One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about attending BlogHer is getting to meet the people behind the companies I blog about often.
So you can imagine my pure giddiness when I got to chat coupons over breakfast this morning with Kate, the Editorial Director of Red Plum. Red Plum was one of the sponsors of a frugal blogger breakfast I was fortunate enough to attend today.
During our conversation, I had the opportunity to pose a burning question on my mind – and many of yours as well:
Is it OK to enter zip codes other than yours to obtain printable coupons?
Short answer:
It’s not a good idea. Manufacturers don’t like it and stores may not get reimbursed.
Long answer:
Not all coupons are national, and some manufacturers may want to test a certain coupon for a certain market. There could be many possible reasons for this, some of which may not be readily apparent to the eager couponer. Kate shared with me that her preference would be bloggers not share what zip codes to use to obtain coupons that are not nationally based. (OK, to be exact, the practice annoys her and she wishes bloggers would stop doing this. Quite frankly, it annoys me too.)
She also shared with me that even if you are able to PRINT a coupon for a zip code you don’t live in, it MAY NOT WORK. In other words, it could beep.
At which point I had to ask this question:
If it beeps, but the cashier pushes the coupon through anyway, will the store get reimbursed?
NOT necessarily. There may not be a clear answer to this question, so please do not make this assumption. And whatever you do, don’t try to convince your cashier otherwise.
Incidentally, I’ve posed the zip code ethics question many, many times via email to different parties and quite honestly, I’ve never been entirely satisfied with the answers I’ve received. I’ve been told it’s OK and I’ve been told it’s downright fraud. Today, I feel like I’ve gotten the resolution I needed on this topic. (So Kate, if you’re reading this…THANK YOU.)
Bottom line: I hold to my original position. You can count on me to NOT share what zip codes to enter to obtain certain coupons. I want you to know I care very much about coupon ethics on this site and it’s my goal to empower you as couponers with information and not just opinion.
Photo credit Sundeip Arora
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If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I take a hard stance on ethics over here.
Well it appears that in my zeal to squelch obnoxious coupon behavior and peelie theft, I’ve completely overlooked another issue facing grocery stores today. Or at least my local Winco. For the record, it is NOT OK to punch someone in a grocery store. (And for that matter, probably not anywhere.)
Tonight as my kids and I were wandering past the bulk bin items at Winco I heard a rather loud argument between two grown men. I’m not sure what caused the argument, but I heard references to a shopping cart. I’m guessing someone cut someone off in front of the potatoes. Because things were getting rather heated, I decided for safety’s sake to take the kids to a back part of the store.
From a safe distance, I and other stupefied Winco shoppers watched, jaws to the floor, as one of the men began pummeling the other in the gut. It was about this time I decided to tip off the folks in the meat department that they might want to intervene. They assured me “security” had been called. Who knew Winco had their own secret police? Who knew they needed it?
On the way to checkout, I mentioned the altercation to the cashier. She didn’t seem surprised in the least.
“This thing happens every day here,” she said. She then proceeded to tell me about how a female shopper nearly took a swing at another female shopper vying for her checkout line yesterday. What is this world coming to? Seems to me I shouldn’t be so concerned if the cashier will mind about my coupon stash…she’s got other concerns on her brain these days.
Given this alarming trend, I’ve decided to share with you my official stance on punching fellow shoppers. Don’t do it. You may not punch or hit anyone, even if:
- Someone is a complete punk and raced to steal the last shopping cart.
- Someone bought the last can of tuna fish and didn’t bother consult if it was also on your shopping list.
- Someone is buying food without coupons.
- The store has fake “sale!” tags on items you wisely know are NOT on sale.
- And other similar scenarios.
If you forget, and end up punching someone, whatever you do – please do me a favor and don’t mention you read my blog.
At the end of the day, if I can prevent even ONE black eye, I know my work here is done.
Photo credit Gerd Paulsen
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Yesterday, the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) put out an email announcement about several fraudulent printable coupons that are currently in circulation.
Some of these include:
Stouffer's $6.50 printable coupon
Haagen-Dazs $2.75 printable coupon
Lean Cuisine $2.85 printable coupon
The above are designed to look like printable SmartSource coupons. Additionally, there are five fraudulent printable "FREE" coupons circulating via email right now:
Dannon
Duracell
Folgers
Freschetta Pizza
Pepsi
Please note that the CIC has stated that to its knowledge, there are NO printable coupons for outright FREE items available. When you find campaigns coupons for FREE items, they are often mailed to you.
Come across a coupon that appears just too good to be true? I recommend you: contact the manufacturer, and/or contact the CIC. I am also more than happy to answer any questions you might have about suspect coupons.
Thanks for doing your part to end coupon fraud so we can continue to enjoy legitimate printable coupons!
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WOW! I just came across an EXCELLENT article written by "Coupon Queen" Jill Cataldo entitled "Is trading coupons ever against the law?".
