Aaron was so close to a free Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion appetizer he could practically feel the fried batter clogging up his arteries. [More]
promotions
Dollar Store Grand Opening Attracts Hundreds Of Shoppers
By 11.13.09
To promote the opening of a new store, ultra-discount chain 99 Cents Only stocked a few things they don’t normally carry, and sold them for 99 cents. Things like iPods and scooters. When they opened a store in San Jose, Calif., this sale proved popular. Very popular.
Burger King Restaurants Angry Over $1 Burger Promo, File Lawsuit
By 11.13.09
I’ve been wondering how some fast food chains can sell $1 cheeseburgers and still make a profit. Apparently they can’t, which is why a group that represents about 80% of the restaurant’s franchisees have sued the company over the promotion.
Boston Market CEO Explains Bungled Promotion
By 11.5.09
Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Kay tracked down Boston Market CEO Lane Cardwell to get him to answer to his restaurants’ muffed $1 meal coupon promotion. Boston Markets were unprepared for the deluge of customers who wanted to take advantage of the deal, and stores ran out of food.
Tavern On The Green Plays Halloween Trick On Thousands Of Partiers
By 11.3.09
Melissa is one of thousands of people who showed up at the bankrupt Tavern on the Green restaurant in Central Park on Saturday night for a ticket-holders-only Halloween party. She was forced to wait outside at the front of an increasingly agitated mob because the restaurant had sold too many tickets, or because someone had sold fake ones, it’s still unclear. The Daily News says one reveler waited 5 hours before he was finally let in, just before 1:30 am—which was when the party was shut down by police. Now they all want their money back, but Tavern on the Green and the party promoters are blaming each other.
HP Refuses To Make Good On $100 Cash Back Promise, Won't Explain Why
By 11.2.09
David is trying to reach HP executive customer service. He wants to find out why they reversed the $100 cash back offer they’d originally extended through a promotion with Microsoft’s new search engine Bing, and why the only reasons they’re giving him are either inapplicable or demonstrably false.
KFC Handing Out More Free Chicken Next Monday
By 10.22.09
Looks like KFC found some more piles of grilled chicken in a closet somewhere, because next week they’ll hold their third grilled chicken giveaway this year. Their CEO promises that this time the event will be glitch free: all who desire a sample of grilled chicken will receive a sample of grilled chicken.
Toys R Us Charges You $10 More For Game With Bonus 'Free' T-Shirt
By 10.6.09
Brent snapped these photos of sales displays for Carnival Games for Wii. The store is charging $30 for the game by itself, but $40 for the game with a bonus “free” t-shirt.
Microsoft's Launch Party Video Is Surprisingly Offensive!
By 10.1.09
Okay, now we get the appeal of hosting a Windows 7 launch party. There’s lots of f[bleep]g involved. Lots and lots of it at the skeevy white guy’s party, it sounds like. Watch the clip below to see how much better you can make a corporate video by adding a few well-timed bleeps.
Here's Your Virtual UPS Advertising Junk Box, Enjoy
By 9.30.09
Rhett writes, “I noticed your article UPS Now Delivers Bonus Junk Mail Packages and today, it started. I received a package from UPS Monday of this week with no bonus advertising. Today (Wednesday), this is what was on my front step.”
Not All Camaro Owners Got Free Pizza From Papa John's
By 8.27.09
Like Quizno’s and KFC before them, Papa John’s went and set up a cute promotion without making sure that all of their franchisees have signed on. Papa John’s founder John Schnatter was reunited with his long-lost 1971 Camaro, and to celebrate, promised free pizza to anyone who drove up to a Papa John’s restaurant in a Camaro. Except, you guessed it, not at all Papa John’s locations.
Sports Illustrated Makes You Wait For Your Free Madden
By 8.25.09
Chad spotted a slight catch in that awe-inspiring Sports Illustrated/Madden promotion, in which you buy a 28-issue subscription for $50 and get a free copy of Madden NFL 10.
Access Commercial WiFi Hotspots At Airports For Free
By 7.26.09
We all know the crushing defeat of logging onto an open WiFi hotspot at an airport only to discover that you need to pay to reach the internet. No more! If the portal has a space for promotion codes, go ask the gift shop if they have a coupon for free access. If they don’t, you’re not out of options…
By 7.10.09
../../../..//2009/07/10/tomorrow-6000-participating-7-eleven-stores/
Tomorrow, 6,000 participating 7-Eleven stores will be giving away free tiny Slurpees. [7-Eleven] (Thanks to Henry!)
Turns Out Buying Furniture Is Not A Good Way To Get Free Grocery Gift Cards
By 6.27.09
Thousands of St. Louis furniture buyers are clamoring for the free $25 grocery gift cards they were promised in exchange for buying more than $500 worth of furniture and then spending more than $100 per month at a grocery store. The complicated if not weird promotion was managed by BBZ Resource Management, an Arizona-based company that doesn’t seem to have any intention of sending out the promised gift cards.
Edmund Scientific Jacks Up Price After Shopper Authorizes Payment
By 6.18.09
Edmund Scientific has contacted me and offered to refund the $13 difference. Although they did lay some of the blame on me for clicking the link they have also said this has been a recurring problem that they will look into further.
10 Confessions Of A Charter Customer Service Representatives
By 5.2.09
Did you know there isn’t a formal way to report a Charter cable outage, and that you’re entitled to a $20 credit if your tech is a single minute late for your appointment? These, and other fantastic tips to get faster, cheaper service from Charter, as told by a former customer service representative, inside…
By 4.29.09
../../../..//2009/04/29/woohoo-cheap-ice-cream-tonight/
Woohoo cheap ice cream! Tonight from 5 to 10pm at participating Baskin Robbins, small scoops of ice cream are 31 cents each plus tax (limit three scoops per person). Besides the publicity boost, the promo is an opportunity to get people to voluntarily donate money to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and the National Junior Firefighter Program. [Baskin Robbins] (Thanks to CD!)
