Availability/unavailability oddity

[RCKCreatEnt]

This Dave's Gourmet pasta sauce is eligible for cash back only at Whole Foods and Fresh Market. I'm at a Whole Foods right now and can't find it there, nor could I find it at another Whole Foods location this past Tuesday.  Incredibly enough, though, I found it at a Kroger last night but no cash back from Kroger

[Loves2Save]

Yep, happens to me ALL the time! The specific store limitations are what makes it hard to get new users to understand the app too. Just makes it more challenging. I just posted about buying something accidentally at a store that didn’t qualify.

[RCKCreatEnt]

@Loves2Save I don't get why Ibotta doesn't offer an Any Grocery/Convenience Store option when they're so particular about what store they'll offer cash back from when they're not available at most of the stores. 

This is particularly the case with the Lipton 20 oz Southern Sweet and Georgia Peach ice teas. To date I've found the Georgia Peach only at QuikTrip (ineligible) and Raceway (completed the FAO there) and the Southern Sweet only at QuikTrip (ineligible) and time's a wastin' on the FAO

[Loves2Save]

@RCKCreatEnt 

I don’t have those stores, and no tea to be found here. I did have that with the babybel plus, the life water, the Buddha bars, and a few others. Always found in stores that don’t qualify, never in ones that  do. 
I’m actually confused why it’s so store specific. I understand brands can pick what they want, but don’t understand why they limit it when they supply things to other stores. I guess it just creates a treasure hunt. 

[RCKCreatEnt]

@Loves2Save Hungry Buddha has definitely been a 'Nessie'/Moby ∆!¢k/yeti/ Sasquatch item for me everywhere 

Lifewatr was a Walmart exclusive FAO for me maybe 3 weeks ago. It frustrated the tar out of me when I scanned my receipt and didn't register. Somehow the barcode scanner on the phone I'm using now is largely non-functional so as often is the case I had to manually enter the barcode, then got a 'does not match' message. I was going to jump on chili with Ibotta care when I finally realized I had to buy an Immune Support but I bought a pH Balanced - I think that's what it was.  If I'm not mistaken I only got the 10 centaroos Any Bottled Water offer but after licking my wounds I got the right thing and the FAO the next day

[Rickibotta]

@Loves2Save 

ibotta is funded by affiliate commissions with retailers, not manufacturers.   So it isn't Kind that pays ibotta money to essentially 'advertise' for them, it is Walmart or Target, etc.

So that is why ibotta doesn't just let you do all stores for a product. 

This is also why ibotta can't just do an any retailer offer for a product. 

I am not sure where the 'any item or any brand' offers come from.  I do not know if ibotta eats all of that, or if perhaps a certain amount or percentage of amounts are paid by all retailers that fund these amounts per some agreement in participating with ibotta..

@LaraL please correct me where needed if you happen to know, and to the extent you are allowed.  I see similar questions or comments from time to time, and this is my understanding at least of how it works.

[Loves2Save]

@Rickibotta  🤔 would have never guessed that. Especially since we often get FAO for completely new items that aren’t even in stores yet. That’s actually really surprising to hear the stores pay. Thanks for your insight.

I have seen brands advertise Ibotta though. A2 milk emails me with coupon offers that link and send you to Ibotta, not actual coupons anymore. So, maybe we don’t know the whole story.

[Rickibotta]

@Loves2Save 

Nope we don't. If we knew it all, what fun would that be?  😀

[LaraL]

@Rickibotta That's pretty much spot on, and as for Any Item offers those are paid for by us generally.

[RCKCreatEnt]

Now make it FIVE Atlanta area Whole Foods locations that aren't carrying Dave's Gourmet pasta sauce. Granted, the suckers are 7-8 buckaroos at the 1 Kroger where I found it

Sooner or later I'm going to have to pay a visit to a Fresh Market, which has also become a second option for the Munk Pack single granola bar FAO, previously a Publix exclusive. This FAO rolled out last summer and almost a year later it's STILL an FAO for me because it has remained a 'Nessie'/Moby ∆!¢k/🦄/yeti/Sasquatch item