Target Raincheck Rant

I went to Target today to try and use my first raincheck (34% off for THUG). Truthfully I couldn't find anything really that exciting and decided on getting Soul Caliber 2 (PS2) for my brother. I went up to the cashier and tell her I'd like to use a raincheck on the game. She rings it up and says "Oh it's already cheaper".

"Uh, so I can't use a raincheck?"

"Why would you? It says $25 here [on the raincheck as the discounted price] and is ringing up $17."

"Aren't I supposed to get that percentage off?"

"Let me call the manager"

Manager: Same spiel about it's cheaper so why care.

Me: "It's not the same game"

Manager: "Well you can't use this on a different game"

I read the bottom part of the raincheck to both of them

Manager: "Some things, like video games, have promo items and we can't honor a promo item...[more stuff that didn't really make sense]"

Me: WTF?

I left at that point because it was obvious that they weren't going to let me use it. Has anyone had similar problems? Is it just the cashier that I should look out for, someone who looks like they know what they're doing?

You're pissed at them because they are adhering to the raincheck policy?

Your raincheck is supposed to be for that item and that item only. The substitution policy is only supposed to come into effect after the sale has ended and they still don't have the product in stock.

So, everyone is supposed to bow to your whims because you can quite comprehend the terms and conditions of things you take part in. (as evidenced by this little outburst:

Manager: "Some things, like video games, have promo items and we can't honor a promo item...[more stuff that didn't really make sense"

You know, its people that do things like this that make them take the lenient promos away... you're also probably one of the guys that got 50 rainchecks.

Judging by the tone of his post, I doubt he picked up 50 rainchecks.

Personally, I wouldn't have pressed the issue. Some Targets seem to give a percentage off, some seem to just match the raincheck price (which is not the actual policy). That Target matches the raincheck price, according to your post, so just be happy with that, and use the raincheck on a $50 game if you can find one that you want. If they don't have any that you want, then you have enough games already, and be happy with that (I am finding it harder and harder to find games that I want that I don't have, so I fall into the same boat).

Sounds like he was trying to get 34% off a sale price ($17 for SC2 is already a discount from $20), so the raincheck should not work. Maybe they gave him the wrong reason, but they can still refuse to apply the raincheck discount in this case.

Perhaps I misinterpreted his first setence.

I went to Target today to try and use my first raincheck (34% off for THUG).

I took that as meaning his "first raincheck" of a batch that got rather than the first raincheck that he ever got.

If it's the latter that he mean, and not the former which I assumed, then he really didn't deserve what was said in the rest of the post.
Of course, there are still many others on the board to which that chastisement is quite germane.

[quote name='JSweeney']You're pissed at them because they are adhering to the raincheck policy?

Your raincheck is supposed to be for that item and that item only. The substitution policy is only supposed to come into effect after the sale has ended and they still don't have the product in stock.

So, everyone is supposed to bow to your whims because you can quite comprehend the terms and conditions of things you take part in. (as evidenced by this little outburst:

Manager: "Some things, like video games, have promo items and we can't honor a promo item...[more stuff that didn't really make sense"

You know, its people that do things like this that make them take the lenient promos away... you're also probably one of the guys that got 50 rainchecks.[/quote]

Damn before you flame someone for not following the raincheck policy it might be a good idea to ACTUALLY know what that policy is. On the raincheck it CLEARLY states you can substitute any like item and get the percentage off listed in the raincheck. It's clearly printed on the raincheck, the substitution part is even in bold. So lay off. No where does it say that you can't substitute it if they have the game in stock. The OP has a totally justified claim, the only thing that they might try and get you on is if Soul Caliber's retail price is different then the retail price of THUG. If I were you I'd either try a different Target or go back and try and explain what the raincheck says to him, if he still gives you crap, call corporate. Also that promo part is B.S, the OP wasn't trying to get a free shirt or demo disc with the game, that would be a promo item, he just wants his discount that the raincheck clearly states he should get.

I hope that doesnt happen to me. Im going to Use a raincheck and the $10 off coupon for Psi-Ops.

Considering the raincheck was most likely obtained with no intentions of using it to obtain the inital sale item, I hardly feel bad for said raincheck user in this instance. Rainchecks are not meant to be coupons, after all. Too bad you dind't get to manipulate a system to your liking... I expect their raincheck policy to be amended soon, and I can't blame them at all.

