How to Get Free Products to Sell on eBay Using the CVS Extra Bucks Program

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By A. Suzanne Wells
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Get Free Products to Sell on eBay Using the CVS Extra Bucks Program

CVS Drug store offers a program called ECB (Extra Care Bucks) where shoppers can receive discounts and free products. Learn how to acquire these free products each week, then sell them for profit in your eBay store.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

eBay Account
CVS Stores
CVS Extra Care Card
Time

Step 1

Before you can participate in this program, verify that you have CVS stores within a reasonable driving distance from your home. You can visit CVS.com for a list of locations in or near your zip code.
Step 2

Apply for the CVS Extra Care card in a CVS store. (This can also be done online, but if you go to the store, you will get the card immediately.) The card is free.
Step 3

There are several ways to save with the CVS Extra Care card. First is by checking the monthly catalog. This catalog is in the front of the store on a rack with the weekly sales flyer. Many of the specials in the monthly catalog are not advertised in the weekly sales flyer, or on the shelf. It is important to be proactive and educate yourself on what the deals are, because many of them won't be advertised.
Step 4

Next, check the weekly sales flyer. The easiest way to acquire a weekly flyer is by purchasing a Sunday paper. You can check the deals at your leisure at home. Each week, there will be one or more items in the sales flyer that will be 100% free after the ECBs. You will buy the item (paying out of your own pocket) in order to receive the ECBs on a future purchase. The ECBs print out at the end of a receipt and are like a store coupon that can be spent on anything in the store except gift cards.
Step 5

To begin, check the weekly flyer and the monthly catalog and determine what item(s) you need to buy that week to get the ECB. Then, the next week, you can use those ECBs to buy another item(s) that gives you more ECBs back. You are basically using the store's coupons to fund future purchases. (This is called rolling over your ECBs.)
Step 6

Some shoppers buy products they do not need to get the ECBs back. I look for ECB items that sell well on eBay. Not only do I get my money back on the initial purchase via the ECBs, but I make a profit on the item, too! Look for items like teeth whitening kits, perfumes, gift sets, battery-operated toothbrushes, hair color, vitamins, weight loss products, Rogaine products, and As Seen on TV products.
Step 7

To make your ECBs go even further, you can use grocery coupons at CVS for ECB items. For example, CVS may have Colgate toothpaste on sale at $2.49, with $2 ECB back on your receipt. If you have a $1 off coupon, you will pay the $2.49 at the register, minus the $1 coupon for a total of $1.49 at the register, and get the $2 ECB on your receipt, making a profit 51 cents. If you do this enough times, you end up making a little profit right in the store before even listing anything on eBay.
Step 8

You can also use CVS store coupons in combination with the monthly deals, weekly deals, and manufacturer coupons. Store coupons can be found in the monthly catalog, weekly flyer, near the front registers, in the newspaper, online, and at the pharmacy counters.
Step 9

Furthermore, if you visit the CVS website and sign up with an email address, more offers and coupons will be emailed directly to you each week.
Step 10

Small items may not seem very profitable to sell on eBay, but after you accumulate them over time, you can sell them in a batch or lot. Accumulate items mentioned in step number 6.
Step 11

Be forewarned, the advertised specials run out fast. Try to get to CVS on Sunday or Monday for the best selection. If the store has run out of an advertised special, ask the clerk for a raincheck. The store is required to give you a raincheck if you ask. You can use the raincheck to get the advertised special at any time in the future - the rainchecks do not expire.
Step 12

Always carry your CVS card with you. Every purchase you make allows you to accumulate points. Even if you aren't purchasing a sale item or a ECB special, you will get points for regular purchases. Every quarter, you will receive ECBs on your receipt equal to 2% of your total CVS purchases.
Step 13

Use the CVS ECB program to get free items you won't use, and then sell them on eBay! Health, beauty, personal care, non-perishable food, and baby items are great sellers on eBay. See the resources section for more information on how to make money this way.
Step 14

Check the resources section below for more ways to get free items to sell on eBay!

Comments

shawnee50 said

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on 6/2/2009 Great article on How to Get Free Products to Sell on eBay Using the CVS Extra Bucks Program. I shop at Cvs but never thought to sell it on ebay. When I get extra I will try to make some extra money. Do they complain over the weight of the item if you put a few shampoo's and conditioner's together. How do you do that? love your idea thank5*s