Today’s Chicago Tribune has an article about the importance of ethical couponing:
Scoring amazing deals on everyday products has become a craze of the post-recession era. But as with anything that smacks of “free money,” the incentive is strong to abuse the system…
Some of the featured shoppers on “Extreme Couponing” have been criticized for questionable tactics, including use of counterfeit coupons. TLC representatives have repeatedly said it’s up to show participants to follow coupon rules and store policies. The Internet, too, is rife with websites advising consumers on how to game the system, even if it’s unethical or illegal.
Counterfeiting has become a big problem. The number of counterfeits reported by Coupon Information Corp., which represents manufacturers that issue coupons, went from 18 in 2007 to 486 last year and are on a pace to total 1,200 this year, said Bud Miller, executive director of Coupon Information Corp.
Avid-but-legitimate couponers are upset, fearing abusive couponing tactics will hurt all shoppers as manufacturers and supermarkets compensate for financial losses…
Part of the thrill of couponing is getting items inexpensively or free. But that can create overzealous shoppers who develop an us-against-them mentality and rationalize counterfeiting and other fraud, experts say.
Read the entire article at ChicagoTribune.com
hwendt12 says
It reminds me-I was a little annoyed the other day when I did the Kraft BBQ sauce at Jewel. I got 4 of them, used 2 $1 off 2 q’s, so they ended up $.50-pretty good price, BUT, when I got home, I realized that 1 of the bottles had the ‘remenants’ of a peelie on the neck (you know-the clear, stuck on that the peelies adhere to). I was annoyed that someone would ‘steal’ the coupon off of a bottle, but not bother to buy it! Whatever….
Frugal Skills says
Here we go again about buying coupons…
For some perspective on why I use coupon clipping services, it’s because the Red Plum insert has not been available in my area in years. Buying multiple newspapers, which is what you suggested in the article instead of using clipping services, is not an option when none of the newspapers carry the insert I’m looking for. So it’s either order the coupons off eBay or go without them entirely. Well, I’m on a tight budget and I’m not going to miss out on bargains just because some suit at Red Plum decided that my zip code wasn’t worth receiving their coupons. So eBay it is. If Red Plum doesn’t like this, then perhaps they should make their insert more accessible to my area.
This example is exactly why the concept is of “ethical couponing” is a joke and shouldn’t be taken seriously. “Coupon ethics” depend entirely on whomever is pushing them, which is usually some blogger or corporation who believes that their personal beliefs are totally correct and that they have the power to dictate community standards (oh, the ego of it!). The fact is that there is no community consensus on what coupon practices are “ethical”, and that these “coupon ethics” they speak so highly of only exist in their own personal world. If “coupon ethics” actually existed, then we wouldn’t be having this debate about buying coupons, and there wouldn’t be hundreds of coupon clipping services openly selling their wares on the internet.
fodacima621 says
It is easy for people who are getting great coupons in their Sunday papers to advice just to buy more papers or ask around from friends and relatives to stay on the ethical side. These people obviously have no idea on how SS and RP in certain areas look like ~ they are just full of advertorials and 3 or 4 coupons with low face values. All things being equal, would those in big cities getting great coupons say they’d live with that just to stay ethical?
We should all understand that people from all regions also want to avail of high face value and great selection of coupons that abound in major cities. If manufacturers want people to follow, they ought to make it an even playing field instead of putting all coupons in a few cities while leaving the rest of country with sucky ones that are not even worth clipping.
Meanwhile, people will continue to buy and sell coupons on ebay and coupon boards. They just have to do what they have to since no one else will have them pay for their groceries. JMHO.
ashwore says
I understand your comment but don’t think ethics is a joke however I do believe there should be some kind of general “rule” that all retailers should go by with coupons. I’m like you and have to order inserts because my area doesn’t receive ANY (p&g, rp, or ss) in our little paper. (linden, tn) On Sundays we get the Nashville newspaper The Tennessean at gas stations, but the odds of coupons in those are very low. I order coupons and family from my original home town in FL send me theirs and I drive almost 1 hour to the closest store just to grocery shop on the only day I have off which is Wednesday. Alot of people ask why I don’t just “buy the paper and shop on Sundays” but that’s simply not an option because I have a job. I’d pay to see my boss if I said on Sunday mornings “excuse me while I drive atleast an hour to pick up a Sunday paper.”
There should be a set or “rules” for couponers that retailers all share instead of all the differences. Shelf clearing is horrible, buying obvious fake coupons (which believe it or not people openly admit to with the “if it scans I’ll use it” point of view), and breaking the rules clearly printed on the coupon SHOULD be followed. The kroger I shop at finally started putting in a limit of 10 per customer per day and thankfully my Rite Aid started putting limits on the amount of cards a person can use in one day. I miss out on deals a lot, but I also find great deals on my own all following “coupon ethics” except for where I buy coupons. Since my small town isn’t “worth” sending the coupons to I’ll pay 5% tax on already expensive products and to me, that’s simply worth breaking the one major flaw in everyones “coupon ethics.”
Jill I love your blog, you make excellent points and would love your opinion on those of us who buy inserts (I NEVER buy single coupons I don’t trust them) or have family who mail them to us from out of state. Do you consider this a break of ethics even if you don’t buy them based on “wanting” but you “need” them because of no inserts/paper in your town.
comment was suppose to be under Frugal Skills original comment
irishiz62 says
Is this article in the paper version of Sundays Chicago Tribune? Which section is it in for June 10?
Thanks.