I often receive emails from people thanking me for all the money I’ve helped them save. While I’m so glad to be helping save you money, I have to tell you that this blogging thing is a two-way street: I’ve saved so much more money myself since I started blogging on saving money.
Case in point: a number of you have mentioned writing to companies when you have a problem with a product. Honestly, the thought would have never crossed my mind to do so but with your encouragement I tried it twice in the last two weeks.
And guess what? Both times I scored free coupons.
First I wrote to Pampers because I recently bought a package of diapers that was cut funny and the tabs kept pulling off. We are almost exclusively a Pampers family and I have purchased who-knows-how-many diapers from them in the last four years I’ve been diapering babies, so I knew that this was not typical.
I shot off a simple emailing explaining what had happened, telling them how much we like Pampers, and asking if there was anyway they could send me some product coupons. In less than a week, I’d received an email back and a letter with two $5/1 Pampers coupons. Thank you, Pampers!
Armed with this success, I wrote to Lipton tea as I’d bought a box of tea a month ago which had mostly-defunct tea bags in it. When I’d pour the boiling water over the tea bags, they would explode and I’d have to throw out the now-tea-leaf-filled tea and try again.
Once again, I explained the situation, expressed my appreciation for their products (which I usually enjoy), and requested a coupon for a free product to replace the box of tea bags I was unable to use.
I promptly received both an email and a letter containing not only a coupon for a free box of tea, but a sheet of high-dollar coupons for other UniLever brands. Talk about going above and beyond the call of duty–I’m impressed!
So folks, it never hurts to write and ask. Don’t complain and don’t take advantage of companies, but if you sincerely encounter a problem with a product, drop the company a line. Your few minutes of effort might pay off with free stuff and great coupons!
thanks for sharing
I e-mailed Huggies about 3 packages I bought at work at Walgreens that were all hard to open and the tabs would break. Within a week they sent me a thank you for letting them know and 3 coupons. Two of them were for a 1.00 off diapers and the other one was for a free package of jumbo diapers. I was super happy because I still used the diapers they just weren’t very good. I usually never have a problem with Huggies but I think the packages were just old. Thanks for the advice I would have never written them!!
I agree, complimenting a company can be just as rewarding (for them and for us!). I make a dinner meal of kielbasa, onions and peppers, and it’s always been a hassle to open the kielbasa package — you have to cut it with scissors all the way around, and it leaks all over and makes a mess. Well, a couple of months ago I brougha home a package of Hillshire kielbasa and — WOW — it had an easy-open package! Just pull the tab and the vaccuum-sealed pouch opened neatly! I was so excited i had to call the company right away and compliment them on what a great idea. And — they sent me a bunch of free coupons and $$ coupons, it was awesome. But — the priceless part was hearing the smile on the face of the lady at the other end of the phone; she said after fielding customer complaints for hours, I had made her day. 🙂 Spread the love!
~Karen
I wrote to Thomas’s because I got a sleeve of doughy, underbaked bagels. I mentioned in my letter that I really liked Thomas’s bagels and that they might want to check their baking equipment so that future batches don’t come out underbaked. Lo and behold, a week later, I got a whole stack of coupons for Thomas’s products.
I also called Glad when I got a box of quart-size freezer bags where two hadn’t been heat-sealed properly and were stuck together. The nice lady on the phone took my name and address and sent me a coupon for a free box of bags.
What a great thread!
I have had success with Sargento cheese and Fruit Lathers in the past: I have commented on the feature that wasn’t working on Sargento’s website and they thanked me with a free product coupon; with Fruit Leathers I have ordered 2 boxes and one had an expiration date that was like a month before. I took a picture of both boxes and emailed them. They apologized and sent me a replacement box and also a toy for my daughter (as she was the main consumer :))
I haven’t had much luck with Barilla: there is a $1 printable coupon for their pasta, but due to my printer settings I’m unable to print it. I asked them if they could mail me the coupon (gave them the url and described the problem) and also commented on how much we love their pasta (both of our girls could live on Barilla alone :)), but they replied that they do not maintain the mailing list and do not send out coupons, and advised to watch Sunday paper inserts 🙁
What a great thread!
