Should coupons always be honored?

[Katrina]

Last week I got a coupon in the mail for a service at a local car dealership. Today I called to make my appointment and they said that the prices went up, and they can't honor the coupon, but will give me $10 off. I think that's pretty bad service if you ask me.

 

[zappaDPJ]

Morally they should but I've no idea of the legal position in the US. In the UK I believe coupons constitute a legally binding contract so they would have to be honoured assuming the customer meets the required conditions.


[EDIT] Google suggests the US might have a similar legal position.

Legal Issues to Know Before Offering a Sale or Discounts

Before you host a sale or offer a coupon discount at your business, read on to learn about some key legal issues you need to know before offering promotions at your business.

www.uschamber.com

 

[Cam]

I don’t know if I would say always, but they should be honored within reason. It can get unreasonable though, like someone bringing in a coupon from many years ago because there it an expiration date on it. It also depends on who issued the coupon. If your business issued it, that’s different than a manufacturer coupon.

 

[MrDawn]

Sure, why not. If I found old Wal-Mart coupons from the 80's, you'd bet your butt I'd want them re-deemed.

 

[You]

Yeah I think coupons should mostly be honored, especially if they’re valid. It’s good customer service and builds trust. Plus people love saving money.. Of course if a coupon’s expired or has fine print then I get why stores can’t always honor them. But generally I try to stick to the deal.

 

[Ravenfreak]

If the coupon is expired then it shouldn't be honored. In this case since you literally got the coupon a week prior to calling them, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to honor it. I get parts and service prices vary, however if they sent out a coupon to potential customers they should honor it for a bit.

 

[1stop]

Well, coupon has a lifespan and when it elapse, it can't be honoured.

 

[Felly]

If the business is the one issuing it and it's within a reasonable timeframe, then yes, it should be honored. We call them store coupons at my work; they're coupons the company issues that our customers can use. They have expiration dates on them, and some have limitations, but because they're issued by the company, we generally override them and push them through within reason. Usually the reason being they're just a little off from the amount they need to spend or if it's a little past the expiration date, but in most cases, it's usually easier to do an override than to deal with an upset customer.

Manufacturer coupons though, that's usually where I won't honor it if it's past its expiration date or they don't meet the terms of the coupon, since those are reimbursed to the company through the manufacturer and there can be issues if those terms aren't met or the coupon's expired. Generally, if the customer is extra pushy, I'll just override it as a store coupon to get them on their way.

 

[Page]

I get them all the time, I just bin them

 

[primrose]

Back when I worked in fast food, if it allowed us to ring it up, we would honor it regardless. If it didn't, then we couldn't honor it. I think it depends on what the corporation's system will and will not allow them to do.