Complaint Review: Harbor Freight Tools

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Harbor Freight uses coupons to get you in the store, like a lot of stores. You should know before you head out to their store, the coupon that prompted your visit is likely not valid for the item you had in mind. Maybe they think you will buy the item anyway.  If you read the fine print on the coupon. (This requires a microscope) You will be amazed at the huge number of things that you cannot use the coupon to purchase.

Just one instance: Coupon 49395528 has the following bolded text that is printed at the bottom of the coupon and occupies less than ½ square inch (about half of a postage stamp). This text was provided via a corporate customer service person as the usage limitations for coupon 49395528.

“Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased.*Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track Club membership, Extended Service Plan, Gift Card, open box item, 3 day parking lot sale item, Compressors, Floor Jacks, Saw mills, Storage Cabinets, Chests or Carts, Trailers, Trenchers, Welders, Admiral, CoverPro, Daytona, Diablo, Franklin, Hercules, Holt, Jupiter, Predator, Stik-Tek, StormCat, Union, Vangaard, Viking. Not valid on prior purchases, Non-transferable, and original coupon must be presented”

Do they really expect that someone would actually read the fine print? 

I was trying to purchase this Tool Box/ Cart (actually called "Roller Cart") using the above 20 percent off coupon. Notice the word “Carts” in the description of the disallowed items. A cart is pretty much anything with 4 wheels. According to the customer service person, the coupon was disallowed because it was a “cart” and a chest and a storage cabinet “and Storage Cabinets, Chests and Carts are disallowed” Notice that tool boxes are not disallowed. Am I silly or is this a tool box with wheels?

I asked the customer service person if I could purchase this Welding Cart using the same coupon and get the 20% off. I was told “Yes the coupon would be valid for 20% off the purchase of the welding cart", and it clearly is a “Cart” used to Storewelding stuff. Interesting huh.  No logic  just words. Maybe it only comes with 3 wheels.  

So clearly the 20% off coupon is good for some things, and the list of limitations could be used to disallowed any single item and just to make sure we have the"*Cannot be used with other discount" catch all. This would clearly disallow any item in the store since every single item in the store is discounted as compared to "retail". You might want to call and ask to see what interpretation of the words are at any given point in time. img.grim.cc/HFT%20Coupons.html