Photocopying coupons what are we gonna do?

[oscarandme]

Hey everyone!

You do what you want to do but I do not photocopy and am too afraid to even try. When I started couponing for real late last year it had crossed my mind I'll be honest seeing all those shows, this has to be how they are getting so much, but I can't do it .

But when manufacturers are giving you the option to print as many as you wish like the Green Works coupon link. I intend on buying at least 20 of them in seperate trips and DH and different days. I know one per purchase so till the end of coupon period and sales that is my plan. Love that stuff.

They all print at the top and sometimes I will cut 2-3 pages at a time and they look at me or DH and say they are photocopies and I say NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I printed and they all print at same place on page and I bulk cut.

So what are we to do to prove they are true prints. I wrote about this before at Metro a male cashier said these are photocopies and I said NO!!!, I replied look at the poor toner and consistancy of poor printing, I had another coupon for another type product with the same tone but this one had paper jammed and the top and rest of print had printed on two pages so I cut aligned and taped them together so when he was reading he said why is this one so thick? I explained the situation (it was on Buitoni coupons) - did not want to waste the coupon then I said oh by the way see what I was saying the toner is terrible on this one too. He compared and said nothing but the person behind me supported me. They still did not take the prints because they do not take prints but he accused me anyway and was wrong. It still did not dismiss me looking like a crook and a fraudulant person. I understand their position but....they didn't een take them to start off with..

I read on a blog in the states one girl said you think they are photocopies??? charge me!!! That shut them up but...there has to be a better way.

And as much as I love Green Works, I am getting better(not much better but a little at reading the fine print and they show on the coupon Note: (Not all retailers accept home printed coupons). Was that on the others? When I purchase a product I do not want an iffy coupon? Apart from the stores that we know that have started not to accept printed coupons like Food basics and Metro and FreschCo? Correct me if I am wrong or if something changed in these branches would not want to mislead anyone. Why offer to print? This is just if it is coming to that point?

Do they want us to buy these products? To try, to save, to donate, to work with.

I went to a Canadian Tire a few months ago for the Tylex coupon/deals and manager asked me begrudgingly (Is this for a business?). What does that have to do with my purchase? I had 10 bottles (1 per ....) I thought to myself no this is for my home that houses 2 lovely cats, 2 lovely dogs and a messy DH and a discouraged purchaser of cleaning products looking for deals. I still had to pay over a dollar per item, taxes... NOT FREE at all.

A quiz to buy my products? your products?

What do you think we should do? the manufacturers ? apart from the obvious, stop making copies if this is going on.

[Poirot]

My suggestion is contact companies ask they put coupons with gocoupons.ca,save.ca and websaver mailed coupons and Red Plum and Smartsource coupon inserts or they put a limit in their coupon program like smartsource.ca does.

[pippinelkhound]

You have to remember a couple of things. Using coupons is a privilege not a right.

Stores don't have to accept coupons.

Stores can limit the number of coupons we can use.

Over the last couple of years cleaning product coupons have been used hugely by members of this site. People were buying cases of the stuff at London Drugs when you could stack them.

Personally, I won't use printables. Too much hassle.

We've heard about people here who resell the products at garage sales, let's not even get into that discussion.

If you are really into ecological cleaning products why not use vinegar, lemon juice, etc.? Cheaper and better when going down the drain and into the sewers.

[oscarandme]

pipineIkhound!

You have some valid points. I don't remember reading anything about they have the right to refuse. The little bit of time I have been couponing, just took it for granted. May I ask you how do you know these coupons in particular by this site. Just curious.

Here in Ottawa we do not have a London Drugs unfortunately but I would have probably done that too. Aren't they aware about the coupons out there for their products? and consumers are getting savvy on how to use them.

Trust me, I am not the environmental type. My efforts are nothing to look up to. I just love Green Works, it works, it smells clean and is reasonably priced and DH throat does not close-up when I use it and it was only used as an example for the thread.

I really appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

At this point since posting I have noticed (77 views and 1 like and 2 replies) to thread...what does that mean?
Just a question to all who read this. Just something to think about.

You have to remember a couple of things. Using coupons is a privilege not a right.

Stores don't have to accept coupons.

