[Shaunam]

I get $4.00 off enfamil coupons when I buy anything breastfeeding related (nursing pads, breast pump) at Meijer. DH takes them to work for the employees who are already using formula. I refuse to let him give them to anyone who is pregnant.

Oh well, it's still better than shopping at Wal-mart.

 

[User101]

OK, here is my standard rant on why that's not a good idea.

Those coupons are coded with your info. If you use your shopper's club card, if they come from the company, whatever, your personal info (like the fact that you bought breastfeeding related stuff and are breastfeeding) are encoded into them. When the coupons are used (even by someone else) the only message the formula company gets is "Hey look! We got another breastfeeding mama to buy some formula- this marketing tactic really works."

This is not good for anyone. It gives formula company's the OK to market aggressively to breastfeeding mamas. It drives up the cost of formula for all formula feeding mamas, including the ones with a genuine need for formula.

Please, please, pretty please, just throw them away.

 

[wawap]

I've heard this happening at a lot of stores... I'm guilty of using the coupons and selling the free cans on ebay & using that money for replacement parts for my breast pump & for storage bags.

Can I ask about the PPD and liquor comment that a PP made? As someone who has struggled with PPD, I thought it was kind of sad that someone would equate that with boozing. Just curious....

 

[User101]

I think it was probably meant to be a joke. We do that here sometimes.

 

[wawap]

Condescend much?

 

[paquerette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie What I liked about her idea was her letting them know she didn't want or need them. Tell her no thank you and then tear them up and then put them in the trash.

True. Didn't think of it that way.

 

[Siana]

I recycle the coupons. Trashing them isn't helping our landfill situation.

 

[User101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siana I recycle the coupons. Trashing them isn't helping our landfill situation.

 

[User101]

Quote:

Condescend much?

I consider this to be a personal attack.

My intention was not to condescend, but to answer your question in a lighthearted manner.

:

 

[soccerchic21]

why???????? For once can we just stick to the topic of my post. Please???

 

[User101]

Sorry, Sarah- I was just answering a question and then was called a name.

 

[TiredX2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie OK, here is my standard rant on why that's not a good idea. Those coupons are coded with your info. If you use your shopper's club card, if they come from the company, whatever, your personal info (like the fact that you bought breastfeeding related stuff and are breastfeeding) are encoded into them. When the coupons are used (even by someone else) the only message the formula company gets is "Hey look! We got another breastfeeding mama to buy some formula- this marketing tactic really works." This is not good for anyone. It gives formula company's the OK to market aggressively to breastfeeding mamas. It drives up the cost of formula for all formula feeding mamas, including the ones with a genuine need for formula. Please, please, pretty please, just throw them away.

Yeah, but even more than that I want to screw the formula companies.

It is well known that you get more samples and coupons as a bfeeding mom than as a ffeeding one. The coupons are coded and once you use one they stop or the value plummets. BUT, if you don't use them they keep sending you high value ones hoping to finally "get" you. So, as soon as I knew my neighbor was ffeeding I saved up all the coupons ("checks") and gave them to her at once so she had a whole stash of high value ones. She was going to ffeed anyway and I would rather the $ was in her pocket than Nestle's.

That said, at Alberson's once I was given a coupon for CHEWING TOBACCO. Sure, I definately look over 18, but I do not feel they should give them out--- it is not as if the cashier even looked at the coupon so it would be easy for a child to get it. So I complained to the manager AND Albertson's national.

 

[User101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiredX2 It is well known that you get more samples and coupons as a bfeeding mom than as a ffeeding one. The coupons are coded and once you use one they stop or the value plummets. BUT, if you don't use them they keep sending you high value ones hoping to finally "get" you. So, as soon as I knew my neighbor was ffeeding I saved up all the coupons ("checks") and gave them to her at once so she had a whole stash of high value ones. She was going to ffeed anyway and I would rather the $ was in her pocket than Nestle's.

