Local Walmart Doesn't Accept Internet Coupons

This weekend, I decided to pick up some essentials from Walmart. I had with me my coupons that I clip weekly from Coupons.com. Every week I sign on to my Mypoints account and access Coupons.com so I can collect coupons and redeem them at various food and drug stores. Each time a coupon is redeemed, 10 points is added to my mypoints account.

Most places I shop take internet coupons. Walmart is a different story.

I had 4 coupons that I wanted to use that day: one for Lever 2000 bar soap, one for Minute Rice, one for Hamburger Helper (the regular kind), and one for Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles. I know I would haved saved at least $3 on my total order with the other groceries I had in my cart.

I go up to the self check out, and ring up the groceries as usual. I tried to scan my coupons and I got nothing. I tried several times before I asked an associate for assistance. She says, " I don't think we take those coupons."

"Why?" I asked. " I been here a couple of months ago and used coupons from the internet without a problem. It is the same coupon that you would find in the newspaper but on the internet."

"Well, let me go get the floor manager just to make sure," the associate replied.

By this time I was already heated because I am being held up. I don't like to be held up or hold anyone else up for that matter. Walmart is known to have 3 registers open and have 50 or so people waiting in line.

The associate comes back, this time with the floor manager. The floor manager says, "Ma'am we no longer take coupons from the internet."

"Any particular reason why?" I asked.

"Walmart doesn't get reimbursed for them," she answered.

This is what I'm thinking in my head: Walmart doesn't get reimbursed for the coupons that are on the internet but they are getting reimbursed for the same coupons that are in the newspaper? Am I missing something here? I looked at the coupons again which clearly states "Retailer: General Mills (one of the coupons I had in hand) will reimburse you face value of this coupon plus 8 cents if submitted in compliance with our redemption policy. Copy available upon request. Cash value 1/100 cent." Sounds like they were going to be reimbursed to me unless Walmart isn't following directions.

Just when people are trying to save pennies through these trying times, here go Walmart cutting out that middle man so they can gain more. I guess they say they already sell items at a discount cost. They don't need internet coupons. If that is the case then don't take any coupons.

If I knew that then I probably would not have bought those items there. However since I needed them, I went ahead and bought them. I made a mental note not to go to to Walmart if I had to use my internet coupons.

Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I stopped at Kroger and picked up two items I had internet coupons for. I handed them to the cashier and she scanned them. Both were redeemed without a problem. Maybe Kroger is being reimbursed. They must be doing something right. Maybe they can share their findings with Walmart.