I have some great post ideas but it seems that the Budget Savvy Diva always beats me to it! But that's okay - because she's nice enough to share with us!
Here is some great information on how to spot a fake coupon!
I cannot stress enough about where you get your printable coupon information — I know someone who used a "fake" coupon from another deal site and was caught and fine the $2,500, even though they didn't know at the time that it was a fake!
How to Make Sure You Are NOT USING A FAKE COUPON
- Know where you are getting the information: There are a large amount of bloggers who do not put the amount of work in necessary to bring you legitimate information and YOU could be paying the price. I have a list of great bloggers listed in the sidebar who are trustworthy. Make sure you can trust your sources!
We at $aving Toward A Better Life and Luxury Living Frugal Stylefeel very strongly about this issue! Coupon fraud hurts everyone. You can see the other posts pertaining to this issue and TLC here and here
It came out not too long after last week's episode aired that Jaime Kirlew has in the past knowingly committed coupon fraud, videoed it and posted it on the internet and taught coupon classes where she taught other people how to commit the coupon fraud as well! One of the methods she teaches is to "decode" the coupons. Coupons have UPCs just like products do. For the register to take a coupon it has to be "coded" to work the product UPC. Sometimes coupons will scan and be accepted by the register for the wrong product because it has the same "code" - usually these are products within the same brand. Just because the register doesn't kick the coupon out doesn't mean it's right to use a Crest toothpaste coupon to buy a Crest toothbrush. The coupon should be used for the product listed on the coupon - any other use is fraud.
Jaime posted videos online showing her couponing "practices". Although she took them off her own site, nothing that has been put on the internet can ever truly be erased. Here is one video:
Here is what it wrong in this video:
Her Olay Coupon She used a $5/1 Olay coupons.... while that may seem like a problem the only OLAY coupon for $5 was off of OLAY Regenerist! She used them on ANY Olay products. WRONG!
Lucky Charms- She bought the single serve ones and used printable coupons on them. Every printable on cereals I have seen has always had a size restriction and the single serve have never been included.
She argues with the cashier about her coupons and why they do not scan, well they are not scanning because she used THE WRONG coupons! (Not that she used too many)
THERE IS NO SUCH COUPON AS $5 OFF WINDEX!!!!!
These are not the only coupon fraud issues in this video - however fraud is fraud no matter how much or how little!
TLC should have never allowed this person on the show. They need to hire coupon experts to run background checks and analyze a couponer's methods before allowing them on the show! TLC is playing a part (can't decide if it's knowingly or unknowingly) in (1) giving couponer's a bad name, (2) giving stores a reason to make it more difficult to coupon correctly and (3) making manufacturer's less likely to be so generous with the coupons they put out.
Thank you Jill at Supercouponing.com for e-mailing the links to these videos.
Yesterday, we dissected the concept behind the show and all the flaws that it had (it's impractical, it doesn't actually teach you how to do the couponing, it sheds a bad light on couponers and makes us all look like hoarders, etc...)
I also mentioned a case of outright coupon fraud on last week's new episode.
Lauren at Luxury Living, Frugal Style has been doing some research on this particular segment of the last week's show and the "bloggers" featured on it.
I wish TLC had done their homework before selecting people, like Jaime Kirlew, who has shown that their coupon ethics and usage of coupons, is not always ethical or legal, there have been many blogs posting about this person. Using coupons on products that they are not intended for is FRAUD and STEALING! In my opinion by having this person on the show, TLC is saying that unethical coupon usage, fraud and stealing are acceptable!
There is a coupon for a free box of Velveeta cheese going around that is fraudulent.
It is actually a scan of a 20 year old coupon, originally issued in 1987.
Please do not attempt to use this coupon. Any store that takes it will not get reimbursed for it. And we know that when stores start getting hurt by fraudulent coupons, it hurts us too!
Read more on couponing ethics and fraudulent coupons here.
A fraudulent Red Robin coupon offering a free Gourmet Burger and sundae has been circulating via the internet and email, and also has been distributed in a printed version by a variety of unauthorized sources. Red Robin does not sponsor or endorse these fraudulent offers and Red Robin restaurants will not fulfill any offers appearing in deceptive or fraudulent coupons.
If you suspect a fraudulent coupon you can report it here.
...it's FRADULENT and ILLEGAL. Thanks to A Thrifty Mom for posting a friendly reminder about this issue.
Internet printable coupons can be easily copied but it is illegal to do so. The UPCs on coupons for the same products are the same but when you print them from the internet there is a serial number on each on that is UNIQUE to that coupon only. (Just print any two of the same coupons from Coupons.com and you'll see).
When you redeem two coupons with identical serial numbers on them, the store only gets reimbursed for the legitimate coupon. So you have essentially STOLEN MONEY from that store because they did not receive reimbursement from the coupon.
When stores start losing money due to COUPON FRAUD they can and will ban internet printable coupons. Therefore, the actions of a few can ruin it for many.
If you are a blog owner, would you please take a minute to post this? You can copy and paste it from me word-for-word. I don't mind this message being repeated. If all coupon blog owners posted this over the course of the next week or two it could potentially reach MILLIONS of couponers!
I have some great post ideas but it seems that the Budget Savvy Diva always beats me to it! But that's okay - because she's nice enough to share with us!