While I wholeheartedly support any efforts to stick it to the formula companies, I would respectfully disagree that this is an effective way to do it. SOMEONE is paying, and it's not them. They are working the cost of those "freebies" into the cost of the formula. In the end, your friend you are trying to help is going to be the one hurt by the rising costs.

Hope this makes sense- just sat through thirty minutes of tuneless children screaming out vacation church school songs.

 

[ExuberantDaffodil]

Yeah, but even more than that I want to screw the formula companies.QUOTE]

:LOL

a lovely gesture! I think I shall steal your idea (even though I genuinely dislike Nestle Good Start and feel as though I am almost condoning it by giving away the checks I have recieved from them)

 

[MamaPear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShelleyMom2in2 the cupons are generated by what you buy- you buy a can of enfamil you get a cupon for carnation good start you buy a gerber graduate meal you get a cupon for gerber puffs. That person bought some type of baby product-more than likely formula. Its not safeways fault, its the consumers

Ummm, actually they aren't. I've NEVER bought formula and yet I still get these coupons for money off the crap in a can. I think it's that if you buy anything baby related, they'll give you the coupons. Very sad in my opinion.

:

 

[sarastone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paquerette Throw them in the trash. If you leave them with the cashier, she'll most likely either use them or give them to someone she knows who can, or give them to another customer (unless she's one of us and just throws them in the trash anyway :LOL ) Some stores have a basket or a table up front where the unused coupons get put. Others leave them out on the shelf near the product. So I'd crumble them up and throw them in a trash can.

I had a co-worker take it further...She called Safeways corprate office to lodge a complaint and wrote a letter to follow that up. She was buying storage bags for breastmilk, not formula. If you are receiving these coupons and offers for free formula and are mad about it...make some noise. The stores won't change if we don't let them know we don't like what they are doing to undermine bfing moms.
We can't blame the consumers here. It is BIG business, pure and simple. It is just like formula companies that manufacture breastpumps. I would recommend against using them because they do not have your success in breastfeeding (for free) in mind. If a pump hurts and is not effective, moms that go back to work will likely turn to that free can of formula sooner. Then spend hundreds or thousands on feeding their babies from then on.

Sara

 

[Jadzia]

I think it would be a great idea to print up stickers/labels saying that this advertisement violates the WHO code and is detrimental to women and babies. Stick the sticker on the coupon and drop it off at the store manager's office.

If anything, it might at least create more awareness about the issue.

 

[eclipse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paquerette I've heard that the supermarkets themselves don't manage the coupon thing. It's another company that they hire to do it. Not that they're not responsible, but they might not know exactly what's going on.

The supermarket companies decide exactly what adds to accept and not accept. I worked for a grocery store for years. Complain to the Store Manager, the Promotions department, the Districtr Manager - anyone who will listen.

 

[Shaunam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by annettemarie OK, here is my standard rant on why that's not a good idea. Those coupons are coded with your info. If you use your shopper's club card, if they come from the company, whatever, your personal info (like the fact that you bought breastfeeding related stuff and are breastfeeding) are encoded into them. When the coupons are used (even by someone else) the only message the formula company gets is "Hey look! We got another breastfeeding mama to buy some formula- this marketing tactic really works." This is not good for anyone. It gives formula company's the OK to market aggressively to breastfeeding mamas. It drives up the cost of formula for all formula feeding mamas, including the ones with a genuine need for formula. Please, please, pretty please, just throw them away.

Meijer doesn't have those club cards, so my info isn't on them. My DH takes all of our baby coupons (diapers, formula, baby food) to work because the people under him are working minimum wage. I feel it's the lesser of two evils to give them to someone who truly needs them.

 

[User101]

Then I guess we just agree to disagree. I feel like it's worse to give them away and send the message to the formula companies that their aggressive advertising tactics work, which drives up the cost of formula, and encourages them to market so heavily to breastfeeding women.