Coupon Trains – Tempted to Try?
A coupon train refers to a group of people involved in trading coupons. The word ‘train’ is derived from the system used to trade coupons. One person (the leader or ‘train conductor’) starts the train by collecting coupons that she (or, sometimes, he) does not need and will not be using. This person then puts all the coupons in an envelope and mails it to another coupon collector who opens the envelope, picks out the coupons she needs, replaces them with other coupons of equal value, and mails the envelop to the third coupon collector. The process is repeated and, after the envelope makes the round of all the coupon train members, it is mailed back to the leader.
For the system to work, there has to be a list of names and addresses of people who have joined the coupon train. Coupon trains are formed online. You can find several coupon sharing groups at Yahoo Groups. Coupon websites such as www.MadAboutSavings.com or www.afullcup.com also have coupon train forums you can join. The advantage of coupon train forums on coupon websites is that you can post and collect coupons on the same sites. Becoming a member of these sites is free and requires only that you provide a valid email address.
You can also start a coupon train yourself. Join a coupon forum and post an announcement stating that you are starting a coupon train and need ‘riders’. Other members of the forum who are interested will PM you their names and address. You, the train leader, then have to type up this information and mail the list of names along with your unwanted coupons to the first ‘rider’ on the train (the first name on the list).
Coupon trains are often ‘coupon-specific,’ meaning that their members are all interested in a certain coupon category. For example, some coupon trains only deal with coupons of a certain value, others only trade in online printable coupons, and there are grocery coupon only trains, pet coupon only, baby coupon only trains etc. Many coupon trains allow riders to create a “wish list” to let other members know which coupons they are looking for.
Although every coupon train has its own regulations (and you should take the time to read them before joining the group), all good coupon trains observe a few basic rules:
* Not to use coupons approaching their expiration date
* Members are only allowed to include a limited number of duplicate coupons in the coupon envelop, or train
* Speedy posting to the next person
The benefits and drawbacks of coupon trains listed below should help you decide whether coupon trains are for you.
Benefits:
* Access to a much wider coupon selection than if you were collecting coupons on your own
* Money savings: coupons are all about saving money, and trading coupons is one way of doing so. Instead of discarding coupons that are useless to you, you can use them to obtain coupons you do need.
* Pleasurable thrill: there is nothing quite as exciting as receiving an envelope full of potentially money saving coupons. It is the next best thing to receiving an envelope full of money.
Drawbacks:
* Expiration dates: some people, knowingly or unknowingly, give you expired coupons, or coupons that are about to expire. In the case of coupon trains, it is important to make allowances for postal delays.
* Coupon trains are usually time-consuming. Members have to sort the coupons they have and decide which ones they do not need, and they must be prompt about mailing the coupon envelope within the designated timeframe.
* Broken coupon trains: a coupon train member who decides to stop trading coupons may simply not forward the envelope to the next member on the list.
* Useless coupons: you may receive a large number of coupons that are useless to you. If, out of the 50 coupons you receive, you can only use two or three, the coupon train may not be worth your time or effort – but you are still responsible for forwarding the envelope to the coupon collector who is next on the list.
Judging by the popularity of coupon trains, however, the majority of riders appear to be honest people who are profiting by this coupon trading method.