Some people are just idiots (referring to the Target employees he dealt with). I got a raincheck for Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm and picked up La Pucelle Tactics as a sub, my Target didn't have a problem with it at all.

last night I got Everything or Nothing for $27.88 using a Manhunt raincheck for 45% off. The James Bond game was already on sale for 39.99, and the raincheck I had was for a 49.99 game so the manager told me to go to the front cash registers and tell the cashier to change the price of the game to 49.99 and then apply the 45% off. The cashier knew exactly how to do it, and no one gave me a problem.

That's what they should have done for you.

My target didn't have a problem with the raincheck. Target employees are idiots.. F them

[quote name='redgopher']Some people are just idiots (referring to the Target employees he dealt with). I got a raincheck for Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm and picked up La Pucelle Tactics as a sub, my Target didn't have a problem with it at all.[/quote]

Haha great idea! I just got back from Target and used my ghost recon raincheck on La Pucelle as well. Other then the clueless employee who had to get the manager to tell him how to ring it up, it went well. I picked up Airheads on dvd for 5$ too, double score.

If nothin else...you should use that raincheck on a $50 game, thats how its supposed to work...I think. But if you could get SC for $10.XX, then I guess it was worth a shot!

I am really getting tired of all this "manipulating the system" nonsense. At my targets, whenever they have an advertised item out of stock they have a sign next to it saying "Sorry we are out of stock on this item, please substitute xxxx for (same sale price)". It is written right there! You can substitute, no questions asked! If Target was forecasting their sales properly, they would not be out of stock. Manipulating the system would be buying all the sale items up and THEN taking advantage of the substitution clause only to return all those items when the sale is over. That would be morally wrong. I just check back every few days, if they are still stocked with the game then tough luck for me. I do not go out of my way to hurt Target.

To clarify, this was my first attempt at using a raincheck. I had only heard how they are supposed to work from this board and thus was caught off guard when they told me that it wouldn't work the way I had planned. I figured they would take the percentage off the regular price ($19.99) rather than the sale price, I wasn't trying to get two discounts. I'm back in Missouri now so I'll try a different Target.



[quote name='jimbodan']Haha great idea! I just got back from Target and used my ghost recon raincheck on La Pucelle as well. Other then the clueless employee who had to get the manager to tell him how to ring it up, it went well. I picked up Airheads on dvd for 5$ too, double score.[/quote]

I take it you mean in Sacramento not Watsonville since it was the Watsonville Target I was dealing with. Gone for good from Santa Cruz?

[quote name='jimbodan'][quote name='JSweeney']You're pissed at them because they are adhering to the raincheck policy?

Your raincheck is supposed to be for that item and that item only. The substitution policy is only supposed to come into effect after the sale has ended and they still don't have the product in stock.

So, everyone is supposed to bow to your whims because you can quite comprehend the terms and conditions of things you take part in. (as evidenced by this little outburst:

Manager: "Some things, like video games, have promo items and we can't honor a promo item...[more stuff that didn't really make sense"

You know, its people that do things like this that make them take the lenient promos away... you're also probably one of the guys that got 50 rainchecks.[/quote]

Damn before you flame someone for not following the raincheck policy it might be a good idea to ACTUALLY know what that policy is. On the raincheck it CLEARLY states you can substitute any like item and get the percentage off listed in the raincheck. It's clearly printed on the raincheck, the substitution part is even in bold. So lay off. No where does it say that you can't substitute it if they have the game in stock. The OP has a totally justified claim, the only thing that they might try and get you on is if Soul Caliber's retail price is different then the retail price of THUG. If I were you I'd either try a different Target or go back and try and explain what the raincheck says to him, if he still gives you crap, call corporate. Also that promo part is B.S, the OP wasn't trying to get a free shirt or demo disc with the game, that would be a promo item, he just wants his discount that the raincheck clearly states he should get.[/quote]

You took the words right out of my mouth...oh, and welcome back to Sac-town.

today i got theif for 12.88 and psi ops for 17.88.

