Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons

JoeH wrote:
Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons and the "free" trinkets like little flashlights,etc. Haven't seen any of these coupons in a few months, at least in Florida .

Covid happened.

Yep

They also dropped their paper catalog and went to a digital catalog.
The stuff they used to give away is now being offered at a lower price, with a coupon.
And they are coming out with better quality (?) merchandise.
At least that's my observations.

larry cad wrote:

JoeH wrote:
Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons and the "free" trinkets like little flashlights,etc. Haven't seen any of these coupons in a few months, at least in Florida .

Covid happened.

Actually HF dropped the "free" trinket thing "BC" (BEFORE Covid)at least two yrs ago, 20% off coupons and printed "catalogs" (which were nothing more than a 6 page sales flier which had higher prices than in store pricing) are a more recent thing..

I remember a time when HF used to send out real catalogs..

And by the way, don't bother signing up with your email address, all they do is spam you with all the "new additions" in hopes to lure you into buying it..

You can get the same info by accessing their online "catalog" from their website..

SEE HERE

"HAVEN'T RECEIVED A PRINT CATALOG FROM US? HERE'S WHY

We've changed the way we deliver the great savings you count on at Harbor Freight. We've moved from sending printed coupons and mailed monthly catalogs, to a digital format that makes it possible to send you even more savings, more often. You can find our very latest offers on our website—the same website you're on right now—but the best way to learn about our promotions is by email. When you sign up to receive our emails, you’ll get great savings sent directly to your inbox. You can also find the latest savings and deals on our new Harbor Freight Mobile App for IOS and Android phones. It’s free and available for download at both the App Store and Google Play.

Why did we make this change? We're always looking to make everything we do better for our customers—the tools we sell, the values we provide, and the way we help you save. And providing these savings digitally offers a lot more for our customers:

No more lost or late delivery—just check your inbox or our website
You learn about the latest deals the instant they’re available—no more waiting a month for new deals and savings by mail
Click on any item to get product information, reviews, product videos—everything you need to choose the right tool for your needs"


Honestly, they have used multiple sales gimmicks with catalog pricing, in store pricing, sales flyer pricing, 20% off pricing it made trying to figure out if it was a good deal or not.. Must of been hard for their accounting staff to figure it out themselves..

Now they seem to be using the "one low price strategy" which pretends to lower prices by removing coupons and discount pricing.. I would bet that the "buyers club" pricing has gotten leaned up..

With Sears headed toward extinction there aren't a lot of places to buy tools, especially automotive stuff. Their quality is headed upmarket with new brands like Icon and Bauer. I just bought a $69 Bauer trim router and it's almost identical to the $99 Makita at HD.

If you the math, the ad coupons are always about 20% off, and the general 20% off coupon excluded compressors, welders, Bauer, and a laundry list of other stuff to the point it was only good on a bag of zip ties.

Honestly I like where they are going...you can still buy the cheap junk I-only-need-it-one-time tools, but you can get some quality stuff too, so you pay for what you need.

In my opinion, no longer having the 20% off coupon is a deal breaker for me unless I need something that's very inexpensive to begin with. Most of what Harbor Freight sells isn't worth the price they charge. If I have to pay full price for junk, I'll pay more elsewhere and buy better quality which is what I do most of the time anyway. Even their top of the line tools that they've begun selling are inferior. I watch a lot of videos comparing Harbor Freight Tools to name brand tools and they just don't hold up. I only buy things like zip ties or tools I'll only use a few times or the occasional caster, hand tool...things like that so just buying elsewhere is what I'll do now that the coupons aren't available.

BurbMan wrote:
With Sears headed toward extinction there aren't a lot of places to buy tools, especially automotive stuff. Their quality is headed upmarket with new brands like Icon and Bauer. I just bought a $69 Bauer trim router and it's almost identical to the $99 Makita at HD.

If you the math, the ad coupons are always about 20% off, and the general 20% off coupon excluded compressors, welders, Bauer, and a laundry list of other stuff to the point it was only good on a bag of zip ties.

Honestly I like where they are going...you can still buy the cheap junk I-only-need-it-one-time tools, but you can get some quality stuff too, so you pay for what you need.

Their upscale tools look like the name brand tools but it's what's inside that makes them cheaper and inferior. I follow Project Farm on youtube. He does a lot of testing of all kinds of products to find out which is the best bang for the buck. Harbor Freight stuff rarely does well. Even the "good" stuff they sell.

Harbor Freight is opening a NEW Store in town next to us....18 miles away which is a heck of a lot closer then the only other Harbor Freight that is 40 miles away

I do not use Harbor Freight for tools......Dad always said buy quality tools ONCE

But I do use them for stuff....
Only other place to get stuff is ACE or Home Depot so it's a mixed bag with the new Harbor Freight going in

Insider Track has some good prices

RobWNY wrote:
In my opinion, no longer having the 20% off coupon is a deal breaker for me unless I need something that's very inexpensive to begin with. Most of what Harbor Freight sells isn't worth the price they charge. If I have to pay full price for junk, I'll pay more elsewhere and buy better quality which is what I do most of the time anyway. Even their top of the line tools that they've begun selling are inferior. I watch a lot of videos comparing Harbor Freight Tools to name brand tools and they just don't hold up. I only buy things like zip ties or tools I'll only use a few times or the occasional caster, hand tool...things like that so just buying elsewhere is what I'll do now that the coupons aren't available.

I compare pricing and if the price is cheaper on Amazon and I don't need the item right away, I will order similar Chinese import item from Amazon.

Sometimes HF wins, sometimes Amazon wins.

Since the USA made old time Sears Craftsman tools left the building, it left a pretty big hole in my area for quality tools.. Now that that brand has been sold off, it is no longer quality stuff like it was..

I have a HF store less than 18 minutes away, so they do come in handy, the downside though is unlike a Sears store, HF doesn't have a very complete line of anything for mechanics tools and accessories and buying just ONE specific size socket instead of an entire kit doesn't happen at HF..

Most of their items work satisfactorily for me as long as I realize that they are not "lifetime" tools which will be handed down through generations of family.. I am OK with that if the tool gets the job done.