Ever notice how most coupons read "void if copied, transferred, sold, or exchanged?" Jill does a wonderful job of explaining exactly what that means – and what it doesn't. It certainly cleared things up for me! Incidentally, it looks like next week she'll be addressing the question if coupons can be sold.
I'll be waiting to see how you tackle that one, Jill.
By the way, do I trade coupons? Goodness yes!! My girlfriends and I are always emailing each other asking to see if anyone else has an "extra" coupon of one sort or the other. We've even had coupon parties in the past (though it's been awhile!). While I've not personally participated, Hot Coupon World also offers a place for couponers to trade their coupons via their site. Check it out – particularly if you don't have many couponing buddies to trade with. It can be an excellent way to bolster your coupon stash!
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A Pennsylvania man was charged with felony theft this week for counterfeiting coupons. According to this article, Thomas Campbell would obtain a coupon and then make copies of it. He did this to more than 100 coupons! All told, his actions defrauded area stores by as much as $4,000.
He later told police he didn't think he'd be caught. Think again!
Coupon fraud is serious business, folks. He had a warrant out for his arrest, but turned himself into police. He was released on $5,000 bail.
While I don't think any of my awesome readers would dare doing this, I thought it was a good reminder of how seriously law enforcement takes this.
If you're interested to learn more about coupon fraud, what it is, and what you can do to make sure you're handling coupons in an ethical way, I encourage you to check out The Coupon Information Corporation. The CIC is a coupon watchdog organization committed to fighting coupon fraud.
Photo courtesy Contropa (via Stock.xchng)
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Reader Rebecca
sent me an email that I found well, upsetting.
Remember that awesome Purex deal I found out about earlier this week at Fred Meyer? Well, apparently some stores have contacted the Catalina company and the promotion has been shut down entirely at several stores. Apparently there was "one bad apple:" a Cincinnati couple cleared out 20 stores and ended up buying 800 bottles of Purex for free after coupons and Catalinas.
This absolutely blows my mind. What exactly was this couple planning on doing with all that Purex? And I don't want to hear, "oh they were going to donate it!" Come on already – 800 bottles?! If Purex wished to send 800 bottles to needy people, let them be the one to make that sort of donation. But to completely clear out multiple stores so no one else can take advantage? That is greed, pure and simple.
I'm hearing more and more about this sort of thing happening and I hope you can see how one or two obnoxious couponers truly can ruin it for all. Rebecca writes: "I'm so aggravated…I hadn't purchased my Purex yet and was just about to head out…TOTAL BUMMER."
Given this, please do not be surprised if your store 1) has no more Purex in stock and/or 2) no Catalina coupon prints at checkout. Best of luck if you try this deal.
Thanks for the heads-up, Rebecca.
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As you know, I take a hard stance when it comes to coupon ethics and fraudulent behavior. I believe couponing should be fun, and I believe it should be done within the rules. I also believe knowing the rules can actually HELP you save money. For instance, you might discover that your store allows you to use two coupons on a buy one, get one sale or stack a store and manufacturer coupon. Rules are good for both the store and the couponer.
Last night, I happened upon a couple other bloggers who take the same, extremely conservative approach I do. Such blogs as these are a great find, and I wanted to point you in their direction and what they have to say about coupon ethics.
::The first is Moms Need to Know, and she actually wrote a wonderful series on Coupon Ethics. I hope you will read these posts; she's really done an excellent job of diving into the topic.
::The second is Faithful Provisions. She wrote an excellent post here about how one unethical couponer's actions made a negative impact for other couponers. I hope you will read this and consider. I also appreciate how honest she is in sharing how she cheated when she started couponing, and how she was convicted about this.
I am in the process of learning more about how coupons work and what constitutes as fraud. This topic is hugely interesting to me, as both a couponer and a coupon blogger. Why do I care so much? Because it's important to me that when you go to the store to do your deals that you can do so in good conscience, knowing you are doing them correctly and still saving a bundle!
So many of you have commented or emailed me that ethics matter to you, too. And I believe that! I believe the vast majority of folks care about playing by the rules. I feel a sense of obligation to share what I learn when it comes to these pivotal topics. So please see me as your ally in this, and not your judge! I truly want to help.
Are there topics related to coupon ethics you'd like me to share more on? Please speak up so I can help!
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Here's a great egg coupon – but it will require some quick action on your part! First, become a Facebook
fan of Incredible Edible Egg. According to Freebies4Mom, come Friday, there will be a "Free Eggs" tab. The first 30,000 fans to go there on Friday will receive a buy one, get one free dozen eggs coupon – and from what I understand, this coupon will be good for ANY brand of eggs. I'll be sure to remind you about this late Thursday.
I recommend becoming a fan now so you can stay tuned about the promotion. While there, why not become a fan of The Coupon Project too? It'll be fun. I promise.
