Free Item Coupons

How to Get Manufacturer's Coupons for Free Stuff

Free Item Coupons



Have you ever seen someone use a coupon for a totally free item?

Manufacturer's will send consumers coupons for free product, for a variety of reasons.

These coupons will allow you to go to the store and obtain the listed product totally free (except sales tax).

How do you get coupons for free items from manufacturers?

Get Free Coupons

Newspapers
Most of the free item coupons you find will come from the Sunday paper. They can range anywhere from a free can of cat food to a $70 diabetes blood sugar monitor.

When you get multiple newspapers, you get multiple free item coupons, allowing you to purchase as many frees as you can.

The best day of the year to find free item coupons in the Sunday paper is the very first Sunday of the New Year (not counting New Year’s Day).

For a running list of coupons available prior to each Sunday, subscribe to Refund Cents.


Contests
Many of the free item coupons obtained are for winning a contest or sweepstakes.

For instance, a consolation prize for many Chick Fil A contests is a coupon for a free Dr. Pepper. I've seen coupons for candy bars or ice cream as prizes, and even for items like laundry soap.

Enter those contests. You never know what you will win!


Rebate Offers
Sometimes a Rebate Offer will come as a free item coupon instead of a check.

Often, when these types of rebates are offered, one has the option of getting a rebate check for the amount of purchase, or a slightly better deal in free item coupons.

Calling Manufacturers

The best way to get free item coupons is to call the manufacturer directly.

Most companies will print a toll free number on the back of their product, but if a particular product lists only an address, you may write to them instead.

Why would you call a manufacturer about a product?

Dissatisfied With Product
Have you ever opened a TV dinner that was missing a side dish? Ever had a 24 pack of fruit snacks that only contained 23? Had a bad tasting soda? Or pickles? Or cereal?


Whenever you have any sort of problem with a product, no matter how minor (so long as it is legitimate), make sure you take 5 minutes to call the manufacturer to let them know.

Have the original packaging in front of you, and clearly describe your issue. You will most likely need to tell them when and where you purchased the product.

At the very least, you will receive a coupon for a free item to replace the defective one. Sometimes, manufacturer's are extra generous, and will give you a couple free coupons, as well as many other cents off coupons. A few manufacturers will send you a cash rebate

Some of the "best" problems I have had:

• (2) free 24-Packs Coke from one defective can (I did have to send the defective soda in for analysis)
• (2) free Kids Cuisine meals from one missing its entrée
• (6) free Mr Clean Magic Eraser Packages from my dissatisfaction with the way they dissolved
• (20) pounds of every variety of Swedish Fish made in response to my letter describing a summer of purchasing hard fish from my local store (these actually came as a UPS box, not as a free coupon...it was SO much fun!)

Let me make one thing very clear: Do not call a manufacturer with a fictitious claim.

Make sure that whatever complaint you have is real, and do not exaggerate. Trust me, you will have plenty of products go wrong in the near future, that you do not need to lie about anything, and ruin the system for everyone.


Satisfied With Product
You do not need to wait until something goes wrong before you take a few moments to call up a manufacturer.

If you are very happy with a product, like a new flavor just put out on the market, or have a suggestion for something new, go ahead and call the number on the back of your product to let the company know.

Make sure while you are at it that you request to be put on their mailing list for coupons and offers.

While this method does not guarantee you free item coupons, it does work quite often.

Organizing Free Coupons

When organizing coupons, most people will put coupons for free items in a separate section, not in their regular coupon category.


The reason for this is in a regular category, they might get overlooked and expire before you get a chance to use them.

I personally carry a separate coupon clutch or coupon pouch for my rebate forms, coupons for free item coupons, entertainment coupons, and restaurant coupons.

B1G1F

What’s the best way to use a coupon for a free item?

Why, with a Buy One Get One Free Sale, of course!

A Buy One Get One Free Sale, or B1G1F or BOGOF will allow you to purchase two of the product, absolutely free.

The store pays for one item, while your manufacturer coupon pays for the other.

Pay attention to your local store sales to see if a product you have a free coupon for typically goes on sale during a BOGO promotion.

Save your coupon for use during this time.

Also important to note, a manufacturer’s coupon for B1G1F can be combined with a store sale of B1G1F. You will get 2 free items without paying for either one. (Must pay sales tax.)

The reason behind this is that the sale cancels the coupon out, and vise versa. The store pays for one item, the coupon for the other.

Illegal Frees

Sometimes, you will see an influx of illegal free coupons floating about the internet.

These are sometimes found on eBay, or drifting around in emails.

Nearly all the time, they are printable coupons from the computer.



Usually, a less than scrupulous person has photocopied a free coupon they received legitimately, to mass produce freebies. Sometimes they sell these fraudulent coupons for cash.

Most stores will not take a free coupon printed from your computer.

This is due to these fraudulent coupons being used. The company will not pay the store back for a counterfeit coupon, so the store loses money.

People have been convicted of fraud for making counterfeit coupons. It is a serious offense.

Bottom line: only use free coupons obtained legitimately, and you will be fine. Don’t buy frees off eBay, unless you know they just came out in the Sunday paper.

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Why?

Simply because Refund Cents is the best coupon, refund, deals, and freebies site on the internet.

It is run by Michele Easter, and has been in existence for literally decades.

Refunding Makes Cents is the most distributed coupon and refund newsletter in the world.

There are two portions to Refund Cents, the print magazine, which has 11 issues a year, and the online access.


The online access is a membership based site, but the dues are extremely low, costing less for an entire year than most sites charge a month. (About $1 per month)

If you are new to couponing, or if you are serious about this hobby/income sources, I highly, highly suggest you invest a few dollars into Refund Cents.

If you can afford it (around $25) get the print issues and the online access. Make sure you pick up a copy of the Beginner’s Bonanza. If that is too steep for you, then just get the online access.

Deals are posted by other members, in real time. Check "Michele's Updates" and "Chit-Chat" daily.

Trust me, you'll make up the purchase price in a few days. You'll be emailing me thanking me for introducing you to this wonderful information source.

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