Yesterday a comment was made on my site that I can not ignore
and has to be addressed.
Hi Marissa,
It is wonderful to see all the accomplishments that you have achieved in the last 5 months. I have been couponing for about a year and a half myself. You might not realize this, but often times local businesses associate the actions of one couponer with all who coupon, even in the absence of association. I recently witnessed the mistreatment of another fellow military mother, whom you passive-aggressively attacked by accusations against them that were unfounded at the front of the store during checkout. Several associates believe that your previous employment there, your jealousy concerning the quality of service other couponers recieve compared to your own experiences, has led to a very distasteful view of you. I am sure you are pleasant and abundantly generous to many people, but perhaps you can extend this to fellow couponers as you may be doing yourself a disservice in the end. Many of us are military wives who donate vast amount of provisions to struggling families, churches, and even refugees brought here against their will by our government. If respect is given, it shall be returned....there is never a need to be aggressive in any form, even passively. With hope for a more pleasant experience on the next encounter, sincerely D.
Statement Made By Marissa - Emailed to me 3/22
Here’s what actually happened: My sister and I were at the register waiting to check out and Dawn (otherwise known as 'D') was already in the process of checking out. When they started saying they were doubling coupons I started watching what they were doing.. price matching store x and doubling with Kmart is NOT how the Kmart double events work. You CAN NOT price match a different store AND double a coupon with Kmart. She finished her transaction and the gal she was there assisting with the Kmart deal and all coupons started her transaction with doubling via Kmart. Per Wal-Mart Management you have to have $25 retail value (before coupons/discounts/price matches) PRIOR to doubling with Kmart. 90% of what the second gal purchased was doubled. Granted some were valid with the $25 min, not all were. I brought it to a Managers attention and simply asked if they changed the way it was done and went back to the unlimited doubles and I was told No. So I let them know of the transaction in progress. The Manager called the register to verify the cashier knew the correct way to match the Kmart Event. During the call Dawn and the other gal started yelling and telling me that if I had an issue with their transactions that it would have been nice to ask them rather then run off to a Manager. I had no issue with what they were doing, if they don’t want to follow Wal-Mart’s Policy on the Kmart Double Event that’s their choice, unfortunately, people who don’t follow it will ruin it for others who do. My issue was with how Wal-Mart was handling their transaction, vs. how they handle ANY of mine. Its strictly discrimination to do one for someone else and not for another. I voiced this to the Manger and the situation was rectified. Furthermore this 'reader' has gone into Wal-Mart and shown the cashier pictures from their personal phone of an item on the shelf and its pricing label and has matched that. This is in completely violation to the Wal-Mart Price Match Policy. When the cashier asks for a Manager the reader states that they can tell them how to ring it up and a Manager is not needed. After the transaction the Manager that ended up at the register anyway was informed by the Cashier that they felt threatened by the customer for even asking for a Manager. This is not how we should be treating other people in this world. What it boils down to is I was not happy that things I should be able to do and Wal-Mart will not allow me to do for whatever reason these customers were doing and Wal-Mart hadn’t a care in the world. My issue was with Wal-Mart practices not the Customers and their transactions.
I DO NOT support the misuse of coupons, fellow couponers or store associates!
EVER!!
I have stood up to this in many stores as well as recently against a television show that has brought me great success. (read here & here) for actions like this.
My blog has been given the privilege to wear the Badge of Coupon Integrity. I take great pride in this and put a level of expectations on myself as well as any contributor or affiliate to this site!
Couponing is a privilege not a right!
Unfortunately, all it takes is a few bad acts to tear it all down for the rest of us.
I have reached out to Marissa to give her the opportunity to explain and justify this situation. As always, there is two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle is the truth.
Until then, I am temporarily suspending my affiliation with Coupon Connections
and removing that link from my site while I investigate the incident .
and removing that link from my site while I investigate the incident .
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Question....where is the rest of it? I know for a fact that there was more to it then just what you have posted here.
