This should go without saying and I am assuming that 99% of Moms Need To Know readers would be just as annoyed as I was at seeing this sign. I'm not annoyed that they put up the sign...I'm annoyed that there is enough of a problem with couponers in my area that they NEEDED to put up the sign . I saw this yesterday and immediately found a store employee who confirmed that they HAVE been having a problem and have caught people pawing through the racks removing inserts from other copies of the paper and tucking them in to the ONE copy that they were buying.
So just a refresher:
- The coupon inserts are just as much of the newspaper as the Sports section. They are "part of the package" when you purchase a Sunday newspaper. If you wouldn't remove just the Sports section from the paper, then the coupon inserts are off-limits as well! Taking an insert from a newspaper that you haven't purchased is stealing. As my 10-year old would say: "Period. The End. Infinite Permanent!"
- Don't assume that Coupon inserts in a "recycling dumpster" are "fair game". I know that the show Extreme Couponing makes Dumpster-Diving For Coupons look like an easy way to get extra inserts, but you might be breaking the law by committing trespassing and/or theft. Unlike the almost nationwide acceptance of "anything left in the trash on the street outside of a house is fair game", dumpsters tend to be located on private property. Further many of those recycling dumpsters are actually a way for the township or organization to make money. They do this not out of the goodness of their heart, but because they then turn around and sell that paper to a recycling company. Taking anything out of the dumpster is taking money out of their pocket.
- Lastly, please use restraint when you happen upon coupon books in stores. Not too long ago, I could walk in to Giant and they had a monthly/seasonal magazine that included coupons on a rack near the entrance. Now finding the magazine/coupon book is like going on a scavenger hunt. You now have to find someone at the customer service desk and ask for the book (and hope they still have them) because people were grabbing 15 copies of the magazine when they were just left out on the racks.
Believe me, I know that the economy stinks and that there are plenty of people who are new to using coupons who might think that the way people act on Extreme Couponing is "normal" behavior for coupon-users. It's not. The behaviors shown on that show are nothing to emulate.
Period. The End. Infinite Permanent!
Looking for more Extreme Couponing tips? Make sure that you check out all the posts in my Coupon 101 and Coupon Ethics sections!
Katherine Bell via Facebook
I don't know uf my area has had any problems with theft but the local news has mentioned it being an issue nationally. My own personal experience was at a Walgreens and every last coupon book was gone. Went to another and found plenty... I suspect a customer or two at the first Walgreens got a little greedy.
Katherine Bell via Facebook
I don't know uf my area has had any problems with theft but the local news has mentioned it being an issue nationally. My own personal experience was at a Walgreens and every last coupon book was gone. Went to another and found plenty... I suspect a customer or two at the first Walgreens got a little greedy.
Heather Dellinger via Facebook
I enjoyed your rant and agree with it whole-heartedly. It stinks. There seem to be a large amount of 'extreme couponers' within the past year - year and a half in my area. It's turned me off from couponing. Stuff is never in stock anymore and none of the products with peelies and hang tags have them on the the packages. People open up products to take the coupons out of them. It's revolting what a person will do to save 50 cents.
Heather Dellinger via Facebook
I enjoyed your rant and agree with it whole-heartedly. It stinks. There seem to be a large amount of 'extreme couponers' within the past year - year and a half in my area. It's turned me off from couponing. Stuff is never in stock anymore and none of the products with peelies and hang tags have them on the the packages. People open up products to take the coupons out of them. It's revolting what a person will do to save 50 cents.
Heather D.
Agreed. People seem to lose their common sense when it comes to saving a few cents.
Shannon
Craziness! So many times I have had to search through DOZENS of newspapers at the store before finally finding the one that actually had the inserts. It's really unfortunate that some people are so socially and morally inept.
Malinda
A few months ago my local shop rite started putting their sunday paper behind the customer service desk. They were experiencing the same kind of issues. Stealing is stealing no matter how you sugar coat it.
Tymeta Savemoney via Facebook
This has been happening for a few months in my area. I check EVERY newspaper before I buy them, because I've come home after spending $10 on papers to find no coupons. Its very frustrating. Its actually ridiculous in my opinion.
Heather
My local newspaper raised their price from $1 to $2. They have also removed several of the newspaper machines, bc people were paying for 1 and taking all of the newspapers. Would love to see these people go to jail over a few dollars!
Ronda Kaufman
Our Kroger in GA also had a similar sign but it also stated that you would go to jail for retail theft. Same as shoplifting. They are really cracking down on peoplw. My Kroger has an employee that does nothing but stand by the Sunday papers and watch people. It's a sad day when people resort to this type of behavior. I blame alot of it on the Extreme Couponing show..
Wendy
This has been a problem in my area for more than a year! I have bought countless Sunday papers with zero coupon inserts because of theft.
christa
Me, too. On a "good" coupon week I run to the store to buy more copies and need to check to make sure all coupon circulars are in them. It is so infuriating to get home and find they are not there!!!
Kelly
Thank you so much for posting this! My husband and daughter go to a recycling bin at a local church and whenever they look for coupons, they always bring a stack of newspapers to replace the "weight" they are taking. It is a great reminder. Sadly, the people who are taking the coupons they have not paid for or the coupon books at stores, are probably not reading this.
Susan
The sad thing about taking all the Walgreens bookletts is that you never have to tear out the coupon so it's gopod for the whole month. I just show my booklett to the cashier and they key in the code, they don't even scan it any longer. Same thing with the in ad coupons that come in the Sunday walgreen ads. I HATE when I buy papers from the store and find all the iserts removed. Now I just have 4 papers delivered. I need 9 but can't afford 9 yet...lol...I have 7 kids and hubs and myself....
Aubrey N Sam via Facebook
I work at a Rite Aid and we've been dealing with this for years...Pretty sad..
Trina Cochran via Facebook
This is so sad that people think they can't pay for the newspaper to get the coupons!
Mary Kay
I would occasionally buy a few extra newspaper at Dollar Tree when the coupons were worth making the extra trip and spending more but after a while they had to move the Sunday paper to the cashier stations, because people were ripping off the coupon sections.
I am guilty of snatching Box Tops For Education when I see them in recycling bins (just the Box Top part). Hopefully that does not have an effect on revenue.
Ruth
Couponing is very competitive and some people have no scruples. I told one friend of a place I used legally get alot of coupons and now she goes there at 3 am before me to get them all. I'm lucky that I have a lot of people helping me obtain coupons since I made a job out of couponing, I shop for a lot of people. Be very careful sharing secrets and tips because some people will for a luck of a better word, "screw" you. The same goes for clearance items. I shop every day so if something goes on clearance, I'm one of the first people to see it. I used to tell a couple of friends and they would ran out and get every single item on the shelf. In order for me to stay employed, feed my children and save my customers money, I need to be careful about sharing what I find.