Understanding & Learning the world of Re-FUN-ding
First of all, if any of the terminology sounds like your on another
planet, go to TALK-the-TALK (bottom of this page) and print it out. TALK -the- TALK is a glossary of words and definitions commonly used in the hobby of refunding and couponing.
Refunding means sending a proofs of purchase to major manufacturers
in exchange for FREE GIFTS, FREE COUPONS, or CASH. For example, Alka Seltzer
might send you $2.75 for an Alka Seltzer carton with UPC.
Refunding makes it possible to receive BACK most or all of what you
paid for a product. But Refunding is only a part of the big "SAVINGS" picture.
After you've taken advantage of a sale AND used a coupon, you've probably
paid 50% or less for that item. Then if you are able to send a proof of
purchase from that same product and get MORE money back in the mail, it's
like going shopping for free!
Are you ready to get started?
Refund offers are printed on refund FORMS. Forms have a space for your
name, address, and zip. Refund offers are sent through the mail and your
refund comes back to you through the mail. That the difference between
coupons and refund forms: coupons, which are used at the check out counter
of the grocery store, takes CASH OFF of your check-out total. While refunds
are savings that are mailed to you through the mail, after you've purchased
the product with your COUPONS and probably paid 50% or less for it to start
with.
The average refund is worth $2- $3. Active refunders send for 25 or
more refunds a month and receive as much as $150 in cash and free food
coupons a month from them.
Refund offers can be put into four categories of what you are being
offered for your purchase: 1) CASH: from $1 to $20. 2) Coupons for FREE
ITEMS (not trial size but full size products). 3) CENTS OFF COUPONS - usually
of high value. 4) FREE GIFTS such as toys,magnets, calendars, t-shirts,
pens, watches, kitchen gadgets, sports equipment, office supplies, computer
accessories, and paper products.
When you send for a refund, you send the refund form along with all
the required proofs of purchase. In about 6-8 weeks, your refund will come
back to you. If you followed the instructions on the refund form, you WILL
get what you send for. So you will have to be patient.
Refund forms are found in several places.
(a) The best source for refund forms is the grocery store. They appear
on end-of-aisle displays and on coupon boards. They also hang on little
pads along the aisles of the store. Start watching for them and you will
find them. Some stores are better about putting the forms out than others.
If your favorite grocery store doesn't do a very good job displaying refund
forms, talk to the manager and tell him that you and your friends are interested
in seeing more forms displayed either in the aisles or on a special coupon
and refund board. When you find a pad of forms, take one.
(b) You can also find refund offers in magazines and newspapers. The
same coupon inserts that appear in the Sunday papers also have refund offers.
(c) You can also find refund offers on specially marked packages (SMP's).They
are announced on a package by a diagonal banner across the front. Other
types of SMPs include the "hang tag" which hangs on the neck of a bottle
and the special sticker which can be peeled off.
Now you'll need to get Organized
Don't fret if your not an "organized" person. We can have your refund
forms organized in just a few simple steps. (Of course, then it's up to
you to keep it that way!) Follow these steps:
(a) Find a shoe box, or a box of similar size.
(b) Take some plain cheap white envelopes and mark on the outside of
each ,a month, starting with this month, and working your way into 18 months
from now. Plus one extra that says "No Expiration Date".
(c) Now put the envelopes in order, in the box. (d)That's it! Now go
out and find some refund forms and start filing them in the envelopes according
to the expiration dates that are printed on each form.
Proofs-Of-Purchase need to be Organized too.
All refunds require a proof of purchase. To get your Cash, free gift,
or free item coupon, you must send something from the package to prove
you bought the product. Proofs of purchase are also known as qualifiers
because they "qualify" you to receive a refund. The most common proof of
purchase is the UPC code. UPC stands for "Universal Product Code" and is
found on all grocery store packaging. It's made up of black straight lines
in a small box about 1" by 1". The grocery scanner reads this code when
you check out. Many refunds ask for the UPC as proof of purchase. Other
common proofs of purchase include box tops or bottoms, net weight statements
from package fronts, tear strips, inner seals, special proof of purchase
seals printed on the package, or even a snip from a plastic cap. Some products,
if the proof of purchase is not removeable, the manufacturer may ask for
a tracing of the front of the bottle or can. You will also be asked for
a cash register tape as additional proof that you bought the product. About
80% - 85% of all refunds now ask for a cash register tape as part of the
proof of purchase requirements. It is crutial that you save your cash register
tapes.