ReplyDeleteStarr - what I posted was all Marissa had to say about the shopping incident at hand, which is all I asked for. You know that! Do you mean to tell me that Marissa wants me to post the additional 4 paragraphs in which 1 bashes me and the other 2 attack the reader who left the comment?! I find that very hard to believe that Marissa would want me to post her comment attacking a military wife. From Melissa's email and I quote: "Being military has NO bearing on anything in the issue so not to sure why it was even thrown out there. Also notating that you donate vast amounts has no bearing on the issue at hand. Again at a loss to see why it was mentioned, other then for sympathy.". Really.....she wants me to continue and post the remaining attacks public? I find that hard to believe, but if she does she will let me know and I will gladly publicly post the rest!
ReplyDeleteDdnt u jus publicly post it with ur comment? I agree with being military had nothing to do with the situation as well as her donating stuff! I can see throwing it out there that ur military to get a military discount but not to try and make urself look better when u are out right KNOWINGLY taking advantage of the cashiers lack of understanding when it came to walmarts matching kmarts doubling. Eeryone knows its 5 coupons doubled per day! In fact if i was her i wouldnt want to put the fact out there that she was affiliated with the military since she was couponing wrong to begin with!
ReplyDeleteI for one am glad someone finally called attention to Marissa. I know of a few coupon "Groups" she has blatantly attacked the admins of over their opinions about couponing. She is in no way a nice person behind the computer. That said if you meet her in person she is as sweet as can be. I also know that she was taking coupons from the base commissary and selling them at one point on her site for 0.10 a piece. These are coupons that are readily available to everyone that shops the base commissary (holders of a military i.d. card) not for the public to take off the shelves and sell. Seems to me all Marissa knows how to do is attack ppl. This is not an appropriate way to conduct a business. No need to be defensive when a customer or future customer disagrees or has an issue. Why not handle things in a professional manor? I personally would like to thank the first reader for calling her out!
ReplyDeleteI've been following the Jessica Hacker thing all day in regards to Marissa Hammers. I do have to say that I do not know Marissa personally but I DO know she coupons ethically to the best of her abilities. She is ALWAYS the first to notify you of misuse of a coupon. Of course over the computer her response may come off unemotional but completely understandable. I don't believe she "Bashes" on different coupon administratiors other than notifying them of misuse or proper usage. If it comes off wrong, there is nothing one can do. Everyone interpretes things differently, and Im sure if you know Marissa Hammers personally she would not come off rude. If the coupon administrator feels "threatened" by Marissa that I personally BELIEVE they are commiting coupon fraud. Marissa is a very professional woman, and TRYS VERY HARD to stay that way with all the public harrassment she faces as well. I know its very easy to take the childish way out and call names, but in the past 6 or so months I've followed her she has done NOTHING but be professional as I have seen her personal struggles voiced on private pages I am affialiated with. I do feel the need to respond to this because attacking Marissa for standing up to coupon fraud needs to be done. As for her PERSONAL business, selling coupons to make them READILY AVAILABLE TO ALL, does cost money. It is the SAME as purchasing inserts that have a specific coupon you did not recieve in your region. To SHIP them all for free would not only be a bad business mistake, but also a personal financial mistake as Im sure it would take a toll on her personal pocketbook. Remember, all things said and done will come around. You bashing on Marissa for her business methods and ethics shows that you take advantage of personal ignorance for lack of a better term. Which is fine, but it is a personal decision to look the other way when corrected. Unfollow Marissa and go on with your life, your comment has been noted.
