or $75 a day. They just make sure they are 'first'.

              Most of the time you don’t notice, but sometimes you do and ‘boo hoo’ for your precious time being ‘wasted’

              The job of customer services counter is to handle these requests. If the store wishes to put limits on employees and have a 'manager' come over to approve a $5 refund as the price on the shelf was wrong, then yes that is wasting my time from some bull shit policy.

  • Yabadabadoo on 09/02/2024 - 12:20
    +2

    pretty sure that's made up or they misheard something. all i can say is, be grateful Coles still do them at all as the aholes at Woolworths stopped it during covid and still have brought it back (even though it's expected under the consumer law nothing has been done about it)

  • Iwantthebestprice on 09/02/2024 - 14:25
    +4

    Once at woolies I grabbed about 15 to 20 Musashi energy cans off the shelf as they had the introductory price of $2 a can, usually about $4.50 a can so grabbed everything I could. Got to the checkout and scanned at $4.50, lady argued with me for 5 minutes it’s correct and I must pay as the sticker was wrong. place was packed and self checkout scanners all full so I said i had all day to wait she moaned and said I can just put the cans back, eventually she got a manager to finally come down, I showed him the stickers on the shelf, he came back and said 1 can for free and the other 20 can be bought at $2. The best part was the lady who told me I was wrong and pay full price had to scan each can individually, scan her little paper to get to that override screen, type in the new price and select reason, then wait for it to load and bag it. She had to do this 20 times! Was an amazing outcome and really made my day

  • doctordv8 on 09/02/2024 - 17:57
    +1

    After a few refused Rain Checks, Sticker/Price corrections, I now carry the Policy down loaded.

    Have never had a Rain-check, or Price Check or freebie or correction refused since.

    • nokia3660 on 09/02/2024 - 19:28
      +1

      could you please share a copy or a link?

    • kiriakoz on 10/02/2024 - 01:13
      +1

      I think anyone who carries store policy with them is … really really cool.

  • Davo1111 on 10/02/2024 - 00:55
    -3

    A raincheck …why waste your time? This isn't 1975

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