Coupon Blogs to be Blacklisted by the CIC.

Have Google Adsense on your blog or coupon forum? Well, you better make sure it is squeaky clean otherwise the CIC (Coupon Information Corporation) will have your website blacklisted from advertising.

Yes, this is where we are at - a new level of Retailer's Revenge.

When we read this article titled "Coupon Blogs May Pay a Price for Irking the Industry" it kind of hit close to home as well, this is pretty much what we do here. And what that is - is to bring "Reality" into focus for couponers, extreme or otherwise. Citing the article above and the "new best practices" guideline that came from their annual meeting that states “We believe it is counterproductive to directly or indirectly fund individuals or organizations that attack the coupon industry or actively support practices that violate basic industry policies,” we kind of raised an eyebrow and read on. "Directly or indirectly fund" means that basically to put your coupon blog or forum advertising based on keywords from Google. This means that in their mind they are "legitimizing" or "funding" the use of online blogs or forums via their advertising showing up on your blog.

I can see that. But really, how much money is anyone making off of the Google Adsense linked to your blog or forum? Pennies a day if that? 

The issue here isn't the actual money - it is the mentality behind it. Did we speak out here and expose them for what they really are in this post titled The CIC Exposed For What They Really Are - And it's not about informing you , yes we did. Did it upset them? We hope so. And we will continue to bring real issues to light here as well as expose the continued tactics of the billion dollar a year retail manufacturers and companies and their attempt to limit the savings and make you pay more for your groceries and food items than you actually should be. They will not stop raising prices and using tactics to "save their interests," translation: to pad their fat wallets - and we will not stop posting to save your interests. I won't miss silly amount of money this blog generates. That's far less than one of the coupons that you and I can no longer obtain or use in the manner that we used to due to the strongarm of the CIC.

Although the "new best practices" statement is either not on their website or is in an impossible to obtain area, we will cite the original poster and take their word for this one. It falls right in line with the bully pulpit practices of the CIC over the past few years, so it makes sense.

What we did find on their website are some new and revised items, geared toward threatening you regarding the use and/or sale of coupons, and one startling admission. See the screenshots below taken from their website:

So basically the CIC now admits on their website that there is no direct criminal penalty involved for anyone selling coupons. So if you see a troll on a forum be it on an eBay message board, coupon forum, blog, or otherwise, please link them to this blog that now officially states from the CIC itself - that coupon sales are NOT ILLEGAL.

And then, a new favorite:

 

Wait a minute. Does that mean that the local high school charity, sports team, band, or extra-curricular activity group that goes door to door selling coupons is now a con artist??

That's the way it reads to me. Your child - is now involved in organized crime by selling coupons for a charity or group and to "never buy or sell coupons."

Wow.

Are there exceptions? Of course. We're not blind to common sense. Are there real con artists of course. But what the CIC (who work for the manufacturers and retailers as proven in the blog above) wants to do it pick and choose who, what when and how their coupons are sold.

That's not how the real world and the law works. 

You can't say this person can sell coupons door to door for a charity, you can't say it's ok for the retailers and manufacturers to "sell" their images and coupons to both Red Plum, Smart Source and your local newspaper to be "transferred via sale" three times before you get it then tell you that you are a gang banger or involved in organized crime for selling the same coupons that are authentic and obtained. Open your mind and think about it.

So the next time that kid from the local high school tries to sell me a book of coupons to support his local football team or cheerleader squad I will tell him that the "Coupon Information Corporation" says he is involved in organized crime , a con artist and that I would be the same if I purchased them. Then I will give him the contact information for the CIC.

I'm sure that child's parents will be none too pleased.

And with all of these antics going on that effect millions of families and their grocery bills all over the country - you shouldn't be either.

Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready Pizza Price Jumps to $5.55 - Right before Good Friday

Ahh what would a holiday be without someone trying to make an extra buck. Especially around a holiday. 

Good Friday is the one day of the year where most people that celebrate the Christian faith do not eat meat. So , Little Caesars decided earlier this week to take advantage of that fact by raising the price of their "Hot-N-Ready" Pizza to $5.55 from $5.00 effective immediately claiming "higher cheese prices."