DeleteI find it really sad that in this day and age when money is tight and resources are few people feel the need to attack others who are just trying to save money and help others. i dont know Marissa personally but she was recommended by a friend who happens to be a military wife. im guessing the whole bringing the military thing in is its a military town and it could divided loyalty if someone singles out the military and their spouses. I've never known or heard of her (Marissa) dissing the military. either way it could have just been an honest mistake on both parts maybe the couponer didnt know the rules on the kmart doubles and some cashiers dont pay attention to the rules either. this really shouldnt be an issue not enough to cause so much anger and hate. we are all just tryin to save money and this doesnt help it divides over something as simple as Sunday paper coupons. instead of anger calling out someone a simple dont do that or this isnt legal or right would have been more productive.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part about it is we really do no know what happened and how it happened. Even Marissa states that it was a heated debate....so for all we know hurtful words where exchanged and the fact that she is a military wife might have came up in the initial conversation. That could be why the original comment contained that information. AGAIN WHO KNOWS! We all don't, we can assume all we want....but in the end we all know what that does!
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to remember that it is all in the delivery. If you see some one couponing incorrectly take the time to teach them the right way not attack them and say what they are doing is fraud. Most of the time couponing mistakes are made by beginners that don't know all the loops. So take the time to be a coupon fairy not a troll under the bridge!
ReplyDeleteEthically, really? I personally witnessed this whole event. Price matching store "X" was certainly allowed as store "X" just happened to be Kmart which is allowable just as you may double a coupon when matching with Albertson's doublers. As for the way the "doubling" started, different cashiers calculated the doubles different ways. Some waited until you get to $25 and some look at your whole basket and if you obviously have more than $25 worth, they will allow you to go ahead and double and apparently they had that discretion when it was their lane. It just depends on how the cashier wants to handle it. This, of course, was months ago and the Kmart doubling was very new to WalMart and they were probably doing the best that they could do to make the transactions go as smoothly and as quickly as possible. That being said, they may be doing it differently now, it probably still just depends on the cashier. They all calculate their doubles differently and probably in the most efficient and timely manner to keep their line moving.
ReplyDeleteAs for the ladies starting to yell at Marissa, it was not yelling to begin with. It started out as, "Really? You can't just ask us or the cashier like adults instead of calling the manager and telling on someone?" It could have definitely been handled much better by just being direct and honest. That was how that started and then the sister jumped in on the conversation when it really had nothing to do with her and I believe that's when the yelling actually started. Marissa made a point to ask these ladies, and quite friendly at that and prior to making her phone call, questions about where are they from and who are they, actually sounding genuinely friendly. I mean, she was asking about what coupons they were using and what they were price matching and sounding friendly and sincere. Then asking the cashier about what manager was working and then quietly making the phone call to report what was going on. In my opinion, that is what actually irked them was her falseness to begin with. Then her sister jumped in to defend her stating how badly the employees always treat her and so on. Well, I don't know anyone who wants to be treated badly anywhere, but the way she handled that situation was ridiculous and immature. It was embarrassing for everyone.
Back to ethics for a moment, and perhaps Jessica can answer this question because I honestly do not know. Is it ethical or legal to sell items (that you have received for FREE with the use of coupons) and make a profit off of them?
*I realize that the price matching with a double with Albertson's reads poorly. What I was meaning to say was, we can price match to the Albertson's ad when we are using an Albertson's doubler. We are never allowed to price match, for example Walgreens, and then double a coupon. The only times this has been allowed is with Kmart (price matching the Kmart ad and using a Kmart double) or Albertson's (price matching the Albertson's ad and using a double) and there is no mixing and matching. It is always one or the other. Sorry if that sounded misleading or confusing in any way.*
DeleteP.S. Since Marissa stated that she came into the first transaction in the middle, she had no way of knowing that, yes, indeed, the $25 minimum was reached prior to any coupons being doubled. I saw the items in question.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Jessica, when you stated that mistakes are made when things are new. Kmart doubles were indeed new and confusing at times but I believe everyone is now on board with procedure and the cashiers are much better acquainted with the rules.
It is illegal to sell product...Unless you have a Tax ID & you are purchasing items for resale with that ID! That is why retail products that we buy at grocery stores say "Not for Individual sale"!
ReplyDelete