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I was stunned the other day when someone at work handed me a coupon for a FREE bag of Doritos!!! It was a good looking fake, but hasn’t that coupon been going around now for almost a year?

Spotting a fake is actually more for the stores than you, but you need to know how to show them the coupons that you have are NOT fakes or copies.

This is difficult when we are talking about Walmart. My store has no problem taking an internet printable, while some of you can’t use them at all. Also, for a while now we have had the luxury of printing off internet coupons in black and white. At this point I think you are really taking a chance that they will not be taken that way. I would not print any in B&W anymore. Especially since if they do not take them you can’t really go back and print them again. I know that ink is expensive, but I would much rather get a great deal on something, so I am forking out the extra $$ for color ink cartridges.

Grab one of your printable coupons or go HERE and print a few. Now the biggest and easiest way to it take a look at the top right hand corner. See the expiration date? Behind it should be small yellow dots, this is a security watermark. Also, many coupons have another watermark below that one. If it is a Smart Source printable, they do not have the yellow dots, but a larger watermark behind the amount you are saving.

Also, when showing cashiers and managers how to know if they are photocopied or a fake I point out that the serial number in the 2-D bar code at the top right are always different. If I had copied these coupons they would all have the same number! But, I usually have 2 of the same coupon because you can print them twice, and I can show them that they are different numbers.

If they really want to above the bar code at the bottom it actually tells the retailer how to go online and authenticate the coupon. It tells them to not accept without the dot-scan barcode below the expiration date.

Here is some great information:

What if a store won’t take my coupon?
Please let us know, and we’ll send them information to help better inform them about printable coupons. They want you to have a positive experience; they just may not know the facts.

We also encourage you to refer them to the Retailer Resources on this site (the URL is printed on most coupons) and/or contact their corporate headquarters. Sometimes local stores are not aware of their corporate policy to accept printable coupons.

Finally, call their customer service line and let them know you want to use your coupons at their store.

Do’s and Don’ts
There are a lot of online coupons out there. You may come across offers that appear to be legitimate coupons, but you aren’t sure. Here are some simple guidelines on how to verify and get the most from online coupons.

You should never see the actual coupon on your screen, only an offer to print it ( this has changed a little bit). Real coupons require special software to print proper barcodes and limit the number of prints of each coupon. If you are printing coupons from say, Bath and Body Works,  you will see the actually coupon. But for the purposes of Walmart, and the items that they sell, you should really only see the offer and also check the URL to make sure it is from that coupon brand.

• Print coupons only from the brand website for the products you are interested in, or well-known savings sites like Coupons.com or major websites that you trust.
• Avoid coupon-swapping sites and websites that post images of coupons. If they seem suspicious.
• Never pay for a coupon.
• Don’t buy coupons on auction sites. You never know what you are going to get.
• Don’t make or use copies of coupons or printouts of scanned images of coupons.
• Be suspicious of printable coupons for a free product or one that seems too good to be true. It probably is!

Many retailers are getting fakes and it burns them from getting reimbursed.  Managers are deciding on their own to not take internet printables. As a consumer, if it is a large chain store each individual store may decide to do this for their store only. They have to follow corporate policy but many policies leave it open by saying something like ” the store manager has the right to decide”. So don’t let them make you feel bad or not take your coupon. This is where you have to know your rights. If you have any questions call Walmart corporate and ask them to clarify for you. Walmart Customer Service — 1-800-WALMART (1-800-925-6278) Or Email feedback to your local Walmart store or Corporate HQ.

Good Luck. It can be frustrating, but the more you know the better off you will be!

Does your store take printables? Where are you located?