I have had success with Sargento cheese and Fruit Lathers in the past: I have commented on the feature that wasn’t working on Sargento’s website and they thanked me with a free product coupon; with Fruit Leathers I have ordered 2 boxes and one had an expiration date that was like a month before. I took a picture of both boxes and emailed them. They apologized and sent me a replacement box and also a toy for my daughter (as she was the main consumer :))
I haven’t had much luck with Barilla: there is a $1 printable coupon for their pasta, but due to my printer settings I’m unable to print it. I asked them if they could mail me the coupon (gave them the url and described the problem) and also commented on how much we love their pasta (both of our girls could live on Barilla alone :)), but they replied that they do not maintain the mailing list and do not send out coupons, and advised to watch Sunday paper inserts 🙁
Thank you so much for your tips! I was at the dentist’s the other day and I picked up some $2/1 Crest Pro-Health toothpaste coupons. I got home and then realized that they had expired on 9/30/07! After reading your post, I decided to try emailing Crest to see if they would send me a replacement coupon–and guess what? They are! 🙂
Almost all products have a 1-800 number on them. A few times that I’ve had trouble with products, I’ve simply picked up the phone! Everytime, I’ve gotten coupons to replace the defective product for free, plus more!
I recently bought a store brand carton of Fudge Royal ice cream from a major grocery chain only to find that there was no fudge in it! I took a picture the other day and plan to email it to them. I’m curious to see what they’ll do!
I posted on my blog about how when I got the free Kashi Mountain Medley granola sample it was full of ants so I wrote to Kashi to tell them that I didn’t get to eat it and they sent me 3 coupons for a free Kashi product.
A couple months ago, I sent Covergirl and email to advise them that I was disappointed with their new eyeshadow and received a coupon for a free item up to $5 (more than I’d pay for the original eye shadow).
I sent Bush beans an email complimenting their product and received 2 .50 cent off coupons for their new Grillin Beans. They were on sale this week at Kroger 2 for $3.00 so I used the coupons and got 2 cans for $1 since they double coupons. Good deal.
I wrote to Arm & Hammer about how much I love their products (cat litter, detergent, baking soda) and was deluged with free coupons. Writing companies whose products you love gives great positive feedback and often is rewarded with great coupons!
I did this with Mars a couple weeks ago. I had gotten a Twix bar from CVS and it was horribly stale. So I called the company asking about how to interpret the expiry code, and they sent me several $1/1 coupons for any Mars product! Since these types of candies are usually only .50, I definitely scored! 🙂 Oh, and I returned the uneaten remainder of the Twix bar to CVS, too, and got a fresh one. LOL
I do this all the time, to tell them of a faulty product or to praise one – either way I usually get coupons without even asking for them! This also works for restaurants. My family always turns to my letter writing skills when they need to do something like this!
I had a really terrible experience at Chilis a few weeks ago. My husband ordered a hamburger and when he bit into it there was a huge (HUGE) chunk of very raw chicken! Yuck! It was so incredibly disgusting. Thanks to this post i decided i would write them about it. Even if nothing comes of it, that was a major health concern that they should be aware of!
I did this with Starbucks – I used to work there, so I know they have high standards- you are always supposed to be nice to the customer. I went into one store here near my house and had a worker there roll her eyes at me and not even reply when I spoke to her. I contacted them and politely told them what happened, and a few weeks later, I had two free drink coupons in the mail.
HI, The same thing happened to me a couple weeks ago with the pampers coming undone. I called them and they sent me the same coupons ! Were your diapers cruisers too?
Crystal-
To funny !! I was just about to blog on the same thing. I got two $5 coupons and venus razor coupons. My sons diapers kept ripping on the side. Have a nice night.