This 11.1% increase has been toyed with by Little Caesars in various markets on and off during the year, usually when sales slump at the $5.55 price (and they always do,) they remarket it back to $5.00. This has been going on for the better part of the last six or so years. But never quite as flagrantly as this one in regards to timing. Of course the disclaimer also says "prices will go back to normal once cheese prices stabilize" which in the real world translates to - "after the Easter and Lenten season."

Let's face it. This pizza is far from gourmet. If you are looking for cheap eats and really don't care about how your stomach feels in an hour by all means, eat it up. But if you are looking to not get ripped off by an opportunistic big box food chain like Little Caesar's then you might find a better pizza option elsewhere this weekend - and odds are they haven't been effected at all by "higher cheese prices." 

Strange, isn't it?

Update 5/18/2014:

On the local Sunday Paper - Guess what we saw?

Guess the "higher cheese price" landslide has been scaled back.

Nah, it was just the end of the lenten season.

Just like we called earlier.

These big box chains, retailers and manufacturers will stop at nothing to squeeze every last dollar out of you.

The only thing keeping them afloat - is the ignorance of the consumer.

Our job is to keep you aware and informed.

The Death of the McDouble - McDonald's Strikes Again.

McDonald's makes it too easy to call them out on their greed. A few months back, they took the McDouble off of their Dollar Menu and placed it in this ridiculous menu called "Dollar Menu and More." More is about accurate, as you are paying "more" for just about everything.

As in paying 19% "more" for your $1 McDouble that is now $1.19. As in paying "more" for that one piece of "is it bacon?" for your $2 Bacon McDouble now. Paying "more" like $1 more for some terrible combination of ranch and buffalo sauce on this new McChicken stomach-killer at $2. I ate one and was sick for two days. Bottom line is, you are paying "more" for everything. Their justification is absolutely ridiculous also.

"Higher Beef Prices" was the reason given for this 19% increase for the McDouble. Really? That's funny. I guess it is only McDonald's beef that has risen in price. Burger King, Wendy's, Sonic and Carl's Jr or Hardee's seem to be doing just fine. As a matter of fact, they usually have much better specials ( Like Burger King's 2/$5 deal for real sandwiches, chicken, burgers and fish.) So what gives Mcyd's ?

It's no secret that McDonald's same store-revenues are in one of the worst downward spirals in the company's history. You can google it and see it just about everywhere. Yet they do nothing to change it. This practice of "raising the price" of popular items (first it was the Double Cheeseburger that was $1 now it is the McDouble that used to be $1.00) is ridiculous. They aren't raising employee wages, aren't offering anything that remotely resembles a special. Their advertising has gone from Ronald McDonald (remember him?) and the Hamburgler to this constant nauseating millenial-themed mid 20's hipsters and people that weigh about 92 lbs soaking wet enjoying their ridiculous sandwiches. Does every single mid 20's millenial african-american have a massive head of hair , glasses or an afro ? Apparently McDonald's thinks so. I haven't gone into one in over a decade were any of that kind of person is eating at. It's nauseating.

The problem with McDonald's is very simple. They don't even know who they are. The management in this company is absolutely destroying it. They are a fast food joint. They aren't Starbucks. They are not a diner. Hell, you could get a cheaper meal (burger and fries) at DENNY'S for $6.00 compared to the $6.79 Quarter Pounder meal anymore. People say the economy has improved. I call bs. People still want to shop and dine for value and quite frankly McDonald's is a terrible value anymore compared to the other options that are out there. The lack of lines in their drive-thru at any given time it seems these days clearly shows that fact.

They just don't get it . Their advertising, marketing, specials and value for the dollar honestly just suck. I remember a time when they were the best in town for taste and value. Now they suck at both.

Their latest move on the McDouble shows just how much they don't get it. Sooner or later it will be another R.I.P offering from McDonald's right next to the $3.99 for five "Mightier on your wallet than taste Wings" and the "I've been cut in half but my price has doubled" McRib. They think their name brand can overcome these things, but the trend is that it can't and has not - and will not.

They also blame "People eating healthier" for their problems. Anyone but the marketing idiots, company policy and lack of specials. People are eating healthier, and cheaper too. Just not under the banner of the Golden Arches anymore.

Maybe they will wake up one day and realize what they are before they become JcPenny's who might never recover from their nightmare makeover.

Until then, R.I.P McDouble. I long ago enjoyed the last one of you I will ever consume.

