Dover and their last coupon...

[AmmyByNature]

Anyone else get the $25 coupon from Dover? Anyone actually use it on anything? I went to their website determined to buy something that I didn’t need but was willing to spend money on with the coupon. But it doesn’t work on any their “premier brands” and, big surprise, literally everything good is a premiere brand. I couldn’t even come up with $150 worth of anything to buy. I spent an hour. No trophy hunters, no eskies, no ariats - nothing I cared about. That always seems the way with Dover, doesn’t it? Just frustrated. Wanted to buy myself a present!

Edited title to sound less bitchy. I posted in haste this morning and although I still don’t think the promotion was well-presented, it didn’t deserve me calling it stupid.

[horsepoor]

I did the same thing - went to use it but the only things I wanted to buy were the premier brands, plus some coflex wrap – and I wasn’t buying $150 in coflex! I should have known better…

[yourcolorfuladdictio]

That isn’t Dover’s fault. Companies have a set MSRP and a set minimum price that a product can be sold at. To give you the best price, many of their products are as low as they can mark them. Legally speaking, they would be in hot water if they allowed you to use it on premier products because you would technically be getting the product for less than the set minimum.

Would you prefer low prices every day, or coupons that you can use on any product?

[Soaponarope]

Their return policy and customer service is worth all the stupid coupons in the world to me!

[AmmyByNature]

I think it thit me as really disappointing this time because it wasn’t presented as a coupon but more like a gift card so that’s what I was expecting. I understand how you can’t use, say, a 20% off coupon on these products but I had initially assumed this promotion was different. No one can convince me that Dover couldn’t find a way to give me $25 somehow

Anyway, I’d had a crappy week and was looking forward to buying something nice and I just really bummed out…

[Daisyesq]

[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8773538]
I think it thit me as really disappointing this time because it wasn’t presented as a coupon but more like a gift card so that’s what I was expecting. I understand how you can’t use, say, a 20% off coupon on these products but I had initially assumed this promotion was different. No one can convince me that Dover couldn’t find a way to give me $25 somehow

Anyway, I’d had a crappy week and was looking forward to buying something nice and I just really bummed out…[/QUOTE]

At least Dover could have offered you free shipping…

[invinoveritas]

My former BO got a gift certificate from Dover from her parents for Xmas one year. It expired as she kept it over a year. Dover let her use it anyway so when she found it she was able to use it.

I’ve always had good experiences with Dover. So has everyone else I know IRL

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=yourcolorfuladdiction;8773425]
That isn’t Dover’s fault. Companies have a set MSRP and a set minimum price that a product can be sold at. To give you the best price, many of their products are as low as they can mark them. Legally speaking, they would be in hot water if they allowed you to use it on premier products because you would technically be getting the product for less than the set minimum.

Would you prefer low prices every day, or coupons that you can use on any product?[/QUOTE]
Exactly. It is not Dover’s fault that there is a MAP/MSRP pricing mandate or that people don’t take the time to read the TOS of the coupon[s]! I got the same email and read it before I went to browse.

I am amazed at the amount of people who will see a coupon and click without reading the specifications/details of the coupon.

Apparently you CAN use the coupon - it will apply to the shipping instead of the product. Just call them if the website gives you that much headache.

[sassy]

Call a Dover store. If they have it in stock they should ship it for free to you. If not they should offer you free shipping from the warehouse. They really want to get people into the store. If you order AT the store the shipping is always free. Except maybe for a tack trunk.

[wronglead]

I have had nothing but good experiences with Dover, BUT I will say I always opt to shop elsewhere as there are a few things that drive me nuts about them.
The coupons and promos are almost always a joke and so restricted that they are worthless anyways. And, in the event I did have to return something, I have to cover the shipping. As petty as it might sound, it is a luxury Smartpak pays for that I am spoiled with and now see it as ridiculous to have to pay my own way to return stuff to Dover. I might as well keep the product half the time by the time I pay for shipping back.
Also, Stateline Tack applies their promos to EVERYTHING, so I don’t believe that whole “MSRP minimum pricing blah blah” story that both Dover and Smartpak give for a minute. Like I said, nothing but great experiences with all three, but when it comes to being thrifty and a smart shopper, I will use Stateline, then Smartpak, then Dover as a last resort.

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=wronglead;8773653]

Also, Stateline Tack applies their promos to EVERYTHING, so I don’t believe that whole “MSRP minimum pricing blah blah” story that both Dover and Smartpak give for a minute. Like I said, nothing but great experiences with all three, but when it comes to being thrifty and a smart shopper, I will use Stateline, then Smartpak, then Dover as a last resort.[/QUOTE]

Stateline Tack carries very few of the premium brands that Dover and Smartpak do, who use those MSRP minimum pricing rules to maintain the “premiumness” of the brand. So that’s not a particularly fair comparison.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=wronglead;8773653]

Also, Stateline Tack applies their promos to EVERYTHING, so I don’t believe that whole “MSRP minimum pricing blah blah” story that both Dover and Smartpak give for a minute. Like I said, nothing but great experiences with all three, but when it comes to being thrifty and a smart shopper, I will use Stateline, then Smartpak, then Dover as a last resort.[/QUOTE]

Stateline applies their coupons to everything because their prices are not already rock-bottom… So of course they can trim some of the excess fat off. You can choose not to believe it if you want, but Dover’s right – their premier products especially are already set at the lowest minimum they can be. You won’t find Ariats, Passier, Tailored Sportsman etc for cheaper anywhere else unless it is either last year’s stock or closeout.