I ordered a Kitchenaid stand mixer which was a clearance item on their website. It was $200 less than the newer model. When it arrived there were a few teeny tiny pant chips off it. It just upset me. I knew everytime I looked at it I would be angry since I paid so much for it. I called hoping maybe they would credit my card a small percentage. The rep immediately apologized and said she would send me the more expensive newer version and I had my choice of colors. I was so excited! What a score.
I recently also got coupons after complaining about a reduced toilet paper size from Cottonelle.
Crystal-
To funny !! I was just about to blog on the same thing. I got two $5 coupons and venus razor coupons. My sons diapers kept ripping on the side. Have a nice night.
We experienced this this week as well, only at a food service place. We eat out more often than I’d like, but we have high expectations when we do, because it isn’t cheap. The location we visited last weekend, we received horrible service. We made simple complaint about the services, and that we were disappointed, and know it wasn’t typical for the restaurant. We were notified we’d be receiving coupons for free appetizers, as well as a gift card. I do believe this should not be abused though. I always try evaluate; am I being overly sensitive, having a bad day, or do I have too high of expectations? If my husband agrees that it was poor food or service, then we will notify the restaurant, likewise, we do compliment the server and manager when service or food is especially good.
What a great thread! I have done this a couple of times. Recently I got a box of PopSecret popcorn bags that was a total dud – they just wouldn’t pop. They sent me a coupon for a replacement box and a second coupon for any General Mills product. I also try to write to companies where I love their product. The only type of rice I like is from Lundberg Farms (I swear, I could eat their wild rice blend with every meal it is SO yummy!). It’s organic, which in this area means expensive. I wrote to them to tell them how much I love their rice, and to ask if they had any coupons. They sent me a stack of about 30 coupons with no expiration date, along with a bunch of recipe books for their products. Great experience!
My daughters and I have a lot of food allergies and it is hard or even impossible to get coupons for the dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian items we can eat. So, once a week I email compliments to three vendors with a request for coupons and then save the link and a copy of the message in a Word document. 75-80% of the time I get the coupons, and I have a record so I can easily request them again in 4-6 months. It works great!
LOL
Today I had a call from a lady telling me she was returning my email about a light bulb. I was not sure what she was talking about untill I realized about 2 months ago I had emailed the company about a expensive bulb that I had bought in a package that had not worked. And had forgetten about it! She said somehow they skipped over my info and she was just getting to it and said I should get a new one in the mail in a few days! So it does pay off in the long wrong! Might take awhile but it does! 😀
I emailed Breyers ice cream to ask why they reduced the size of the carton but the price remained the same…they sent me a coupon for a free product…and basically said the cost of everything had gone up.
I did an experiment a few years ago where each day I called the 1800# on a package from my pantry.
I complimented them or told them what I liked or made a suggestion.
I scored *SO* much free stuff and coupons!
-all from 1 toll free call a day.
Comments are very much appreciated from companies. Not just ones about something not working. They also reward people who send heartfelt appreciation to them. A few years ago a friend wrote to Olive Garden telling them how much she and her family loved their restaraunt and she got a free trip to Italy and cooking classes with their chefs!
We have had success with this also. In January we stayed at a hotel with the water park. We had a wonderful time UNTIL we got to our room. It was filthy! They did not have coment cards and when I complained to the front desk girl she just lamented that yes, that is gross. SO, I emailed them with an explanation. I received an email back saying they were sorry and they would pay closer attentiont to detail. I took that and on we went with our lives. Two weeks later we received in the mail a voucher for “one night stay with water park passes for four people”. And the best thing is it does not expire for a whole year.
Now, we just emailed Toysrus… can’t wait to see what the outcome will be. Last week there was a link on this blog for “free thomas the train piece”. We managed to get enough people to print them so all four of our children could chose a piece of their own. The coupon did not expire until 7/5/08. We went today and there was a large sign that we could not use the coupon. I email them telling them how angry I was to have to diappoint my children. We will see what the follow through is!
