Harbor Freight 20% off coupons ended?

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    Harbor Freight 20% off coupons ended?

    Hey, did I miss something? Has Harbor Freight ended the practice of sending frequent 20% (and sometimes 25%) off single items coupons? And all the free stuff (voltmeters, tape measure, scissors, flashlights) coupons?
    They used to come regularly to me in one or two ways including mail flyers and those coupon packs in the mail and e-mail and some magazines.

    Now I haven't seen any in a couple of months. About to go buy something and my HF coupon slot is EMPTY. after clearing out the expired ones.

    ????

    What happened?
    Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-29-2021, 06:36 PM.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    #2
    I noticed that I was not getting them either. They have been intently focusing on introducing new tools and new brands as though they are trying to improve their image - and increasing prices on new items to match.

    They used to do the 20% coupons in different magazines but I haven't seen any there lately either.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

    Comment

    • LCHIEN
      Internet Fact Checker
      • Dec 2002
      • 20914
      • Katy, TX, USA.
      • BT3000 vintage 1999

      #3
      I guess its true, the cashier said something about yes its ended and replaced by specific 20% off sales on items. Of course, what I want is not on sale.

      Still a 15" adjustable wrench for $14 is pretty inexpensive.

      But $11.20 would be better.
      Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-30-2021, 01:52 AM.
      Loring in Katy, TX USA
      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

      Comment

      • capncarl
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 3564
        • Leesburg Georgia USA
        • SawStop CTS

        #4
        We ( customers ) took their bait and shopped there. Now they have us hooked on less expensive tools they have removed the bait.

        Comment

        • leehljp
          Just me
          • Dec 2002
          • 8429
          • Tunica, MS
          • BT3000/3100

          #5
          When they see their sales drop off ever so slightly, hopefully they will reconsider.
          Hank Lee

          Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

          Comment

          • LCHIEN
            Internet Fact Checker
            • Dec 2002
            • 20914
            • Katy, TX, USA.
            • BT3000 vintage 1999

            #6
            Do you think the quality of their tools is going up? Seems like it's been getting better slowly for years now. Fit and finish is improving, anyways.

            But the other (bad news) possibility is that I'm getting used to the same old crap, haha.
            Loring in Katy, TX USA
            If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
            BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

            Comment

            • woodturner
              Veteran Member
              • Jun 2008
              • 2047
              • Western Pennsylvania
              • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

              #7
              They have decreased the frequency of the free and percent off coupons that are available publicly. Now they email targeted percent off and free coupons, but also send more to ITC members. They are apparently trying to drive more people to buy ITC memberships.
              --------------------------------------------------
              Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

              Comment

              • cwsmith
                Veteran Member
                • Dec 2005
                • 2737
                • NY Southern Tier, USA.
                • BT3100-1

                #8
                I've had the same thoughts, and wondered if the drop off caused by pandemic's lower traffic had anything to do with it. The slow traffic would certainly make tracking marketing changes a challenge. You would know if a sales drop was a result of the pandemic or product changes that were made.

                Frankly, I don't understand the concept of 'New Tool Tuesday" or the fact that they've decided to put so many new brands into the stores. Similarly, having their tool cabinets in a half-dozen different colors. In our local store, the stock keeps getting moved and I'm left wondering what did they get rid of in order to now have a new brand or a bright orange cabinet now added to the floor space.

                Admittedly, my frequency of visits to the store has dropped off considerably. Largely due to the fact that too many other shoppers were going with their mask below their nose ("chin breathers").

                The "free" items doesn't bother me at all, but I do miss the coupons.

                CWS
                Think it Through Before You Do!

