Enterprising coupon-clippers are arbitraging junkmail into eBay gold:
Miriam Rubano, who describes herself as a "poor student," said she earns about $200 a month reselling coupons on eBay to help pay her rent. She was careful to point out, as most coupon hawkers note in their listings, that "most coupons are available for free somewhere, it just takes time and effort to obtain them. That is what people are bidding on — my time and effort to clip and sort, not the actual coupons themselves…"
"The coupons are part of a special program for new customers who are moving into new store neighborhoods," said Matt Van Vleet, a spokesman for the home improvement chain. "They are not intended to be sold online. We are strongly advising to consumers not to buy any Lowe's discount coupons on the Internet…"
