Trading Coupons- The Do's and Don'ts

I trade coupons with people all the time. In fact, I've made lots of online friends and gotten a lot of great deals with their help. You can save a little extra on groceries and other items too if you like. But there are some rules to remember when trading coupons that are very important.

1) Setting up the trade: Email the person with what items you have and what you'd like to trade for. Example: "Hi- I have 4 Free Ragu pasta sauce coupons that I'd like to trade for your 3 Free Hershey's Quik coupons. Please let me know if you'd like to trade." Be polite, to the point, and concise. Most people will email you back within a day or so and say one of two things: Yes, in which case you will trade addresses and finalize the items to be traded; or No, in which case you can then email others and see if they'd like to trade.

2) Mailing the trade: Always mail the trade on the day it is finalized if possible. If you know you're going to be late, email the person you're trading with and let them know. If you're new at trading, sometimes people will ask you to send an SASE (Self-addressed stamped envelope). Don't get mad- they've probably been burned before and are a little leery of new traders. Decide whether you want to do a trade like this or not. Please make sure you have enough postage on your envelope. Otherwise, your trade will come "postage due" and the person will have to pay for the extra postage. A good rule of thumb is one 33 cent stamp for every 50 coupons.

3) When you receive the trade: Email the person you traded with as a courtesy and let them know you got their half. I keep three separate email folders entitled "To send," "Sent," and "Completed." While a trade is being finalized it's in "to send." Once I send my half it's moved to "sent." Once I receive their half it goes in "completed." This way I know what is due to me and if a trade is late or never comes I know who to email.

4) Bad Traders: If you don't receive a trade in a week to a week and a half, email the person and politely explain you haven't gotten it. Maybe they forgot to mail it, maybe it got lost. Most people will rectify their trade right there. If you still don't get it within another week or two, then you can email Garnette Blanton, who runs a bad trader list, at blantons@alltell.net. She will email the trader and let them know of the outstanding trade. Bad traders should be reported- don't be afraid of them. Some people make it a business to bilk as many people as they can. Be sure you get your fair due.

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