Shared Reading: Five Ripoffs to Watch Out For at the Outlet Stores

Outlet malls across the country are larger tourist attractions than amusement parks and historical sites. Sawgrass Mills in Florida is estimated to have two and a half times more annual visitors than Disney's Epcot. While the Franklin Mills Outlets in Philadelphia has about ten times more visitors than Independence Hall.

With outlet malls being such a big business, companies will try anything to make some extra money off of shoppers. Wallet Pop has come up with a list of five common ripoffs to watch out for.  While you'll need to check out the full article to see all five tips, I wanted to just point out one thing.

5. Worthless coupon booklets.
Also at Orlando's Prime Outlets (which, despite my problems, is a fruitful place to shop if you come prepared), you have the option of paying $7 on a booklet of coupon deals. The trouble is that many of them won't pay off. Many are only good for purchases of $100 or more (making most casual purchases ineligible), and even then for only about 10% off, which barely pays for the coupon booklet.

While these coupon books can be expensive and not worth the money, it is possible to get them for free. For example, if you are a AAA member, most outlet malls will give you the same coupon book free of charge when you show your card. Additionally, in Orlando, some hotels provide their guests with the book for free.  I have also seen some outlet malls offer a coupon for the coupon book when you sign-up in advance for their mailing list or "like" their Facebook page.  So while buying the coupon book would be a waste of money, this book can be useful if you get it for free.

See the full article on WalletPop.