This is a guest post by Coupon Sherpa, a simple and easy to use, all inclusive coupon site with deals on online, grocery, mobile and printable coupons.
A sweet coupon is tough to resist, but offers that appear too good to be true can be fraudulent. Coupons are easy to find and have become so popular that scammers regularly reared their ugly heads with sophisticated cons.
With a little experience and the following nine tips, you can spot these con artists and avoid being taken for a ride.
1. Never pay for coupons. If you have to pay for coupons, you’re not really getting a deal. And there’s a high likelihood you’re simply being scammed or the deal is available elsewhere online for free.
2. Watch for “bait and switch” tactics. This scam offers you online coupon codes and, once you agree, requires you fill in a form with personal information, including your credit-card details, passwords and other financial data. These “phishing” sites can result in your receiving a ton of email spam and a possibly having to deal with identity theft.
3. Look for legal lingo and expiration dates. Online coupons will have the same usage copy as those found in your newspaper. Make sure your coupon includes legal lingo reading: “Not to be altered, copied, transferred, purchased or sold.” Coupons lacking this line of copy are often altered copies of old, expired coupons.
4. Avoid online membership clubs or services. Many offer savings you could find elsewhere and require exorbitant fees. There’s something very wrong with paying $9.95 to register with a club then paying 10 percent of each coupon’s face value and a 75-cent shipping fee.
5. If a store refuses to accept an Internet coupon, send a letter or email to the company customer service department and provide the name of the store, the name of the person with whom you spoke, a copy or link to the coupon and where you got it.
Most retailers are familiar with online coupons by now, so you shouldn’t have a problem. Just in case, however, it helps to know many online coupon sources have agreements with grocery store chains. The failure of local store management to accept online coupons may only mean a break-down in training. Alerting the company customer service department should ensure you’re able to use your Internet coupons on your next trip to the store.
6. Keep an eye on the cash register. Make sure the printable coupon is applied to your total before you make the purchase. A discount will NEVER appear after you have purchased an item.
7. Use a reputable online coupon site like Coupon Sherpa.
8. Go straight to the source. Sign up for emails from the retailers you shop with to get coupons directly from the retailer.
9. Report fraudulent activities to the FTC. To file a complaint, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.
Thanks to everyone who entered our Wanchai Ferry prize pack giveaway.
We were given the opportunity to try out Wanchai Ferry’s newest Beef & Broccoli flavor thanks to MyBlogSpark and we loved it! Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees take a whole 14 minutes to prepare, so it is going to be super quick to get on the table. The beef and vegetables are incredibly easy to cook in a skillet on the stove and the rice is just popped into the microwave for 2 minutes and comes out perfectly cooked with a great texture, which was very pleasantly surprising. The finished product is actually a lot tastier than I thought it was going to be and is definitely among the best frozen entree meals I have had the pleasure of trying out.
We were also able to try out two fabulous, modern and very pretty green tea sets. Each tea set includes a modern tea cup, a tea sifter and some of the most gorgeous and vibrant green tea that tastes absolutely amazing.
We had the opportunity to give away one Wanchai Ferry prize pack from Wanchai Ferry through MyBlogSpark. The prize pack includes one VIP coupon for a free Wanchai Ferry frozen entree and two of the modern tea sets.
And the winner of the Wanchai Ferry prize pack is…
Steph, who left comment number 12!
Congratulations and I hope you enjoy your prize!
Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to try Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli frozen entrees from MyBlogSpark. For this post, the factual information, products and giveaway have all been provided by Wanchai Ferry through MyBlogSpark. All opinions throughout this post are 100% mine.
Tags: Asian food, Chinese food, Contests & Giveaways, coupons, Food & Beverage Finds, frozen dinners, giveaway winner, green tea, Home & Food, MyBlogSpark, News, tea, Wanchai Ferry, Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli
This giveaway is now closed.
We are a big fan of Asian cuisine, but it isn’t always the most frugal of choices to go out to your favorite Chinese restaurant as often as you would like to; especially when as often as you would like to is a few times a week. I can personally attest to the fact that a few bucks here and there at a restaurant can add up pretty quickly when you take a look at how much you’ve spent over the course of just a month because you gave in to some really strong Chinese food cravings again and again. So when you have some incredible cravings, there is a far more frugal and very convenient choice–Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees.
