As a Christian and a blogger, I strive to only post and use valid coupons. That is why I will never post a coupon that is a .jpg file, and I will usually not post a coupon in the .pdf file.
Unlike coupons from my coupon bar (and other coupon sites), .pdf files can be printed as many times as you want until the expiration date. For this reason, manufacturer's cannot control the cost for releasing a coupon like they can with a site (like my coupon bar) that limits the number of prints available per computer.
Plus, it's hard to be sure whether a .jpg or .pdf file are legitimate or if they are simply scanned copies of a paper coupon. I usually assume all .jpg coupons are scanned, and I don't even bother to look at them, but sometimes a .jpg coupon looks legitimate (meaning that it can be accessed from the main site...rather than just by a direct link).
The School Year's Eve coupon with the $1.00 Sharpie coupon looked legitimate to me (since you can access it from the Cookies site), but after reading Mercedes @ Common Sense with Money's article, I don't believe it is. Someone in her comments actually contacted P&G, and it appears that Cookies may have scanned the coupon book inadvertently and posted it on their site.
Therefore, I have deleted the Sharpie deal from my CVS and Walgreens post, as well as the CVS $5 Challenge. If you have already printed it, I hope that you will refrain from using it, since the store may not be reimbursed by the manufacturer for the coupon.
So, how do you know if a coupon is legitimate? Well, if it's too good to be true, it likely isn't. If it looks scanned or tampered with, I wouldn't print the coupon. Here are some additional resources for spotting fraudulent coupons.
kristen
I agree 100%! I have also blogged on this subject. Aside from the ethical implications (which to me are obvious), those who misuse coupons really will ruin it for themselves and others in the long run.
Recent blog:=- Small Freebie Alert at Walgreens 08/09
Guest
This is a interesting topic. Sometimes it is hard to tell, isn't it? I used to stick hard and fast to the no PDF rule. Now I usually figure coupons are legit if they come right from the company themselves. I was surprised to hear that the highlighter one was a fraud. How could a huge magazine like Cookie allow for something like that to be on their site? I'm shocked.
I try to steer clear of ones like the jpgs because when people abuse deals and coupons companies stop offering legitimate offers.
Frugal Urbanite
I agree with the other posters. People who abuse printable coupons are going to ruin it for people who use them legitimately.
Basically, if a coupon doesn't come directly from the manufacturer or store's website OR from a legitimate coupon printing site (redplum, coupons.com, etc.) I would even bother printing it.
Lydia
Hurray for taking a stand on this! I also pulled the link from my site. Thanks for being and ethical blogger.
Recent blog:=- Fiber One Yogurt Coupon