KANSAS CITY - More and more of us are using coupons to cut our grocery bill, but a growing number of shoppers are finding those coupons denied at the register.
It's a puzzle to many shoppers who believe stores should welcome coupons. But despite all sorts of technological advances, some supermarkets are still saying no to legitimate coupons printed online.
Valerie Murray is one of many shoppers frustrated by stores that won't accept internet coupons.
"At the cash register, I tired to use them. they would not even honor them at any store I tried," complained Murray.
NBC Action News first reported on fraudulent online coupons in 2006. There are tips to spotting a bogus bargain.
Heather Tenney runs a coupon blog called
"Little Miss Know It all". "Never print a coupon that is forwarded to you, thats rule number one," says Tenney.
She reccomends sticking with established coupon sites like
coupons.com,
smartsource.com and your favorite store's web site.
Once online, there are other red flags to spot the bogus from legitimate offers. A true coupon will be for a reasonable discount -- like 75 cents -- with an expiration date.
"A fraudulent coupon will usually offer something free, like a free Blockbuster movie or McDonalds salad, with no expiration date," explains Tenney.
Tenney says most real coupons now have a security code so consumers can print only one copy.
"A legitimate coupon is usually going to require some sort of software so they can identify you and you can print them legitimately," adds Tenney.
If your store denies what you think is a legitimate coupon, go to the service desk.
If that doesn't work, ask to speak directly to the store manager let them know you may take your business to another store.
Tenney offers one last tip. Print off the coupon policy for each store you where you plan to shop. Often, store clerks are not always up on the recent coupon policies and this could help you get the proper credit if denied using a legitimate discount.