                Comment

                • LCHIEN
                  Internet Fact Checker
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 20914
                  • Katy, TX, USA.
                  • BT3000 vintage 1999

                  #9
                  There's no more 20% off, not less frequent but gone. Haven't seen one since January or so.
                  Got 17 emails in 19 days. lots of advertised sales as usual but no universal coupons.
                  Mail flyers have seem to have dried up completely.
                  $30 annual fee for their ITC membership apparently gets you 5% off on every purchase and 10% off the first purchase after you register.
                  Last edited by LCHIEN; 04-30-2021, 12:34 PM.
                  Loring in Katy, TX USA
                  If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                  BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                  Comment

                  • ballard770
                    Established Member
                    • Jan 2016
                    • 140
                    • Washington State
                    • Ryobi BT3000

                    #10
                    I recently received an email offering a 10% discount on the first purchase made with with a new harbor freight credit card. I briefly thought of applying for the card and using the 10% discount to buy a stationary belt sander and a 14” bandsaw. As I have been avoiding organizing my infamous crowded garage I don’t think any new tools, particularly a floor model bandsaw is real smart right now and getting another credit card to save $50 or so is not worth it to me.
                    As far as the freebies with purchase I have three multimeters (one has stopped working), four small LED flahlights that no longer work or can’t be found and three tape measures that work but aren’t nearly as good as Stanley.

                    I tend to avoid harbor freight for items subject to torque such as screwdriver bits ( have had Phillips bits fracture while driving screws) or something that could fail and cause damage or a loss such as some carribiner clips I used for keys and two of them had bad springs that failed and I could have lost my keys. If I can get an item from Grizzly or Harbor freight I usually opt for Grizzly as I only have to drive additional 30 miles to the Bellingham grizzly store.

                    I have noticed, in this forum, that several members have had pretty good results with some of the harbor freight power tools and perhaps treat them as rentals if they fail sooner than branded tools. I will consider that in the future.

                    This is totally off the wall of this subject, but the Seattle Times had an article online about thefts of catalytic converters and they had photos of the tools used. There were two cordless tools that looked like Ryobi, a reciprocating saw and a grinder plus a multitude of blades that were in a car along with some catalytic converters that had been cut out of other cars.

                    Comment

                    • woodturner
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jun 2008
                      • 2047
                      • Western Pennsylvania
                      • General, Sears 21829, BT3100

                      #11
                      Originally posted by LCHIEN
                      There's no more 20% off, not less frequent but gone. Haven't seen one since January or so.
                      Got 17 emails in 19 days. lots of advertised sales as usual but no universal coupons.
                      Mail flyers have seem to have dried up completely.
                      $30 annual fee for their ITC membership apparently gets you 5% off on every purchase and 10% off the first purchase after you register.
                      I received a 25% off coupon in March and a 20% off coupon in April. There was reportedly also a 30% off coupon for ITC members, but I'm not a member so can't confirm first hand.

                      Not sure how they decide who gets the coupons, I'm guessing some algorithm that evaluates purchase history. I essentially never shop HF unless I have a coupon, so that may be why I keep getting coupons.
                      --------------------------------------------------
                      Electrical Engineer by day, Woodworker by night

                      Comment

                      • jussi
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jan 2007
                        • 2162

                        #12
                        To it seems like they replaced the coupon with their membership program. I get plenty of emails regarding that
                        I reject your reality and substitute my own.

                        Comment

                        • Carlos
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2004
                          • 1893
                          • Phoenix, AZ, USA.

                          #13
                          I weaned off of them and unsubscribed some years ago. I just find that there's nothing there I need any more. Tools...got plenty, and if I'm buying, it's to get a higher end tool, not a cheap one. I don't use air tools any more as they were totally usurped by Lipo; that had been a good reason to go to HF. I went in there around six months ago, probably spent $20, and meh.

                          Comment

                          • jamieoliver
                            Handtools only
                            • Jul 2022
                            • 1

                            #14
                            Maybe they forget or whatever. Did you contact them and ask why it suddenly ended? flixdle

                            Comment

                            • dbhost
                              Slow and steady
                              • Apr 2008
                              • 9209
                              • League City, Texas
                              • Ryobi BT3100

                              #15
                              I have noticed over the last 3 months or so, the 20% off coupons seem to be making a comeback. I guess someone in the C suite at Harbor Freight got the memo...
                              Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

                              Comment

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