SavvyShopperDeals.com

Just thought this was an interesting article:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/invest/inv06.shtm

I'll start:

Before I start, I'll admit I once purchased some Pillsbury Cookie Dough Coupons online about 10 years ago. 

Since then my opinion has changed.:


Trading and Selling Coupons according to : http://www.couponinfonow.com/Consumer/TradingSellingCoupons.cfm

"According to the Federal Trade Commission, "There's only one legitimate way to use a coupon: Cut it out of the newspaper or other source and use it toward the purchase of the designated product." Despite this, there are many outlets and coupon practices (especially on the Internet) that are questionable.

    * Coupon Auctions . It is not legally acceptable to sell coupons themselves, especially in bulk. Some auction sites like eBay prohibit many kinds of coupon auctions, but sometimes unscrupulous sellers sneak through. Many times they claim to be selling a coupon clipping "service," not the actual coupons. What they often don't say is that many coupons are "nontransferable" meaning that the coupons you buy might not be valid once you buy them!

    * Expired Coupons. All coupons should be used prior to their expiration date. Expired coupons have no value, and trying to redeem them or sending them to military personnel will only increase everyone's costs in the long-run.

    * Trading Coupons. Product manufacturers often offer different coupons to different areas, depending on incomes, products offered, and legal restrictions. When we sidestep those intentions, manufacturers end up offering less coupons hurting us all in the end. Coupon clubs can be a great way to learn more about money-saving techniques but using them to swap or collect coupons might bring up some of the "transferable" problems mentioned above."

For me, I don't buy coupons.  I don't feel comfortable for myself.

Most coupon clipping sites say they sell the service of clipping coupons instead of the actual coupons themselves.  Seems like a way to avoid saying what they are really selling.

Maybe I'm wrong - What do you think?

Wow!!  That's something to think about.  I don't think I would ever pay money for coupons.  I personally feel like I am getting enough coupons (there are times that I would like more ) with my subscriptions.  Coupons and sales come and go and there are always good deals out there to be found on many items.  I agree that using a lot of coupons for one item is selfish.  We all want to save money, but we also need to think of others at the same time.  I have traded coupons before and don't see a problem with that BUT, it has not been to stock up on a particular coupon - I would trade my pet food coupons for a friends baby coupons because I have no pets, and she has no babies.  I don't feel it is right to trade to stock pile a few particular coupons.

Over all, I think that moderation is needed.  Although it can be very tempting to try to accumulate a ton of really good coupons (like anything you can get for FREE! ) we all need to be considerate of others ie. manufactures, store employees, other shoppers, etc.  I think this also applies to a really good deal - like Smith's Prego - I think we could feed the whole USA for a week just on the Prego the people in Utah county alone! (I got 1 case and that will last us for 4 to 6 months)

I confess that I'd never really given this any thought.  There are other websites similar to SavvyShopperDeals that actually give links where you can go purchase already clipped coupons.  I'm embarassed to admit that I've done that not really understanding and having all the information.  I am glad this article was posted and that the conversation is happening because there are certainly others like me who out of ignorance are not making smart choices.