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Archive for September, 2011

How to Spot Fraudulent Coupons

[ 0 ] September 30, 2011

Saving money by using coupons is pretty awesome!

Really, who doesn’t like saving money? Up ’til now in our How to Coupon series it’s been pretty much puppies and rainbows. But with any party, there’s always someone in the corner being a downer, thinking of ways to ruin the vibe.

This culprit in the coupon world is the fraudster.

Coupon fraud is a giant problem in the industry. Not just for retailers, but for consumers too. Every time a retailer gets taken by a fraudster, they have to boost the prices to make up for lost profit. Everyone loses. Oh, and if you’re caught attempting to scam a store with fake coupons you could face up to a $5 million fine and up to 17 years in prison. Yikes!

This story has a happy ending though. There are a few ways to protect yourself from using fake coupons. Josh Elledge of SavingsAngel.com has published a few articles on the subject and let us in on some of the best tips:

Stay away from buying coupons. This is NEVER legal (unless it’s a group-buy model). Why would you want to buy a coupon when others have gotten it for free anyway?
Watch for offers that are too good to be true. It probably is.
Look for typos & value inconsistencies in the coupon.
Valid coupons will most likely have an expiration date.
Be suspicious of emails with many different manufacturer printables. Usually manufacturers will send out their own emails.

Still second guessing a printed coupon? Check out the Coupon Information Center (www.couponinformationcenter.com) for a list of fraudulent coupons that have been tracked down.

Using printable coupons is a great way to save some serious money on things you need and even things you just HAVE to have. Just be a smart shopper and don’t forget to check yourself before you wreck yourself…or something like that.

This is the last post in our 7-part blog series. Every Friday we broke down the different elements of couponing and showed you how you can use them to become a savvy couponer in Canada. Related posts in this series:

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How to Use Social Media to Find Deals Online

[ 0 ] September 23, 2011

Due to the rapid growth in popularity of Social Media, finding a good deal is just a Tweet or a ‘Like’ away.

Dedicated couponers have learned that deals and coupons don’t only come from a weekly flyer.

Social Media has provided savers the opportunity to step out of the coupon-cutting box.

Services such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, WordPress and more have opened the lines of communication between the business and the consumer, making the search for a great deal easier than ever before.

Learn how you can save big without sacrificing your time. Read our Social Media saving tips below.

1) Twitter

One of the best places to find a great deal online is the 140-character microblogging service, Twitter. There are many accounts that tweet deals, freebies and coupons at almost every time of day.

Whether you’re looking to save with an online coupon or you’re looking for a printable to take in-store, there is sure to be an account on Twitter for every one of your saving needs.

The hardest part is knowing where to look.

For instance our Twitter account, @CanadaCoupons offers savings tips and exclusive coupons from morning to night. A few other great accounts to follow if you’re looking for deals are: @bargainmoose, @RedFlagDeals, @SimplyFrugal and @Groupon.

Tip: look for your city’s Groupon account for local deals – e.g. @GrouponToronto.

Those are just a few examples of places to find deals on Twitter. If you’d like to search for more, try typing a hashtag such as #savingmoney or #coupons into Twitter search. Searching for hashtags according to the topic you’re looking for is an easy way to find accounts that tweet deals and coupons.

Tip: Create a “savings” list on your Twitter account so you can quickly check tweets from your favourite brands to see what new deals are available.

2) Facebook

Facebook isn’t just for sharing photos and keeping in touch.

Try ‘liking’ the Facebook page of a brand you love. Companies often use their Facebook pages to market upcoming promotions and sales. A popular method many brands use to get ‘likes’ is offering exclusive coupons and/or freebies to those who ‘like’ their page.

Another way to use Facebook to save is by ‘liking’ coupon websites such as FabulousSavings. Facebook pages from coupon websites offer tips on where to find the best and latest deals.

3) Blogs

Many coupon blogs will help you find ways to save on your favourite products. Select a few to follow and stay informed on hot deals all the time.

A great way to stay up-to-date on savings is to subscribe to your favourite blogs. When you click the subscribe widget (pictured on the right), you will sign up to either receive an email every time a new post is published. Or, if you are signed up to an RSS feed (ex. Google Reader), the blog will be added to the RSS feed of your choice.

In addition to subscribing, you can also bookmark them. Social bookmarking sites such as Digg or Reddit help you keep track of your favourite blogs and articles.

Tip: Follow your favourite bloggers on Twitter. They will often post links to their most recent blog posts. Many often share links to freebies and coupons.

4) E-mail Newsletters

If you don’t have time to do the daily “social” web surf, then sign up for e-mail newsletters from your favourite companies and coupon websites.

This is a great way to learn about the latest deals and promotions. Companies regularly offer exclusive coupons to their e-mail newsletter recipients as well.

The best part about using Social Media to find deals online? You can share the savings you find with your friends and family. Plus, when you combine traditional couponing with the deals you find through Social Media, you’ll increase your savings significantly.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to hop on the Social Media bandwagon!

