Every once in a while I’ll get someone asking me about the validity of a coupon they received from a friend via e-mail or printed from some Web site. I tell people – if the coupon seems too good to be true, it almost always is.
Unfortunately there are people out there in the world who have nothing better to do than take advantage of the coupon system and they make fraudulent/counterfeit coupons. As a smart couponer it’s your responsibility to make sure you aren’t using these – because you could be held accountable for coupon fraud.
Here is a helpful bulletin that lists some of the most recent fraudulent coupons. Make sure and read through it and confirm that you aren’t using bad coupons. To stay on the safe side – stick to reputable coupon sites, such as coupons.com, get coupons from your local paper and from other safe sources. Coupons via e-mail or in PDF form are always a little sketchy.
I don’t want to scare you – for every fake coupon there are hundreds of REAL coupons that can save you BIG money. So don’t let it scare you away, just be aware and remember that if it’s too good to be true – it is. When in doubt, you can always call the company and ask.
(Thanks, Refund Cents!)
MamaPoRuski says
I just used a coupon that I had printed from Coupons.com on my home computer and the clerk did question it because it was poor quality. ( I needed to clean the printer heads). The coupon did scan so I thought nothing of it. Now I know why she was hesitant! From now on I’m ensuring my coupons really print well before using them!