I had great success with Huggies. I simply told them that we love their diapers and was wondering if I should move my DD up to the next size since the 3’s and 4’s overlap in the weight range. She had been soaking through the 3’s at night…anyway, they sent me coupons for 5 free mega packs! I didn’t have to buy diapers for over a month!
I’ve also sent plain old compliments to Ken’s dressing, Bar S, and Ziplock and received some pretty decent coupons from those companies as well.
Definitely get more flies with sugar than vinegar!
That reminds me of the time my mom sent PG a letter in the 80s, telling them she was very disappointed that they changed the smell of Ivory dish soap, that she loved the original and wouldn’t be buying it anymore unless the they changed it back because she didn’t like the new one at all. Even THEN, you got stuff for writing, because they said sorry and sent her a coupon for free Ivory dish soap. LOL Now it cracks me up that she still gets made at their “audacity” to say something like ‘classic scent’ or ‘original scent’ on the bottle, knowing full well it’s NOT the classic/original one. 🙂 I wonder if she cashed that coupon in!
Personally, I got a boatload of coupons from Promised Land (DND, though. sigh.) for their milk products when I wrote to them. Same with Sargento and JANE cosmetics.
I never feel uneasy about calling a company when I have had a bad experience with their product.
I feel if I paid for it and it was not the way it should be then they get a call.
I have never had a problem with a company refunding me my money back or trying to make it better for me.
In reality, thy are more then happy to make it right for you. It takes more work to gain a customer then to lose one.
http://dailydoseofsavings.blogspot.com
I wrote Tetley’s (a British tea company) asking if they sold their decaf black tea in Norway (where I currently live) and they sent a nice personal note saying they didn’t but along with that note they sent me 100 bags of the decaf tea!
I recently wrote an email to a company that makes floor cleaner that I love. I just wrote to tell them how much I like their product. The next week I got a package from UPS with 2 bottles of the product in it…it was worth over $20!
I once wrote to Del Monte to tell them I appreciated that they make no-salt-added green beans (the only vegetable my son would eat at the time). I got a personal letter and a boatload of coupons in return.
I’ve done this a few times, writing to companies. Once, I had found a link to a free sample of a new body wash that I wanted to try. When I got to the website, it gave me a message that due to overwhelming response from being posted on too many message boards, it had been discontinued. I wrote a quick email to the company, explaining that i had always liked their products, and saw the blurb about the new one, and wanted to try it without having to buy an entire bottle because my skin is sensitive, so I asked if there would be any way I could receive a sample. About a week later, I got a letter from them in the mail, thanking me for letting them know how much I liked their products and sent me 3 coupons for a free product of my choice! It was a great surprise
Right before Thanksgiving Harris Teeter always does a 25% off sale on their speciality cheeses. Last year I stocked up on some of my favorites, but when I got home I realized one of them was already expired. I send an e-mail thorugh their website. The store manager personally called me that day, apologized, the offered to exchange the product and refund the origional amount I paid for it. About a week later I got a $25 gift card in the mail…
I have done this with restaurants that had really bad service or really poor quality food. Only a couple of times when I thought it was really needed and recieved coupons for free meals. I did this a few years ago with Arbys and they sent 4 free meal coupons, one for each family member. I didnt really expect them to but it was a nice surprize.
I just had a great experience with Crayola! I’m not one to ever complain about a product, but I was so frustrated that I decided to send an email anyway. My daughter desperately wanted to make a craft for Father’s Day and we decided to cover recycled cans with Model Magic to make pen holders for Daddy’s desk. She wanted purple and her sister wanted pink, so we bought a pack of the primary colors. It was very pricy but since it was for a gift, I went with it. When we opened the package, 2 of the 6 packs were white, 1 was black, 1 blue and 1 yellow. No red at all and we were actually short 1 pack. I had to go buy another package just to make the colors we wanted (that box had 6 packages, but no blue). I wrote to Crayola and told them that while we loved the product, we were frustrated that the colors werent there. They sent me 2 $8 off any Crayola product coupons! I totally wasn’t expecting that but I am thrilled (and have forgiven them…I’m such a Crayola fan anyway).
