Stop buying coupons!

Okay,  now that I (hopefully) have your attention, please bear with me on this.  Coupon theft is big business nowadays.  People buy from “coupon fairies” all the time, but do you honestly know where they are getting these coupons?  I doubt it.

One of the things that pisses me off is people “stealing” and selling coupons.  From tear pads in stores to newspaper inserts.  Another is the misuse and obvious fraudulent use of coupons.

Okay, so if you are now pissed off because you don’t like what I have to say … well, then this post is for YOU.

People steal coupons.  Yes, they really do.  I talked to a Dollar General manager yesterday and she said that the coupons inserts weren’t even making it to the papers in her store.  She had to talk to the people at the newspaper (a few times) before that was remedied.  They kept insisting that they should be in there … but someone wasn’t putting them there.  Yes, someone was stealing them.

Then, this same manager told me that she had a woman come in and stuffed inserts from the other papers into her one paper she was buying.  The manager removed the extra inserts and the woman wanted to know what she was doing.  Some people have no shame.   This manager is so nice too … and she handles things much better than I would!  But that is why I am not a manager (or even work in retail).

So, the next time you think about purchasing coupons, think about what you are supporting.

Now, on to the coupon abuse.  We all know from seeing social media posts in non-reputable groups and such that abuse and fraudulent use of coupons is rampant.  For those of you who think that is okay, think about how you would feel if you had products for sale and  someone decided that your $2 coupon off your $10 product could be used on your $2 product instead … and whoever was selling your coupon said that it was okay because you didn’t say it “couldn’t be used on the cheaper product”.  You can disagree with them, but your cheaper product has been given away for FREE!  And, not only did they do it once … they gathered hundreds or thousands of coupons and ripped you off getting ALL of your $2 items free.  Would you be a little salty?  I’d say that you would probably be livid.  So, why is it okay to do this to other businesses?  Do you still feel it’s okay?

Good people that call out fraudulent coupon use and abuse are not “jealous” of your wonderful coupon skills /insert eyeroll/ … they are appalled at the underhanded “theft” … much like if you were shoplifting.  Or maybe those of you who use misuse coupons are okay with that too?  I’ve seen people use Bic lighter coupons on Bic razors – how is that even okay to anyone?  If this is you … just think about it.  Again, how is that even okay?  Coupons aren’t free for all money … they are to be used with specific guidelines.

And, yes, sometimes a coupon verbiage can be overwhelming … when it has so many products, descriptions, sizes, and stipulations that you almost need a degree to decipher it.  But, I think we can thank those of you who misuse the coupons for the crackdown.  With that said, I have accidentally used a coupon or two here and there on a wrong product when I misread or didn’t fully read the small print.  But I don’t find that the same as intentionally going out of your way to use a coupon on a blatantly incorrect product.

Couponing is getting harder and harder for those of us who try to use coupons correctly.  I had a Dollar General employee say that the picture didn’t match on my paper coupon although it said “any” of that brand.  I know we all have these issues on occasion and I feel that retail employees aren’t trained correctly AND that they don’t trust couponers.  Which is sad.

This brings me to another story that the same manager shared with me.  There was a woman trying to use a Huggies diaper coupon on the trial-size.  The manager said, “no, it’s not the right size”.  The customer kept telling her to “just scan it”.  Again, the manager said, “no”.  Finally the woman said she no longer wanted anything.  But, she came back up when a new person was working the register.  The manager came back up and said “no” again … and the customer left.  SERIOUSLY, why do some customers think this type of coupon fraud is okay?  Is it because this is what is being taught now on social media and on other websites?  Let me tell you, it’s NOT okay.

I hear people say, “this will hurt all couponers down the line” or “using coupons wrong cause manufacturers to limit coupons”.  But this doesn’t matter to you if you misuse the coupons.  It only matters if YOU get yours now.

I cannot TELL anyone what to do, but your own conscience should lead you in the right direction.  It’s never the right thing when you are ripping someone off … aka STEALING!

I’m trying to think of that saying about “doing the right thing when nobody is watching”.  Although it may not fit here because people now brag about their coupon fraud.

Saturday rant over.

Happy shopping!