Many of us love bagging a bargain – whether that’s by using a few coupons at the supermarket or cashing in on banks’ sign-up bonuses – and that’s all perfectly legitimate.
But what about extreme money-making and saving hacks that take it a step further? For example, using so many coupons on a shop that it costs a fraction of the original cost, or repeatedly using free trials so that you don’t have to pay for membership?
Here, we look at those grey areas and ask your opinion on what’s right and wrong.
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Buying something that’s clearly mis-priced
You’re in your local supermarket and spot a huge block of cheese priced at 10p. It’s obviously a glitch – but, seizing the deal, you pop six blocks in the trolley and head to the checkout.
If the cashier fails to spot the mistake and sells you the item at the low price, they’re legally obliged to honour the transaction as a contract between customer and retailer.
But if they do spot the error, they’re within their rights to check and charge you full price.
Many customers have made headlines this way – such as a chocolate-lover who stocked up on 192 Terry’s chocolate oranges after they were mis-labelled at 29p instead of £2.75.
Online, however, it’s a more complicated story.
Back in 2014, a pricing error on the Screwfix website meant that all items were marked down to £34.99.
'Bargain-hunters' jumped on the opportunity and bought goods worth thousands of pounds – but while customers could keep items which had already been delivered or collected, Screwfix quickly cancelled all other orders and refunded customers.
The move sparked annoyance as some customers felt they’d missed out.
But the steps were justified according to Screwfix’s terms and conditions: it states that orders are only complete once goods are delivered. Until that point, Screwfix has the right to cancel purchases made online.
What are your rights when stores mis-price items?
So that's the legal standpoint, but what about the ethical one?
Is it a retailer’s fault for being careless when they misprice items? Does jumping on these bargains make us savvy or shifty? How much money would you be happy to save due to a price glitch?
It’s not clear-cut where the moral lines are, which is why we want to know what you think. Answer the poll below to give your opinion.
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Investing in 'unethical' funds
Some 70% of UK consumers don’t want their investments to harm others or the environment, according to a report from investment platform Abundance.
Yet while some investors go out of their way to ensure their money is used ethically, others intentionally cash in on 'unethical' investments – which can be extremely lucrative.
Investing in industries such as tobacco, alcohol, arms, pornography and gambling are among the most controversial options.
Those who invest in these industries often argue that they supply popular products to knowledgeable and consenting adults.
Plus, tobacco shares are some of the least volatile shares because customers are often addicted, and the business will profit regardless of economic climate.
While for shareholders in alcohol companies, demand often rises in an economic downturn – so as shareholders in other industries suffer, they pick up the profits.
But for many, such investments are not an option on the grounds that these industries are effectively harming people.
Or, in the case of gambling, tobacco, alcohol and pornography industries, potentially cashing in on people’s harmful addictions to the detriment of social cohesion.
But some would argue that if you don’t invest in these industries, surely someone else will.
And besides, shareholders may have more power to influence these companies to change their corporate behaviour.
What are your thoughts about 'unethical' investments? Let us know below.
Read: when so-called ‘ethical’ investments aren’t as socially responsible as they claim to be
Taking up an introductory bonus with no intention of staying
Brands love attracting new customers by offering big reductions on their products, whether that’s through free gifts, introductory bonuses or cut-price deals.
But what if you sign up with absolutely no intention of keeping the subscription going – you just want to get a deal?
For example, Debenhams is currently offering a £5 gift card to online shoppers who order something through click and collect (which is free) – and there’s no minimum spend.
So, you could easily buy something through click and collect for £3, get the voucher and never use Debenham’s or their click and collect service, again.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts hack revealed - and one fan has bagged over 50 for free https://t.co/kahbAXx1fy pic.twitter.com/bBFg08yd7S
— Mirror Money Saving (@MirrorMoney) February 19, 2019
Meanwhile, sites like Graze and HelloFresh offer half-price introductory boxes – you could get a week’s worth of meal kits for a low price and then cancel the subscription.
There’s nothing illegal about getting free (or discounted) stuff – it just feels a bit cheeky, given that brands usually offer the discounts on the premise that you will sign up as a loyal customer.
