Do research on coupon ‘businesses’

Months before the black flies, the work-at-home pests are at it again. Gladys Thompson of Farmington writes Forum, “I am a stay-at-home mom who needs extra money for the family. I am usually suspicious about e-mail, but this one sounds interesting. Do you know anything about a business called Clip for Cash? I have enclosed a printout of their offer.”

What Gladys sent us was a bogus “business opportunity” involving certificate booklets and coupon clipping. Using the mail and Internet heavily, clip artists promise individuals (and often charities) that they can make thousands of dollars by selling coupon certificate booklets. These offers almost always are worthless.

Know this. The only legitimate use of a coupon is for a person’s purchase of a specific product. Selling coupons violates most redemption policies and usually voids the offer.

More than 3,000 manufacturers distribute 330 billion coupons every year, worth an estimated $280 billion, to promote their products. Approximately 77 percent of U.S. households use 8 billion coupons to save $4.7 billion on grocery items. This is big business for scam artists who get rich by misrepresenting opportunities to unwary victims. The scam usually follows a pattern.

The “investor” is promised a sweet profit for selling coupon certificate booklets (which she or he must buy in advance) to “customers” for $20 to $50 each. Each booklet contains 20 to 50 certificates. Each certificate can be redeemed for coupons worth $10, making each booklet “worth” between $200 and $500. To redeem the certificates for coupons, customers must complete and mail a form, select 30 to 50 products from a list, and include a self-addressed, postpaid envelope and “processing fee.” Investors are promised big profits for selling the booklets, while customers are assured of big savings at the grocery checkout.

Investors lose money because inflated earnings claims never pan out and they are left with dozens of unsold books. Customers lose money because redeeming certificates “valued” at $500 requires postage and processing fees of $100 or more when they could have simply clipped the coupons from a newspaper. COMBAT has yet to encounter anyone, investor or customer, who made or saved “hundreds of dollars” in one of these scams.

Protect yourself from these bogus coupon deals. Avoid offers that require complicated forms, difficult procedures and handling fees; guarantee big profits, high income or amazing savings; or make claims that no risk is involved, assure a “hot, can’t miss” opportunity and pressure you to “act now.”

If you still are tempted, ask questions and make sure the answers add up. Get refund policy details before you invest. What do you get for your money? Who will pay you? Will you be paid on salary or commission? When you will get your first check? Demand the total cost to you, including supplies, equipment, membership fees and hidden charges associated with ordering the coupons (including hefty postage and processing fees), then do the math.

Get all promises in writing. Never “close the deal” online; instead, make them mail the specifics to your home. And if we haven’t scared you away yet, give us one more chance before you sign. Send a copy of the offer to us at Forum. If you are a COMBAT member, we will investigate the company’s reputation for you.

Thanks for your letter, Gladys. But our bottom line advice to you, and dozens of others who have contacted us about these schemes, is that to be absolutely safe and smart, just ignore these offers entirely because the only thing that will get clipped for a profit is YOU.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast COMBAT-Maine Center for the Public Interest, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.