How to Avoid Coupon Scam Sites



Posted: Thursday, September 25, 2008

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With the economy the way it is right now many families are turning to coupon clipping to make the most out of their weekly budgets. Unfortunately, many of these families looking to save money are getting sucked into scam sites that provide little or no real value. With these tips you should be able to save money shopping and avoid being a victim of an email farm or worse. Deal savings sites are essential for the new coupon user but getting scammed isn't!

Did you get an offer for free cookies or jelly beans? Chances are you are being sent to a site that is considered an email farm. These sites pay affiliates to direct you to the site. The affiliate gets paid when you enter your email address. You never get the free coupon but instead your email gets lots of spam! Avoid this time of email farming by always checking that the site you are entering your email is the manufacturers site or a trusted party like a major store.

Another trick used is the 'complete offer'. This is typically used for free magazine subscriptions but other products are used as bait as well. This offer looks a lot like the email farming site but takes it one step further by requiring you to sign up for a free offer to get the product. Be careful with these. The free offer almost always expires long enough away for you to completely forgotten about it and then the monthly charge that was in the really fine print of the original free offer expires.

Another type of site that I consider a scam is a paid information site for deals. Many of these exist in the bargain shopping world. They promise that they can deliver exclusive news about deals. These sites are very upfront about their charges so calling them 'scams' is a bit harsh but the reality is that there are plenty of offer sites that give away the exact same information for free. Great sales information can still be found without signing up for a pricey membership. Try using Twitter and searching for the many real people that will share their favorite sites with you. On of my favorites is www.thecouponcupboard.com but you can find others by using the google to search for 'grocery coupon forums'.

Hopefully your bargain hunting will be a little safer and easier now that you know how to spot a scam site. There are a few really good coupon forums out there ready to connect you with real people who are more than happy to help a new person get started!

 
Katelyn Grace is a mother of two boys and owns her own business. She enjoys writing freelance articles and surfing the web for money saving ideas. Katelyn recommends this coupon forum as a safe site for to find bargains!


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