Do you have any tips on saving using Social Media? We’d love to hear! Leave a comment below.

This is the sixth post in an 7-part blog series. Each Friday we will break down the different elements of couponing and show you how you can use them to become a savvy couponer in Canada. Related posts in this series:

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Gift Card Savings Made Easy with CardSwap.ca!

[ 2 ] September 22, 2011

Today we are pleased to be featuring an interview with CardSwap, a fabulous Canadian company that allows you to purchase gift cards at discounted prices, or sell the ones you no longer want or need. We wanted to learn more about how CardSwap worked, so we went straight to the source and interviewed co-founder of the company, Frances Ho. Check out what she had to say:

1) Tell us a little about yourself, Frances – have you always been a big gift card user?

Yes! I have always loved gift cards. Both receiving and giving them. I think they are very thoughtful because I always make sure to give cards to the receivers favourite store.

2) What gave you the idea to start a website for buying & selling gift cards?

After I got married I received SO MANY gift cards from friends & family. Some of them I loved but some of them I knew I would not be using. I thought to myself that it would be great to have a venue to get cash back for the gift cards that were sitting in my wallet. I realized that we did not have a place that that in Canada so decided to start one.

3) Can you walk us through the process of how your site works? Does one have to become a member to purchase cards?

CardSwap has made it easy for consumers to buy a discounted gift card. Customers simply register on the site, search for the gift card of their choice, then make payment through INTERAC Online banking or credit card. Customers typically receive their gift card in the mail anywhere between 3-5 business days.

The Selling process is just as easy:

Have your gift card with you and click “sell”.

Step 1: Receive Offer – Enter the details of the gift card you would like to sell. CardSwap will provide you with an instant cash offer to directly purchase your gift card for up to 90% of the balance

Step 2: Mail it – Mail in your gift card to CardSwap using the prepaid shipping label. CardSwap will validate the amount on the gift card and provide you with email confirmation within 48 hours of receiving the card.

Step 3: Get Paid – CardSwap will mail you a cheque within 48 hours of receiving and validating the amount on your gift card. Please allow 7 business days to receive it.

4) How much can you save by purchasing gift cards on CardSwap.ca?

You can save on average 15% and up to 35%. In dollar value, approximately -$10.00.

5) Are all the cards on your site for Canadian retailers?

Yes, CardSwap is exclusively a Canadian company for Canadian retailers.

6) On your site, it mentions that all cards are verified before being listed. Can you explain how that works?

CardSwap.ca verifies all gift cards before they are posted. We also guarantee the purchased value to our customers on each gift card. If this amount is incorrect- customers are able to receive their money back. We also provide a method of balance checking to varies merchants on our site. This way customers are able to check their balance before they sell us their gift card.

7) Your site offers the option to donate gift cards to charity. How would one go about doing that?

Customers can convert their unused gift cards into charitable donations by simply picking their charity that they wish to donate to and mailing us their gift card.

CardSwap issues payment (up to 92% of face value) to the selected charity, along with a donor report, within 48 hours of receiving your gift card. Your selected charity will issue you a tax receipt for the full amount of proceeds they received.

8) What are some of the most popular cards people buy on your site?

A few of the more popular gift cards are: Home Depot, Walmart, Gas gift cards, The Bay, Sears, Canadian Tire, Best Buy & Shoppers Drug Mart.

Thank you so much for your time, Frances, and for sharing even more ways to save on to our readers!

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Join Mark’s at Bay and Dundas Square (Toronto) for an Interactive Fashion Show!

[ 0 ] September 21, 2011

Toronto residents can join Mark’s on September 27th at Yonge and Dundas Square for an interactive runway show. Their Bay and Dundas store is getting a makeover just in time for the fall season.

The event will be hosted by Lisa Rogers, the Face of Fashion on CityTV’s Cityline. Attend and learn how to save up to $25 at Mark’s (Bay and Dundas location only) and enter for your chance to win a $1000 Fall Fashion Makeover!

Don’t forget to head over to Mark’s at Bay and Dundas after the show for special offers including 20% off everything in the store. You might even be the winner of a $1000 Fall Fashion Makeover!

Shows will be taking place at 8am, 12:15pm, and 1:15pm.

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7-Eleven Celebrates National Coffee Day with Free Coffee!

[ 0 ] September 21, 2011

On September 29^th, 7-Eleven will celebrate their National Coffee Day by offering everyone in the United States and Canada a FREE medium-size cup of hot coffee, cappuccino or latte from 7AM to 11AM.

So make sure you drop by a 7-Eleven location near you to get yourself a free coffee to start your day off right!

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Fabulous Five #FF’s: September 16, 2011

[ 0 ] September 16, 2011

Every Friday we feature five fabulous tweeps on our blog in celebration of Follow Friday. Read on to find out who made our list this week!

1) @robsarj

This busy Torontonian is a marketing manager, print broker, music lover and part-time DJ! Follow Roberto Sarjoo to ask how he does it all!