[quote name='Dustin Echoes']I am really getting tired of all this "manipulating the system" nonsense. At my targets, whenever they have an advertised item out of stock they have a sign next to it saying "Sorry we are out of stock on this item, please substitute xxxx for (same sale price)". It is written right there! You can substitute, no questions asked! If Target was forecasting their sales properly, they would not be out of stock. Manipulating the system would be buying all the sale items up and THEN taking advantage of the substitution clause only to return all those items when the sale is over. That would be morally wrong. I just check back every few days, if they are still stocked with the game then tough luck for me. I do not go out of my way to hurt Target.[/quote]

When you go and get 20 rainchecks, you damned sure are manipulating the system. There's no way in hell someone was intending to purchase 20 copies of the sale game in one purchase... and when multiple people do this in the span of a couple days, it throughs up red flags.

[quote name='JSweeney'][quote name='Dustin Echoes']I am really getting tired of all this "manipulating the system" nonsense. At my targets, whenever they have an advertised item out of stock they have a sign next to it saying "Sorry we are out of stock on this item, please substitute xxxx for (same sale price)". It is written right there! You can substitute, no questions asked! If Target was forecasting their sales properly, they would not be out of stock. Manipulating the system would be buying all the sale items up and THEN taking advantage of the substitution clause only to return all those items when the sale is over. That would be morally wrong. I just check back every few days, if they are still stocked with the game then tough luck for me. I do not go out of my way to hurt Target.[/quote]

When you go and get 20 rainchecks, you damned sure are manipulating the system. There's no way in hell someone was intending to purchase 20 copies of the sale game in one purchase... and when multiple people do this in the span of a couple days, it throughs up red flags.[/quote]

Why do you keep bringing up the doomsday "20 game raincheck"? It's obvious that no one who posted on this thread did that so go complain about it elsewhere. I think everyone in this thread is in agreeance that getting 50 rainchecks is absurd. Quit whining. This time, there's nothing illegal.

[quote name='JSweeney'][quote name='Dustin Echoes']I am really getting tired of all this "manipulating the system" nonsense. At my targets, whenever they have an advertised item out of stock they have a sign next to it saying "Sorry we are out of stock on this item, please substitute xxxx for (same sale price)". It is written right there! You can substitute, no questions asked! If Target was forecasting their sales properly, they would not be out of stock. Manipulating the system would be buying all the sale items up and THEN taking advantage of the substitution clause only to return all those items when the sale is over. That would be morally wrong. I just check back every few days, if they are still stocked with the game then tough luck for me. I do not go out of my way to hurt Target.[/quote]

When you go and get 20 rainchecks, you damned sure are manipulating the system. There's no way in hell someone was intending to purchase 20 copies of the sale game in one purchase... and when multiple people do this in the span of a couple days, it throughs up red flags.[/quote]

JSweeny: the voice of reason.

Actually JSweeny you're just annoying and everytime I see you try to be Mother Theresa I start violently vomiting all over myself.

No one gives a shit about pussies like you coming here telling us we're doing something "Wrong". Now go back to your sad existence of a life and stop trying to tell everyone what is right or wrong.

edit: You idiot.

[quote name='optimolife'][quote name='JSweeney'][quote name='Dustin Echoes']I am really getting tired of all this "manipulating the system" nonsense. At my targets, whenever they have an advertised item out of stock they have a sign next to it saying "Sorry we are out of stock on this item, please substitute xxxx for (same sale price)". It is written right there! You can substitute, no questions asked! If Target was forecasting their sales properly, they would not be out of stock. Manipulating the system would be buying all the sale items up and THEN taking advantage of the substitution clause only to return all those items when the sale is over. That would be morally wrong. I just check back every few days, if they are still stocked with the game then tough luck for me. I do not go out of my way to hurt Target.[/quote]

When you go and get 20 rainchecks, you damned sure are manipulating the system. There's no way in hell someone was intending to purchase 20 copies of the sale game in one purchase... and when multiple people do this in the span of a couple days, it throughs up red flags.[/quote]

JSweeny: the voice of reason.

Actually JSweeny you're just annoying and everytime I see you try to be Mother Theresa I start violently vomiting all over myself.

No one gives a shit about pussies like you coming here telling us we're doing something "Wrong". Now go back to your sad existence of a life and stop trying to tell everyone what is right or wrong.

edit: You idiot.[/quote]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I mean, you're so worked up that you need make edits to your post hurling trite insults. I'm rather surprised that it bothers you that much.
Of course, I highly doubt that I'm going to do anything about it.

i can understand jsweeneys point, i think maybe if he tried it a little better maybe there wouldnt be a fight.

from what i think, if you get 20 rainchecks at a time for a single game, that might make target change its raincheck policy entirely because its being taking advantage. So for future preservation of the rain checks, maybe taking no more then 3 is a good idea.