[AmmyByNature]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8773634]
I am amazed at the amount of people who will see a coupon and click without reading the specifications/details of the coupon.

Apparently you CAN use the coupon - it will apply to the shipping instead of the product. Just call them if the website gives you that much headache.[/QUOTE]

I grant you this - the reason I was disappointed was that I originally thought this was NOT that sort of promotion. A while ago they did one where you got a gift card - an actual gift card - if you spent a certain amount of money. Because this offered a numerical amount rather than a percentage off I mistakenly assumed it would be more like that previous promotion.

And I did look at the fine print. The version I read listed maybe three excluded brands by name and then said “other premier brands” or something like that. I apparently didn’t realize that practically EVERYTHING Dover carries is a “premier brand.” They should really just go the opposite way and list the non-premier brands. It would be a shorter list.

And I don’t actually care about shipping - I have the stupid credit card and get pretty cheap shipping. If their goal is to give you a credit for already stupidly-high priced shipping, then just tell me you’re giving me a coupon for free shipping.

I’m just complaining. I had a bad week full of work crap and bad news on the animal health front and I just really felt like that promotion was a bit of a bait and switch. I realize that if you read the fine print it’s not, but that’s kind of the definition of a bait and switch, isn’t it? Present something as one thing to get my attention and then fine print me to death?

So just venting here. Dover’s new satisfaction guarantee is nice, but they have about 20 years of bad customer service to make up for with me, so they are still in a bit of a hole for me at least.

[beowulf]

Sorry to hear about your bad week. Maybe it’s my loyalty to Dover speaking but they have a mixed bag of premier/non-premier items and I thought the coupon (which, by the way, is a huge step in the right direction for Dover) was a great offer for customers. Maybe if you called and spoke to a representative they might be able to wrangle up something for you.

@AmmyByNature

So just venting here. Dover’s new satisfaction guarantee is nice, but they have about 20 years of bad customer service to make up for with me, so they are still in a bit of a hole for me at least.

For what it’s worth, Dover’s ‘100% Satisfaction Guarantee’ isn’t new. It’s been their policy since their inception - “Money Back, Any Time, Any Reason”. Maybe you’re thinking of SmartPak? They JUST implemented an identical policy this spring.

[ParadoxFarm]

Actually I tried to get a pair of breeches my husband wanted (men are HARD to shop for) and the breeches I wanted were not a part of Stateline’s discount. So they do not apply discounts to EVERYTHING. Nope.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8773893]

For what it’s worth, Dover’s ‘100% Satisfaction Guarantee’ isn’t new. It’s been their policy since their inception - “Money Back, Any Time, Any Reason”. Maybe you’re thinking of SmartPak? They JUST implemented an identical policy this spring.[/QUOTE]
I doubt the OP is getting her online retailers confused.

I too have had bad shopping experiences with Dover in the past. I am glad there are people who find them amazing because I am all for happy customers.
Like every place, there are always good and bad, no matter what the policy says it is.

@ParadoxFarm;8773910

Actually I tried to get a pair of breeches my husband wanted (men are HARD to shop for) and the breeches I wanted were not a part of Stateline’s discount. So they do not apply discounts to EVERYTHING. Nope.

This is my experience too. I logged on to Stateline doing some price hunting and got the pop-up for a certain percentage off on my whole order. I did the math and that made the item I wanted cheaper. I started to fill my basket (with that item and a bunch of other stuff since I was getting a discount) and almost everything I picked I got a pop-up that told me this item is already priced as low as it can be so no discount on this item. We are not talking premium brand items here, I was talking things like hay nets, one of those huge balls for the horse to play with in the paddock and some shampoo.

[beowulf]

@trubandloki;8773923

I doubt the OP is getting her online retailers confused.

She must be because she said “Dover’s new Satisfaction Guarantee is nice” – but Dover doesn’t have a new Satisfaction Guarantee. It’s the same as it’s always been. So either she’s confused by the retailers or she didn’t know the policy existed.

My experience with Dover as a customer has been exemplary – that’s as a customer. My experience as someone who has worked in tack retail is that no matter what there is always someone you cannot make happy – invariably that person always broadcasts their poor experience while the exemplary ones are scarcely mentioned.

