Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Emailing Companies to Get FREE Coupons!


Kristen over at Couponing To Disney has spent the past 3 months emailing 5 different companies a day complimenting them on their products--with hopes of getting some coupons in return! She has now emailed a total of 250 companies and from those 250 emails, she has received coupons from 29 companies... and counting!

Here's a list of the 29 companies:
Bar-S - (complimented) $5 VIP Bar-S certificate and 4 25c off 1 Bar S coupons
Beechnut Babyfood - (complimented) $5 off $5 worth of Beechnut products (plus 2 sheets of 6 various Beechnut coupons)
Buddig - (complimented) (2) Free Budding Products
Campbell's - $2 off any Campbell's products
Cole's Garlic Bread - (complimented) Free loaf of Cole's garlic bread and 2 30c/1 Coles product.
Drano - (complimented) Free Drano product up to $6.75
Duracell - (complimented) Free any Duracell product up to 16 ct.
Eggland's Best - (compliment) - 1 free dozen of Eggland's Best eggs
Fisher Boy (compliment) (1) Free Fisher Boy Product
Hostess - (complimented) - 1 Free Wonder, Home Pride or Hostess product up to $2.50
J&J Snack Foods - Free pretzels and 50c off other various products
Kahiki - (compliment) (1) free product
Lakeview Farms - (compliment) (3) free Lakeview Farms
Michelina's - (complimented) (2) Free Michelina's products.
On-Cor - (complimented) 2 Free On-Cor Entrees and one $1.00 off any On-Cor
Oust - (complimented) Free Oust Air Sanitizer
Pepperidge Farm - (compliment) Pepperidge Farm any product free up to $3 and 2 50c/1 Pepperidge Farm Products
Raid - (complimented on them for saving me when a wasp got in my house) Free Raid Product
Red Gold - (complimented) (2) Free 14.5 oz cans of Red Gold tomatoes and 2 Red Gold 50c/2 tomato products
Sally Hansen - (complimented) $5 off a product and (2) $3 off a product
Scrubbing Bubbles - (complimented) Free scrubbing bubbles up to $4
Simply Asia - (1) Thai Kitchen free product, (1) Simply Asia free product, (2) 50c off Thai Kitchen product and (2) 50c off Simply Asia product
Sister Schubert - (complimented) 1 free pack of rolls
Skintimate - (complimented) Free Skintimate up to $4
Sobe Life Water - (complimented) Free Sobe Life Water
Sunsweet - (compliment) Any Sunsweet product free!
Sweet Baby Rays - (complimented) 1 free Baby Ray Product and $1 off 1
Windex - (complimented) (2) Free Windex products (the coupons were kind of stuck together so it was probably suppose to be 1)
WolfGang Puck Soups - (complimented) Free can of WolfGang Puck Soup

What a great way to build up your stash of coupons and even better, for products you actually like and use! I would suggest, just like Kristin did, to set aside time each day to email a few companies... maybe 2 or even 10. If you email a few companies everyday for a year, just imagine all the coupons you'll be receiving on a regular basis! Pretty motivating, huh? I think I may have to email a few companies right now!

**If you need more ideas for companies to email, then make sure to check out this post over at Couponing To Disney. If you scroll down a little, you'll see a long alphabetical list of the 250 companies she emailed! You can also check out her post here where she discusses why it's a great idea to start doing this and how to personalize your emails for each company you decide to write.

67 comments:

The team said...

I've been doing this now for 30 days and have gotten so many coupons and free samples/items in the mail!!!!! I love doing this!

Holly said...

I just wanted to mention that I received the same coupons from Bar-S and Wonder Bread for complaints that I emailed them about their website. (coupons wouldn't print, etc) Just opened up my mail one day and there was coupons for free product coupons!!! Just goes to show - some companies are "nicer" than others.

Anonymous said...

This is amazing! I think I just got a new hobbie to keep me glued to the computer lol but it would be worth it!