On the other, humanity taught me where if you don't take as much advantage of something that's there rite now, youll be sorry because someone else will and the next time you go back to use/do it, itll be gone.

Choice is yours.

[quote name='dhrez']To clarify, this was my first attempt at using a raincheck. I had only heard how they are supposed to work from this board and thus was caught off guard when they told me that it wouldn't work the way I had planned. I figured they would take the percentage off the regular price ($19.99) rather than the sale price, I wasn't trying to get two discounts. I'm back in Missouri now so I'll try a different Target.



[quote name='jimbodan']Haha great idea! I just got back from Target and used my ghost recon raincheck on La Pucelle as well. Other then the clueless employee who had to get the manager to tell him how to ring it up, it went well. I picked up Airheads on dvd for 5$ too, double score.[/quote]

I take it you mean in Sacramento not Watsonville since it was the Watsonville Target I was dealing with. Gone for good from Santa Cruz?[/quote]


Yeah it was in Sacramento, I hated that Watsonville Target... I just graduated from UC Santa Cruz, so I'm done with that town for quite awhile (I began to get REALLY tired of the hippies).

EDIT: I totally agree with Jsweeney about the 20 raincheck thing,but this is the first raincheck I've got and I plan to use no more then 1 or 2 a month at different Targets and only if they have a game I want. I don't want to abuse the system and have them change their policy. I think that 1a month is totally reasonable. Remember, if Target actually stocked their sale items correctly this wouldn't even be an issue.

I don't want to abuse the system and have them change their policy. I think that 1a month is totally reasonable. Remember, if Target actually stocked their sale items correctly this wouldn't even be an issue.

I'd agree. A small number every so often is completely reasonable. It's also very true that if Target could accurately gauge demand it would be a non-issue.

Has anyone ever had difficulty in using a raincheck for a different game on a different system?

Ex: Raincheck for a PS2 game used on a gamecube game

just a couple comments from a target employee...

in some departments (like health and beauty, where they constantly run out of toilet paper/paper towels on sale), they immediately look for a substitute and post the sign up for those. it's a little harder to do that in electronics, because while you can wipe your butt the same way with two different brands, two games are still very much different.

abuse of the substitute clause is a little shady, and the smart employees see when it's happening. but if an employee gives you lip, ask for the cash supervisor. if the cash supervisor is giving you lip, ask for the LOD. if the LOD doesn't honor it, then they're not honoring the policy.

personally, i've never used the substitute clause, because that would put me under watchful eye from security. i don't mind honoring it, but only when someone really really really wanted the game. to the people who think target should get rid of it, i disagree. there's a reason why it's there in the first place. the idea is called "guest service", and if a guest leaves the store unsatisfied, they might not come back at all, let alone for the game. this is especially true in places where there's only one target for miles and miles and miles.

and if employees got off their asses and did their stock research beforehand in preparation, you guys wouldn't even be talking about the substitute clause this much in the first place.

to sum up, if you get a raincheck for a game you weren't planning on buying in the first place, you're not necessarily abusing the system, but you're being real shady. but shady or not, a policy is a policy and print is print and if the substitute clause is on the raincheck, it must be honored. and yeah, target has caught on.

by the way, our ad sucks this week, and i don't think there are any good rainchecks.

[quote name='kristianator']

to sum up, if you get a raincheck for a game you weren't planning on buying in the first place, you're not necessarily abusing the system, but you're being real shady. but shady or not, a policy is a policy and print is print and if the substitute clause is on the raincheck, it must be honored. and yeah, target has caught on.

by the way, our ad sucks this week, and i don't think there are any good rainchecks.[/quote]

I agree. Why get a raincheck for a game you had no intention of buying? If they stocked 100 copies of the game in each store, then they would have an assload of crap sitting on the shelves not selling. The raincheck should be to satisfy a customer who has been inconvenienced because they drove down to get a game that was out of stock. When you shop the net or the ads looking for games that they sell out of so you can use a raincheck on another game, you are taking advantage of the system. Its just like returning a game you got for $5 from BB and trying to return it to Walmart with no receipt for $50. Its not a deal, its a scam. [-X