It sounds like an extreme couponer’s dream – more free-item coupons than you might be able to use in a lifetime. And they could all be yours, for real!
Cheese maker Tillamook has launched a contest, in which the grand prize is 100 pounds of cheese – or approximately 200 packages of its sliced, shredded or block cheese – plus, precisely 3,618 coupons for even more free cheese.
Yes, that is a lot of cheese. If you used one coupon a week, it would take you nearly 70 years to use them all. If you used one coupon every day, it would take you a slightly more manageable ten years to finish them off.
From now until the end of the day next Thursday, February 20th, you can enter the contest at www.tillamook.com/boatload-of-cheese by providing your name and email address.
Be warned, though, the site experienced problems throughout the day yesterday. There was a surge in submissions when early birds found out the first 15,000 entrants would get a link to a printable coupon for a free package of Tillamook cheese. Those coupons quickly ran out. But winning one wasn’t easy, as submitting the form often resulted in an error message, even after the printable coupons ran out.
“We are currently experiencing higher than normal volumes, which is causing a delay in submissions,” Tillamook explained to fans. “We recommend continuing to submit as the form will eventually go through. Your patience is greatly appreciated!”
Those who got lucky and got a printable coupon will need to strategize on how and where to use it. It’s good for a Tillamook cheese product valued at up to $6, but it’s a free-item coupon and not a $6 off coupon, so you won’t get overage and a cashier will have to write in the actual amount of the product you buy.
And some stores won’t accept it. The official rules state that the coupons are “redeemable at any grocery store that sells Tillamook products (except Costco, Target, and any other retailer that decides, in its discretion, not to accept the coupon).” That no-go list is a little longer than just Costco and Target, though. Walmart’s coupon policy, for example, states that “we do not accept internet coupons for free items with no purchase requirements.” And Albertsons says “we will not accept ‘free product’ internet or digital printed manufacturer coupons.” So check your stores’ coupon policies before you try to use it, since some will happily accept it if all of the purchase requirements are met – but you want to be sure of that before you shop.
As for all that cheese that’s going to fill one lucky winner’s fridge, the “boatload of cheese” giveaway is in honor of a new brand campaign celebrating the maiden voyage of the boat that first brought Tillamook products beyond the Oregon coast 116 years ago.
The winner will have to figure out what to do with the first 100 pounds of cheese that shows up at their door. Fondue party for the entire neighborhood, anyone? From there, they can decide how fast they want to receive and use the coupons. “The coupons will be mailed over time and when agreed upon with the winner,” since “the winner might want to receive batches of coupons over the course of several years,” the rules state. Each coupon expires approximately six months after delivery, so best not to accept them all at once unless you have a few extra refrigerators, or a whole lot of fondue fans in your neighborhood.
“Generations of dairy fans have fueled our passion for delivering premium cheddar, and that’s why we are going overboard this year by gifting a literal boatload of cheese,” Tillamook’s Executive Vice President of Marketing Kate Boltin said in a statement.
The winner will be chosen on February 21st and notified soon thereafter. So if you were one of the lucky first 15,000 who got a coupon, enjoy it – and know that there could be 3,618 more coming your way very shortly.
Image source: Tillamook