I recently e-mailed Johnson and Johnson telling them how much I liked their bath buddies soap for my son and got some coupons (did not ask). I also e-mailed Sara Lee regarding some bread that I liked and got some coupons (did not ask). I don’t think that I have ever complained, but after reading this post am not afraid to. I wish I would’ve called Huggies as I had a few diapers where the taps were missing.
I had a problem with a Nature Valley nut bar. We’ve been buying them for awhile for my husband to eat for breakfst and we love them. Well, one box had a bar that was less than half size. It looks like the machine ran out of product half way through. I emailed them and explained the situation and they sent me a coupon for a free box, plus a coupon for a dollar off anything else they made.
A week later I bought a package of heluva cheese that was . . . off. We buy heluva a lot (because it’s on sale every other week) and it is *not* supposed to taste like that. I threw it away and emailed them and they sent a coupon for a free one.
I don’t often have problems with things I buy but when I do, I definitely send off a polite email. It really gets results!
I recently had a real need for a baby carrier. I had tried a couple different cheaper ones and none seemed to be comfortable for me or any of my three toddlers. I really wanted one of the better ones but knew my budget would never stretch to pay $100 for it. So I prayed about it, and emailed the company asking if they would consider donating one. I included my blog address so they could see I was a real person with an honest need. I didn’t know if I would ever hear back but two days later I got a very gracious reply stating that they would love to do that and they would also be including a matching diaper bag and fanny pack! It was over $155 worth.
The next week the package appeared on the porch and we have been using it every day. Already it has been a blessing.
This is not something I would probably recommend doing unless you truly are in need, but it was an amazing confirmation to me of God’s goodness and provision to us.
I called Secret after one of their deodorants bleached out my shirt. It was a new shirt and so I was particularly bummed. They actually sent me a check for the price of the shirt and a coupon for a free Secret deodorant! Super nice!
I bought a two pack of EPT digital pregancy tests and one did not do anything… it stayed blank. I called the customer service number on the box and the representative asked me how much i paid ($14) and she sent me a check for $14! In return she asked me to send the faulty test in a prepaid envelope and bag they sent, i thought the idea of this was a bit gross so i did not send it.
I’ve done this a number of times through the years. My reason is because companies NEED TO KNOW if something is wrong with their product. The responses I’ve received have been variable. Sometimes it’s basically “Thank you, but tough luck.” Sometimes they send me a stack of coupons. Once I tried complimenting Trader Joe’s by letter, and they thanked me but didn’t send anything. I was hoping they would, but…
I think it’s a really nice thing to compliment a company when they do something well. Recently, Glade sent me a coupon for a free car oil. I had sent in the rebate and they said that they may have sent me less than I was qualified for. I just thought it was so nice that they did the honest thing. I wrote them an email of encouragment for doing the right thing. I am just guessing but I bet they get a lot more complaints than encouragement!
We got a wacky jar of Smuckers jam a few months ago. Instead of writing, I just called to let them know what the problem was. The woman recorded the plant number on the jar and the expiration date. Then she asked for my address so they could send me coupons.
A few weeks later, I got two coupons for free jars of Smuckers jam.
I think most companies honestly WANT to hear when there is a problem with their product. Losing a few dollars in coupons is probably worth it if they can keep you as a customer.
Three days ago I emailed Russell Stover about their Private Reserve chocolates because there were some sealed wrappers without the chocolate in them in our package. Yesterday I received a UPS package from Russell Stover with a replacement bag of chocolate. Excellent customer service!
