Velveeta and Reynolds Wrap Coupons

Claim:   Two Internet-circulated coupons can be redeemed for free Velveeta and Reynolds Wrap products.

FALSE

Example:   [Collected via e-mail, April 2009]

Origins:   In January 2009, a pair of coupons for free household products began circulating on the Internet, usually passed from inbox to inbox. One was said to entitle its bearer to a free one pound package of Velveeta Pasteurized Processed Cheese Spread (any variety), the other to a free 50 foot roll of Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil. While the Velveeta coupon had first been spotted on the Internet in January 2009, the Reynolds one had been around since May 2008:

The coupons are not the real thing. In a nutshell, they are counterfeits and will not be honored by stores consumers attempt to use them in.

The Velveeta coupon was originally issued by Kraft in 1987, at a time in the retail industry when coupons lacking explicit expiry dates were somewhat the norm. However, 20+ years later, in a world where consumers have easy access to high-quality photocopiers, scanners, and e-mail, such coupons are rare to non-existent.

Says Kraft of the Internet-circulated Velveeta coupon:

As for the Reynolds counterfeit, it was distributed via the Internet without Reynolds' permission. That manufacturer does not issue free product one-sided store coupons, nor free Internet home-printed store coupons. (On 22 April 2009 ("Earth Day") it did, however, issue an online rebate coupon that entitled those who'd purchased a roll of its 100% recycled aluminum foil to a refund of the purchase price if they mailed in the rebate coupon, their store register tape, and the UPC symbol from the box.)

Additional information:

	Fraudulent Reynolds Wrap Coupon   (Coupon Information Corporation)
	Fraudulent Velveeta Coupon   (Coupon Information Corporation)

Last updated:   1 May 2009