Manufacturers and online retailers vying for customers are providing free Internet coupons for consumers to print. Several websites collec...
Manufacturers and online retailers vying for customers are providing free Internet coupons for consumers to print. Several websites collect these coupons and organize them into clearinghouses where Internet users can browse through categories and print out savings on nearly all consumer goods brands and types. A quick search on any browser will yield a plethora of coupon offers. Some websites include mini search engines that allow users to enter the exact brand or type of item they are looking for and then search. The website will direct him to a coupon source for this specific product. Some websites will make a printable coupon directly to the screen for immediate use.
Why are all of the user-friendly Internet coupons listed on eBay for resale by auction? Why bid on coupons when they are designed to be given away for free?
At first look, it does not make sense to go through all the trouble of registering, logging in, searching for, and bidding on a free item like an Internet coupon when they are so easy to obtain in the first place. Nonetheless, there are numerous auctions for Internet coupons listed under the category of certificates. What's the point? Is it because people are so enamored with EBAY and other auction sites, and they enjoy the competition of an online auction? At this level, most likely not. When most coupons sell for around a couple of dollars, it's not much of an auction, and the competition can't be too exciting. More than likely, the selection of Internet coupons available on eBay is the source of the appeal. These are not manufacturer coupons for cents off grocery items.
EBAY coupons are more upscale or for more expensive purchases such as computers and related products, electronics, and retailers such as Gymboree. The coupons are available for must-have items at significant price reductions. The typical coupon for sale on eBay is for a $50 purchase. Still, it could also be a collection of $10 off coupons at a single retailer. Other Internet coupons were available at auction range from 25% to 30% off purchases at online retailers such as Office Max and Circuit City. However, the most popular category of Internet coupons for sale on eBay is for high-end children's products such as Gymboree and Jack n Jill, where devoted Internet savvy Grannies are looking for the perfect gift. (Let's face it, most parents buy their children's clothes at Target and their toys at Toys R Us.)
It is reasonably apparent that it is worthwhile for the buyer to spend the time bidding on and purchasing an Internet coupon for $50 off an item he intends to purchase. Even after paying $1 for the item and up to $4 for shipping, the consumer will save nearly $59. However, how can such small transactions as a dollar plus fees to EBAY result in a significant amount of income for the seller? Volume, as with most sales-related issues, is the answer. Online coupons are offered by sellers who have hundreds of these coupons in stock.
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