Everyone loves a great deal.

Some people, though, think that they deserve better than great, and will try to scam their way into an even sweeter deal.

After years in the business, this fireworks dealer has seen it all, and he has the stories to prove it.

Check out some of his favorite scammers from over the years.

Please read the fine print before you try and scam me [Tales From a Fireworks Tent]

BACKGROUND: I own and operate my own retail store.

It’s actually a seasonal fireworks tent, but not like any fireworks tent you’ve seen before.

It’s 2400 square feet of fireworks heaven, where the party, and the insanity, climax at midnight on the 4th of July and New Years Eve.

He already offers a pretty sweet coupon deal.

STORY: Welcome to the week of scam artists. They rarely get away with it, but that sure doesn’t stop them from trying.

Everything we sell is Buy 1 Get 1 Free (BOGO).

We also send out mailers and have business cards that are good for Buy 1 Get 2 Free on any item up to $50.

We also let you mix and match the items, so you don’t have to get three of the same things.

I’m basically giving you an extra $25 in free fireworks just for showing up, in the hopes that you purchase more than that, and that you come back to see us every year.

The coupons have your typical legalese at the bottom.

Can only be used on one item, cannot be reproduced, one offer per day, one offer per family our group, only valid on items up to $50, etc.

I usually keep a stack of these coupons in my pocket, and I hand them out pretty freely when the store is open.

I think it’s a great promotional tool, and although it does impact my bottom line, I wouldn’t think of getting rid of it.

As you can imagine, we get our fair share of people trying to scam us with the coupon.

Enter Contestant #1.

SCAM 1 There’s a lady and her husband that show up at our tent at least four or five times each season with coupons.

Each time, it’s the same routine.

They’ll spend an hour watching videos and carefully examining everything we sell.

When they’re ready to checkout, the husband and wife will both approach the counter separately, each carrying their three items, and each with and a coupon.

They each pay for one item, and get the other two for free.

If we ask them if there together, which I’ve done before for laughs, they shake their heads and act like they’ve never met, even though they just spent the last hour shopping together.

The very next day, they’ll show up and do the exact same thing.

Another hour of examining products, pick out three, walk to the counter separately, use their coupon.

Even though they are technically scamming me, I always let it go, because frankly, I think it’s funny.

Can #2 beat that?

SCAM 2 Another regular customer.

Every season, this guy comes in and picks out three of every item he intends to purchase.

When he gets to the counter, he presents his coupon, and we of course explained to him that he can only use it on one item.

He’ll then spend 5 minutes arguing that I let him use it on everything he purchased the last time he was here.

In the end, I’ll let him use it on two items, and he celebrates like he’s won the lottery.

The thing is, he’s a regular, and he buys a ton of fireworks.

I’d probably give him a better discount than the two uses of the card if we didn’t have to go back and put up all the extra shit he picked out.

I seriously think he does it just to feel like he’s gotten something over on us.

This lady made him mad, though.

SCAM 3 A lady walks up to the counter with a fountain ($19.95) and two massive assortments ($249.95) in her cart.

I was standing behind the counter, so I went to ring her up.

Before I could start, she handed me a coupon and this conversation took place.

LADY: I’m just paying for the fountain, I’m going to use the coupon for the free items.

ME: (wondering WTF she is thinking) I’m sorry, but the coupon is only good on items up to $50, and the free items have to be of equal or lesser value.

LADY: It doesn’t say that anywhere on the coupon!

I look at the coupon and sure as shootin, she’s right…because she’s cut off the bottom third of the coupon that had all the legalese.

ME: I’m sorry, but this coupon has been altered. It normally has all the details on the bottom (handing her another coupon from my pocket so she can see).

LADY: That’s not my problem! My coupon doesn’t say that, so legally you have to honor my purchase.

ME: (rudely, because WTF, really?) Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I don’t know what happened to your coupon (sure I don’t), but it’s been altered, and I’m not obligated to take altered coupons.

The lady is now full on yelling at me, insisting that I’m breaking the law, and that she can sue me for not taking her coupon.

It was his lucky day.

On this particular day (thank god), we actually had hired an off duty uniformed police officer to sit at the entrance to the tent acting as security.

We do that on our busier days because it’s a great deterrent for theft, and it builds goodwill with the local police, since they make great extra money for a really easy gig (see here).

Besides, they love my mom’s Cajun cooking.

The lady stomps away from the counter and approaches the police officer to obviously raise hell about me.

Before she can say anything, the officer looks her in the eyes and says “One moment ma’am”, the calls over to me loudly enough for everyone to hear.

OFFICER: Did you want me to arrest her or just throw her out?

ME: It’s up to you. You’ve got to fill out the paperwork.

She left without another word.

This is the way to love your job.

Let’s find out Reddit’s reaction to all these scammers!

You gotta take the good with the bad.

I’m sure he loved it, too.

Talk to my lawyer.

She may as well have.

People on Reddit know and love him!

This guy has a great sense of humor.

Which is one of the only ways to last in retail.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.