Thanks a bunch Collin! And the person who suggested this!

Kristin said...

I've been doing this for a few weeks too and it's such a treat to open my mailbox and see all the coupons!

Anonymous said...

I want to add Coffeemate to the list. I complimented them a few months ago and received a coupon for a free coffeemate creamer.

Unknown said...

This is a great idea. When I feel like a company has a great product, I definitely compliment them by sending them an email. I did that with the del monte grapefruit cups and with Bear Naked granola. They both sent me great coupons.

Anonymous said...

I've done this with Kashi- they sent me great coupons! I like the idea of sending a few emails per day! Great post!

Kristin from Couponing to Disney said...

Thank you Collin so much for posting this!!

I think I will add Coffee Mate to today's 5 A Day post. I haven't done that one yet. :)

Keep the ideas coming please!!

CJ said...

Do you actually mention that you would like coupons, or do you just compliment the product/company?

Anonymous said...

I called Turkey Hill and asked for a free calendar. They gave me coupons for icecream, ice tea..etc... Turkey Hill has addictive products!
https://www.turkeyhill.com/general/contact-us.aspx

Anonymous said...

This is lying... I don't think it's right!

rbabe1 said...

I don't mention that I want coupons and I have received quite a few in the mail. I just compliment a specific product that I like and sometimes insert a sentence or two about how I recommended it to colleagues or friends. They love that :)

Just got a free product (up to $3.99) from Frito-O-Lay!

lynn said...

To Anon.: Just don't lie, send them to companies that you do like and trust. Then you don't have to feel bad.

Heather said...

I have emailed Izze sodas before and Cabot cheese and gotten great coupons. I don't lie either. I tell them how much I love their product, but I can never find coupons for it, and they sent them.

Anonymous said...

My family loves Old El Paso Tacos. I wrote them several months ago to tell them they were the only taco products I use and I received a $1.00 off computer and a coupon for a free Taco Dinner (up to $5.00)

Tara S said...

yes you dont need to lie. If you want to try a new company tell them you would love to but are on a budget and would love some coupons, or tell a company you never get coupons in your papers and would love to have some.
I contacted borduex (sp) butt paste because honestly it is the only thing that works really fast. they send me samples and bibs! It was great!

Anonymous said...

I was looking for Louis Kemp coupons and found this in their FAQ's. I emailed them last week and yesterday received a huge consumer packet of coupons, promotional items, and recipes.

[Coupon Request

We’re glad to hear that you enjoy our products and would be happy to send you coupons. We are also interested in knowing which specific items you prefer and where you purchase them. To receive coupons please email us with your name and U.S. postal mailing information.]

Staying Lean said...

I started doing this a while back going through a list on the grocery coupon guide website. When you recently recommended this website for it's Wal-Mart list I noticed this as well and have bene going through her lists and getting tons of stuff. Her results are impressive!

Staying Lean said...

You definitely shouldn't lie. If you have used the products and like them say that or if not complain as some have done. If you have never used it then yes just ask directly for coupons. They will email you back and let you know if some are available or not. Pretty simple, no one ever suggested lying.

Kristin from Couponing to Disney said...

Yes, don't lie. I never lie. I give them my honest opinions. Every email I have sent has been honest and I've gotten over 110 coupons. :)

I never ask for coupons. I might ask to be added to their mailing list though. :)

Kristin

shell said...

I've been doing this for awhile, too. But only to companies and products that I like and use. Can you imagine the emails that these companies are going to get now? They will probably run out of coupons!!

Anonymous said...

I wonder if this would work for bigger ticket items...like car rentals, amusement parks, or hotel stays? Anyway have any thoughts?

Kristin from Couponing to Disney said...

I've heard of people getting their Disney vacation comped but they had something horrible happen to them on their vacation that was caused by Disney.

MomDG said...

