I have been receiving many emails lately regarding PDF or JPG coupons. People are asking if they can print them, why I don’t have them in my “printables” list and why I don’t post the freebies or great brags they are seeing on other pages.
The simple answer is, if it is not a coupon that is currently in circulation BY THE MANUFACTURER, then I do not promote using it.
Saving Coupons as PDF files or JPG images on your computer:
There are still many manufacturers who are putting image files online as their coupons. If they go through a site like smartsource or websaver, these companies have features on their sites to limit the # of times we can print a coupon. When the files are released in a newsletter or on a website as a PDF or JPG, then they can be printed over and over.
In this case the only way it can be limited by the manufacturer (or so they think) is by displaying it for a limited amount of time, or distributing it to their mailing list.
Here’s where the problem lies….the people printing (consumers, couponers, anyone and everyone) can save these files to their computer. Even when the manufacturer “removes” the coupon from their site, these coupons continue to circulate and people continue to print more copies of the coupons.
It may not seem like a big deal to print a few extra copies, but if everyone does, the manufacturer will have to refuse to reimburse them. That is when the retailers will stop accepting them, and we will not be able to use printables anywhere (in the future).
Please understand this practice will ruin couponing in the long run.
***Please DO NOT save coupons as PDFs/JPGs to reprint. ***
The companies do not intend for you to continue printing it once it is removed from their pages.
If you ever receive an image file of a coupon by email from anyone, and not from the manufacturer directly, be aware it may be fraudulent.
How to Spot a Fraudulent Coupon (CLICK HERE)
Always print the coupons from the manufacturer sites…if they are gone, they are gone for a reason.
I only promote using coupons to help save money, not to be a hoarder or try to get everything on the shelf just because I have enough coupons and the item is free. I do not teach bending the rules, or reading into the wording what I want to see, so I can get more items free. We all know what companies intend with coupon campaigns…and they DO NOT intend for us to get everything free all the time.
Yes, there are those few times when they release great coupons and with sales and other coupon combinations (BOGOs, HV, etc) we get items free…but it is not for us to get 100 packages of toilet tissue, or candles for every teacher at the school down the road! Remember to be reasonable, buy for yourself, and your family. If you volunteer shop and/or make donations, that is another reason to buy more, but certainly NO EXCUSE to abuse a coupon or offer available.
This article was prompted by emails I have been receiving. Thanks for reading and I hope it has helped you understand why some things you read on the internet should not be followed. (Just because someone else is doing it, it does not make it right)
~ Ruth Ann