The Coupon Project

Common', did you REALLY need to buy 800 bottles of Purex?

 

 

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.  

A few great posts on coupon ethics

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!

BOGO egg coupon for Facebook fans on Friday!

 

 

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 

Another fun ethical issue: ecoupons & paper coupons

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.   

Using La Victoria codes without a purchase? One word: FRAUD

 

 

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. 

Oust: a no-go at Walgreens this week

  
 
 
 
In my Walgreens post yesterday I mentioned that Oust was on a "buy one, get one free" sale. In the ad, "Oust Air" was pictured. I had found a coupon good for the "buy one, get one free" Oust Surface & Air and mentioned that IF in fact this product was also on the buy one, get one sale you could essentially end up with both for free. In hindsight, I should have confirmed the sale products before including on my deals post. 

Unfortunately, it appears that ONLY the Air product is on the buy one, get one free sale. That being said, please DO NOT use the Surface & Air coupon on this sale - these are two entirely different products and is a misuse of the coupon. (Note the difference in the product images above.)

Remember - just because the store takes the coupon does not mean that they'll be reimbursed. As always, please exercise correct coupon usage so we'll enjoy great sales and coupons to come. Fellow bloggers, if you have this deal up on your blog, please consider making the necessary corrections.

AND if I'm missing something here, please let me know!     

Coupon Lesson Fourteen: Be Nice, Not Obnoxious

(Photo credit Jade Gordon)

Yesterday I shared with you basic rules and policies about coupons you must follow. Today I'm going to talk about those gray areas. This is where we get into the meaty stuff. Coupon etiquette and behavior.

Before we dive in I feel the need to preface this post. See, I've become fairly conservative in my opinions about couponing/stockpiling/and deal-getting. For instance, here's how I'd handle the following situations (though I am NOT suggesting you would need to follow suit...this is only for your understanding of my personal shopping style):

There is an awesome sale on diapers at Rite Aid, and I'm out. When I get to the store, there are four left. I'd be likely to take two. I might check another Rite Aid if I have the time and interest, or I might ask a cashier if they plan on getting more stock or ask for a rain check. If I don't end up with 10 packs of diapers, I shrug it off, figuring there will be another diaper deal worth doing before the two packs I bought run out. This sort of thing rarely frustrates me anymore. (Yes, it used to.)

I learn Walgreens is having an awesome money-maker deal on razors. Honestly? I'd do the deal once. While it's a good deal, I can earn more money sitting at home working than "making" $5 driving to the store and "buying" razors. Once I account for time involved preparing the deal, gas spent driving to the store, etc., doing more than one trip usually doesn't make sense for me. I'm not a fan of asking cashiers to do back-to-back transactions for me, so I only will do this if it's a deal that matters a great deal to me. 

Oh, and by the way, I redeemed all my Register Rewards today on baby wipes. No, they weren't on particularly good sale. I just needed them, didn't want to pay out of pocket, and sort of want a break from the burden of managing Register Rewards for awhile. Are you shocked??

Bottom line? I've slowly evolved into a no-frills couponer. I'll do the deals that make sense for me, and leave the glucose monitors for the customers with diabetes. All that being said, I competely recognize not everyone reading this will agree with my opinion, and that's fine. However, I'm not gonna sit here and dilute what I really want to say, so I'm just gonna say what I feel on this topic.

Now that we've cleared up that lil' matter, let me share my rules of good coupon etiquette. Most of these *should* just be good manners and common sense, but I feel it's important for me to spell them out so I can do my part in sending polite folks out into the stores who give couponers (and this blog) a good name!

1. Do not be a shelf clearer. First come, first served? The early bird gets the worm? Yeah, maybe. But buying all of Walgreens 12 Vaseline Infusion lotions and leaving none for others (and still asking for more?) is rude. Of course the store has the perogative to limit quantities, but I have to ask - why would you put the store in that awkward situation in the first place? Now, if there are two of an item, OK, I could see that. But if there are 27 and you take 27, and you know full well it's a deal others are likely looking forward to, you are being rude. Please also consider that stores such as Walgreens and Rite Aid do not maintain the same stock of larger stores (think Target).

2. Be polite to your cashiers. Now I've been frustrated a time or two before, I'm not gonna lie. But is a doubler coupon worth having security escort you out? Remember the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve and it will help you when you're having a bad day checking out. (Incidentally, I'd say for every 1 trip that doesn't go as planned at checkout, I have 10 or more that do!). Being polite also means be organized with your coupons and items before you head to the register. Don't be deciding then and there what you want and what you don't. Sure, I undertstand unexpected things might pop up, but control what you can control.

3. Be polite to other customers. For goodness sakes, if there is a person standing behind you with a Coke, let them go in front of you.