I have been doing this for some time. I truly feel if I like a product I want to let a company know. They get enough complaints and bad news! I have let companies know when I have a problem too. I get coupons all the time. I do not always ask, but on occasion if it is a product I like that does not regularly offer coupons I will ask. I just e-mail Pepperidge Farm as I LOVE their products. I did not find any of the try me free peelies on their new crackers and asked about this. They just mailed me 2 coupons for free products! I think it is a win-win situation. In this economy we all need to do what we can.

Anonymous said...

i did this as well for sometime.. it does take time but you do get them.. I did for a restaurant and I got a 25 gift cert!

Anonymous said...

I think this is great. It is helping to create jobs - or at least keeping people busy at their jobs, their company running and it's a win-win for everyone!

Anonymous said...

I saw this posting last weekend and started. I emailed 18 companies and all ready have replies from 2 that they are sending me coupons. Cool!

Courtney and the Boys said...

Oh, that is SO funny that you just wrote this post as I just thought earlier today that I didn't have any coupons for the laundry detergent I needed to buy today and needed to email them! Great list! I also love Tradewinds Sweet Tea and when I complimented them they sent me 6 coupons!

Sue V said...

I also have been doing this for about 3 weeks and it's amazing how quickly these come in the mail. Usually within a week's time. Write to only a few each day over time and make sure to personalize your letter with how their product has improved your life. Be specific, using the product's full name, and be honest too. Don't give false praise for a product you haven't actually tried. How often to companies hear our complaints? I'm happy to send a little praise their way.

Anonymous said...

Does everyone remember the free sample from walmart awhile back for Nivea? well i emailed the company and gave my thoughts on the product and lo and behold they sent me a big yellow envelope with a letter and 9 cpns --3 of them were $2 off... and a bunch of great samples! i was really impressed! this is a good way to get free things, but it also lets the companies know how consumers feel about their products. i agree dont lie- but if you really like the products then email them!:)

Holly said...

I just wanted to add - you never know what companies do with this compliments. A few years back I had great service at a Tiffany & Co. store. I emailed them to let them know how fantastic the associate was. A few months later I got a call from that associate asking me to come to an "invite only" event the store was throwing. I hadn't contacted them with that intention but it was nice to know that corporate of a large company had gotten in touch with that associate to let her know she was doing a great job and in turn she wanted to repay the favor.

Like others have said - never lie. It's a waste of everyone's time if you don't use the product or won't provide true feedback. Because companies are paying attention!!

Unknown said...

I did this with Prego (I LOVE prego spaghetti sauce), Amy's and Garden of Eatin (I had never had their chips before, bought some and loved them). All three companies were happy to send me coupons - I didn't lie, just let them know I'm a couponer - love their product and wondered if they ever mailed out coupons :)

Anonymous said...

LOL. I love the cartoon on this post... Mailbox stuffed with mails (coupons). wish mine was like that everyday :)

Danielle Miller said...

And use you high value coupons at kroger to count towards your gas rewards.

And to anonymous, gee, it must be nice to have so few problems in your life that how others obtain coupons is your biggest moral concern. If you don't want to do it, then don't. I swear, some people. I'm sitting here wondering how I'm going to pay the copay on my dr visit this afternoon and people think their little better-than-everyone-else comment is going to make me not take advantage of a good offer? It's not like this is even the sort of thing that's an offer. You're just sending an email or making a phone call and then being happy with whatever you get. You know what I think is immoral? Judging people and being passive aggressive about it by posting under anonymous.

Carolyn said...

I'm just curious if people use their actual email address or have a dummy email address they use for signing up for things online. I'm always worried about all the spam i end up getting and am not sure how to combat against it.

Danielle Miller said...

When slim fast changed their formula to spoon stirrable a few years back, I was so excited with how well it mixed without having to pull out my blender, so I emailed them to tell them how pleased I was and got some really good coupons in the mail.

