Save a Boatload of Money by Using Employee Discounts

Here's a GREAT money saving tip left by a commenter on the Consumerist's post titled Working the System to Save 17% on New Windows:

Just get a friend that works at Lowes or get a part time seasonal job there. They offered us 40% off of Pella windows this year and I got my Dyson vacuum for 65% off.  Just remember that the employee needs to purchase and have delivered to their house if you are getting big orders that you can't pick up.

So, one way you can save a bundle on something you want at a store is to ask a friend who works there to buy it for you using his/her discount. If it's a big enough item (and the savings is great enough), a part-time job may even be worth it.

Anyone ever tried this? If so, share your story to inspire the rest of us. 

Update: As noted in the comments below, some retailers do not allow employees to do this (while others are ok with it and even encourage it.) Be sure to check the company's policies to determine you're using the discount in an approved manner.

Comments

[Kevin]

We did the same thing with the camcorder we bought for Christmas this year. My brother-in-law got a part-time job at Best Buy and got us a $40 discount on a $250 camera.

[Dave]

I'm not sure of how ethical this is, especially if you're having the purchase shipped to someone else's house. If the employer is fine with employees purchasing for others, that's different.

[Travis Williams]

This is against most companies policies. Employee discounts are typically allowed only for the employee and immediate family members. If this is the case, then this would be a scam and unethical. If the company does not have this rule then I say go for it.

I have worked at Wal-Mart and Lowes and have seen several people be fired for using their discounts in this way so I recommend being careful if doing this.

I'm not sure if they still do this, but when I worked at Lowes they offered a 20% discount to employees for the materials to build a house. This could only be used once but it might be worth a part-time job to some folks.

[FMF]

A few thoughts:

1. Of course, if it's against company policy, don't do it.

2. For big-ticket items, it may be worth taking a part-time job to get the discount, as noted above.

3. Ask your friends if the store where they work offers a "friends and family" discount. Many retailers do this at various times throughout the year to try and spur sales.

[Morydd]

Most companies consider using your employee discount for others to be a termination offense. Also, this is why Home Depot doesn't offer an employee discount at all.

[Lily]

I used to work at Target. The policy then was that the discount was for immediate family only, under penalty of termination. Of course, it was a crappy 10% discount that barely covered sales tax. Still, better than nothing, I suppose.

I'm not sure I would get a part-time job just for big-ticket items, but that's because my full-time job is already a handful. I suppose every person needs to do his or her own cost-benefit analysis, but for me putting in the hours doesn't make sense.

Moreover, what happens when you've made your purchase? I think quitting immediately makes the whole scheme unethical, since you wasted the store's dollars and hours to hire and train you, scored a discount, then screwed them out of an employee. Sticking around may also not make sense unless you were already planning to use a part-time job as an additional income stream. I prefer to avoid that sticky situation altogether.

[Becky]

I have a friend who works for the parent company of North Face and Jansport. They encourage their employees to order things for friends and family with their discount. I've used it to get a really nice backpacking tent at a 40% discount!

[Money Blue Book]

Works great with cell phone contracts too! I saved a bunch of money simply by punching in my old school email address.
-Raymond

[Rob]

I was a loss prevention supervisor for a large store of a major chain and we investigated this type of activity, as it was both against policy, and a fraudulent act. Unless you know for sure that the company in question officially allows such a discount for friends, do not let an employee give you an employee discount. I would edit this post, as the posting from FMF seem to imply that it is ok to go against policy on this. FMF makes it clear on the comments page that this type of offense is not supported, but many readers may not see the comment and may jump to the other conclusion, reading just the posting. Thanks.