2) @ThisMajorGal

Major Gal blogger, Crystal Major is all about being happy! She is a self-described sassy, passionate writer with a zest for social media. Follow her for a little happiness in your timeline!

3) @Just_d_world

Danielle is a mommy blogger writing about what she loves most – her family! Follow her for a great tweep to get to know.

4) @daly_beauty

Jane is a beauty blogger for @TheKit online beauty mag and a writer for her own blog – Daly Beauty. Looking for beauty tips and advice in your timeline? Give her a follow!

5) @JLA30

Julie is one of our fav Twitter friends! Always fun to tweet with – follow her for a great tweep to talk to.

Stay tuned next week for a new set of five fabulous tweeps to follow!

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A Guide to User Generated Coupons

[ 0 ] September 16, 2011

If you’re frugally minded, you might have noticed more and more coupon sites have started to accept user generated coupons. What’s the deal with them, you ask? Are they good or bad? How are they different from other coupon sites?

Don’t fret, fabulous savers, we’ve got answers for all your questions.

What are user generated coupons?

Consider it the new frontier in social couponing. They’re deals found by anyone on the internet and then uploaded to a website or shared on a forum. They include online coupon codes, printable coupons and scanned cutouts from magazines and flyers.

Yep, that’s right: your fellow online bargain hunters are actively working to share the best deals with you. Imagine that – strangers on the internet helping each other.

How does it differ from affiliate couponing?

Many coupon sites don’t actually offer user generated coupons. For instance, our site FabulousSavings operates through affiliate couponing. We negotiate deals through an affiliate network and upload coupons approved by merchant sites. So instead of featuring random coupons found by users, we feature deals that come directly from retailers.

For a more in-depth look at affiliate couponing, just check out our blog post on the subject.

Pros

You might come across hidden or single-time deals you wouldn’t find on other coupon sites.
This method of couponing allows you to read or give feedback on specific coupons.
Some websites display stats on success rates for individual coupons, making it easier for users to determine which ones to use.
A sense of community is encouraged between you and your fellow couponers.

Cons

Because the content is user generated, the information might be incorrect. The coupon code may be right, but the expiry date might be wrong, or vice versa.
Some sites require you sign up to use their coupons, or even pay a fee.
Certain deals made public on user generated coupon sites may not be meant for mass use, and thus retailers may be overwhelmed by the demand.
Conversely, some coupons might be single-use-only, which the person uploading may not even notice.

As you can see, user generated coupons are an exciting new way to share online deals. It has its plusses and minuses, but bargain hunters around the net would be missing out if they didn’t give it a shot.

What do you think about user generated coupons – do you prefer them over affiliate coupons? Leave us a comment!

This is the fifth post in an 7-part blog series. Each Friday we will break down the different elements of couponing and show you how you can use them to become a savvy couponer in Canada. Related posts in this series:

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Joke of the Week

[ 2 ] September 14, 2011

Here at FabulousSavings we love to make you smile.

So each Wednesday we’re pepping up your Hump Day with our Joke of the Week!

Remember to check back to our blog and our Facebook Page every Wednesday and get ready to laugh!

Today’s Joke:

“What’s the fastest way to double your money? Fold it in half!”

Think you can do better? Share your best joke in the comments section below!

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This or That – Resistance 3 or Uncharted 3

[ 0 ] September 13, 2011

Two critically acclaimed videogame trilogies are about to come to a close on the Playstation 3. One deals with the aftermath of an alien invasion and the other deals with a smart-alecky, death-defying treasure hunter. Both are being offered at the same price. So which game will have your thumbs flexing?

THIS:

Resistance 3

$59.99, GameStop

Earth has been invaded. Humanity is screwed. You’re the world’s only hope. Sci-fi aficionados will love Resistance 3‘s worn, post-apocalyptic backdrop and vast array of weapons. Insomniac Games’ gritty first-person-shooter will appeal to PS3 owners who can’t get their hands on Halo, but those who grew up on the developer’s more light-hearted Ratchet & Clank series will be left in the dark.

A big incentive for many action fans is the game’s support for Playstation Move, as well as a robust online multiplayer component. The story isn’t terribly original and there’s not much gameplay variety, but shooter lovers will be more than pleased.

…or THAT:

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

$59.99, GameStop

If there was ever an argument for modern videogames rivalling the best Hollywood blockbusters, the Uncharted series is it. Full of over-the-top action, wise-cracking characters and gorgeous exotic locations, Uncharted 3 is one of the closest things you’ll get to a playable movie.

Starring the loveable rogue Nathan Drake, Uncharted 3 has you scouring lost cities, deserts and ancient temples in search of the fabled ‘Atlantis of the Sands’. The third-person perspective lends a lot more variety to the gameplay than Resistance, although the multiplayer selection isn’t quite as robust. Still, if you love a good adventure, get on board with Drake.

Are you more of a fan of shooters or adventures? Or is there another videogame genre you love more? Let us know!

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