[helenpooh]

** Borrowed ** I saw this somewhere else and thought it'd be good to notify everyone.


Someone ran into one of the gals who runs the BTFE site this week in California.

She informed her that there's a rash of fake BTFE that people have copied and are selling on Ebay. She said that they look like they are off Old El Paso products, and commonly being sold in lots of 50.

The clearinghouse is watching for these and they are not redeeming them so if you are buying them off Ebay, you might be inadvertently be spending money for something that isn't going to get redeemed.

So just a heads up that there are fake ones out there now and avoid getting them from Ebay if they look suspicious.

[z'smom]

Yikes!!! Stealing from kids!!!

[pumpkin seed mama]

OMGoodness!!

[xmaspickle]

that's crazy...

I try to avoid buying coupons from sellers for a lot of reasons..like I don't want to support people that steal the peelies/tearpads/rebates from the store...I'm guessing the manufacturers are intending them to go to a variety of consumers to up the market of their product..not to a couple of people to take a dozen or more and then sell or swap...

nothing like going into the store to shiny places on your product where a peelie was..or empty cardboard pads...or a lonely blinkie machine...

so I just stick with what I can find on my own and take my chances...figure if they stopped making money or getting people to swap with them it would at least slow them down...

as for the box tops..who would think???

[helenpooh]

Yes, isn't that crazy?? counterfeit box tops? What's next?

[karmaj28]

yep someone is def stealing from the kids sellers like that make ebay not fun.

[VintageTink]

Ok how can you tell a fake one from a real one? I mean i have tons of them but i have no clue in an ebay auction how to tell if they are fake. I dont buy them but i know some that do occasionally.

[Susuz]

I went to Boxtops University last year and this was a hot topic of discussion. It has been a year ago June but I seem to remember it is similar warnings to the ones we have about photocopied coupons, all identical size, shape, back of the boxtop is not correct (white like cardstock, not shiny white or brown chipboard). Also there is a code in the corner that identifies the product that the boxtop comes from, so if you are familiar with boxtops then you know which ones should be slick plastic, like the ones of diapers, paper products, or if they should be like the inside of a cereal box.

Always in the past the boxtops website has been extremely helpful to me if I have questions. They have an email contact address if you are interested in more information.

Of course, their answer is that you shouldn't be purchasing boxtops, but if, for example you are a coordinator for a school and have received a bunch in your collections you can ask for help determining if they are in fact legitimate. They also tell the coordinators that it is not their responsibility to say if the BTFE are fake or not, just send them in with your regular submission. BUT it is sad as some coordinators state that parents are buying or making them so that their child will win a school contest, get a great prize (some schools give away gameboys, ipods, etc) and then the BTFE are fake.

So beware! xoxoxo Susuz

[Dianasaves$$]

This crap really upsets me!! These people doing this for their gain at the loss of the person buying them...and not to mention the KIDS!!! No morals huh!! I am glad I don't buy off EBAY! I cant trust people (how sad) I only buy and trade here where I know there are good people. Thank you Helen for posting this one!

[helenpooh]

You're welcome Diana. I totally agree with you and others.. It's sad to see how desperate people are. I mean, coping Qs is bad enough but to be messing with stuff that has to do with kids? That's a no no!

[tdmr25]

That is just totally wrong.

[wannasavemoney]

wow that is sad

[Couponclipper003]

Unbelievable!!! WHY would someone do this???!

[schmidt00]

I just don't get it. BTFE is something I would never think of SELLING. Before my kids got close to school I would clip and SEND THEM to a friend whose kids participated in school contests with them but to ask her to PAY for them or even trade Q's? I just don't get it. If I GIVE you something... I GIVE... I expect nothing in return. I hope I can teach my kids to be the same way... sigh.

[Homekeepn]

That is lower than low! It is just not fair to the kids who are trying to earn money for their school to have these theives out there cheating them. Thanks for the warning.