Every refund requires some sort of proofs of purchase. Some ask for
2 UPCs, others a boxtop or a code number copied from a can. Read each refund
form carefully and send exactly what is requested.
To orgaize your proofs of purchase you will first need to know what
exactly to save. Most Manufactures ask for the upc, but there are a few
who require something other than the upc. Here is a list of a few products
that require something other than the upc. This list is only to help you
get started. Any product not listed you should save the upc.
Beggin' Strips weight circles
Butterball turkey name/logo from package
Camel C-Notes
Campbells soup front labels
Copenhagen lids
Crystal Light Foil Seal
Dannon Yogurt Freshness seal
Depends points
Diamond Walnuts large diamond on front
Disney Videos stamps & proof of purchase
tab
Doral cigarettes oval seal
Enfamil points
Fuji videotape sticker proofs of purchase
Fuji computer disk proof of purchase seals
Fuji gear points
General Mills Boxtops for Education (Big
G)
General Foods International Coffee lids
Honey Pot Pooh Points
Huggies Points
Kellogg's Corn Store points
Kellogg's boxtops (with dates)
Kodak POP U.S.A. seals
Kodiak lids
Kool Aid points
Kraft Mac & Cheese Treasure points
Maxwell House Perk Points
Minute Maid frozen drinks tear strips
motor oil single can tamper proof rings
motor oil case proof of purchase seal
Nutella foil seal
Planter products Mr Peanut from the lid
Plax safety plastic seal
Poise points
Pull Ups points
Purina Cat & Dog Food weight circles
Sargento Cow Chips
Sheba cat food pull tabs
Slush Puppie Paw Prints points
Smuckers ice cream toppings front label
and weight statements
Skoal lids
Tombstone Pizza cactuses
Van de Kamp's VDK points
Winston proof of purchase seals
WonderDry Diapers proofs of purchase
Be sure to identify each UPC and proof of purchase so you'll know what
you have. As you cut off each proof of purchase, cut enough of the packaging
to save the identifying information, or write on the back of the proof
of purchase the name and size of the product.
4pack Charmin Double Roll,white
As you save your proofs of purchase, you'll have to organize them just
like you do your coupons and refund forms. When you file your proofs of
purchase neatly, all you have to do to claim a refund is go to your file
and pull whatever qualifiers are needed. If you are a new refunder, the
main thing is to start with a system that is simple, and grow into a bigger
filing system later, as you need it. To start, you will need:
(a) An average size cardboard box, and 18 manilla envelopes or file
folders.
(b)Label your file folders or manilla envelopes with the following
category headings: produce(fruits/veggie stickers) condiments paper/plastic
dairy candy/snacks/sweets frozen foods beverages/juices health/medicines
cleaning detergents/soaps beauty/hair baking/bakery breakfast items/cereal
canned/jar goods baby pet meat miscellaneous (c)Place your file folders
or manilla envelopes with these headings in your cardboard box.
(d) Put the cardboard box somewhere in or near your kitchen, under
the sink,or in a broom closet. (e) As you take proofs of purchase off the
packaging, place them in the correct labeled file folder. For example,
when you finish a can of Campbell's soup, tear off the label and be sure
to keep the front (I'd play it safe and keep the whole label. It's not
going to take up much room & you never know when you'll need the UPC,
even though Campbell's usually only requires the front label). Put the
label into the file folder marked "canned/jar goods". When you finish a
box of Tide powder laundry detergent, tear off the upc, write on the back
of the upc the size, brand, all of the identifying information and put
it in the "soaps/detergents". When you open a box of Tylenol, flatten the
carton and place it in the "Medicine" folder.
This is easy and it only takes a few minutes of your time. The rewards
are cash, free coupons, and free gifts. Imagin what a great feely you'll
have knowing that the final cost of the items you bought is FREE or nearly
free.