4. Don't hog or steal coupons. This one might make me unpopular, but I do NOT think it is acceptable to take "peelies" off products for later use. What am I talking about? Peelies are little coupons affixed directly on a product. The intention is to have you use the coupon on THAT item. Many folks will snatch them off and save them for a better deal elsewhere. While I do think this practice is OK for blinkies and tearpads (so long as you aren't taking the whole blinkie machine), I do not think it's OK when the coupon is stuck directly on a product. Now, if YOU buy that product and decide to redeem it later, fine. You purchased that product; you also purchased that coupon. Furthermore - and I can't believe I even have to say this - it is NOT ok to rummage through unopened packages you have no intention of buying for coupons! I recall an oatmeal deal late winter (you can tell I'm into the oatmeal deals, no?) and noticed someone had tampered through several of the boxes, presumably looking for coupons. Damaging products you don't intend to buy is called stealing in my book. The retailer will have a HARD time selling half-ripped boxes of oatmeal.

5. Don't be a coupon snob. I'll admit, I can get like this if I don't watch it! What is a coupon snob? It's that sort of air that no matter what deal you just did, I could've done it better. So you bought a box of Kashi cereal for $1? Well I bought the same box for a profit of 14 cents! You bought one bottle of hairspray for 50-cents? That's nothing. I scored 27 bottles for that same amount. And it goes on and on. You know what I've decided? If you start saving money - ANY money on your groceries, you deserve to be congratulated, not frustrated by the fact you could've done better. I secretly believe the deal can ALWAYS be better. There is NO perfect deal. (Your 27 bottles of hairspray will be on sale next week for 15 cents.) Especially those that are old pros at this, please be mindful of newbies! Encourage them. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed starting out. Cheer on every $1-off coupon! And newbies, pat yourself on the back everytime you save a buck or two. Don't worry about how it could've been better - think about how it could've been worse!

Now if you feel like you've been sternly lectured, I'm sorry. It's not my intention. I just see a lot of craziness out there, and I don't want you to be a part of it. For more on this topic, you might be interested to read the coupon ethics stance I've taken for posting deals on this blog.

I really want to hear from my readers on this one. Have you observed obnoxious behavior? Or perhaps you work as a cashier and could offer your perspective? Think there's some etiquette I'm missing? Are you a blogger that has posted on this topic in some form and want to share a link? Please speak up. Whether we agree on all the points or not, I do think we can agree this is an important topic and one worth discussing.

Coupon Lesson Thirteen: The Rules of the Coupon Road

 (Photo credit Ariel da Silva Parreira)

OK took a detour (AKA "life happens") and now we're back on track to finish off my October Coupon Lessons series in early November. (Don't worry; there are only three more after tonight!)

Today I want to talk about how to be a good couponer. Specifically, to make sure you are aware of the basic rules of how coupons work and give you some food for thought when it comes to those gray areas.

Basic Rules of Couponing
Let's start with the clearest list of things you should and shouldn't do when it comes to using coupons.

Don't use coupons past their expiration date.While it seems like a no-brainer, I've noticed more cashiers scrutinizing coupons lately for their dates so obviously people are still doing it - unknowingly or not.

Buy the item(s) specified and the quantity specified. Many coupons want you to buy a certain size or variety - so pay attention. If the coupon says 32 oz or larger detergent, don't head to the counter with the 20 oz bottle. Now I'm not suggesting you would do this intentionally - I truly believe most mishaps like this are an oversight. I just want to spare you and your cashier the hassle at checkout.

Use one manufacturer coupon per purchase. If you are buying a jar of pasta sauce, you may use that $0.35-off-1 coupon you have, but please don't attempt to use two $0.35-off-1 coupons for that same jar. Can't do it. If you are buying two jars of pasta sauce, you may use both $0.35-off-1 coupons.

Honor the manufacturer's fine print and/or intentions wherever possible. Most coupons will state "limit one coupon per purchase." This could also be stated as: "limit one coupon per item purchased." Please note that each item is considered a purchase (hence, two items - two coupons). However, occasionally you will find coupons that read "limit one coupon per transaction" or "limit one coupon per household." Some of the newer coupons for the diabetic glucose monitors state that they are intended for those living with diabetes ONLY. Always be sure to take a moment to read your coupons to ensure you are following the coupon's instructions.

Do not use a coupon you know or suspect to be fraudulent. Unfortunately, fraud does exist in the coupon world. Most of the time, the coupons to be wary about you'd be able to identify with a little common sense. For instance, be skeptical of ANY FREE coupon you could simply print from the Internet. True FREE coupons usually require registration and arrive to you via snail mail. Many times they will have holographic images or something special to help prevent duplication. Other printable coupons to be leary about: any that have no/sparse "fine print," no expiration dates, or other high value coupons (such as $7 off toilet paper, etc.).

Store Coupon Policies

Now, besides the above rules which are just plain given for coupons you'd choose to use anywhere. But most stores you shop at will have additional guidelines you must follow. Think it just sounds like a lot of boring rules? Think again!! Knowing a store's coupon policy can do the following two things for you: 1) show you new coupon and savings potential for that store, and 2) give you confidence when presenting stores with coupons. (Bottom line: policies are good for you!)