Stores can limit the number of coupons we can use.

Over the last couple of years cleaning product coupons have been used hugely by members of this site. People were buying cases of the stuff at London Drugs when you could stack them.

Personally, I won't use printables. Too much hassle.

We've heard about people here who resell the products at garage sales, let's not even get into that discussion.

If you are really into ecological cleaning products why not use vinegar, lemon juice, etc.? Cheaper and better when going down the drain and into the sewers.

[FallenPixels]

At this point since posting I have noticed (77 views and 1 like and 2 replies) to thread...what does that mean?
Just a question to all who read this. Just something to think about.

That means 77 "people" looked (viewed) at the thread (some of those will not be members, will be search bots adding the page to google etc or people who read it twice like you did)
1 person liked a post and 2 people replied

[FallenPixels]

As for what you can do, not much
Using only one at a time helps. Find out which stores take printed (Walmart, SDM, Loblaws branded stores etc) and then find which is the friendliest for coupons and use them there.

[amandabananda]

I too try to limit my printed coupon use as well. I printed about 5 of the tilex as well, and only used 1 of them. Too much hassle!

[macw1960]

I use printed coupons sometimes but I bring the whole sheet of paper in and have never had any problems. I also read somewhere that you should cut your coupons separately and not in bulk...not sure why.

[Springbreeze]

Unless its a really great coupon for something I need, I don't bother printing them, and I very rarely print more then one. Its just to much of a hassle to use the usually and by the time I print out a lot I am not really saving money when I have to buy more ink for the printer. Personally I hate printing coupons

[Tbites]

Unless its a really great coupon for something I need, I don't bother printing them, and I very rarely print more then one. Its just to much of a hassle to use the usually and by the time I print out a lot I am not really saving money when I have to buy more ink for the printer. Personally I hate printing coupons

+1 for rarely using printables now... not just because of hassles but because I have to factor in what my overall savings really are after the cost of ink, paper, and time. (Time because my printer always seems to take forever even on a good day IF there are no java issues )

Edited to add: Like another poster mentioned above, when I've used a printable I will usually bring the whole sheet so they can see the web address on the printout, if the web address is at the top of the page then I just cut the bottom of the page off. I print in greyscale (to save ink) and realize that this MAY look like a photocopy to some cashiers.

[BC Gal]

Almost any time I have used several of one printed coupon, the cashier or supervisor ask if it was copied and I say no it is a pdf, or it is from their website and that's it - no big deal. I would hate for companies to stop putting these coupons out. If they change and have to pay websaver or another company, it will definitely limit the amount you can print. I say let it be and be happy when you can print of 20 coupons and use them, even if occasionally someone asks the source.

[Darth Penguin]

I use printed coupons sometimes but I bring the whole sheet of paper in and have never had any problems. I also read somewhere that you should cut your coupons separately and not in bulk...not sure why.

me too...Always the full sheet.

Cutting seperately might be related to this ..."Gang-Cut" coupons..thanks to another poster who included this link earlier.

[anastasia1009]

me too I just printed off the Garnier one and it was the whole sheet with the address on top. I never cut/copy so more can fit on the page that is wrong. One coupon per page.

[SassyAshley]

I do not use that many printable coupons, not sure why just do not. On that note today when I went shopping I used I think 7 and thankfully there were no issues. But I will admit I was nervous especially since 4 of them were going to allow me to get the product for free.

[torontogal12]

Metro doesn't take printables and never has. It isn't a recent thing. Food Basics is owned by Metro. Longo's doesn't take printables either.

I hate printables so much. The programs don't really work on Mac. Ink is expensive, and Metro and Longos are the two stores I go to the most and I can't even use them there. Most stores of other chains in the area will refuse to take them anyway regardless of coupon policy and I don't have the time to fight them anymore.

Like macw1960 said, don't cut the printable coupons. Bring the whole sheet with the timestamp. If a cashier is being resistant, there really isn't much you can do other than speak to a manager. If you have unlimited data on your phone, you can always google the link and show the cashier that it is live and legitimate.

Just out of curiosity, which Buitoni and Greenworks coupons are you referring to? I'd like to use those when I visit my parents who have other stores nearby that will take printables.