dex14

No go with multiple coupons at Somerville, NJ location. I picked up Che, Great Expectations, and Oliver Twist. I asked if I could use multiple coupons. The woman took it and circled where it says 1 per user. Oh well...good deal on Che.

Chucky

I just had a bizarre experience at Barnes & Noble's Potomac Yard location. I got my Barnes & Noble membership this morning through a promotion e-mailed to me to get the first 2 months free. So I didn't have a card to scan yet, just an e-mail with my membership number. Well, when the guy in the DVD section hand-entered the membership number or my telephone number, the machine gave him a beep and wouldn't go through. I showed him my e-mail, and he decided that since I had gotten the membership through the e-mail and online, my MEMBERSHIP ONLY APPLIED TO BN.COM.

W

T

F

He then called somebody on the phone who confirmed this back to him.
I was so amazed at the bizarre concept, and I had other places to be anyway, that I just told the guy "No thanks" and left him to re-shelf the stack of Criterions I had been ready to buy.

It's nice to know that in these hard economic times, Barnes & Noble employees feel comfortable turning me away from their B&M location and essentially telling me to order online instead (which after all, is more convenient for me in the 1st place) then extending me a 10% membership discount (I hadn't even gotten to the coupon yet).

cody123

It was my first time with the coupon, and no go. The guy scanned my membership (the free 2 month one that I got before the coupon's fine print deadline) but the computer wouldn't take the coupon. He said that he was new, so I didn't fight, and he gave me the coupon back. Just my luck I guess.

Laser Movies

Made my first two purchases today at a local B&N store. Picked up Paths of Glory and Thin Red Line on blu-ray. Was a little worried I might have some problems at this particular store because during the previous two sales they gave me a difficult time with the $5 coupons. However today no problems at all. Initially the clerk at the cash register had trouble getting them to scan. Then he stared at the coupons for a few minutes before manually over riding it for the discount.

Trevor

The membership takes a few hours to take effect in their systems. It most definitely does work in-store.
He was scanning it wrong. The instructions on what key presses to make are on the coupon iirc.

Dwarefy

those must be DVD's

Chucky

This was a solid 12 hours after I purchased the membership online. In any case, I understand that was the problem -- it honestly greatly amuses me that not 1 but 2 people either:
- Thought "online only membership" before "delay in number taking effect", or
- Thought they could convince me of such a ridiculous notion!

This was definitely a case where, as I drove away to my next errand, I thought of a million things I could've/should've said to the guy. But whatever, this location loses my business. There's one other location convenient to me that I'll try in another day or so, and if not I can always order online. The whole things cracks me up more than pisses me off.

jwstl

It's actually days not hours. I went 2 or 3 days after buying a membership and the number was still not active. However, the employees at my location weren't dumb enough to believe there is such a thing as an online only membership. They knew exactly what the problem was and the manager adjusted the prices accordingly.

ElCambio

The BS excuses for not taking coupons just keep on coming. I ordered my membership on 10/25. I presented a coupon that says it goes with a membership purchased between 10/25/10 and 12/29/10. The clerk looked up my account and told me the membership began on 10/24, which is not correct. I placed the order 10/25 and received the email confirmation and membership number the same day, and I just went into my account and double-checked the date.
If they're trying to curb abuse of the coupons, they're within their rights to do that, but it seems like at some stores at least they're taking it too far, trying to think of whatever they can to block use of the coupons altogether.

sumdeus

I agree. There don't seem to be too many blu's cheaper at BN but there's always a few good deals to be found. Apocalypse Now Complete Set was a good deal for me, for example. The B2G1 free sale usually has some really good deals.

movieman35

So tonight, I went in to use my coupon for the 7th time and got shot down saying that it needs to be $20 before the member discount. Since it was $18 after discount I could not use it. It just happened to be the same girl that let me use one yesterday and was hassled then too. To bad because Tuesday night a guy let me use 3 with separate transactions.

Oh well, tomorrow I'll go get Che and let them come up with a reason I can't get that one even though it meets all their criteria for the coupon.

zombeaner

I went into a BN store today to see what they had and possibly pick up a few titles. I asked if they could hold Antichrist, Modern Times, and Night of the Hunter for me and the clerk said the sale ends next Monday. That was weird.

