Illinois bill targets digital coupon problems after shopper complaints
Illinois bill targets digital coupon problems after shopper complaints
They're supposed to help you save some time and money when grocery shopping, but digital coupons don’t always do that, and it’s a problem many shoppers seem to be having.
CHICAGO - They're supposed to help you save some time and money when grocery shopping, but digital coupons don’t always do that, and it’s a problem many shoppers seem to be having.
In a Fox 32 money-saver special report, Dawn Hasbrouck takes a look at what's being done to fix it.
Couponing in the digital age
What we know:
When it comes to using digital coupons, it seems like you either love them or you hate them. We asked Chicago's self-proclaimed "City Coupon Mom", Rosie Keomala, what she thinks about them.
"It’s super convenient but, as always, there’s always issues as far as apps not working, crashing, glitches," Keomala said.
Even Keomala says she's had problems with coupons not applying correctly at checkout or not loading up. So how does she try to deal with these digital issues?
"If you have a community that helps online, it can be very confusing, frustrating when it’s not working," she said.
Keomala says she started "City Coupon Mom" about 10 years ago to help people save by showing them digital coupon deals.
"Yes, I always get a ton of questions," she said.
A lawmaker steps in
State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr also heard from consumers how it can be to use digital coupons. That’s why she wrote and introduced a new bill earlier this year to try to fix the problem.
"House Bill 45, it basically would require a grocery store if they offer a digital coupon that they have to have a paper version as well," said Yang Rohr, a Democrat who represents Illinois’ 41st District.
Yang Rohr's bill also requires grocery stores to make those paper coupons easily accessible at the service desk and in other locations around the store.
If stores don’t make paper coupons available -- in addition to digital coupons -- under the proposed law, the store would be violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act.
"What we want to make sure is, if you’re going to advertise that price, you better be able to give that price," Yang Rohr said.
A consumer advocate weighs in
Kevin Brasler is the executive editor for Consumers' Checkbook.
"Unfortunately, the people who need these savings the most, the poor, the elderly aren’t able to get them," Brasler said. "But another problem is even when you jump through a lot of hoops to get these discounts, we’re finding that a lot of stores, they don’t work properly."
Brasler’s consumer advocacy group recently did a deep dive to see if digital coupons are paying off for shoppers.
"We find often the lowest price wasn’t attributed to our account even though we wanted it and we have to go to customer service and have them make adjustments. We spoke to one manager at a grocery store who said this is all I do all day now is make price adjustments," Brasler.
Brasler says digital coupons are an issue many consumer groups have been complaining about from the beginning. One that stores used to fix with a price adjustment.
"We find it’s largely hit or miss now. And at many stores now they’re just refusing to do it. If you don’t take the steps you needed to take to get the special price, then no, they’re not going to let you have it," Brasler said.
Legislative hurdles and industry pushback
Yang Rohr's bill was introduced to the Consumer Protection Committee in February and then passed on to the state House Rules Committee in March. It has since met some industry opposition.
"In this case, we’ve gotten some feedback from Illinois Retail Merchants talking how difficult it would be for their stores to implement this. They have said things like, ‘if this law goes in to place, coupons will disappear,’ which just seems a little over the top," Yang Rohr said.
Lessons from California
The other side:
Consumers will find out if that’s true or not based on what’s happening in San Diego. Its city council passed an ordinance in March that also says coupons cannot be offered in digital form only.
California grocers say this ordinance is too vague and would cause more harm than good the way it’s written now.
"We’d have to have a paper copy in the store," said Tim James of the California Grocers Association. "There's thousands and thousands of different coupons and discounts that people receive digitally, and we would not be able to go and prepare those all in store just for anybody to grab at any time."
What's next for Illinois shoppers
What you can do:
Yang Rohr says she is re-working her bill to try to address some of the concerns raised by the retail industry association - and plans to re-introduce it next spring.
Until then, consumer advocates say your best bet is to check your receipt and follow up with customer service if need be.
The Source: For this story, the Fox 32 Chicago Special Projects team interviewed a national consumer advocate group and a state representative who is writing new legislation regarding how digital coupons are used in Illinois about problems consumers are having using digital coupons. The unit also gathered feedback from consumers and researched new laws being passed in other cities across the country.