This is a great tip.
I actually work for a call center that gets calls and occasionally has to go through mail from customers, for a major company. We send out coupons like that all the time.
*Hint, it’s best to do this at the end of the year, we’re skimpy at the begining and the middle but then at the end of the year we have to get rid of them all. So we sent out extras!!!
Great post, I’m glad I found you!!!!
I’ve been doing this like crazy this week, and have received an unbelievable amount of coupons! The organic companies pull through the best. Although Blairex labs, makers of Bordeaux’s Butt Paste, sent an entire PACKAGE of samples. A ton of individual butt paste samples for friends, two bibs, and full-sized tubes of their “baby butt smooth” skin balm and “baby kisses” lip balm. All for just praise!
Thanks for the tip! Should you always include your home address when writing an email or does that seem like you’re asking for them to send you free stuff? Is a compliment/complaint email be sent in business letter format?
I tried this with Maybelline. I sent a nice email about how much I like using their eyebrow pencils and inquired if they have any coupons that could be sent to me. I got a nice email back thanking me for contacting them but that they don’t give out coupons. OOPY for me!
I recently emailed Bosch & Lomb about a contact that only lasted 4 days and then started bothering my eye. They requested the bad contact and mailed me a package to mail back to them with the bad contact. Then, I got TWO new contacts to replace the bad one!
I called Crayola’s quality assurance last week regarding their line of pipsqueek pens. We bought 2 different sets and in both packs over half of the pens were dried out. I took pens back to Target and called to let Crayola know – we are big Crayola fans. Didn’t really expect anything in return, but the customer rep told me she’d like to send me a pack of the pens for free because they value customer opinions. That’s a $15.00 value! She also explained that they are aware of the problem – the caps on the pens weren’t fitting right and the pens were drying out. They have since changed cap vendors, and the problem was solved.
Oh, also, I emailed Circuit City one time because I was pregnant and went in and no one would help me. I really needed help and was trying to buy a gift for my DH. I left the store in tears. I told them that in the email and they sent me a $20 gift card!!! I totally was not expecting that.
Just a tip… ALWAYS call Pampers. I have called them three times over the last 10 years about messed up diapers and they like to get the numbers off of the diapers. WHen you call they send you coupons for FREE diapers. They have done this all three times I called. Obviously this was spread out over 10 years. I am sure if you just keep calling they wouldn’t give you the same thing. But I called about some of my daughter’s training pants because they had a really sharp piece of something in them and if I had not put my hand inside to open it up first it would have cut her. Pampers had me send them this little “piece” of stuff and sent me the free coupon.
I did the same thing with my Seventh Generation product. I tried the Dishwashing Gel and was extremely disappointed with it’s outcome. (They said the reason is they do not use phosphates, something other name brands use.) I bought two of them so now I was stuck. I contacted the company and they are now sending me $10.00 back (more than what I paid for it!) plus 2 product vouchers for the Dishwashing Powder, which is supposed to work better than the gel. Woo-hoo!
Echoing the previous, I’ve complimented a few and recieved very generous coupons. Kashi specifically, sent an “any product free” coupon when I e-mailed that I enjoyed their products.
I had a problem with Target brand diapers, however, and they did not respond well. The tabs kept pulling off. Their e-mail was along the lines of “sorry about your luck.”
I recently wrote to Pace on how much I liked their picante sauce (I am a transplant to the South and have been introduced to the product by my Southern DH). They not only sent me great coupons but I now receive personalized email surveys as one of their premier customers. How cool is that!
This prompted me to send an email I’d been meaning to send for a while. I had a bag of dark chocolate dove miniatures that tasted awful – like alcohol. I sent an email explaining what had happened and asked for a coupon to replace the bag that was no good. We’ll see what happens.
I emailed Bush’s Baked Beans just to tell them that I loved their new Grillin Beans, and they mailed me a coupon for a free can, and a few .25 off coupons.
