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Online Coupons: Do’s and Don’ts

boodle™ provides guidelines for online coupon usage

SAN DIEGO (April 11, 2006) — Many consumers are discovering the value of online coupons; however, some shoppers are still hesitant to use them. boodle™, the leading online grocery coupon marketplace on newspaper Web sites, says consumers shouldn’t let their fear of the unknown keep them from enjoying substantial savings on everyday household items.

"Online coupons are now a widely accepted currency at the majority of grocery retailers nationwide," said Les Howe, president and CEO of Consumer Networks, the company that powers boodle. "Grocery coupons are like free money, and consumers need to know that there are legitimate coupons on the Internet that will help them to shave a considerable amount off their grocery bill."

If consumers are still tentative about using online coupons, Howe suggests reviewing some basic guidelines for online coupon usage.

Do’s

• Look for coupons on manufacturer Web sites or respected coupon sites such as boodle.com. Most newspaper Web sites now feature online coupons via boodle. Consumers can log on to www.boodle.com to find the nearest news site that features online grocery coupons.
• Activate the coupon print tool. Most providers make this is a very easy and seamless process. This will enable you to download and print coupons.
• Make sure the offer makes sense. Does the offer sound too good to be true? If so, it is probably not real. The generally accepted guidelines for Internet coupons include no FREE offers, and nothing exceeding $5.00.
• Print the coupons in color. While black-and-white offers are often legitimate, cashiers may be less apt to accept them.
• Review the coupon’s appearance. Valid online coupons look very similar to those you find in the Sunday newspaper and should include a color picture of the product, a description of the product, the manufacturer’s legal notice, an expiration date, a bar code.
• After printing the coupons, cut them out. Cashiers will appreciate receiving the clipped version of the coupons instead of the whole sheet of paper.

Don’ts

• Do not photocopy an online coupon. This same rule applies with coupons in the Sunday paper.
• Do not try to print multiple copies of the same coupon. Some coupon sites will allow two prints per coupon before restricting further prints.
• Do not buy coupons from eBay or any other source. The Coupon Information Center, a not-for-profit dedicated to fighting coupon fraud, says there is no reason to buy something that is free. Coupons being sold may be counterfeit.
• ail;Do not use coupons that come to you via em unless you have knowingly registered to receive online coupons at a manufacturer or credible coupon Web site.

boodle™ works with 390 newspaper Web sites nationwide to feature valuable coupons for top consumer brands that are similar to those found in Sunday newspapers. It currently features 53 coupons worth a total of $51. Consumers can access the coupons free by registering with any of the 390 newspapers included at www.boodle.com. New offers are added weekly and typically have a 30-day expiration date.

About Consumer Networks

Consumer Networks is a network of newspaper development groups based in San Diego. The company’s online coupon solution, boodle™ provides CPGs, retailers and media companies with a secure way to deliver valuable coupon offers to millions of online consumers. boodle is available through a prestigious network of more than 390 newspapers, including papers from the following development groups: Midlands Newspapers, Pulitzer Newspapers, Gannett Co., Tribune Company, The Copley Press, Freedom Communications, and Knight Ridder. boodle features coupons from companies including General Mills, General Electric and Kimberly-Clark. For more information about boodle, visit www.boodle.com.

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Media Contact Information
For all media inquiries and interview requests, please contact:
Sarah Peterson
651.646.8233
PR@boodle.com

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