It’s Never Simple – Coupons

I recently searched the web for some deals on a new product I had tried out. Visiting the manufacturer’s website, I discovered a coupon offering decent savings. You had to provide your contact information, which for me was a decent exchange for the coupon’s value. I completed the form and submitted it.

The following screen communicated that I needed to download a printer. A printer? Yes, an application to print the coupon. Funny, the web browser has had a feature to print since it’s inception. But I digress. Irritated, yet still desiring the saving the coupon would provide, I oblige to download the “printer” and install it. Once installed, the printer immediately sent the print job to my printer. I never once saw the coupon on my screen.

The point? While I suppose this setup benefits the manufacturer by preventing coupon abuse, the download of an application to perform such a simple, basic task is a direction I hope  other companies do not follow. It’s an inconvenience, bad customer service (the site visitor has already provided their contact information; there’s little value in not following through after submitting the information), and a potential opportunity to exploit the situation with malware.