You may have turned your nose up at the thought of a frozen meal, what you are probably picturing as a standard TV dinner you pop into the microwave, and at first I thought essentially the same thing. I recently had the opportunity to try Wanchai Ferry’s newest flavor, Beef & Broccoli, which is tender beef strips and an assortment of Asian-style vegetables in a thick brown sauce over white rice. I received a package of Wenchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli as well as two modern and gorgeous tea sets from MyBlogSpark.
Wanchai Ferry frozen entrees take a whole 14 minutes to prepare, so it is going to be super quick to get on the table. The beef and vegetables are incredibly easy to cook in a skillet on the stove and the rice is just popped into the microwave for 2 minutes and comes out perfectly cooked with a great texture, which was very pleasantly surprising. The finished product is actually a lot tastier than I thought it was going to be and is definitely among the best frozen entree meals I have had the pleasure of trying out. I usually stay away from brands and types of frozen foods and this goes double for Asian entrees, since after trying out a few different brands, nothing was tasting as good as I thought it could. I’m glad to say that Wanchai Ferry was impressive and a brand I definitely plan on buying again, especially considering my limitations in the cooking department.
In addition to being able to try this new Wanchai Ferry entree I was also sent two fabulous, modern and very pretty green tea sets. Each tea set includes a modern tea cup, a tea sifter and some of the most gorgeous and vibrant green tea that tastes absolutely amazing.
Want to try out Wanchai Ferry entrees for yourself? Download their $1.60 off coupon and choose between the Beef & Broccoli flavor, the Kung Pao Chicken, Szechuan Style Chicken, Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken or Sweet & Sour Chicken.
Wanchai Ferry Giveaway
Thanks to MyBlogSpark, we also have the chance to give away a VIP coupon for one free Wanchai Ferry entree so you can try Wanchai Ferry for yourself before you buy a thing. One lucky reader will also win two tea sets.
To win the Wanchai Ferry VIP coupon and two tea sets, all you have to is leave a comment on this post telling us what Wanchai Ferry flavor you would like to try if you won. [REQUIRED]
Additional Entries: [Leave a comment for each additional entry.]
This giveaway ends Friday, July 9th at 11:59PM EST. This giveaway is open to all US residents over the age of 18. The winner will be contacted by email and has 48 hours (2 days) to respond with their mailing address. If I don’t hear back from the winner within that time, another winner will be picked.
Full Contest Disclaimer
Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to try Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli frozen entrees from MyBlogSpark. For this post, the factual information, products and giveaway have all been provided by Wanchai Ferry through MyBlogSpark. All opinions throughout this post are 100% mine.
Tags: Asian food, Chinese food, Contests & Giveaways, coupons, Food & Beverage Finds, frozen dinners, green tea, Home & Food, MyBlogSpark, News, tea, Wanchai Ferry, Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli
This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’m pretty sure I’ve tried most brands of frozen pizza on the market. That’s what happens when you are a complete and total disaster in the kitchen. Luckily, my partner knows what he is doing in the kitchen and makes some really delicious meals; but when he isn’t available, starving really isn’t an option so I usually rummage through the cupboards and open the freezer to see what we have that’s low-maintenance and easy to put together. That is when the frozen pizzas come in.
But just because I don’t have many skills in the kitchen doesn’t mean that I’m willing to compromise delicious taste for something that’s easy to prepare for myself. When I saw the new Freschetta FlatBread pizzas, they really sparked my interest because just look at them–they look delicious. Freschetta FlatBread comes in various different flavors, including the standard pepperoni and 5-cheese, but also the not-so-standard roasted garlic and spinach and zesty Italian, which is definitely the one I need to try.
If you also find yourself needing to try these amazing-looking pizzas, you can get a coupon for $1 off from their website, which is awesome! Freschetta FlatBread pizzas are a great thing to have hanging out in the freezer whether you need something easy to put together for yourself, or if you’re at a loss for what to make for dinner when you’re running low on time. They’re also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for kids’ slumber parties. Whatever situation you find yourself in when you need something delicious and easy to put together, remember Freschetta FlatBread pizzas and don’t forget to download your coupon.