Time to get a bigger filing system
This one box will hold all your qualifiers for several months, but at
some point, you will begin to outgrow it. Then it will be time to expand.
Here's how;
(a)Get several more cardboard boxes. Find an out-of-the-way place to
store them, under the bed, in the basement, or in the garage. If you have
an extra bedroom with a closet, you can turn a corner of it into a refund
room.
(b)Take a look at your original box and decide which categories are
overflowing. Maybe your "pets" file is bulging out the sides.
(c) Take one of your new boxes, put a few file folders and Ziploc bags
in it, and label the entire box "pets".
(d)Take all your proofs of purchase from this category and break them
down into smaller groups. Your groups might look something like this:
Alpo
Arm & Hammer cat litter stuff
Beggin Strips Bonz
Cats Pride
Chef's Blend
Cycle
Deli Cat
Everfresh Cat Litter
Fancy Feast
Friskies
Gravy Train
Iams
Johnny Cat
Kat Kit
Meow Mix
Mighty Dog
Milk Bone
Pedigree
Pounce
Purina Dog
Purina Cat
Scoop Away
Sheba
Skippy
Snausages
T-bonz
Veterinarian Formula
Whiskas
You'll have a Ziploc bag for each of the categories listed. If the proofs
of purchase are large, like a whole flattened box, use file folders labeled
with the appropriate category: "Milk Bonz". This second box is the final
resting place for your qualifiers until they are needed for a refund.
Cash Register Tapes are Qualifiers Too!
Most refunds ask for a cash tape as additional proof of purchase. Save
your tapes in a small shoebox. What do you do if a tape is needed for two
or more different refunds? There are several ways to solve this problem.
(a)Some refunders cut up their tapes, and only send a small portion.
(b)Other refunders photocopy them when more than one item is listed.
** NOTE** Both these methods will work part of the time. Read the fine
print on the refund form. If it asks specifically for a "dated original
tape", you'd be safer sending the entire original tape.
**BE CAREFULL** when sending for refunds that are addressed to the
clearinghouse in "Young America, MN". This clearinghouse
is very, very picky, and have been know to return your proofs of purchase
if you cut a tape or photocopy it. If you choose to send a partial or copied
tape, enclose a small-brief note with your refund explaining why you cut
or photocopied the tape. (c) The safest and best way by far is to have
all of your items that have a refund offer on them, rang up individually.
Make sure you have enough CASH to do this, as then it won't take very long.
NEVER DO THIS WITH A CHECK ... you will hold up everyone behind you and
it will take a very long time to finish!
OVERVIEW..The Do's & Do Not's of Refunding
DO NOT
send for more than is allowed: Refunds are limited to one per "name and
address". This means that you can only send for one refund to your house.
You can't send for one for your spouse, one for your daughter, one for
your dog, etc. Some refunders are tempted to rent extra post boxes so they
have more addresses. This is illegal. A few people have served jail
time for renting as many as 100 different post boxes to receive hundreds
of duplicate refunds, which constitutes a federal crime because the U.S.
Postal Service was used to defraud manufacturers.
DO NOT
alter your name/address: What if you have extra complete deals that you
weren't able to trade and time is getting closer for them to expire. Don't
be tempted to subtly alter your name or address to get an extra refund.
The clearinghouses have sophisticated equipment designed to pick out duplicate
submissions with spelling variations and slight address alterations. You'll
lose your proofs of purchase because the clearinghouse will not return
them to you. Instead you'll either get nothing, or a note saying that duplicate
requests will not be honored. It's better just to save your extra proofs
of purchase for another day. The same companies issue refunds year after
year. Be patient and another offer will come along.
Do
take advantage of the unlimited offers. Though they are rare, some
refunds are "unlimited", which means the manufacturer has not placed any
limits on the number each person can receive. Watch for offers like these!
In general, refunders are limited to one per name and address.
DO NOT
steal proofs of purchase in the grocery store. Though this sounds like
common sense, some refunders are tempted to take the short-cut method of
collecting proofs of purchase by ripping them right off packages in the
store. If the offender doesn't buy the product, but leaves it damaged on
the shelf, he or she can be arrested on shoplifting charges.
