Fake Coupons - please read






Loyal Barcode Butterfly subscriber, Pat S. from Clearwater, Florida wrote and asked me the following question:

"How can I tell if a printable coupon is fraudulent?"

The answer is not an easy one.  Coupon fraud is a crime that is punishable by fine and some have even been sentenced to prison for up to 5 years.  

The best way to protect yourself against getting a fake coupon is to know where it's coming from.  There are several sites that are reliable sources such as Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, CouponNetwork.com, RedPlum.com and any manufacturer's website. 

Be sure the coupon is not such a high value that's too good to be true.  When I first began couponing, I attended one of Kathy Spencer's (How to Shop for Free) classes.  She spoke in depth about coupon fraud and that she heard of someone who actually made a coupon for a free 50-inch HD TV.  Obviously, the store didn't accept the coupon and the guy was arrested on the spot for trying to use the coupon. 

If a coupon is missing either the UPC/bar code or expiration date, don't use it.  Once in a great while you may receive one like this in the mail from a manufacturer, but if it's a printable stay far away from it. 

Be weary of PDF coupons as those are very easy for criminals to fool with.  Again, check the address bar on your internet browser when getting a PDF coupon to be sure it comes from the manufacturer's website (the coupon sites listed above do not offer PDF coupons).  Don't trust any PDF coupons unless they come from the manufacturer.  Procter & Gamble has said that any printable coupons for their products are fake. 

Check the CIC website (located here) to stay updated on the latest fraudulent coupons that are discovered.  If a coupon is on the list, and you use it in the store (whether you knew it was fake or not) you can be held responsible.

Bottom line: there are plenty of legitimate printable coupons out there but you have to trust your sources.  Barcode Butterfly only posts coupons that directly come from either the manufacturers' websites, facebook.com or the other coupon sites listed above. 

Comments

  1. RobDecember 27, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    Melissa, I read a lot of couponing blogs and think this is a very informative post on a topic we don't hear enough about! Thanks for sharing.-Rob, fellow coupon blogger at Smart Living Blog by Coupon Network

    ReplyDelete
  2. Melissa Q.December 29, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    Thanks for stopping by and for the encouragement, Rob!

    ReplyDelete

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