Tesco is taking action against a viral social media trend that allowed shoppers to obtain baskets of free sweets at self-service checkouts. The so-called 'Tesco Method' involved using a coupon barcode shared on TikTok, which originated from a customer complaint and was intended for single use only.
The trend gained traction as hundreds of shoppers screen-grabbed the barcode and used it to get free items such as Maltesers, Fruit Pastilles, and Starbursts. However, savings expert Holly Smith, known as the Coupon Queen, has warned that this practice constitutes coupon fraud and could lead to bans from supermarkets.
Smith explained that the coupon was unique to one customer and sharing it publicly means manufacturers will not reimburse Tesco for multiple uses. 'At the end of the day, when Tesco sends the coupons to the manufacturer to get £1 back per bag, the manufacturer scans the barcode. If it has been used once already, they will not pay out,' she said.
Tesco is reportedly aware of the issue and is implementing a fix to prevent further misuse of the coupon. The supermarket chain has not commented publicly, but the crackdown aims to stop what is effectively considered stealing under coupon fraud laws.
