Buying manufacturer coupons-Is there a catch?

[tlc1976]

Someone I know was showing me something where you can buy manufacturer coupons and have them mailed to you. Supposedly someone she knows does this. Coupons in excess of what most items will ever cost, so it’s free at the store. Most are about $20 to buy $20 coupons, that expire anywhere from a couple months to a year from now. So you essentially get everything for about $1 each. Seems too good to be true. Seems everyone would be doing this. Is this legit?

I can see where if you buy a huge variety of stuff, or a lot of stuff goes to waste, it might not be worth it. But I buy a very small variety, and have storage space for non perishables, and happily eat the same thing all the time. They have my oatmeal, morning star and gardein, cascade, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, raid, even all WD40 products, plus more. You can’t double coupons but that’s fine. Use one of each every week (more if I hop a few stores) so it’s not like I’m clearing store shelves. And eat for almost nothing for quite awhile, and have my other supplies stocked for a few years. All for under $200. It’s a no brainer if it’s legit. I’d still buy my store brand no sodium canned vegetables for 59c each. And other odds and ends.

So I’m wondering what’s the catch? Does anyone else successfully do this? Or do local stores kick you out and blacklist you like a casino does to a guy who’s good at memorizing cards? Do they change their policy to no accept coupons? Like once I used a great coupon for a ton of wood pellets, and Family Farm and Home frowned upon it and immediately changed their policy to specifically no coupons for pellets.

 

[silva]

Someone I know was showing me something where you can buy manufacturer coupons and have them mailed to you. Supposedly someone she knows does this. Coupons in excess of what most items will ever cost, so it’s free at the store. Most are about $20 to buy $20 coupons, that expire anywhere from a couple months to a year from now. So you essentially get everything for about $1 each. Seems too good to be true. Seems everyone would be doing this. Is this legit?

I can see where if you buy a huge variety of stuff, or a lot of stuff goes to waste, it might not be worth it. But I buy a very small variety, and have storage space for non perishables, and happily eat the same thing all the time. They have my oatmeal, morning star and gardein, cascade, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, raid, even all WD40 products, plus more. You can’t double coupons but that’s fine. Use one of each every week (more if I hop a few stores) so it’s not like I’m clearing store shelves. And eat for almost nothing for quite awhile, and have my other supplies stocked for a few years. All for under $200. It’s a no brainer if it’s legit. I’d still buy my store brand no sodium canned vegetables for 59c each. And other odds and ends.

So I’m wondering what’s the catch? Does anyone else successfully do this? Or do local stores kick you out and blacklist you like a casino does to a guy who’s good at memorizing cards? Do they change their policy to no accept coupons? Like once I used a great coupon for a ton of wood pellets, and Family Farm and Home frowned upon it and immediately changed their policy to specifically no coupons for pellets.

Years ago I came across ebay sellers that sold coupons. I don't know how they got so many, because they were clearly cut from newspaper ads, but they sold them at a very low price. I bought a lot of something I regularly used and it was quite the savings--not free, but a really good deal.
That was probably the time that show about extreme couponing came out. I had coworkers who had a competition on who could save the most . I hate that kind of stuff! I still remember having a good coupon for peanut butter and waiting for a women to select hers so I could get a jar--and she took the whole shelf! . I said "excuse me, I wanted a jar" and she just smiled at me and turned away . You know I got the last word--B....
I'd completely forgot about coupons. I haven't gotten a newspaper in years! I do look up those online coupons for particular stores

I don't understand the $20 for $20 worth though. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

 

[silva]

I used to write companies with questions or comments, and often they would send me coupons for a free item

 

[LoreD]

Many of the "coupon clipper" sites send fake coupons that are refused at the store.

FAKE COUPONS AND COUPON CERTIFICATE BOOK SCAMS SURGE THROUGH US​

Fake Coupons, an Almost Unheard of Scam, Costs $600M Annually.html

scambusters.org

Virginia woman ‘perfected the art’ of making fake coupons. She’s now going to prison for it.​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/17/virginia-woman-sentenced-counterfeit-coupon-scam/

A judge sentenced Lori Ann Talens to 12 years in prison for running what prosecutors called one of the largest coupon scams in history after she pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple counts of fraud.

The Talenses made nearly $400,000 selling the fakes to more than 2,000 customers across the country. About 100 companies — including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Ziploc — were their victims. The hardest hit was Kimberly-Clark, the paper products company, which lost nearly $9 million.

 

[LoreD]

Someone I know was showing me something where you can buy manufacturer coupons and have them mailed to you. Supposedly someone she knows does this. Coupons in excess of what most items will ever cost, so it’s free at the store. Most are about $20 to buy $20 coupons, that expire anywhere from a couple months to a year from now. So you essentially get everything for about $1 each. Seems too good to be true. Seems everyone would be doing this. Is this legit?

I can see where if you buy a huge variety of stuff, or a lot of stuff goes to waste, it might not be worth it. But I buy a very small variety, and have storage space for non perishables, and happily eat the same thing all the time. They have my oatmeal, morning star and gardein, cascade, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, raid, even all WD40 products, plus more. You can’t double coupons but that’s fine. Use one of each every week (more if I hop a few stores) so it’s not like I’m clearing store shelves. And eat for almost nothing for quite awhile, and have my other supplies stocked for a few years. All for under $200. It’s a no brainer if it’s legit. I’d still buy my store brand no sodium canned vegetables for 59c each. And other odds and ends.

So I’m wondering what’s the catch? Does anyone else successfully do this? Or do local stores kick you out and blacklist you like a casino does to a guy who’s good at memorizing cards? Do they change their policy to no accept coupons? Like once I used a great coupon for a ton of wood pellets, and Family Farm and Home frowned upon it and immediately changed their policy to specifically no coupons for pellets.

Walmart, and other stores, have made it a policy to refuse any coupon that makes the product "free" or "cash back".