Target Corporation is working on a permanent fix that will prevent customers from getting shortchanged when using coupons-thereby addressing a problem that's been occurring since at least August.

Within the past few months, Minneapolis-based Target has been blasted by media outlets and angry customers across the country for not fully reimbursing shoppers when they use select coupons-particularly those that require the purchase of multiple items.

Target spokeswoman Erika Svingen told Twin Cities Business on Tuesday that the company expects to have the problem fixed for good by November 15.

In the meantime, Svingen said that Target has “continued to educate our cashiers on this issue so they can make the adjustments as necessary” at the time of purchase. When asked whether all cashiers have been manually entering coupons, she said she couldn't provide further details about the temporary solution that's now in place.

The company claims to have known about the coupon glitch since August, although some media outlets and customers have claimed that the company was first alerted about the issue in mid-summer. Target began telling people late last month that it was working on a fix, and Svingen told Twin Cities Business at that time that the problem was a “complex system issue.”

On Tuesday, she reiterated that “coupons are complex. We rely on a lot of technology to move our guests through our stores as quickly as possible.”

Svingen said that Target encourages all shoppers to check their receipts. If and when guests notice that they did not receive the full value of their coupon refund, they should go to the guest service desk for a full reimbursement.

Svingen declined to comment on why the coupon problem had occurred, why it hadn't been addressed sooner, and what was involved in the permanent fix.

She did say that “it takes time to work on fixes on our end,” adding that “we care deeply about our guest experience at Target.”

Target-which operates a retail segment and a credit-card segment-serves guests at 1,752 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. It is Minnesota's second-largest public company based on its revenue, which totaled $65.4 billion in its most recently completed fiscal year.