DO
be patient.While most mail-in offers indicate that consumers will receive
them in 6 to 8 weeks, it pays to be patient. A substantial number of offers
do not arrive for 8 to 12 weeks and some take even longer. A good rule
of thumb is to wait for 12 weeks before you contact the company.
DO Keep
a record of the offers you send for including what you sent and where you
sent it.
DO
PRINT CLEARLY on the mail-in form. Most problems with receipt of mail-in
offers result from the clearinghouse being unable to read the name and
address of the person who sent for the offer.
DO Double
check the offer requirements and everything you put in the envelope before
you send off your mail-in offer request.
DO
be honest. Remember this WARNING: The making of improper refund and rebate
requests is usually considered mail fraud and is a federal offense. Refund
fraud costs manufacturers millions of dollars and has an impact on the
prices consumers pay. Consumers are urged to report refund and rebate fraud
to the U.S. Postal Inspector's office.
DO
keep your eye's open for refund forms.
DO
keep your forms filed.
DO
keep your proof of purchase filed.
DO
keep your cash register tapes.
DO NOT
make fake cash tapes. The requirement for cash tapes on many offers is
a pain in the behind, but don't let your aggrivation push you into the
temptation of making fake cash tapes. Some people do this on a computer
or even purchase a used cash register. Since some refunds require only
a cash tape as the proof of purchase, a cash register can be used to fraudulently
create hundreds of complete refunds ready to mail. These complete deals
do not reflect an actual purchase made by anyone, so they constitute fraud.
DO NOT
trade complete deals. Ellen Biles, GA, was convicted of mail fraud for
trading and selling complete deals. Though there is no law on the
books that says you cannot trade complete deals, this activity was interpreted
by a jury as mail fraud.
DO
stay within the rules.
Final thought about refunding.
Refunding is a wonderful hobby. You can end up with cash, free coupons,
and gifts. There are only a few bad-dishonest refunders . Keep it legal.
Refunding is like any other hobby, you are going to find a few that insist
on doing it the wrong way. Don't let that be you! Do it the right way,
and you WILL prosper , I've even seen refunders pay for entire vacations
on their refund savings.
TALK -the- TALK
B1G1F: means "Buy 1, Get 1 Free". This is a special
type of coupon that you cut out from the newspaper. When you buy one product,
and use the coupon, you'll get another product just like it for free at
the check out.
B2G1F means: "Buy 2, Get 1 Free".
BB: Box Bottom.
B&H: Benson & Hedges. A brand name.
BOH: Bit-O-Honey. A brand name often seen when
reading ads.
CC: Consumers' Corner. The service that helps
you make the most out of your potential profits and savings.
C/D: Complete Deal. A refund form with all the
proofs of purchase needed to send for the refund. It might be a refund
for cash, coupons or merchandise.
CB: cardboard backing, found in the grocery store
on a pad of refund forms, after all the forms have been taken. They usually
say, "Sorry, all the forms have been taken, but...", then tell you either
where to write for a form, or where to send your proofs of purchase to
get the refund without the form.
C/O: cents off coupon, or cash off coupon. This is a
common ordinary coupon that we've all seen. The type you cut out of the
Sunday paper or off the back of a cereal box. These are used at the checkout
with an average value of about 50¢.
C-Note: Camel brand proof of purchase.
CPNS: Same as C/O above.
CRTC: cash register tape with the price of the
product circled. Most refunds require a cash register tape, so save your
tapes.
CODES: some refunds simply ask for a code number
copied from the product, usually the UPC code number. Products like aerosol
cans that can't be cut up sometimes require this type of proof.
COUFUND: a coupon that requires proofs of purchases (usually
UPCs) to be attached to it. When the proofs are attached, then the coupon
becomes valid and is redeemed at the checkout in the grocery store. Coufunds
are nice because you can use lots of them, and no postage is involved.
COW CHIP: Proof of Purchase symbol from MooTown
crackers.
DCRT: dated cash register tape. Must show the
date of purchase on the tape.
EPOP: Each Pays Own Postage. This applies to trades
with other refunders. Each person pays for the postage on her own envelope.
No LSASE is required to trade.
