Shagrath

I definitely wouldn't have purchased this much if it wasn't for my mother and wife funding most of it as XMas gifts. For instance, the July sale, I only picked up 14 titles, although two of them were the Demy and Scorsese sets.

ntnon

"Only"...!

Paul_SD

How did you like the Scorsese set?

Josh-da-man

I picked up "World of Ice and Fire" hardcover for $17.50. It's a $50 book, it was 50% off for Black Friday, and I took off another 30% with the coupon.

Laser Movies

I went through hell today trying to use coupons at a local store. I was eventually able to use two 30% coupons but there was a manager that was hanging around the register when I came in the pick up a few Criterion titles that gave me a difficult time. If I ever see her again I will stay away until she leaves. She was definitely the worst person I have ever encountered at this store since the Criterion sales began.

Initially I was hoping to use a 30% along with the $5/$50 coupon to get the Complete Jacques Tati with the Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind in one transaction. If that went well was hoping I could talk them into allowing a few more 30% coupons on separate transactions. Unfortunately the guy that was helping me looked like a young kid that was around 18 that didn't have much experience. He asked this older woman that was the manager, and she quickly replied they cannot any stack coupons.

Well then I asked the young kid if I could just use several 30% coupons on separate transactions. He thought that would work and does the first transaction for one of the Criterions. He was going to allow me to use the $5 coupon on the Tati Collection since it was over $50, which of course I refused and insisted using another 30% coupon. However when he was getting ready to do the second one the woman butts in wanting to know more about the 30% coupons. She started talking about the coupons having a "smart code" that will only scan once because their system would remember if you already used it. I told her I was aware of what she was talking about but said these coupons were not the "smart code" variety. She then took a coupon and starts reading the fine print. After reading most of it she claims the coupons will not stack with the Criterion sale because they were already discounted, and the fine print said they cannot be combined with any other discounts. I mentioned that wasn't true because the coupon scanned without a problem on the first title. At first she hesitated but decided to make a one time exception. However she doubted the coupon would scan a second time since it had the same code.

The young gentleman that was helping me went ahead a did the second transaction on the Tati Collection. The price dropped to around $42 with tax as the woman replied I told you the coupon wouldn't work. I didn't say anything and handed over a gift card for payment. If it wasn't for her I probably could have used the 30% coupon on a lot more Criterions. However now if I went back to this store it looks like there is a good chance they wouldn't even accept another coupon if the same guy was there because the manager was making such a fuss about it. I pity the next person that comes in with a coupon.

Spiderbite

My B&N had The Beatles: The BBC Archives: 1962-1970, a $60 book for $15.98. Check their bargain sections. Then I got another 30% off that making it $11.19 plus tax!

Just had to mention it since I have wanted this since it came out but didn't want to pay the dough for it.

Shagrath

You're a funny guy. You know how these sales go!

I am making a conscious effort to try to watch more though. I'm currently making my way through The Thin Red Line at night. Unfortunately, I've been really tired lately and am only progressing about 10 minutes a night.

Trevor

These sales killed my savings a few years ago. Over the course of two or three sales I went from owning a handful of Criterions to owning pretty much all of them. I was lucky and could almost always combine coupons for ~$10 per title.

I've slowed down the last few years, only buying a few a sale.

Shagrath

At one point, I had the complete collection (outside of the original Salo). I had spines 1-413 on dvd. Then came a house and some other hobbies, and I kinda fell off the wagon with the Criterions. I think I'm ready to try to get it complete again (at least on blu). I'm at 226/377 on the blus (counting the Feb releases), which is about 60%. A couple more huge purchases like the one yesterday should get me really close.

AMERICAN

..wow that'a some haul...congratulations....

ctyankee

I did the same. Nice deal.

I also picked up The Uninvited, a personal favorite.

ntnon

Similar story here... I had hoped to get c. fifteen titles, plus assorted books and boardgames (almost all Christmas presents). I'd worked out my priorities and combinations, got giftcards and then... a manager was called because the checkout girl forgot to scan my "free" giftcard in the transaction, so she had to have someone override the sale. The manager eyed the stacks and hovered, with the upshot that after querying it previously in store AND on the phone, after six discs she stopped me buying anything while she went to call the corporate office.

Irritatingly, because this took twenty minutes, I couldn't stay much after she returned to argue my case (and advice), which probably cemented in her mind the suspicious nature of it all...!

I see fewer sales and (extreme) deals in my future now.

Plus, there wasn't time to browse the rest of the sales - the signed books, etc. - because I spent my time standing around waiting for permission to use coupons. Can't fault them much, but it's still galling.

EDIT: Also, interestingly, it looks as if the computer pre-empted my "$8 off $40" and turned it into a 30%. So my plan to get 30% off one film and $8 off another in one transaction turned into 'just' 30% off both. Thought my numbers were off..!

Paul_SD

Anyone else besides me find this ironic?
Laser, you probably do more here, consistently, to increase B&Ns cash flow than anyone. And that includes Shagrath! And yet, IIRC, this isn't the first time you've had a problem with trying to stretch the deal a little, but far under what some people manage to do breezily.
If anyone deserves to be able to make hay with these sales, it's you.

It's gotten to the point where I dread trying to use any one coupon, let alone multiples in one trip. The one young manager type cashier I always seem to get at the best stocked location always tries to shoot down a coupon with that same excuse that they're already discounted and "the coupon will just void out" I don't even bother arguing anymore. Just put the disc back on the rack and hope the other location gets the title before the coupon expires.

