I got an email recently from a concerned Happy Money Saver reader:
Hi Karrie,
I am about 2 months into couponing and it’s now like a game for me. I’m trying to be careful and wise as I shop for great deals. This morning I had an interesting experience at Winco. I was there early to avoid long lines. Many of the store stockers were there. I grabbed 2 fruit snacks off the shelf: Spiderman and the Avengers both of which I didn’t have any coupons for but wanted to purchase regardless. As I took them the product man asked if I wanted a coupon. I replied OF COURSE! He said that he is so upset because people are coming through the stores ripping off these sticker coupons off of products. He said that is considered stealing and vandalism and if he catches someone doing this they will be prosecuted!
It is causing a great issue within many companies and we may soon see the end of our stickie coupons. I told him how I am new to couponing and yet the books and blogs I’m reading encourage this sort of thing. He was appalled and furious! This is bad behavior folks and needs to stop! It’s RUDE to other shoppers and very greedy behavior. Generosity pays us back more than greediness ever will. Please be a kind couponer, or you’ll ruin it for all of us!
Thanks,
Amy
Personally I have heard both sides of this – some couponers say there is no law that says they are not allowed to take them off to use them at another day. And I have talked to the vendors who put them on products who say they want people to buy the products that they are on.
So I wanted to hear your thoughts. Is is wrong to take peelie coupons without purchasing the products right then and there, or do you think its more of a gray area?
Vote here – and feel free to leave a comment if you like as well:
[poll id=”2″]
I personally think it’s fine to take them and not considered stealing as coupons are free, they have no money value other than savings for a particular product. They place them on products to be used with their brands. If you are using them to purchase their products than its not stealing. I do think it’s wrong if you aren’t being gentle and if you destroy another stores products. Keep it clean and neat when you are done and only take what you need, not all of them! The other thing is some people buy it not even caring to use the coupons. I use to never coupon and would often find these coupons on the products when I got home, the cashier never took them off!
I understand if they take a few (probably 1 or 2) but if they take most or even all of it, thats GREEDY. What if the item was on promotion and someone (who wasn’t a couponer) wanted to try out the product. I follow the “couponingcommunity” tag on IG for deals but a lot of the time I see people selling peelies that they have taken off the products. They call it a “service/clipping fee” but bullshit, you’re stealing and selling it off. Personally, I don’t support the selling and buying of coupons because it’s illegal.
It is stealing, no gray about it. The coupons are attached to product to be used on THAT product to promote sales. If you remove the coupons from certain products you are taking away the savings from another customer who would have done the honest thing and bought the product because of the attached coupon. Not to mention the loss of sales to the store because they have to damage out product due to coupons that are difficult to remove without defacing the product. Being a manager at a grocery store, you look like desperate fools. If you don’t think anything is wrong with it, why do you look around to see if anyone is watching?
Hmm, Im fairly new to qponing. I think taking peelies are okay if your not taking excessive amount and your leaving some for others. If the intent is to have consumers purchase their product, why cant we use them at a different store for a better price? The peelies are not on the product for that particular store and its a free qpon. We need answers from the manufacture, not random qponers.
I vote grey area. I think it’s okay to take them as long as you don’t take EVERY SINGLE ONE. I’ve taken peelies before. I typically only shop at one grocery store (and I don’t play the drug store game) so I’ll probably end up using it at the same store, on the same product later— when it goes on sale.