There have been a few places that I was thinking about emailing because I love and use the stuff, but rarely see coupons or good deals. And a few places I was wanting to email that I've not tried and would like to. And I'm totally emailing On Cor! I love their dinners. I hope they send me some good coupons!

Spectacular Savings said...

I have gotten SO many coupons doing this!! And it really doesn't take a lot of time. I designate one night a week and email companies while I'm watching tv in the evening. And it really is amazing how many free and high value coupons I've gotten!

WahooABargain said...

I did this with TGI-Fridays frozen appetizers. I was very unhappy with the wings(you don't want to know-trust me) Anyways but I usually like them so I called them. A few weeks later I got a ton of free coupons. So negative or positive with the companies will usually get you coupons. But agreed don't lie!

SuzyQpon said...

I did this months ago with Earth's Best. I actually wasn't looking for Qs - just wanted to tell them how very much my son LOVED their baby food and how much I like that it's all natural. They sent me loads of coupons - several for free items! It was great. I just recently (through Couponing to Disney) emailed Turkey Hill (LOVE their Diet Green Tea) and Aveeno (husband can use their shaving cream only). I flat out said "love your products but have a hard time finding Qs." Both sent me several coupons. Honesty is the best policy.

Leslie said...

I complimented Sweet baby rays a few months ago and got zilch in the mail!

Time4mom2 said...

I also did this about a year ago. However, I emailed only the companies of all the products I used (about 100). And, I DID ask for coupons! At the time I was having difficulty with any of my stores taking Internet Printables. I got coupons & samples from 80 companies!

Evan and Amber said...

Do you give the companies your mailing address in the e-mail? Or does the company e-mail you back asking for your address?

Maryanne Gobble said...

I did this for a few weeks and had over 100 in FREE product coupons mailed to me, and a bunch of cents off coupons on top of that. I blogged about it here. It was fun to check my mail!!!

http://www.mypennypile.com/2009/09/product-feedback-has-its-perks.html

CJ said...

I once complained to 3M that their lint rollers didnt work right and all I got was an email saying they would notify their research department. No apology, no coupons, no refund offer. I refuse to ever again buy 3M products. On the other hand, the Oven Poppers company has great customer relations. I emailed them because some of their coupons weren't scanning right and they sent me a few coupons for free products and a nice personalized letter.

knittinnurse said...

I found out that every three months you can email the same company 99% of the time. The exceptions are Hostess(9 months) and Dole(6 months). I always ask for coupons because money is tight, but I would love to continue to use their product.

Anonymous said...

Carolyn,

I have about 4 email addresses on Yahoo. Only 1 of the 3 I guard like a hawk and is only for friends. The others I hand out freely.

Leslie

Anonymous said...

You should always give feedback, good and bad! The companies do want to hear from you!!

One time I filled out truthfully a survey for a high end hotel where we stayed. They had been doing construction and things were pretty out of whack during our stay - they gave us a certificate for 2 nights free! It got us back, the construction was complete, we had a great stay, and they left a consumer with a good feeling about their hotel instead of a bad one.

Fernando said...

I just did my 5 for today! Yeah! This will be fun!

fuzzymitten said...

I emailed Swason's frozen dinners because it was missing one of the items and Michelina frozen dinners because it was missing the chicken in the noodles. They both sent a coupon for a free product. I emailed Auntie Anne's one time because the pretzel was stale and was sent free pretzel coupons.

Anonymous said...

Same pinch fernando. I did my 5 too. I bet these companies will be surprised to receive so many e-mails suddenly.

Rachael said...

I already got a response from huggies saying thanks for my "compliment"...and saying that more coupons are on their way. WOOHOO! =D (I also did at least five of these today...this was just what I needed...another bargain hunt *sarcastic voice*) :)

BTW- I got my Popcorn factory pretzel nuggets in the mail today. I'm saving them to use when company is here for Thanksgiving! I feel like it's my birthday everytime I got to the mailbox these days!! =D

Anonymous said...

What about e-mailing the same company twice? How often could you tell them how great their product is and still get a coupon?