Giles

I was the Potomac Yard location yesterday - they didn't have what I was looking for: 'Thin Red Line' and 'Black Orpheus' (I was really over there, because of the Sound of Music/Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Target deal) and the Best Buy for the lowest price for Toy Story 3 (and the fact that I had a 8 dollar coupon and $5 RZ and a BB gift card) anyhow, after two Barnes and Noble's staff said that my membership extra 10% would count through a in-store 'home delivery' order, that didn't happen to be the case, it was just the basic 50% off ["liars... bastards!"]

ctyankee

This is from a Criterion e-letter I received yesterday, so not to worry.

That pre-orders are included like Modern Times is correct - just their wording of 50 percent off pre-order prices that is sloppy, it's 50 percent off MSRP.

Giles

"liars! ... bastards!"

clckworang

I went crazy last sale, and I do anticipate buying a lot this time as well. But I'm debating whether or not I want to bother with in-store coupons again. The store is a bit of a trek for me, and I'm not sure if I want to do the running around again. If I used a $5 off coupon for every title I want to get, I would save $70. Granted, that's nothing to sneeze at; I just can't decide if that's enough to entice me to do the in-store thing again rather than just ordering everything online right now, especially when you factor in how much I would probably be spending in gas as well.

sleepyhead55

I used a $5 off coupon and purchased House on bluray for $13.00+ tax. I was kinda afraid that I would get the $18.00 after member discount thing. The manager of the dvd/music department was there along with the cashier and we ended up talking for a little while. I asked about Night of the Hunter and the manager gave it an enthusiastic review. It helps when the employees are Criterion fans as well.

HistoryProf

yep...they've really upped their game, and honestly the free shipping on every order is great. I've ordered $5.99 titles a few times singly in the last few months and had them in 2-3 days. it's Amazon Prime for a 3rd of the cost and better coupons.

Sweet Baby James

14 titles is taking it easy?

clckworang

Hey, I never said I was taking it easy!

I just seem to remember spending even more the last sale - or at least more total money saved through coupons. Maybe that's not a completely fair comparison because I ordered two Blu-ray boxsets last time and was lucky enough to be able to use the 20% off online coupon on both of them to boot. If they would mark down the America Lost and Found boxset, I would probably feel compelled to save as much as possible so I could try to afford that, too. I'm right about at the limit that I feel comfortable spending.

As it is, I'll probably end up making a couple of trips now that there's a second coupon in play. I just need to get a friend with a B&N membership to go with me again. That makes it a lot easier to get more. We won't go overboard. The most we ever bought were 3 each in one trip. Otherwise, we would just buy 2 with the 2 different coupons.

Sweet Baby James

I misread your first sentence.

g

They only let me get one video per visit with the coupon. What Jedi mind trick are people using?

BuckNaked2k

Just be nice, ask if they are willing to do separate transactions, and try and limit your coupons to 2-3 per visit. Walking up with a stack of movies and coupons is unreasonable.

g

I asked for multiple transactions and it was an unmovable no. Hence the need for Yoda's help in this matter.

jrsl76

Anyone in LA having trouble at The Grove? I found it to be my biggest pain in the ass on the last sale. I bought 1 title there on Monday. I tried my luck to see if I could buy 1 additional with a coupon and was shut down by the clerk who said it was a 1 time coupon. I didn't make a big deal out of it, but I didn't buy the 2nd movie and said I'd go elsewhere. She got a little bitchy in this 2nd transaction. I went back tonight and a different cashier was on the register, but the girl turned out to be working movies and I could tell she remembered me. I noticed she went up to the register for a moment shortly after I started looking at the Blus and sure enough when I went to buy my title, I had trouble with the coupon. The clerk said the system showed I had used the coupon before which is bullshit, because I've used the same coupon at a second location 4 times and a 3rd location 3 or 4 times since Monday with no problems.

Also, today every time I went to buy a title, I found myself having to explain how the coupon worked to the cashier, not the best way to stay under the radar. I probably need to lay off a few days, because I have quite a few more I'd like to buy. I've picked up 9 so far though.

Today's haul:

8 1/2 Blu
Breathless Blu
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence Blu