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Did Albertsons Make Digital Coupons Easier to Find and Use?

For the past two years, consumer groups including Consumer World have tried to sensitize leaders in the supermarket industry about the discriminatory effect of offering certain grocery deals only when using a digital coupon (see story). The issue is that many seniors and lower income folks don’t have cellphones or internet access. As such, they have been cut out of a major way to save on one’s grocery bill at a time of very high grocery prices.

In addition, digitally-savvy shoppers have complained that the digital coupon section of supermarket apps is hard to use because there are hundreds of coupons there thus making that week’s sale item coupons hard to find.

So, are stores doing anything to address these concerns?
 

Star Market and Shaw’s

MrConsumer got very excited recently when Star Market and Shaw’s in New England (owned by Albertsons) seemed to be offering an easy way to clip all that week’s digital coupons required to purchase advertised sale items with just one-click of the cellphone.

Star QR Code

And when he followed their instructions, this is a screenshot of what he saw:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Star QR error

We tracked down the firm that helps create functionality like this for companies. They claimed it worked after testing it around the country (but we suspect they did not follow the explicit instructions noted above to scan the QR code in the app where it absolutely did not work). But, when we contacted Albertsons, they admitted they goofed.

The QR code does not scan from within the 4U Rewards app. We recognize that the verbiage in the flyer needs to be clarified, and our team is making these updates for future circulars. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

They also indicated that all the QR code does is bring one to the coupon section of their app where “the customer can click on the deals that are most valuable for their shopping trip.” So contrary to the plain wording in their circular, the company did not create a simple way “to add all the digital offers” to one’s account.

 

Safeway

Albertsons owns many other supermarket chains including Safeway. For several years, they have utilized “clip or click” coupons but in only some of their locations. These allow non-tech-savvy shoppers to clip and use their digital coupons the old-fashioned way with scissors. Great! More chains should do that.

Safeway Clip or Click

But despite what some might assume, those with the Safeway app cannot simply scan the coupons they want to load them directly into their account. They have to visit the Safeway website or app, and sort through the hundreds of digital offers there to find and e-clip them individually.

In reply to an inquiry from us, Albertsons demonstrated that roundabout way one has to e-clip digital coupons to one’s account. We suggested they could make the system so much easier if they allowed coupons in the ad to be scanned directly into one’s account. They did not comment.

Shoppers at Safeway also cannot automatically “add all digital offers” from this ad to one’s account by scanning the master barcode in the upper right corner of the circular. As with Star and Shaw’s, all that code does when it works is take you to the coupon section of their website or app. Then you have to find the ones you want.

We continue to hope that supermarkets will make it easier for all shoppers, tech savvy or not, to save money by being able to buy digital-only sale items with less hassle. That day is coming at some chains… so stay tuned.

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Subway Sued Over Skimpy Sandwiches Advertised as Humongous

Longtime Mouse Print* readers will remember we wrote probably half a dozen articles about Subway being sued for allegedly not putting any tuna in their tuna sandwiches. We always thought that case was kind of flaky, and it was.

Now, however, a New York consumer and her clever lawyers are more rightfully going after Subway for serving skimpy sandwiches that look nothing like the ones they depict in advertising. In the app, for example, this steak and cheese sub is so overflowing with meat it looks like you could get a hernia trying to lift it.

Subway Steak & Cheese

But here’s what she got…

*MOUSE PRINT:

Subway Steak & Cheese actual

In the lawsuit, the lawyers allege the sandwich depicted in their advertisement contains more than triple the amount of meat as she was actually served. Had she known that in advance, she would not have made the purchase or would have wanted to pay less.

So the chain is being sued for misrepresentation, as well as misleading and deceptive business practices.

Back in the summer of 2023, we wrote about misleading fast food portion sizes, including showing an advertisement depicting a very fat Subway roast beef sub which really only had 2.5 ounces of meat in it. [See story.]

So this time around, we say to the class action lawyers, go get ’em.

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PayPal Knows What Kind of Underwear You Wear and Will Be Telling Everyone!

Soon whether you wear boxers or briefs will no longer be a closely-held secret because of a data privacy move by PayPal.

At the beginning of October, PayPal sent out an email to its members making a change to its legal agreements in late November.

PayPal update email

It doesn’t sound particularly unnerving because they are going to provide information to help you shop. The way that is going to be accomplished, however, has some people concerned. Their more detailed notice states:

*MOUSE PRINT:

The key update to the Privacy Statement (link 1, link 2) explains how we will share information with merchants to personalize your shopping experience and recommend our services to you. Personal information we disclose includes, for example, products, preferences, sizes, and styles we think you’ll like… [emphasis added]

How do they know what you like? According to the Wall Street Journal, they will review your shopping and purchase history, and then sell that information to advertisers.

In most states, your purchases made starting two days before Black Friday will be shared with others unless you opt-out. To opt-out, after you login to PayPay.com, click the settings gear, and then select:

PayPal opt out directions

How do you feel about PayPal sharing your very specific shopping information?

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