Some of the things you will want to know about your stores:

- Can you use a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon for the same item (called "Stacking")?
- Can you use Internet coupons?
- Does the store accept competitor coupons?
- Can you use two coupons for a "buy one, get one" sale?
- Can you use coupons on rebate items? Clearance items?

It's important to find out as much as possible about coupons you can use at the stores you shop at regularly to ensure you are saving as much as possible.

Where can you find coupon policies? Here are a couple of my thoughts.

First, pay attention to those store ads! Rite Aid is great for this. On page 4 of this week's ad, they tell you to use the $3 coupon from the Sunday paper on the toothbrush there's also a $2 rebate for so you can get it for free. Walgreens ads also often make remarks such as "see Sunday paper for additional coupon savings" - even just above Register Reward deals. The stores understand savvy shoppers will combine coupons with sales.

Second, I was able to dig up a few helpful resources for you tonight. I'm just focusing on stores that I assemble scenarios for. If you are wondering about a store you don't see listed, check with their website. If that doesn't get you anywhere (quite possible), consider emailing the store and asking outright.

Walgreens Coupon Policy FAQ(thanks, Hot Coupon World)
Rite Aid Corporate Coupon Policy(thanks, Deal Seeking Mom)
Target Coupon Policy(thanks, Deal Seeking Mom & Krazy Coupon Lady)
Albertsons Coupon Policy(thanks Krazy Coupon Lady)
Fred Meyer Coupon Policy(thanks Krazy Coupon Lady)

I encourage each of you to print and carry these policies with you when you shop. That way if there is a dispute, you can (in your most polite & respectful way, of course) produce it for the store manager or cashier in an attempt to resolve the issue. In most cases, it should clear the matter right up.

Now that we've talked about the hard and fast rules of couponing, tomorrow I'm going to touch on soft skills. You guessed it, etiquette. And unfortunately, there are a LOT of rude and obnoxious couponers out there and I want my readers to be the exact opposite. And if you are a rude and obnoxious couponer, please do me a favor and do not ever not never tell anyone you follow my blog.

On that fun note, have a great night!

Entering zip codes other than your own to obtain coupons

I feel the need to address something I'm seeing more and more of out there.

As you may know, when you visit a site such as coupons.com, you have the option to enter your zip code to obtain additional money-saving coupons.  Recently I've seen several sites explaining how to enter certain zip codes to get special, high value coupons.  If you live in that zip code, great!  Lucky you!

But what if you don't live in that zip code?  Can you still enter it, and get the better coupons?  I decided to email the CIC to get their take.  If you don't know, the CIC is a coupon watchdog organization.  They work to promote ethical usage of coupons and shut down fraud. 

Their take?  It's wrong.  And those that engage in imputting false information to obtain coupons could be committing a form of coupon fraud.  Really, is that worth saving an extra buck or two for?  I think not!

I would imagine the majority of folks that have been doing this really haven't intended to defraud anyone, just get a good deal.  I can understand that.  But please, let's work together to use coupons as intended and keep them around for many good deals to come.  Help me end this practice.  If you are a fellow blogger reading this, I hope you will take a stand on this issue too. 

Oh dear. Please DON'T do this.

As you know, I am all about stockpiling and getting a good deal.  But I do believe there are ways you can go about this that are more effective than others.

I recently heard a story about a shopper who was stockpiling in a way that I'd say is a big no-no.  Now I don't want to get anyone in trouble, so I'm leaving out all names, dates, and details.  But I do want to share this to get you thinking about better ways to build your stockpile.

So a friend of mine recently went to get in on a deal going at a store.  The store was completely out of the sale item.  My friend asked a store employee and was told that they were getting cleaned out every time a shipment came in.  Basically, the SAME SHOPPER was coming in every time there was a new shipment and buying every last package (with coupons, of course!).  It sounded like the store employees were none-too-happy with this and had their eye on this customer. 

Please, if there is a good deal going, do not be obnoxious!  (And yes, I do consider this obnoxious shopping behavior.)  Here are a couple simple alternatives to building your stockpile: 

1. If you want mass quantities, consider breaking it out over stores or days.  Let others have a chance!

2. Even better, consider placing a special order with customer service.  Krazy Coupon Lady wrote a wonderful post called "Why Special Ordering Works" outlining exactly how to do this.  I highly recommend you consider this if you want 200+ of a particular item.  It's courteous to other customers as well as to the store that wants to manage its inventory.  Besides this, it gives you an opportunity to build relationships with stores you frequent, which I also recommend.

Do you have other suggestions for stockpiling during a sale?  Do you think I'm off my rocker and that this customer is OK clearing out a store's inventory?  Leave a comment!

Photo credit Matty and Sharon (Note: the item in question was NOT Fancy Feast.  Picture chosen for anecdotal purposes only.)