Lets face it, sometimes an item that we really want is on sale at the wrong time. Perhaps funds are low that week or you don’t have a coupon for that item. Or you would like to stock up but the store is out of stock. Enter the raincheck, a shoppers best friend.

What is a rain-check?

When an item is advertised on sale, and the store is out of stock you can ask the store for a raincheck which is a slip of paper that a store employee fills out with the required information and for which you can return at a later date to obtain the product that was out of stock at a later date.

When can you or can your not get a raincheck?

In most cases if an item is advertised as being on sale via an advertisement (print ad, television spot, radio spot, etc) and the store that is advertising the item on sale has run out of stock during the specified sales dates you are usually entitled to a raincheck so that you can purchase that item at the advertised sales price when the item is back in stock. There are a few exceptions to this rule however. Retailers do not have to issue a raincheck if there is exclusionary wording in the ad. Some common examples of such wording can be:

• While supplies last
• Limited to stock on hand
• No rainchecks

In essence if the advertisement says something to the affect that the sale is somehow limited and no rainchecks will be issued then in most cases you are not entitled to a raincheck.

Does a store have to give me a raincheck if they are out of stock?

There are consumer laws out there that regulate the issuance of rainchecks and they vary from state to state. But in essence in most states a store is required to issue a raincheck for items that are advertised on sale and are out of stock within the advertised sale dates, unless there is exclusionary wording in the ad such as the examples above. The reason why there are consumer laws on rainchecks is because some unscrupulous stores will advertise a hot item at a deep discount in order to get customers in the store. However they never carried the advertised product and instead hope that you will purchase another item instead of the advertised product. This is basically bait and switch and is illegal in most states. Consumer laws therefore have been put into place to protect shoppers from being lured into a store for a hot sale only to find no product in stock. However in some states a retailers has the option of offering either a raincheck or a comparable product at the same price as the item on sale. To find out more about consumer laws in your specific state you may wish to do a internet search on your states consumer laws.

How do I get a raincheck?

If you are shopping and an advertised item is out of stock all you need to do is go to the customer service desk and ask for a raincheck. If you are purchasing other items you can also ask your cashier for a raincheck and most of the time the cashier can issue you one. Each store has its own policy on rainchecks so you may want to ask the person issuing you your raincheck what the policy is. Some stores have an expiration date on their rainchecks, these can be anywhere from 30 days to 90 days while other stores rainchecks never expire. Some stores will ask you for your phone number or other contact information so that they can call you and let you know when the item is in stock. This is usually a practice of smaller retailers or more high-end retailers. Rainchecks can also have a limit written on them as to how many of the specified product you can purchase at the sale price with your raincheck.

5 raincheck tips!

1. When grocery shopping look for clear spaces on the store shelves and make a note of what it is and what flavor, size or variety that is out of stock. If for example Coca-Cola 2-liter bottles are on sale for $0.70 each but the store is out of Diet Coke, you can often ask for a raincheck just because the store is out of just one flavor. Most of the time the raincheck will be issued for the advertised sale item (Coca-Cola products) and not just the specific variety that was out of stock.
2. Once you have your raincheck, plan for additional savings. Find coupons to help discount the sale price even further. Getting a raincheck is a great time extender to afford additional time to the sale so take advantage of the extra 30 or more days to print, purchase or trade for coupons to go with your raincheck.
3. If you had a coupon to go with the advertised sale and it is about to expire, try explaining to the store manager that you wanted to buy the advertised product with a coupon but they are out of stock and you are afraid that your coupon will expire by the time the product is back in stock. Often times the manager will offer to write you a raincheck that also includes the additional discount that your coupon would have given you.
4. If a product that you really want to buy is advertised at a great sales price, go to the store in the middle of the sales period to see if the item is out of stock. If it is, get a raincheck. Then go back in at the end of the sales period and if the item is still out of stock go ahead and get another raincheck.
5. When you are at the customer service desk or cashier getting your raincheck and if the store employee asks you how many of the advertised priced items you would like to get with your raincheck go ahead and ask for multiples. If your family members love Coca-Cola, go ahead and ask for a limit of 30 or 50 and stock up.

Do you have a raincheck tip that you would like to share? We would love to hear it, feel free to leave a comment below.