Let the word be known, Target is no longer accepting manufacturers coupons in certain North Florida Target Supercenter locations. Being the fantastic couponers we are, my fiance and I participated in a Nabisco promotion for their new golden oreos with double stuff; a superbowl-style promotion involving Peyton Manning of the Colts and Eli Manning of the Giants NFL teams. We’d heard about it from another wonderful blog called Common Sense With Money, where we get a lot of updates on coupons and promotions. It’s a wonderful blog and is updated constantly with some of the best deals on the internet.

Target should read their own coupon policy

As participants, we were mailed coupons directly from Nabisco which were printed on Veri-Fi anti-fraud security paper. They were very nice coupons for a free box of golden oreo double stuff cookies, a value of $2.99 each. We didn’t think anything of them being we don’t usually eat cookies, but my fiance volunteers with the local girl scouts organization, and they occasionally need snacks and drinks for the girls. So, off went our coupons to our local target supercenter.

When attempting to redeem the coupons at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 5th, 2010, (Wells Road Target Super Center, Orange Park, FL, 32073)the clerk attempted to scan the coupons and they were not found inside of the computer system. As these weren’t coupons issued by any of the big three coupon sites (RP, SS, P&G) the register popped up with the “item not found” link, and asked the clerk to enter a coupon amount manually. The clerk couldn’t remember the amount of the golden oreos, and called over her manager to help. The manager didn’t even bother to look at the coupons and explained to my fiance and I that they would not honor any internet printable coupons, especially internet printables for free items.

Now, you’d have thought we were attempting to commit fraud. There was a line full of people behind us and we felt them gaze over us suspiciously as if we were hardened criminals intent on stealing free oreos with bogus coupons. When we attempted to explain that these coupons were mailed to us directly from Nabisco, we were rejected with the Manager explaining quite coldly and blankly that they would not honor the coupons. When we asked them to review the Veri-fi paper and attempted to assure them that these were legitimate coupons, we were still rebuffed.

So, you should know that when shopping with your internet printables or direct mailing coupons from P&G or, god forbid, coupons mailed to you directly from product manufacturers that certain Managers in Target SuperCenters in North Florida will not honor them.

Spread the word. This isn’t the first time Target has failed to honor coupons at this location. The last time we had a problem at this store, it was with one of Target’s very own online coupons printed directly from Target.com. They put gerber baby bottles on sale for .99 cents and had a coupon out at the time for 1.00 off all gerber baby feeding products. Essentially, the baby bottles would’ve been free with a one penny overage, which made the store registers beep. That same Manager refused to adjust the value of the coupon down by one cent for us, and we had to resolve the problem with Target’s customer service regional Manager. This was one of Target’s own store coupons that they didn’t honor.

Quite frankly, our family is sick of being treated like con artists for using perfectly legitimate coupons. We will be attempting to resolve the issue AGAIN with this Manager through customer service. However, if they think that we’re going to continue to shop at Target locations and be looked upon like crooks, then perhaps we need to take our wallets elsewhere.

The good news was, we went to a nice Food Lion right down the street that did honor them. High marks for Food Lion!