Dunnes ValueClub vouchers - beware - week 1 is 10 days long...

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orka

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So, I used my week 1 vouchers in Dunnes last Thursday (the first day - week 1 started on August 22nd) - spent the required €150 to get €22 off (c. 15%). Any previous week1, week 2 etc. vouchers have always rolled over on the same day so along I went today, loaded the trolley up with just over €150 of groceries but when I handed in week 2, I realised that week 2 doesn't actually start until Sunday so week 1 was 10 days long! I know it's partly my own fault - the week 2 voucher does say 'Sunday 1st to Sat 7th' but I just stuffed them in my purse when I got them and assumed that a week meant a week!

The checkout lady said a lot of people were caught out the same way - seems really mean to do this when a lot of people are on tight budgets and do the weekly shop on a Thursday or Friday. I'm spitting mad - have to fire off a complaint now...
 
thats sneaky! you should have copped it though, so its round 1 to you and round 2 to Dunnes.

My wife and my mother have dunnes valueclub cards and the vouchers have identical names on them, ie 2 Mrs Steiners. I gave my mother a lot of my wife's unused vouchers, mainly the €8 off over €40 spend weekly ones, but the eagle eyed checkout person copped the different account numbers and rejected the €8 off ones. Not to be outdone this time, as my wife doesn't use the dunnes vouchers, I will give my mother my wife's card for a fortnight to use the vouchers.
 
orka said:
So, I used my week 1 vouchers in Dunnes last Thursday (the first day - week 1 started on August 22nd) - spent the required €150 to get €22 off (c. 15%). Any previous week1, week 2 etc. vouchers have always rolled over on the same day so along I went today, loaded the trolley up with just over €150 of groceries but when I handed in week 2, I realised that week 2 doesn't actually start until Sunday so week 1 was 10 days long! I know it's partly my own fault - the week 2 voucher does say 'Sunday 1st to Sat 7th' but I just stuffed them in my purse when I got them and assumed that a week meant a week!

The checkout lady said a lot of people were caught out the same way - seems really mean to do this when a lot of people are on tight budgets and do the weekly shop on a Thursday or Friday. I'm spitting mad - have to fire off a complaint now...
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Did you not have had another €21 of "any time use" vouchers that you could have used today? We used them last week so got €41 off in total.
 
cashier said:
I wonder are people purposely spending €150 in one shop every week just to get €22 off. It seems like a lot of money to spend on one grocery shop.
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Depends on family size. For the 4 of us (kids 13, 11), €150 is not unusual, and that's not the total spend on groceries in the week.
 
If you had not been spending around that level on a weekly basis there then you would get different vouchers for smaller amounts such as €10 if you spend €60.
We use it to stock up on non perishable staples such as cereals, pasta, coffee etc.. But need to be sure that the stock up items are at normal price. Got to be disciplined and not waste it on stuff you would not normally buy.
Can also be used for Nappies, infant formula (over 6 mths) and alcohol.
But it is tough to find €150 worth of stuff 4 weeks in a row.
 
I used the first of my vouchers today, and at the check out the guy said to me, do you have a voucher, week 1, is it. I didn't take much notice at the time. I hadn't noticed the dates, to be honest. I don't shop there enough to be using them every week anyway. Mine are for the smaller amounts, so when I get them, I stock up basics, while keeping an eye on prices too.
 
I did it the other way round Orka, filled the trolley the day before the first voucher was valid. Fortunately I realised as I stood in the queue, so took everything out, put it back on shelves, and went back the next day knowing exactly what I needed.
I think the vouchers are very good provided you buy staples, which you know will be used, and only if no more expensive than you could buy at another supermarket. I go round with a calculator, and get just above the voucher value, to get the most "discount".
 
I copped it the other night while reading the vouchers and standing in the queue, although I was only doing a small shop at the time. Even the girl on the checkout was not aware of the difference in the dates!
 
You were very good to replace everything, many would have just left the trolley and ran.
 
I only has to spend 40 to get 8 off which is not too bad as normally I do not darken their door very often.
 
I checked by DS Vouchers and they are as follows.

Week 1 used on Sunday 25th (could not check dates)
Week 2 Sunday 1st Sept to Sat 7th Sept
Week 3 Sunday 8th Sept to Saturday 14th Sept
Week 4 Sunday 15th Sept to Saturday 21st Sept.

As an aside the T&C's state you cant use them for infant formula.
 
That is a legal thing. There are laws against accepting them for many items such as tobacco, lottery tickets etc.
 
ajapale said:
I checked by DS Vouchers and they are as follows.

Week 1 used on Sunday 25th (could not check dates)
Week 2 Sunday 1st Sept to Sat 7th Sept
Week 3 Sunday 8th Sept to Saturday 14th Sept
Week 4 Sunday 15th Sept to Saturday 21st Sept.

As an aside the T&C's state you cant use them for infant formula.
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OP is making the point that the first 'week' was actually 10 days, which has caught out some people, especially if, as the OP states, the vouchers previously ran for one week, (7 days).
 
Thanks for highlighting this. I was caught out as well. However in fairness I did my shopping last Wed and used it and they accepted it even though it wasn't starting until the Thurs. So this week went on Thur and assumed i could use week 2 only to find out it isn't week 2! Luckily a friend had given me her week 1 voucher so I used that the sales assistant just scanned it through and there was no problem.
 
partnership said:
Thanks for highlighting this. I was caught out as well. However in fairness I did my shopping last Wed and used it and they accepted it even though it wasn't starting until the Thurs. So this week went on Thur and assumed i could use week 2 only to find out it isn't week 2! Luckily a friend had given me her week 1 voucher so I used that the sales assistant just scanned it through and there was no problem.
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On both of those points you were very lucky for them to allow these. As someone else mentioned above they regularly check the valueclub card number and refuse the voucher if its for someone else. I've never heard of them accepting a voucher ahead of the date so well done :)

The whole thing of switching the dates around is a bit sneaky and they could quite easily have highlighted this to people in the accompanying booklet.
 
They could have but that would lose them money. I think it was a clever trick to get people in thinking that week 2 was on the go. Not too many would put back a whole trolleys worth when faced with a total at the checkout.
 
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