Kristin said...

Anon 4:52 - most companies will only send coupons out every 6 months. Some are 3 and some are 9 but I think most are 6. I don't know if they have some sort of database that keeps track of it all but that's what I've heard.

Heather from jville said...

i did like 30 companies today! haha more to come tomorrow :)

Anonymous said...

I complemented Birds Eye about one of their items and mentioned that I hoped they continued to make it. I didn't ask for coupons, but was sent 10 25-cent off coupons on any of their products.

Melissa said...

Here's s super positive spin on this...I emailed Barilla to ask for coupons for spaghetti. My MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group has an annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser. Well, someone from Consumer Relations called me to let me know that while they don't offer coupons, they do DONATE up to 100 lbs of product to non-profit organizations! All we had to do was pay for shipping! What a blessing! See what happens when you ask??

Anonymous said...

I just tried to leave a comment on the Sally Hansen website. It was so slow. There must be a ton of us doing the same thing. All these companies are going to be bombarded with compliments! What will they think?

Jessica said...

I emailed Kimberly-Clark telling them I love the new Huggies Pure & Natural diapers a few months ago, they then sent me 2 coupons for $2 OFF ANY Huggies Product...I used those during Kmart doubles to get 2 FREE tubs of wipes!!! woohoo!!!

Save2day.blogspot.com said...

Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm So Pretty said...

I've had mixed success. And I email only companies that I really feel strongly about so that there's no lying going on. One positive was from Frito-Lay (my husband would live on their Scoops if possible and I told them that). A negative was Arm&Hammer, which really surprised me. My kitten and I both LOVE the Essentials clumping litter, just love it. I told them so and asked if there might be a coupon available since I didn't see these (litter specifically) in the paper very often. They told me no, just keep looking in the newspapers... I was a bit surprised because they offer tons of coupons on their laundry and toothpaste products. I have printed their website's litter coupon (the limit of twice) and it never seems to reset, so those two were used up months ago. Oh well...

Pat said...

I remember years back calling (before the day of emails!) Beech Nut and asking for baby food coupons and they sent me a bunch. I also called Huggies and complained because it seemed every diaper I used from this one packaged the tape kept coming off the diaper. They sent me 10 - $5.00 off coupons for diapers. Eighteen years ago that was a huge chuck of the price of diapers.
I'm going to try the positive emails now.

Anonymous said...

The first week I was laid off from work I sent an e-mail to just about every company of products I use. Yes I asked for coupons because I knew we were going to be financially in trouble. I got mixed results but I will stay loyal to those that were kind. I now hate Kraft because they are not nice! I figure there are lots of others companies that make cheese and I will use they instead.

Anonymous said...

I did 4 so far...

Sweet Baby Rays. Love it! No response yet

A1 Steak Sauce. No Q for you..keep looking in your paper :( BOOOOO!

Alexia Foods. I'm in love with their chips..Thank You! Coupons coming in the mail!

Campbell's- We got your compliment. Email to follow..??? I don't know yet.

Anonymous said...

I emailed Draino (with all our pets our drains get clogged often and Draino is our staple!) and Sally Hansen (love those nail art pens!) last week and got a free product coupon from Draino in addition to a coupon book...
And 2 coupons each for $5, $3, & $1 from Sally Hansen!

I never thought anyone actually read those things, but someone really does! :)

Tawanda! said...

I decided to email the companies of the products that my family really enjoys. Received replies back from 4 so far, with coupons from Kotex. I have also emailed unilver because we use so many of their products (Dove, Pond's, Ragu, Axe, I can't believe it's not butter, Lipton Tea) and we'll see what happens!

Anonymous said...

I write the companies I like to let them know how much I enjoy their product. It's nice if they send me a coupon but if they don't that's ok too. I like surprises in the mail. It didn't cost me anything to write and I think asking the companies for coupons may cause them to automatically reject you.

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