FSI: Free Standing Insert. An inserted circular
of one-page with coupons or refunds.
HBA: Health & Beauty Aids.
HM: Home Mailer. It is a specific "form" that
is received in a circular or package of coupons received in the mail.
HT: hang tag, found in the grocery store, hanging
from the neck of a bottle. Offers a refund.
LSASE: long self addressed stamped envelope
XLSASE: extra large self addressed stamped envelope.
LSA(2)SE: long self addressed envelope with two
stamps on it.
LTD: limited, found on refund forms in the fine
print, when the offer is limited to certain states only.
MONEY PLUS: any offer that looks like a refund,
but is actually simply an offer to buy a product at a reduced price. For
example, if you buy a stuffed animal for $6.99 plus two UPCs, that is NOT
a refund. It is a money plus offer. These forms are found in the Sunday
coupon supplements and on tear pads in the grocery store, and are mixed
right in with the real refunds. Learn to recognize them and IGNORE them.
Don't trade them. They are junk. Offers that ask for very small handling
fees are considered refunds if the handling fee is clearly only to cover
postage.
MF: refund form found in a MAGAZINE
MUM: Marlboro Unlimited Miles (a proof)
NAZ: Name, Address and Zip
NpF: refund form found in the NEWSPAPER
NECKBAND: label taken from the neck of a bottle
NB: national brand (as opposed to a local brand
that is only available in limited areas)
NBQ: National Brand Qualifier. A proof of purchase
cut from a product that is available nationwide.
NT WT: net weight statement, a type of proof of purchase
required by some refunds. You'll find the net weight statement on the front
label in ounces or pounds.
NED: No Expiration Date: refers to refunds that
don't have dates of expiration, or coupons that never expire.
NFN: No Form Needed. This is a refund offer that
does not require you to have a "form" to participate.
OAS: "one any size" Some coupons specifically
state on them that they can be used on any size product. For example, you
might cut out a Gatorade coupon that says: $1 off one any size Gatorade.
That's a great coupon. Most refunders will use that coupon on the smallest
size container, so they can get it free.
1-4-1: literally "one for one". This means an
even exchange of anything. If you trade forms one for one, you will get
back the exact same number you send.
PI: Package Insert. which refers to a required
form or certificate included inside a package.
POP: Proof of Purchase. This is the value part
of a package. It might be the box top, the UPC symbol, the net weight statement,
a snip from a plastic cape, etc, etc. Whatever is required to get a refund
is a proof of purchase. This is also called a qualifier, because it `qualifies'
you for the refund.
PROOF OF PURCHASE SEAL: a special seal on a package
which usually states that it is the proof of purchase.
PP: purchase price, whatever you actually paid
for a product. Some refunds will offer to send you your purchase price.
The proof for this will include the cash tape.
P/H: postage and handling
Q: Qualifier
QUALIFIER: same as POP above.
RMC: "Refunding
Makes Cents" is "the" Refunding magazine to have. I personally
recommend it!
SAE: self addressed envelope
SASE: self addressed stamped envelope
SMP: specially marked package, meaning a package
you find in the store that has been printed with a refund offer on it.
Cereal packages are often specially marked with refunds. Watch for these
in the store, as they are hard to come by in trades.
SS: Sunday newspaper coupon or magazine supplement.
SWEEPS: sweepstakes form (not traded). These are
forms that enter you in a sweepstakes, but are not for refunds.
These are junk to a refunder ,and no refunder wants them.
TRACING: a tracing taken from the package front
as a proof of purchase. You lay a piece of paper over the product and trade
the logo or front label, and send this in to claim your refund.
UPC: It stands for "Universal Product Code". It
is that box of black lines that the checker passes over the scanner at
the checkout. It measures about 1"x1". This is a very popular proof of
purchase.
WSL: while supply lasts. This is written on some
refunds that offer gifts such as t-shirts. Send early because if they run
out, you're out of luck.
3=1, 2=1, etc: three proofs of purchase count
as one, two proofs of purchase count as one. This is used when trading
proofs of purchase. Some are more valuable than others. If a proof of purchase
is only worth 15¢, then it takes two or three of them to be equal
in value to a higher-value proof.