Sometimes all you have to do is actually ask the company: “can you send me any coupons?” It worked for Muir Glen!
I bought a package of Sunmaid dried apricots and when I opened them they smelled fermented. I e-mailed the company and they sent me 5 coupons for free Sunmaid products and a recipe booklet. I was really impressed with their response.
I recently had a box of spiderman bandaids and a bunch of baindaids would tear when I would remove the paper backing. They just asked me the lot # and then they sent me a $5 off any of their product coupons and 2 $1 off coupons. Great customer service!!
I wrote to the people who market the large Zip Lock bags, sending a link to my blog where I showed how I used these bags to organize my freezer.
They loved it and sent me a few coupons, enough for me to purchase two more boxes of the bags and send two coupons to my daughter.
I truly does pay to say thank you to a company for a well made product.
I’ve got to agree with the comments hear. Most companies want to make sure their customers are happy, and they’ll try to fix a problem. And if a customer writes with a compliment, most companies will send some sort of acknowledgement.
When my son was about a year old, his nanny would bring him BoBerry Biscuits from Bojangles to share. One morning, I got a really cute photo of him eating his biscuit in his high chair. I sent a copy of the photo along with a cute note to the company saying that if Jake Delhomme, the Bojangles spokesman ever got sidelined, I had a new spokesman for them! A few weeks later, I received a nice letter from the company with $10 worth of gift certificates to Bojangles. That was a double treat — a freebie and something to save in my son’s baby book.
Oh, I so agree with this line of thinking – My mom makes fun of me because I am constantly writing/emailing/calling companies, whether good or bad. I’ve gotten lots of great coupons this way, and if there is a problem, the company can’t fix it unless they know, KWIM?
I think this might be a fluke, but Aaron bought me a standmixer from Sunbeam for Mother’s day (my Kitchenaid is ready to take a puke), and I was so excited to try it out. It didn’t work when we plugged it it! We tried everything, and all it did was make this horrible whirring noise. After having a lot of success with a breadmaker over a year ago that was faulty and getting it replaced, I contacted Sunbeam to see what we could do about fixing the mixer – the store wouldn’t return it since the box had been opened, and the nearest service center was over 2 hours away – I figured they would want me to ship it back, which was fine. Instead, they’re just sending me a new mixer! But again, I have never had anything but success with their products, and told them so – I trust their brand because it is affordable, reliable, and a well known name.
Companies need to know the bad, but they also need to know the good! 🙂
I did this a couple of weeks ago with Wyler’s light single packets. We went away for a weekend and I brought a box with me. Well, at least half of the little packets wouldn’t rip open like they should. When we got home, I sent off an e-mail to them and within 8 days I had gotten a letter thanking me for alerting them to the problem with a couple for a free box.
I have also done this for years when it comes to fast food places and pizza places. I just got so tired of ordering things and them not coming out the way that I had ordered them. I have gotten free items from Carl’s Jr. as well as McDonalds. Also from local pizza places. I feel that if I am paying for something then it should come the way that I have ordered them.
Thanks for having such a great site!
I emailed Little Tummies saying that I was interested in trying their product (kids meds), and they sent me a “try one free” coupon. Headed to CVS that day and scored 2 ECBs on a free product! Plus I have some medicine for when the little one gets sick.
I completely agree! I’ve had success with this for a bottle of Stevia that had a weird consistency. In return, they gave me many coupons for Stevia and other products, free tea bags, a free organic lip gloss, AND my money back!
Again, with SunRype (spelling?) fruit bars, I had a small complaint about a change they made to the bars, and was rewarded with several $2 off coupons.
