Avoiding Coupon Fraud

I was disappointed to learn recently that my favorite grocery store no longer accepts internet coupons for free items (including Buy One/Get One Free coupons).  The reason they stopped accepting them is that so many people had been using fraudulent or illegitimate coupons.  Coupon Fraud is pretty rampant out there and we all should do our part to be informed and ethical with coupon usage. I think most "coupon fraud" happens because people just don't know the rules and aren't sure what is okay and what is not. I know that when I started using coupons there were a lot of things I didn't know and mistakes I made. Here are a few pieces of advice when it comes to ethical couponing:

• Follow Coupon Wording Exactly.  When you are going to use a coupon, whether it is an internet printed coupon or one clipped from your Sunday paper, make sure to read the fine print and only use it for its intended purpose.  Many coupons specify not only the brand and product, but also a specific size range or flavor.  Also pay attention to whether the coupon is for a single item or if you have to buy more than one to use the coupon (I find that this is what I miss most often).  And obviously you need to use the coupon before its expiration date unless your store is one of those rare places that accepts expired coupons.  Bottom line...don't just glance at the coupon, really read it to make sure you are getting the right item(s).
• Just because it "scans" doesn't mean it's okay to use the coupon. This was something I was confused about when I started couponing. I thought that if a coupon "worked", then it was okay to use it. Even if it was for a different size/flavor of product than what was listed. I have since learned that if a coupon states a specific product, you may use it for that product only. Using it for any other product is fraud and the store will likely not be reimbursed for the coupon, costing them money. Even if it scans okay.
• If it seems too good to be true, it's probably is. If you ever see a .pdf coupon for a free item or for more than $1-2 off an item, be very leery of it. There are not too many companies that release .pdf coupons anymore and those that do rarely if ever put out high value coupons to the public. If you see a coupon online or get an email with a "hot" coupon, check out the Coupon Information Center website to see if it has been tagged as fraudulent. As a general rule, I don't consider any .pdf coupon to be legitimate unless you can print it directly from the manufacturer website. Also, if a coupon is meant just for a small group of certain people (people who have earned a reward, won a contest, etc), it is not okay to print it and use it if you are not the intended recipient.  Use common sense with internet printable coupons.  You can find a legitimate example of printable coupons by printing them from valid sites like Coupons.com.  Take a look at the security features of those coupons (water marks, fine print around the border of the coupon, etc) and if you find a coupon that lacks all of those features, think twice before using it.
• It's never okay to copy a coupon. Photocopying internet coupons is never okay. That includes printing extra copies of a coupon that indicates "one per customer." Most printable coupons will allow two prints per computer. Don't try to get around that rule...print your two coupons and be happy! (Some of the biggest prosecuted coupon fraud cases were against people who "hacked" into internet coupon systems an printed more than their allotted number of coupons). If you have access to more than one computer, it's perfectly okay to print more coupons.

The bottom line here is to be honest and ethical. If you slip up and make a mistake, it's not a big deal...we've all been there! When I've accidentally used a coupon for the wrong product or used an illegitimate coupon I just make an effort to be better educated and careful with my coupon use in the future. No deal is worth breaking the law! And the more people who break the rules repeatedly, costing companies more and more money, the more likely companies will be to stop taking internet coupons or restrict their usage (like my grocery store did). And we all don't want THAT to happen!!!