TLC: "Extreme Couponing" Coupon Fraud.

My fellow blogging friend at Budget Savvy Diva has written a post about the new TV show "Extreme Couponing." I'm not sure if any of you have been watching, but it's very popular right now. If you saw the first episode they aired last week, couponer Jaime was filmed using a quite unusual shopping method. If you've been couponing for anytime at all, you know your list usually has food items listed on it. Well her's was a list of codes by manufactures. Real Couponers do not shop this way!  Well Budget Savvy Diva wrote TLC to question why they were filming someone that was teaching unethical methods of couponing and here's what they had to say:

I have AWESOME news about the whole Coupon Fraud saw on TLC's Extreme Couponing a few weeks ago. Here at Budget Savvy Diva we feel strongly about exposing this as much as possible - because what she did effects all of us - making it harder to use coupons in the future.

To find about the whole controversity read some of these articles.

Extreme Couponers: J’Aime’s coupon fraud ON TV

MUST READ: TLC’s Extreme Couponing PROMOTING COUPON FRAUD!!!

In the most simple terms this couponer Jamie as shown below on National T.V committed coupon fraud which she was caught for a year before. She also teaches couponers in a coupon class all about it --- for a pretty penny -- $35.00 !!!!!!

What she does wrong:

- There is a way to figure out coupon codes.

You see the bar code ?

There are numbers under the bar code - well you take the first set of numbers and you look for UPC on products from the same company and if they match up the coupon CAN be used on that other product. So people will take a high value coupon for one product and use it on a low cost product - sometimes being from completely different products. Like using a toothpaste coupon on detergent.

This is what she does - and she is proud of it.

"The Couponer Under Fire Jamie"

The repercussions of such couponing are large... such as lower value coupons and more extreme restrictions at store like Krogers

Well Budget Savvy Diva along with other upset couponers let TLC know how they felt - and TLC has FINALLY responded.

TLC said in an statement to EW: “We have received a strong response to the premiere and are listening to and reading the various comments around the show — as with all programs, we appreciate the feedback. While the series documents extreme couponing strategies, we take any concerns about specific tactics seriously and are looking into the situation.”

Do you think anything will happen??

Did you know????

What are the penalties for coupon fraud?

Longest prison sentence: 17 years
Highest financial penalty: $5 million
Prison sentences of three to five years are not uncommon. Financial penalties generally vary, but have often been in excess of $200,000.

Check out MORE Fake Coupon Alerts HERE