This morning, Rick Broida posted a great deal from ubiquitous pizza chain Domino’s at his Cheapskate blog on CNET. Customers could get a free one-topping pizza (carryout only) by ordering online and using the coupon code “BAILOUT.”

The problem: It never was intended to be a real promotion.

The original coupon code was discovered by trial and error by one of Broida’s readers. Eventually, individual franchises started canceling the Web orders, blaming the Web coupon’s existence on hackers or a “computer glitch.”

In all, 11,000 readers and other pizza (such as it is) lovers used the code before Domino’s turned it off, and Broida learned the real origin of the promotion:

Spoke to a Domino’s rep, who told me the free-pizza code was created internally for a promotion that was never actually green-lit. A customer happened to enter the code (Domino’s has been heavily advertising their “bailout” promotion), told the world, and here we are. Apparently the company honored nearly 11,000 of the coupons before pulling the plug.

I haven’t eaten their pizza since the ’80s, but I have to hand it to Domino’s for at least honoring the orders that went through before they caught the glitch, and for giving blog readers another promotional code (SWEET) good for an order of free Cinna Stix with online orders.

Get a free one-topping pizza from Domino’s [CNET]
(Photo: absolutely_loverly)

IN OTHER NEWS: One giveaway that’s sure not to leave a bad taste in your mouth is the Consumer Reports “Best Drugs For Less” report which shows you what medicine is the most effective for the best price. No coupon code required.

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