Have
you ever paid for a coupon that you could get for free? It is not recommended and was featured on
Good Morning America during the weekend of July 15 about people in Arizona
being arrested for producing and selling counterfeit coupons.
A
quick search this weekend of “coupons” on Ebay had more than 71,000
results. As I scrolled down, I saw many
coupons from the Sunday coupon inserts, as well as other coupons that are free
like the one I received recently from Kohl’s for a percentage off a purchase
during a particular time period.
Although I found many valid coupons, but by the time you add the cost of
the coupon (some were Buy It Now, others were part of an auction), shipping
fees, and the amount of time necessary for the transaction to conclude, you
could either be paying too much for the coupon or it could be expired.
There
are also counterfeit coupons advertised on web sites like Ebay. Just like counterfeit money, some are better
reproductions than others. If you are
caught using a counterfeit coupon, you could be subject to arrest for
fraud. Contact authorities if someone
asks you to sell or buy these coupons, as they are illegal.
My
discussion here does not include legitimate coupons that you pay for, like the
promotional booklets that schools and athletic associations sell as fund
raisers. These are coupons that are
available for free, some by purchasing a product and mailing in your receipt or
others that are available online. For
additional information, go to the Coupon Information Corporation at
www.couponinformationcenter.com. They
have more tips and articles about couponing.
Some
legitimate web sites where you can obtain coupons, sign up for freebies (many
are sample size, but allow you to try a product), or even obtain codes for
discounts (most to purchase items online) are:
couponcabin.com
couponnetwork.com
Remember,
be careful of offers that seem “too good to be true.” Be a friend and share this with your friends.
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