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Grocery Coupon Booklets
The Question
Grocery Coupon Books - Legit?
I've seen online ads for grocery coupon booklets-for $15 you can order specific coupons ( only the ones you'll use), supposedly save over 50%. Are these legit? appreciate your reply!
Dennis
Our Readers Respond
Not a Good Deal
Just a note for Dennis regarding the coupon books. Although they are not really a 'scam' per se, they are really not a very good deal. You have to list a minimum of I think 30 items, so you wind up with a lot of coupons for items you use occasionally. Also, the dollar value is usually very low, I received many for .10. Hope this helps
Jill
Selections Too Narrow
In response to the person that asked about the grocery store coupons for $15.00. The main problem which I found is that the selections available are too narrow. There maybe 75 different cearal coupons - great if you eat a lot of different cearals. Also, I found that many of the name brands are things that are not available locally. Generally, I found it to not be worth the time and effort.
Max M.
Saved $22
I purchased a coupon book via the Internet and it was perfectly legal. It did take about 2 to 3 weeks to get the coupons after I sent the coupon request (Coupon Connection of America in Houston, Texas).
I listed 35 coupons that I wanted(they must be in numerical order from their list). What I received was 2 each of 16 coupons that had a face value of $11.15. The note enclosed with them said that I should send in my list again, but there was no guarantee I would receive the other coupons I wanted. Since Kroger here in Lewisville, Texas has double coupons for varying amounts every week, the coupons I received had an eventual value of $22.30.
Jack W.
Grocery Coupon Books Are Not Worth It
The point is not whether or not they're legal abut are they worth it. And, in my opinion, the answer is no. You pay $15 for a booklet of order forms and a $1 handling fee for each order form you submit. You may request up to 35 coupons at one time with a limit of 3 coupons for one partiuclar item. If you send in your order form and do not receive all of the coupons you requensted, you're out of luck.
These coupons come from the same source where most of us get our coupons - the Sunday newspaper. The supplier buys coupons from other. (There are people all over the country who sell coupons to such places. They're not just selling the coupons that come in their one Sunday newspaper. People get additional fliers from various resources, including: recycling centers, newspapers not sold in stores, and from less than honest paper delivery people.) If you send in your order form and do not receive all of the coupons you requensted, you're out of luck. You'd be much better off to start a coupon exchange in your neighborhood or place of employment.
Roberta P.
Depends on Supplier
Depends on the individual book manufacturer. Some of the one's I've seen have very few coupons I'd ever use, others would be a moneysaver. Look for one big scam - the first 1/4 of the book has long-term coupons, the middle 1/2 has short-term coupons, the back has long term coupons. By the time you get around to using them, the book is half expired.
MM
Won't Do It Again
Tried them. You have to order a minimum of coupons and I ended up not needing most of them. Found that the expirations were too soon for me to use. I ordered them once and that was it. I think you are obligated to send a dollar or something each time you order the batch of coupons. I felt it was not worth it.
P.
Saved Some...
I have tried buying the coupon ordering book from Coupon Connection of America. The coupons are legitimate, and there is a wide variety of items to choose from. There are, however, some warnings.
- The coupons that are sent will sometimes expire just 30 days after they arrive, so they must be used quickly.
- There is no guarantee of receiving coupons for every item requested. The promise is: To fill as many of the requests as possible, starting with the first item on the, with 1-3 coupons. When $10.00 face value is reached, the order is considered full.
- The coupons most desired should be listed first on the order form.
- You must send a check or money order for $1.00 and a stamped, self-addressed legal envelope for EACH batch of coupons. This increases the cost of the coupons by about $30.00.
I have saved some money using this method, but I probably will not purchase another book.
Greg
FTC Website on Coupon Scams
I believe someone had asked a question in the one of the last newletters about Coupon Booklets. Please check out http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/invest/inv06.pdf. I am very big into using refund forms and coupons (in fact, with coupons I save between $15 and $25 a week). My percentage saved so far this year is @23%. Better in my pocket!
Karen S.
Can Be Very Useful
Yes they are legitimate and can be very useful. If you have ever seen ads offering to pay money for coupons you know how they work. They purchase coupons from all around the country and resell them to other parts of the country. When you "choose" the coupons you want from a list the company goes through their stock and pulls out the coupons you want. These are the same coupons you would find in your Sunday paper but manufactureres will often run certain coupons in certain areas. By purchasing coupons through these coupon services - if you live in CA you now have access to coupons that were only distributed in New York. Be warned that if a manufacturer hasn't put out a coupon for a certain product the service can't get it either. Also you will usually get several coupons for the same item to fill your list but most reputable clipping services will exchange them if you can't use them by the time they expire.
Debbie B. in Suisun CA
Take the Next Step
- Check out our coupon page and save money on your favorite products. click here
- For all things "Groceries & Food," please visit www.stretcher.com
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