I recently wrote to the WalMart web site after I noticed that the WalMart cashier had not scanned a $3 Internet coupon. I thought that the email would go directly to the store manager, which I guess it did, but I can’t help thinking emailing the web site was a better idea than calling the store (I also wear hearing aids and sometimes phone is hard for me). Anyway, they refunded the $3 and gave me a $10 gift card! That was pretty cool, I thought. Though the same thing happened again a couple of days ago–I am watching to make sure everything gets scanned (or explained why not) from now on! Thanks for your great blog.
yep, worked exactly same way for me: I’ve got trash bags which had defect in them: they will fall apart when full. whole box was like that. they sent me coupon for $8 off (which is more than 60% off.
Hi,
I have also done what you are doing for products that had problems and have always received great responses. I have also written companies that I use all the time just telling them how much we love their product and thanking them for the great products they are producing. I have received a lot of coupons this way. Many of them for free items and others with just great coupons. If you have a few extra minutes of time, it never hurts to thank a company for their great products!
And if your tea bags bust again, just pour the tea through a coffee filter to catch the leaves. Then you don’t lose your batch of tea. 🙂
I had a great experience with M&M – I had a moldy peanut in a bag of peanut M&Ms, the huge sized bag I bought from Sam’s Club. I called the number on the bag. They took down the info from the batch, asked how much I spent on the bag ($7-ish), and then they sent me two $5 off, and one $1 off coupons. Great deal!
I love this tip. I’ve been doing this for years. Be NICE is the one main thing I’ve learned in calling to complain. The person who answers the phone or letter can only try to make amends,so be nice to them, and they are more likely to be nice to you. I’ve also called companies to compliment them on a great product and scored coupons that way. Case in point, Pace Picante Sauce is the ONLY salsa my hubby likes, but it is rare to find a coupon for them. I called to ask if the offered any coupons in my area. I’ve been added to their mailing list and have been getting a great coupon book every three months or so for the past three years. Pace is a part of the Campbell’s soup family, so I get a LOT of other coupons too.
Honey catches more flies than vinegar…
This is so true! I wrote to Western Family a few months ago for an issue I had with their string cheese packaging. It had been fine all the times before but this one particular package kept ripping each time we’d open a string cheese. They sent me 4 – $5 coupons for free western family products.
Thanks for the info. I too recently sent Pampers an email asking why some areas of the country get coupons in their jumbo packs and others don’t. The email response was really a canned answer, but they also said they were sending me something in the mail.
About a week later I got a letter with some couons. My coupons were not as nice as yours, but I believe I got some $2 coupons and some Dreft and Mr. Clean coupons!
I love a company who stands behind their products.
I just had to let you know what happened when I called Success Rice. There was a rip in the bag that the rice comes in. I called and they sent me two free coupons. That was nice and I went on with life. After about 6 months, I received a big box from Success. I opened it and it was full of boxes of rice and a pot holder. There was also a note from their CEO saying my comment helped them to find a problem in their manufacturing line and he was saying “thank you” for letting them know! What a great thing to do. I would have never known that. I think they are a great company!
I had success with this approach, too, when I contacted Wilton, Inc. last year on problems I had with defective cupcake papers purchased to use at a bridal shower. When I emailed my complaint and explained the problem, I got a personal reply from customer service – and my choice of $10 of Wilton product, which was promptly shipped to me. Most of these companies really do want to keep our business and will go the distance for us!
This is a great suggestion. It also can be helpful when complimenting products. There are several organic products that I really like, but they are so expensive I can only buy them when they are on sale. A few days ago I sent an email to several of the companies I like to buy from complimenting them on their products and asking if they had any coupons they could send. I was expecting a few 50 cents off or maybe if I was lucky $1 off coupons. Instead yesterday in the mail I received three coupons for free products from two of the companies! So, if there is a product you like to buy and frequently use, it certainly can’t hurt to contact the company with a compliment – as long as it’s sincere!
I wrote to Rice Dream a couple of days ago about how much I enjoy their product–I am a nursing mom and my son has a milk sensitivity. They e-mailed me back today and are sending me some coupons. So even just with sincere compliments and thanks you can receive coupons!