People in retail have met their share of customers who were wrongly angry over something, and those customers tend to be the customers who take things public. It skews public perception and makes for a disproportionate reputation. Those who have been long-standing Dover customers will have recognized that this coupon is practically unprecedented for this company and is a big step in the right direction for customer feedback…

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8773952]
She must be because she said “Dover’s new Satisfaction Guarantee is nice” – but Dover doesn’t have a new Satisfaction Guarantee. It’s the same as it’s always been. So either she’s confused by the retailers or she didn’t know the policy existed.[/QUOTE]
Or maybe she just typed it wrong. Or maybe she did not know because she did have a bad experience in the past.
Lots of reasons.
Dover has not always had the best customer service in my opinion. I did not realize they had this policy in the past, but then I never really looked to see what the policy was. They frustrated me enough that though I do look on their website to do pricing comparisons I almost never buy anything from them.

[AmmyByNature]

Perfect example of why falling asleep on a couch and waking up sore and cranky is a bad time to start posting on CoTH. I should not have posted but now that I’m neck-deep in it, I feel like I am still entitled to my opinion even if I should have just kept my mouth shut.

I won’t argue that Dover hasn’t had a 100% satisfaction guarantee since the beginning of time since I honestly don’t know. All I can say is that in the '90s and '00s they certainly weren’t promoting it or voluntarily honoring it.

I would also like to say that in general I am not one to complain. I am far more likely to praise than to censure. I always try to add positive reviews and comments to things simply because I believe the same thing - people who are unhappy are far more likely to be vocal about it and I think it’s important to let it be known when things are good an companies treat me well.

I guess we differ in that I didn’t see this coupon as some sort of unprecedented gift from heaven. It’s a coupon. I’m not sure what kind of “big step” it is supposed to be. Moving to flat-rate shipping (even with a minimum purchase) would be a heck of a lot more game-changing than one $25 coupon on non-premier brands. Even a $25 gift card if you spend $150 would be more useful.

And as far as their satisfaction guarantee maybe they need to train their in-store associates better, or maybe I’m just too passive, but I actually tried to use that promise and was made to feel like such an asshole that I gave up and just stopped using the item. I wanted to return something that I had only briefly used and I felt had become far too worn considering the light use I’d give it. The girl behind the counter made me feel like I was either lying to her or that I was the biggest asshole in the world. So again - probably my fault. Maybe I could have insisted, but I’m not that kind of person so I ate the loss. Perhaps that’s why this coupon made me even crankier than usual.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8774005]
Perfect example of why falling asleep on a couch and waking up sore and cranky is a bad time to start posting on CoTH. I should not have posted but now that I’m neck-deep in it, I feel like I am still entitled to my opinion even if I should have just kept my mouth shut.

I won’t argue that Dover hasn’t had a 100% satisfaction guarantee since the beginning of time since I honestly don’t know. All I can say is that in the '90s and '00s they certainly weren’t promoting it or voluntarily honoring it.

I would also like to say that in general I am not one to complain. I am far more likely to praise than to censure. I always try to add positive reviews and comments to things simply because I believe the same thing - people who are unhappy are far more likely to be vocal about it and I think it’s important to let it be known when things are good an companies treat me well.

I guess we differ in that I didn’t see this coupon as some sort of unprecedented gift from heaven. It’s a coupon. I’m not sure what kind of “big step” it is supposed to be. Moving to flat-rate shipping (even with a minimum purchase) would be a heck of a lot more game-changing than one $25 coupon on non-premier brands. Even a $25 gift card if you spend $150 would be more useful.

And as far as their satisfaction guarantee maybe they need to train their in-store associates better, or maybe I’m just too passive, but I actually tried to use that promise and was made to feel like such an asshole that I gave up and just stopped using the item. I wanted to return something that I had only briefly used and I felt had become far too worn considering the light use I’d give it. The girl behind the counter made me feel like I was either lying to her or that I was the biggest asshole in the world. So again - probably my fault. Maybe I could have insisted, but I’m not that kind of person so I ate the loss. Perhaps that’s why this coupon made me even crankier than usual.[/QUOTE]

Up until Dover was bought out, the policy was on their front page in red ribbon (where the teal ribbon for the summer coupon is right now) and it said “MONEY BACK ANY TIME ANY REASON”. It was in angry red with yellow type. It was also stamped all over their catalog.

I say take your pants back (or whatever they were) and tell them you want to return them. Or you can send them back to their warehouse. It’s their policy and they will accept them back. Any time for any reason. If you run into a cashier or someone who is giving you trouble just ask for the manager or supervisor. Regarding the coupon, I really wasn’t saying it was God’s Gift Upon Us, I was just trying to point out that they are obviously listening to social media complaints and concerns. It really is an unprecedented coupon FOR Dover (not you) to have the coupon discount their shipping or the item and I was really surprised when I saw it in my inbox this weekend. Historically they have never had a coupon discount shipping besides the free 3-day upgrade around Christmas.

There’s many things about Dover I will not defend but the transparency of their return policy is not one of them: they have ALWAYS promoted that their policy was the best thing about their company and it was always front and center on every page of print or webpage they had until the buy-out. There’s a few older threads that discuss quite openly how transparent Dover has been about their return policy.