Thanks, Freebies4Mom!
Photo credit Agata Urbaniak
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When I had a couple readers ask and comment about my ecoupon Fred Meyer deal about a couple weeks ago, I took their concerns seriously. Very seriously. Why? Because one of the most important things to me in running this blog is playing by the rules. In fact, it matters so much to me that my readers always have an open invitation to contact me if a deal I've posted goes against my Ethics Policy.
I actually find these topics interesting, and I hope you do, too! I'm not trying to judge anyone or cause a ruckus in the blogosphere…I'm trying to determine the standards I want to use in my daily posts.
Back on topic, here's the question that was raised (more or less):
Can you stack a paper coupon with an ecoupon for the same item in the same transaction?
Believing fully this was OK, I posted a couple such deals recently. I even did one myself. But when more than one reader was stopped at checkout, I decided it was time to reassess. I don't want my readers to be hounded in checkout by cashiers or managers. Not cool. So I decided to email a few different companies on their take. As of this writing, two have responded.
Here is what Shortcuts.com had to say (they are a provider of ecoupons):
"At this time electronic and paper coupons may be used in conjunction with electronic coupons at the Retailer's discretion. Please note that your Shortcuts.com coupons will fail if the amount of the combined offer reduces the product amount to less than the amount of the Shortcuts.com coupon."
I was additionally told that Shortcuts.com and retailers are working to provide more across-the-board guidelines on this topic in the very near future. So basically, Shortcuts is putting it on the retailers – leaving it up to them to decide.
And here is what one retailer – Fred Meyer (Kroger) had to say:
"As with any other coupon, only one manufacturer's coupon can be used per item."
Well, that pretty much sums up their stance, doesn't it? Incidentally, I was told by a reader that they were given the exact opposite answer from Kroger.
Given all this confusion, what am I to do? As I see it…it's rather simple actually. From here on out, I will NOT post a deal that suggests you use an ecoupon with a paper manufacturer coupon in the same transaction. Two reasons, mainly: 1) because I've since learned that a fair amount of retailers (and possibly manufacturers) frown on it and 2) because enough of you have indicated personal issues in trying to complete these type of deals. They're unreliable – plain and simple. Where matters are gray, I prefer to take the conservative route.
There is one huge caveat here, and I want to make it VERY clear. These ecoupon companies and retailers, in my opinion, have done an extremely POOR job of making things easy for the consumer. For instance, if you load your loyalty cards at the beginning of the month it is quite possible you'll forget what coupons you even have loaded. Trying to track which ecoupons you have on what card to make sure you don't double up is understandably messy. Plus, to my knowledge, stores do NOT have the ability to say, "well, it looks like you have an ecoupon loaded on your card: do you want to use it OR the paper coupon you brought today?" That's not how it works. The ecoupon just comes off – whether or not you've remembered it. Based on this poor control, it's entirely possible that neither you or the store would even catch the ecoupon until after the transaction. If this happens? It happens, and it's nothing to fret about in my opinion. However, I do think retailers and the ecoupon companies would be smart to address this matter quickly.
Should standards change, I will share them with you. And if it turns out the general consensus is this practice is OK, I'll start sharing these deals again.
Again, this is a gray area and this is my take on it. Your opinion may vary, and that's really OK! I would love to have folks pitch in their thoughts, comments, and experiences with this topic.
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So if it appears I've been turning into the Coupon Police lately, so be it. Someone has to, and it might as well be me.
A reader tipped me off today about a La Victoria promotion that's circulating on the web right now. I was actually unfamiliar with this promotion so I did a little poking around. Apparently, La Victoria is offering a "rewards" program where you earn points when you purchase products. These points can then be redeemed for high value coupons and enter you into their sweepstakes.
The problem? Purchase codes are circulating around the web and people are scoring LOTS of high value coupons without having purchased a single item. The value of this coupon is high enough to potentially yield free salsa at a number of stores. The reader who emailed me today contacted La Victoria for their response (thank you!). Here's what they had to say:
Thank you for contacting the La Victoria Rewards and Sweepstakes Promotion help center. It is fraud, so we would greatly appreciate it if you do report it. The reason why 'no purchase' is on the website is because we issue AMOE codes to those who request it (for sweepstakes only) via mail and they need a means to convey what their code is associated with. It is completely dishonest and we thank you for reporting this.
So it turns out that the company will offer you a free code when you request it by mail for their sweepstakes. But you should NOT be entering in codes to obtain the coupons or other prizes.
I would respectfully ask my readers to abstain from doing this deal. Please be aware that coupon fraud of this sort can be reported and is a serious matter. Lets continue to play by the rules so we can continue to enjoy the many wonderful legitimate deals and coupons manufacturers and stores offer. Please see my ethics policy for more information on what you can expect from my blog on this topic.
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