"Selling" Coupons Maybe Ending Soon + A Look at Ebay's Coupon Auction Policy

Christie Dedman/News Staff

While I was gone this weekend there was a

n uproar in the couponing world after Green Bay Consumer wrote this piece about coupon manufacturers - Red Plum, Smart Source and PG filing a lawsuit against eBay.

Go here to check

out Jill Cataldo's in depth look at the problem of selling inserts and coupons.

Jill's article is long, really long, but really worth the read.

I've mentioned purchasing coupons from clipping services as a way to help you find the coupons you need for a deal, however I find myself more frustrated with eBay than the clipping services.

I no longer promote using eBay as a source for coupons because I know and have seen people take entire tear pads to sell them in bulk on eBay. That is wrong and illegal.

Most coupons state specifically the coupon is void if sold or transferred.

Thanks to

Paula Wethington

at Monroe on a Budget for sending the tip about the internet chatter.

So where does eBay stand on this? They haven't released an official statement but you can see their

official policy here

What are the guidelines?

Allowed

Valid, unexpired coupons (See additional information below for more guidelines.)

Restricted

Bulk coupon sales: In a single listing, sellers cannot list more than 100 total coupons, 20 identical coupons, or 5 coupon inserts (like those that come with a newspaper). Make sure you clearly state in your description how many coupons you're selling. If we can't tell how many coupons are offered, the listing violates our policy.
Coupons for "free" products: You can only list 2 coupons for free products, with no purchase required, per listing.

Coupons printed off the Internet: You can't list more than 2 printed Internet coupons per listing.
Expired or used coupons: You can't list recently expired coupons or used coupons on eBay because they could be used to commit fraud. Collectible coupons that clearly can't be redeemed may be allowed.

Not allowed

Electronic "scanned" coupons: All coupons sold through eBay must be physical coupons printed on paper, not coupons that can be sent electronically to the buyer to be printed. Also, to reduce the potential for coupon fraud, we ask sellers not to include unaltered scans of coupons in their listings that could be copied, printed, and redeemed in stores.

Note: The sale of scanned or photocopied coupons may violate federal copyright laws, and sellers of unlawful items like these could face prosecution under federal law. eBay doesn't allow the sale of these kinds of coupons.
Coupons for recalled items: Coupons for items that have been recalled by the manufacturer can't be listed on eBay.
Recalled coupons: Coupons that have been recalled by the manufacturer can't be listed on eBay.

So tell me your thoughts? Will the end of coupon insert sales and clipping services harm your shopping?

Who's to blame for this and why?

Is it a fallout from the TLC Extreme Couponing Show....