Story Created:
Jun 23, 2009 at 6:46 AM CST
Story Updated:
Jun 23, 2009 at 7:02 AM CST
(June 23, 2009)
Main Topic: Interest in Online Coupons Has Surged Due to the Economy. But Coupon Seekers Should Be Aware of Some Problems
A tried and true way to save money in a tough economy is clipping coupons. Because of the Internet, however, a savvy consumer no longer has to have a pair of scissors in order to reap rewards. A survey conducted by Simmons/Experian Research and Coupons, Inc. found that online users account for nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of the total 148 million consumers who use coupons.
According to the CEO of coupons.com, a popular online coupon Web site, the company is seeing a huge increase in popularity due to the recession. In April 2009, the company experienced a 160 percent increase in the value of coupons printed from its site when compared with the previous year. The total value of the coupons printed out in that month alone was $50 million.
BBB offers the following advice on redeeming online coupons:
- Consumers should check to see if the coupon is being offered directly by the store or if it is being offered by a third-party such as a partner or affiliate. If it is via a third-party, they might ask for additional info or require that the consumer sign up for additional services to redeem the coupon. If so, BBB recommends using extreme caution before giving out any personal information and consumers can check the company out, free of charge, at www.bbb.org.
- BBB advises coupon clickers to be wary of pop-up ad coupon offers that require you to immediately click to redeem. Clicking on the ad may automatically sign the consumer up for services they were not interested in receiving, causing them to be billed every month.
- Carefully read the terms and conditions for the use of the coupon, check for the expiration date,limitations of use and whether it is an online coupon good for only online purchases or if it can also be redeemed at the physical store location.
- Because some stores are concerned about fraud related to online coupons, not all businesses are eager to redeem them. BBB recommends contacting the store where you wish to use the coupon directly to find out whether the coupon is being honored or not.
- Be extremely cautious if the coupon requires that the consumer call the company to redeem the value of the coupon or has any requirement to give personal information.
- Don’t fall for phony coupons via e-mail. Many fake coupons have been making the rounds via e-mail and just because it may come from a friend or family member, don’t assume the coupon is legitimate.
Scam of the Week: Telemarketers Use Threats to Scam Consumers
Sometimes telemarketers will resort to threats to entice victims to send them money or give personnel information. One of the more common scenarios occurs when the caller claims to be with Social Security and if the victim does not give him what he wants, the victims Social Security checks will no longer be delivered.
Sometime threats of violence or arrest will be used. A local Corpus Christi man recently received one of those letters saying he had won five million dollars. This is the usual counterfeit check scam we are always talking about. The victim was instructed in the letter to call the schemers, which he did. Once the schemers had his telephone number they started harassing him for days trying to get him to send money. They threatened that they would send the “crushers” to get him if he did not pay. A later call claimed that the Mexican federal police and the IRS were going to arrest him for failure to send in the money which was supposedly for taxes on his big winnings. Not surprisingly the callers had foreign accents even though the promoters claimed to be in Ls Vegas. BBB advice-don’t call these people in the first place.
