Fraudulent Coupon Alert

Goodmorning!
There are some very high value coupons circulating the internet and through email. They are from a marketing company called vyrl marketing. I would advise you to not use these fraudulent coupons. Please read the following articles:
http://www.lairdgarner.com/blog/2008/8/27/vyrlmkt-unleashes-real-coupon-virus.html
http://supermarketnews.com/news/internet_coupons_0904/

I have read about these coupons, but had not seen them until today. They are very tempting to use, but I would not.

Here are some ways to spot that they are questionable:
First of all, since they are being circulated in a pdf format they are out of the manufacturers control as to how many are being circulated. Which means they are basically copies, way more than they originally intended. Copying coupons is against the law. So, I never use coupons that come to me in a PDF format, unless I have downloaded it directly from the manuf. website myself.
But, secondly, these coupons are being talked about alot because they were originally part of a Facebook coupon application test that was a huge booboo. They aren't even backed by the manufacturers. Most coupons, for example Pillsbury dinner roles, will say on the coupon that the manufacturer, Pillsbury, will reimburse the value of the coupon to the retailer. Well, these coupons have the marketing company backing them, which is a red flag.

The average person wouldn't know this. But, there are many people who do know better that are using these. Also, if we can put a stop to fraudulent coupon use, then couponing will be a much better experience for everyone. Things like this tend to make people suspicious of couponers. Even those with integrity. ;-)

I am all about Integrity!
Alisa