Plus, there’s an argument that you ruin it for loyal customers by cashing in on lucrative bonuses while they’re the ones paying for it.
What do you think? Let us know below.
Serially using free trials
This is similar to sign-up bonuses, although different enough to warrant a separate section.
Let’s say you sign up to Amazon Prime because they offer you a month free trial. Usually, if a customer liked the service, they’d keep the subscription going afterwards and make monthly payments.
On this very site we've highlighted how such trials can be used for specific events, such as Black Friday sales, then cancelled before you have to pay.
But this does at least involve spending some money through the site in question during the trial. What about a service like Spotify, which offers a free 30-day trial for its Premium service?
You could conceivably keep taking advantage of the trial by setting up a new, fake account every few weeks.
Some argue this is outright wrong and that you should absolutely pay for the service you get.
Others argue that, if huge corporations miss out on one paying customer, it’s a tiny drop in the ocean compared to their swathes of subscribers.
So, does it make a difference anyway?
Is it just playing the system or simply freeloading off paying customers? Let us know what you think.
Find out what card providers are doing to crack down on ‘free trial’ subscription traps
Buying cheaper imitations of products
It costs a lot of money to become a household name. There's a lot to be spent on production, marketing and distributing an item over a period of time for it to become instantly identifiable to shoppers.
So what happens when another company comes along and offers a similar product for much less?
Consider Percy Pigs, a firm favourite for most M&S regulars, which cost around £1.70. Recently, Poundland has announced the launch of its not-too-dissimilar-looking Dinky Dog gummy treats for £1 (and in a slightly larger bag, too).
There are obviously many more expensive examples out there, but this neatly highlights a common practice among shops – notably Aldi & Lidl, where familiar-looking brands come at far cheaper looking prices.
So what do you make of the practice? Is it unethically piggy-backing off another company's hard work and expense, or the perfectly acceptable practice of offering a more competitive product in a free market?
Buying lottery tickets through third-party gambling sites
By betting on lottery numbers through gambling sites rather than buying official National Lottery tickets, you could potentially boost your winnings.
This is because sites such as Lottoland, Jackpot.com and World Lottery Club allow you to bet on numerous lotteries that may otherwise not be available in your country.
You can place smaller bets than what you might have paid for a lottery ticket, and many such sites offer alluring introductory bonuses which could save you money.
When you take part in the National Lottery, around £30 million a week goes to UK charities.
But this isn’t the case for gambling sites, which can pocket all the profits (minus taxes).
What's more, a survey by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMP) found that around 61% of respondents mistook a Euromillions ‘betting product’ as taking part in the official lottery.
This means that betting sites could be taking unknowing customers – and charitable contributions – from the National Lottery.
But if the betting site offers you more flexibility, cheaper bets and start-up bonuses that mean you could be in with a higher chance of winning, is it worth it?
We want to know what you think.
Read the incredible stories of people who won the lottery more than once or discover the best UK free lotteries.
Serial couponing
This is basically where you spend time gathering numerous coupons, combine them in the most effective way possible, and pay a fraction of the original cost for items.
‘Extreme couponing’ has become something of a hobby for some, who spend days, weeks and even months piling together offers in order to rake in the savings.
With this comes the worry that the extreme couponing can have a dark side.
It can become obsessive, as some sit in car parks to pick up loyalty points from used receipts, post competitively on forums and create multiple email addresses to gain more coupons.
Plus, using multiple coupons at the checkout can create a delay for other shoppers, and reduce the performance of cashiers who are rated on efficiency.
And some extreme couponing techniques – such as photocopying coupons, using coupons for something other than the intended product, and selling on stockpiles – are downright illegal.
But if you’re using coupons legally and combining discounts to your advantage, is there anything wrong with that?
And given the amount of time extreme couponing can take, surely the savings to be made are a fair payment for the time you put in?
We want to know what you think.
How did you compare to your fellow readers? Were you constantly in the minority, or are you among like-minded people? Let us know in the comments section.
Of course, polls are quite limited as they force you to answer in a specific way. If you had further thoughts on a particular question, share them below.
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