My CVS trip - is cashier wrong? -

[scrtgrdn02]

Ok I went to CVS this morning, had my plan all set and I think I got a cashier that was wrong. I started with
5.00, 2.00 ecb's

1st trans

Blink Eyes - 7.99 - had 1.00 peelie on it system would not take it
Cereal - 2 boxes trail mix cereal and 1 honey bunches of O - 10.00
Max White toothpaste - 2.99
Total 20.98 + tax
Used
1 3/1 MQ Blink eyes
3 2/1 IP cereal
1 1/1 Max white toothbrush
4/20
Total after coupons cashier stated at 7.22 - I gave her my 5.00 and 2.00 ecb, so would have owed .22 she said "she could not use the 2.00 ecb because it is before tax and my total before tax was only 1.98. so I ended up paying 2.77 oop
Got 8.00 ecb (blink eyes), 5.00 ecb (cereal) 1.00 (toothpaste)
Still have my 2.00 from before

2nd trans
Loreal Wrinkle repair - 14.99
Loreal facial cleanser - 5.99
4- j & J first aid kits - 3.96
1- paper mate pens - .99
Total was 25.93
Used
5/25
1 5/1 - IP Wrinkle repair
1 1/1 - MQ coupon
4 1/1 - J & J MQ
25.93 + tax was around 28.XX - 15.00 = around 13.00
(I think it was like 12.XX)
Gave her 8.00(trans 1), 2.00 (started with)and 1.00 ecb she said she couldn't take the 1.00 because it's before tax and it was on .98 so I ended up having 2.59 oop
Got - 10.00 (loreal), 4.00 J & J and .99 pens
still have 5.00(trans1), 1.00 (trans 1)


3rd -
4- Pepsi - 12.00
1- Physicians Formula mascara - 9.99
2- papers
1- pens
2- J & J first aid kits
2.40 crv for pepsi
Total was 29.34 + tax
Used
5/25
5/15
1 1/1 mq physicians formula
Cashier stated I still owed 20.xx
Gaver her 10.00,5.00,4.00 (said she couldn't take the 4.00 because it was before tax and it was only 3.98) so I gave her 1.00 ecb and .99 ecb and then I still 3.04 oop...

Now what the heck? Am I just totally clueless or is this wrong? I should have had way lower OOP, Right???? If so what do I do to get it fixed? Or am I just totally wrong? and she was right? With all the ECB's should I have had an OOP of 8.40? I know it's still a good savings but I thought the ECB's were like cash, and no where on it does it say before tax? It actually says savings applied to total purchase on the bottom of the ECB's
Sorry this is so long but I am a little frustrated it seems like I keep having to pay more then I calculate and when I am unemployed it's hard when I have to pay more then I budget for.

[nerdycoupongirl]

Hi, ECB's are not exactly cash. They are treated as CVS coupons. If your total is $3.50 before tax and your ECB is $4.00, you have to have $4.00 before tax worth of stuff to use it, and pay the tax. Now, they USED to be able to adjust your ECB, and they still can far as I know. But know that you are losing a little money that way since we have to pay tax now, so it's your call as to whether you want to keep that extra ECB or grab an item to bring your total up. CVS now charges differently for tax than they used to. HTH.

[LITSA]

Many of our members find those really cheap "filler" type products to bring the before tax totals up just a little so they end up only paying the tax OOP. I know some just grab a few of those to have just in case when they encounter this problem.

Blessings and Hugs, "Angel"

[FrugalEngineer]

I had a cashier offer 2 days ago to adjust an ECB down to meet my total. Specifically, I needed 5.50 and he asked if I had a 6, saying he could just adjust it down. I said something like, "I'd get a snickers bar before I let you adjust .50c." But it tells me your cashier should have been able to adjust for your 2 ECB to be worth 1.98. I know Wags won't do that with RR, but I've always had CVS do that for ECB. While it's true you lose 2 pennies, and we all know how to performa little magic with 2 pennies, to me it makes more sense than spending 50 cents on a filler snickers bar just to get your whole value.

[LovinMyCoupons]

Hi,

In trans. #3 you listed two $/$$ coupons. LOOK at your receipt - were they both deducted?

Your total would have had to been $40+ before tax for them to both apply.

[couponwife]

If I am going to lose less $$ by having them adjust down an ECB than by getting a filler item (for example, there might not be any item in CVS priced at .15) then I go ahead and let them adjust down the ECB. Sounds like your cashier didn't give you that option though.

[Debbiep]

I suggest this cashier is a bad egg...I did all my deals and they always adjust my ECB's...I pay like .12 cents OOP. Me thinks she has not been trained properly.

I'd call Corp. and be sure to mention the store info and cashiers name.

[momo2]

Next time, give them any X/XX CVS coupons you have, then manq, then ECB. That way, your total is whatever the XX needs to be when it's scanned. Then, your manq reduce the taxable amount, and the ECB are used to reduce your oop. It really does work this way. I had a very friendly cashier one time when the store was empty, and she tried it all sorts of ways.

[angela2678]

I think the cashier probably didn't realize that she could adjust the ECBs down to match the before-tax subtotal. Either that or she's used to couponers not wanting to have them adjusted!!! :-)

To better match up your ECBs to the total, don't look at the total on the little screen facing you (it includes tax). Instead, ask the cashier what subtotal she sees on HER screen. My rule of thumb is 10 cents...If an ECB I have is 10 cents or less higher than the subtotal (price before tax), I go ahead and ask them to adjust it downward to meet the subtotal (so I then pay tax). If it's more than 10 cents, I grab a filler (like the 33-cent caramels) so I get the full value of the Q.

The ECBs do say (or at least they used to) that you can't use them on taxes, postage stamps, etc.

[scrtgrdn02]

Originally Posted by momo2

Next time, give them any X/XX CVS coupons you have, then manq, then ECB. That way, your total is whatever the XX needs to be when it's scanned. Then, your manq reduce the taxable amount, and the ECB are used to reduce your oop. It really does work this way. I had a very friendly cashier one time when the store was empty, and she tried it all sorts of ways.

This is exactly how I did it. I guess I just don't quite understand how to figure out my plans as well as I thought I did. I still don't quite understand what I did wrong. I will just keep reading until I catch one, one time I went to CVS I had an oop of .22 but that has not happened since, I knew when I saw this particular cashier there was going to be a problem I have had her before and she totally looks at all the coupons. The other cashiers just keep deducting my coupons and ecb's until it's low.