So I go on the Joann's website and see that the football fabric is on sale. I go to the store and they say that it isnt on sale. I told them that it is on sale on their website and they tell me that things online is sometimes not on sale at the store. Can you believe that!! Dont they match prices? I should print off the sale on their website and take it to the store and have them match it!

I was at the store today and I swear they NEVER have what I'm looking for!!
People on the board say they got blah blah at JA's and I go and never find it
Very frustrating :)

Same thing happened to me...they said the website and the stores are two different entities and run different sales...I've never heard that line before either.

Well if they are two different entitites then they need to honor the price if I show it to them...... this sucks!!

I've found that it's not uncommon for the same company to have an item on sale on the internet but not in their store. Seems to me that the stores would not want to cause this kind of confusion and customer dissatisfaction.

I am not too impressed with JoAnn's anymore. I don't like their fliers because you have to read the small print, and the selection isn't that great. I think they need to match the prices on the internet. Why not?

Has anyone tried that yet? Matching their online prices????

That happened to my daughter. She wanted flannel, on sale on their website for less that $2, which is a great deal, but when she got to the store, there was no such sale!! Very frustrating when you don't have much time to shop....

My store (clothing) is the same way. Our promos will say on-line only and we don't honor the same promos all the time. On-line uses a different warehouse. It's frustrating from a customer perspective but they have legal teams that go over the wording on everything. It takes forever to change our return policy because of legalities.

Recently I saw an item online that was on sale and, like you, got to the store and it was not on sale. I went home and printed out the sale item page, went back, and they honored it. No hassle. Maybe each store is different.

I agree. Also, their coupons are for specific days scattered through the month. I can't afford to travel that distance with gas so high to hit the sales. I wished they'd go back to a coupon that could be used any time during the month.

Well I am going to print out the price and see what happens tomorrow!

Bath & Body Works does the same thing. Their store prices aren't always the same as online and they won't match prices :(

I just purchased an Accuquilt GO about 10 days ago and they price matched an Amazon ad. I was told they would price match any ad.

I was buying something a JA's and it was on sale on line. When I told the girl checking me out, she rang it up at the online price. Our JA's is great! They take Michael's coupons and their staff is always willing to help you find something.

Well I sure hope they give me the online price!

I bought a pair of 5" curved tipped embroidery Gingher scissors on line & wanted the 4" instead. I tried taking them back to JoAnns & they wouldn't do an exchange! I was so mad! But they too said they can't because they don't always have the same products :o(

Yes I did it with an Oliso iron and they honored the online sale price.

this is purely guesswork on my part. i haven't done any fact-checking, so don't take my theory as gospel.

it's almost certainly less expensive for any business the size of Joann's to sell online, directly from their warehouse(s). it's also possible that at that tier of the business' structure they have data showing which fabrics are "moving" and which are not as popular in the shops and, therefore, "getting dusty".

my guess is that they put things on sale via the internet site in order to clear them out and make space for new products. or as a promotional strategy to keep the brand visible and popular among a broader spectrum of the customer base.

have you ever looked at the fine print flashed on the bottom of a TV ad for a chain restaurant? they'll advertise a special to the whole country. the fine print says things like "at participating stores." or "prices may vary." so, you go to your local Olive Garden in search of that bottomless bowl of pasta, only to have the waiter look at you as though you just landed from Mars. :lol:

in my own experience, whether or not a local store will honor an online price varies from store to store. Our local Papa John's Pizza, for example, will honor any PJP coupon - even if they didn't know about them. (our manager says corporate drives them crazy doing that. :lol: ) the Hancock's nearest me will do the same when it comes to online vs. in-store.

i can't address the nearest Joann's, specifically, since i'm usually too lazy to drive the extra two miles down the road from the Hancock's or LQS. :lol:

try this to see if it's a system that works for you:
(1) calculate the difference between the online price - with shipping added - and what you'd pay if you went to the store and found it wasn't on sale. (don't forget to factor in the intangible value of shopping in your fuzzy slippers. :lol: )
(2) if you save money, buy it online. if not, and you much prefer to shop in person anyway, then make the trip to the store.

:-)

What scares me is what would I do without Joanns sale prices?Have not ordered on line, but most stores have diff prices in their shops & on line. JC Penneys is one...same for Most places.The coupons say that & so does their on line info.
I can manage with Joanns,as long as I don't have to buy notions in a LQS :-)

I also so a side-winder bobbin winder on the web site which wasn't on sale. When I called the store, they told me to bring in a copy of the online sale, and they would match it.

I did as they asked and had no problem!

Walmart is the same way. They won't honor internet prices in the store. Books-A-Million is the one that grinds my gears. The books I wanted were 1/2 the price online versus the retail store price. The clerk told me they are not even the same company!
It scalds me since everyone is all about shopping local and keeping the brick and mortar stores going, but the corporate suits sure don't make it easy for the customer to do.

business is business.

don't let it scald you. just buy from the places who do business in ways you like.

Here in Massachusetts - JoAnn's won't except coupons from Michaels! - was told because they were bought over by Michaels that is the policy. Now that we hear rumors that they (JoAnn's) are being bought over again I wonder what we are going to miss.

Actually all sites are like that. Just as there are in store specials for a particular day if you happen to come in the same holds true for online sales specials not in the retail store. Online sales are there to draw people to start buying from a website and usually is on certain items only just as you would find for an in store special for a particular day.

Personally I'd rather get it online if I can instead of having to drive some 25-30 miles hoping I will find what I want on sale.

I have to say JoAnn's is great here compared to Hancock's. Better selection of fabric, looks clean and good quality, and prices are also good. Hancock's has cheap looking material and what they do have that is good quality is way much higher than JoAnn's.

I was told that. Just before Christmas my husband and I went in to our local Joann's. Ont he website they had the Bias tape maker for 66.00, but the sale was for the next day. I printed out the ad and showed the manager, she gave me the website price plus an extra discount on my other purchases. I think it is the mood of the manager that sets the tone for the store.

The Hancock's I go to, they do the same thing for me. I can go in there and they match prices and even take Joann's coupons for me.

My only question to y'all is if you see it on sale online why would you waste time, gas, and such to go buy it retail?

Most online sites will even give you free shipping if you buy a certain dollar amount which is not usually that much such as $40 or so.

I've been very pleased each time I've ordered online from such fabric stores.

I have tried to get my local Joann Fabrics to honor their online price for warm and natural, and they won't do it. They will charge me $400 and something for a roll, but I buy it online for $179 on sale with free shipping usually. Ad, the UPS guy brings it in my house!!!!

Joann's does not have a membership here. no point in complaining here.

by phone: 1-888-739-4120
(M-F 9am -8pm, Sat 9am-6pm EST)

by fax: 1-330-463-6760

by mail: Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores
5555 Darrow Road
Hudson, Ohio 44236