[Beaglesfly]

Does anyone / everyone else have this problem? Unless you are at the door on Sunday morning at 10 am, there are never any items left during the week. I understand that there's times that a company can't predict just how much demand there will be for an item that's being offered with an incentive, but come on....they are always out of every SCR item in our store here.
Doesn't the company realize that they do more harm than good with a program like this? I gave up going to rite aid for anything long ago because they were just too aggravating. Generally, I would plan a trip there for things that I needed and were on sale, and if there was something on SCR, great - a good deal on one thing would be just enough to entice me to do my shopping there. But everytime I went, the SCR items were out, and I began to feel.....well, kinda scammed.
To top it off, the manager has a lousy attitude and the way the cashiers inspect every coupon from top to bottom and back again makes me feel as though they suspect me of making coupons or something. Consequently, I don't go there for anything. Even if it's just a sale priced item, not something on the SCR.
lauren

[MacDaddy]

True...I used to get very frustrated with Riteaid. I also rate their cashiers as some of the worst in customer service. But I have learned to go when the better cashiers are on duty and go when they restock (usually after Wed night or Thurs morning) I don't always get all of the SCR deals...but I get most, so you have to "find you groove" with them.

[DreamReamer]

the problem is the managers. They do not order enough of the rebate items. I got to my rite aid this morning at 9 and entered right as the door opened. I was the first to the lamisil. there were only 2 on the shelf. Now why would they not get more than 2. Poor management.

There was another rite aid that I went to that used to have two long shelves with just rebate items on them. You didnt even have to go through most of the store, and they had tons. you could go in on a friday and still be able to get 80% of your stuff.

[IsaveUsave]

It is sad to admit, but it is the poor management. Corporate has even incorporated a new system for the managers to order SCR items seperately from the other ad items. They used to be just mixed in and you had to pay attention to the little detail about there being a rebate. Now they have their own category, so there is no reason that a manager should not be ordering these items properly, except laziness. We recently got a new store manager so I had to tell him that we get a good amount of customers looking for the rebate items and he needed to continue to order 8-10 of each instead of the 2 that he started to order. His previous store didn't sell too many SCR items. The 2 he ordered would still be on the shelf when the month was over.
I know you said the manager has a lousy additude, but maybe you can catch him on a decent day and nicely inform him that you are interested in shopping at his store more if he had more of the SCR items available since that is your main reason for coming to the store in the first place, and if he could start ordering a few more (you gotta nudge these guys a little at a time) so you could have a chance to buy them before they ran out. Also remember, our truck days are funky and different at even stores that are near each other. Our truck comes on Saturday. but every major holiday it changes, so after Memorial day, it will go to Monday, then after 4th of July, it goes to Tuesday, etc. and we have 24 hours to get it put away, so find out your stores schedule and it may help you get a jump on the items. Hope this helps and I hope the store manager there changes his attitude.

[cjfrugal]

Get rainchecks and you can fax or mail in the receipts and still get rebates

[MacDaddy]

Another thing I do is walk thru the whole store several times and look on end caps, on the top shelf, unopenned bins they leave in the aisles and then ask the manager. I find that most stores are too understaffed or either too lazy to even place the SCR items out. As a last resort I do ask for rain-checks. The rain-check process is a lot easier than I expected. All it takes is a phone call then a fax then 2 days later...it shows up in your account.

[Beaglesfly]

Originally Posted by cjfrugal

Get rainchecks and you can fax or mail in the receipts and still get rebates

Hmm, that's good to know. Thanks, I will keep that in mind

[pamperedpeterson]

Some really great tips are alreayd here.
I understand the frustration, my store seemed like it was always out of stock on SCR (free items, usually), until I found out that the truck comes in Saturday. So now I shop Saturday, and get rain checks.
A phone call to Customer Service, letting them know your frustration AND the third degree you get about coupons will fix the problem. The mgr at my store called me personally to let me know that the employees were getting re-trained on coupon usage. The SCR program is the best, but sometimes we have to stake our claim.

[mkach]

I am in a metro area and there are a few stores and it seems all are always the same. NONE unless you go when they open. Going when the restock is a joke too because everyone else does the same.

I like that fax deal thou

[Kris B]

If my rite aid is out of a rebate item I just get a raincheck. If the store doesn't get the item in before the deadline then when they do finally get it in, they honor the rebate amount in the store. So if an item is FAR and it doesn't come in, then I'll end up getting it free anyway and not having to wait for the check. You have to make sure that they note on the raincheck that the item is FAR.
Kris