Was able to finally get It Happened One Night today. I may try to push it and go back for a book tomorrow, but I think I'm done with the sale this year.

As usual, thanks for all the assistance Laser! You too hariseldon- you guys are as close to gentlemen and scholars as this forum gets

Laser Movies

Thank you for the kind words and you're welcome!

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose with the coupons. Usually stores in my area are strict with the generic coupons if you try using the same one over and over on multiple purchases. Probably if I did this last week with a bunch of 15% single use coupons it would have gone over smoother.

Well at least I managed to get the 2 Criterion titles that were reserved for store pick up. Was hoping I could of maybe stretched it to get 4 to 5 if they would have let me use more coupons.

Debating whether to give it one more try tomorrow at a different store that's a little further away before the 30% coupon expires. I didn't hit the sale very hard this time around and am content if I end up with only 6 to 7 Criterions.

Strapped4Cash

I'm definitely sorry to hear of people having problems. I had a good experience today, but wish that for everyone else too, especially Laser and hariseldon.

Laser, I don't know where in California you are, but the B&N at 21500 Hawthorne Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503 between Del Amo Circle Blvd and W Carson St. has never given me any of those sorts of problems. Perhaps I've just gotten friendlier cashiers, idk? But if you're anywhere in the area then it might be worth a shot. The Redondo Beach location is usually pretty nice too.

Today I went to Vons supermarket and bought $150 in B&N gc's (+$50 in Amazon) to prepare for CM. Vons has a "Buy $100 in gc and get $10 off your next $25 supermarket purchase" (lots of exclusions apply, including for milk products), but I figured why not? I then went over to B&N and used those gc's for 2x the "Buy $75 and get a $10 post-12/26 gc free", with the same cashier. I then picked out a couple of books I'd been waiting on and had zero problems using 2 of the 30% off coupons for back-to-back transactions. And I then went right back in and used a 3rd coupon in the media area too.

So I'm all set for the upcoming "$20 off a $100 purchase online codes that could get activated Monday with the CM coupon" and figure I'll start with the Buy 2 Graphic Novels get 1 Free sale, hopefully twice (which should get me to around $75-$80, and then throw in something higher priced to try for the 25% off coupon, maybe adding a mmpb or cheap DVD to make it to $100). Theoretically I think that might work, but I won't get my hopes up too high in case all that doesn't combine. At least I already have the gc's in hand.

Laser Movies

I'm nowhere near any of those stores. The store I visited was in Temecula. Over the years it has been a mixed bag with coupons there. However the last few years I have not had many problems. In fact during the July sale there was an older gentleman that was very nice and didn't hassle me with any of the coupons. I haven't seen him around lately and don't know if he still works at that store.

Strapped4Cash

Ah, sorry. I thought it at least worth mentioning. I hope that you can find better luck if you do try that other store you mentioned, or maybe go back to your first store and look to avoid the manager in question. I would guess that the early morning shift and the evening shift would have completely different personnel and maybe planning on going twice if need be would guarantee your avoiding her at least once?

Paul_SD

That's close to what I ended up with this sale which represents exactly 1/3 of the number I picked up in the summer sale.
In the months leading up to this one, I budgeted $200 based on no coupons. I came in at a buck or two under that, but because of the savings from the coupons, was able to squeeze in a couple impulse purchases.

There's one $25 title that I didn't use any coupon on that is still within the return window. I'm going take it back tomorrow and if they let me re-buy it with a coupon, great. That would be a savings of $6.75.
If not I'll just make it one of the three titles I pick up in the next B2G1 sale (which is what I'm saving those bonus gift cards for).

This is pretty much the end of all my disc purchases for the rest of the year. I have some pre-orders coming in, but I'm done looking for more stuff to buy. I just want to take the next couple months and make as big a dent in my unwatched pile as possible.

jpwilkin

Hi. Is the code known yet for the Cyber Monday 25% off online coupon?

Laser Movies

Should go live tonight around midnight ET.

CMONDAY14

Laser Movies

New day, new store, but this time only allowed one 30% coupon. Decided to visit a different store today and was hoping to purchase 4 Criterions with the coupons. Instead of reserving for store pick up I took a chance they would have everything I wanted and just pull them off the shelf directly. No problems finding the titles I wanted. After getting the 4 took them to the register with 4 coupons in hand. The man at the register was friendly, but quickly stated he could only accept one of the 30% coupons, even denying doing separate transactions. Not much else I could do but purchase only one.

Looks like that's it for the store visits. I didn't want to spend the day driving further away since there is no guarantee the outcome would be any better, and there were only a few more titles I wanted anyway. So I decided to use the online code to get one more. Anyway my stores are living up to their reputation for strict coupon enforcement this time around.

ntnon

I'm beginning to wonder if the cracking down has something to do with the corporate bottom line, which makes me worry about the future of the stores. Again...

Shagrath

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Laser. Sucks that you do so much for this thread and promoting B&N, and then you get a bunch of crap at your local stores.

If you want to move to central Florida, I know a store that will give you no problems.

mhurne

I had been lucky using multiples of the 30% coupon until today when a cashier said she could only take one because her manager had recently (today?) told her to make sure they restrict it. A cashier later tonight was fine doing three on three separate transactions for Eclipse sets. Who know how next year will be.

BuckNaked2k

I didn't have as much success this time with the $8 off $40, getting only 3 of 6 attempts to work. Usually, these breeze right through near me, but this time the cashiers seemed to be much more strict. The 30% coupons were a little easier, with the clerk allowing me two coupons on separate transactions.

As always, thanks so much to LASER who really stays on top of this sale and helps us out with all the angles.