My eBay Blocked Bidder List - March 2014.

I feel that anyone that sells online should have the right to know what kind of person they are dealing with. In the lack of seller protection (aka none) that eBay has for their sellers no matter how long they have been there, I feel the need to inform and get the word out about buyers. Below is my current eBay blocked bidder list from 2000 - current:

1317gaild, 19baccaro70, 1onnaypapa, 2xxlarge, 304*radcliff, 4296nicholas, 523armystrong, 6392michael, a_pozos123, ably7416, aca_basketball, ahlcardsnmore, ahmai1, amandapoohbear09, andrew2561, anthony_cacciola, april17powell, aroundunitk, astroschica1984, b-rent24, badshaw81, bamacolemsn, barone8765, baseballdsl, belknasm, bkd67, blackwood1980, blessed2givehope, bobbypryer, bondsbondsbonds, booboobooby, bostonsuperfan1974, boutiquebyleah, bpcardsfl, bucktail1928, bz344, cardkid777, cardtrip, ces615, charlesmingill, ckandice, codygavin10, coll003, coondog332013, couponkathleen, dailysales37096, dcruz222, debnturner, desmond201, dojrblu, dougjean1023, dubbledutch81, eaglerock95, emmett825, empstar, evaughn1212, express3430, fabulousfab29, ffadaei, garciaparra517, gholmesjr, gm_mad_man_machine, hammer1175220, helentran408, highsierra98, hoerl69, hops2100, hottie520, howellrgnhw2012, illinitopptrader, imonit3362, incspot, indy183288, is300alex, ishomerfred, j962717, jackbeep, jackydeonburgess, jasconb, jasondavy81, jaytam80, jima4863, jmurphy1976jessica, jnor5431, joc0god, joes865, jon_tamy, jordans-allday-everyday, joshborders54, jsampson123, jwyldz, kcsportsnut, kissmygritsmel, kuponasaj, l.stewart79, lakrby, lapaz7, lcolla2, leomommy31, lillianabella2008, loupalmisano, makeanofferyoucantrefuse, marinerscollector, mart5551, mattginterfan, mbeachcards, mcknight210, meissaprincesss, merk4321, mikes-memorabilia-4u, mildred6421, militry2, morgengreen, mpratt5, my_duster, nilnilnil13, nlanderson, noblebield, nohrmund2012, nowunodogg, nursegash, okbluestarmom, olly610, orihco51, out_of_tw28, ozzie0308, packgraphs, packripper, pecker7700, pmr-md, quig3, r.m.woodcraft617, raiderdave63, ramador49, rashondar2007, rbaklpcd301, rbush025, reegs1958, rilla1008, rodro-sl-wvnm8q, ronald2790, rudybos, russelldink812, ryan3066, sammymarta13, savillesdeals4asteal, seemayer132, shayfann, sheaball, sokahmom, solodolo12, sportking7777, star4life31, straightballa32, superbol, sweetie7542, swg19651965, tamra0124, taurusmay19, teddym_3, texasdogbaseball, texaxes, tgreenlovinlife, the_g428, thepricefamily2011, timetogo83, tudicicero1, turbybug, vegasdiva10, virtualyardsale2013, waldlaw, wallydogger2010, wingalingdingding, winst1025, yaddy80

It seems like I add new ones weekly, especially since most of my eBay sales are for coupons and items under $5.00. And until the USPS First Class Tracer program actually hits the mainstream, who knows when (testing was under way in the Fall of 2013), you ship items on eBay at your own risk using first class postage in a letter format.

All of the buyers and sellers above have met at least one of the criteria over the years. The criteria that I use to block bidders are as follows:

1. Leaving neutral or negative feedback.
2. Stealing my item by claiming it was never received (mostly for coupons and first class-mail related items)
3. Claiming the item was damaged when in fact, it never was.
4. Slow shipping.
5. Bad communication.
6. Filing an eBay protection case.
7. Ignorance and failure to read listings in their entirety.

Since no one on eBay is doing anything to protect sellers from this garden variety of fools, I feel this is one of the only ways to stop others from suffering the same fate I have with the eBay ID's above.

This list will be updated monthly.

If anyone has any other members they would like to add, feel free to mention the eBay ID and the category of sale below.

Thank you for reading.