Online Coupon Posting Called into Question
Representatives for some of the country’s top product manufacturers are hoping to prevent a repeat of last month’s posting of unauthorized coupons on a popular online social network.
The groups are up in arms over a recent test vyrl mkt, Inc. ran last month to find out how people would react to coupons shared among friends in a social community environment.
The firm planted 15 different coupons for such items as yogurt, ice cream, vitamins, snacks, suntan lotion, soda and cookies on a new commercial application on Facebook. Once planted, the hope was that Facebook users would see the coupons and start passing them along to friend.
The majority of the images used for the test were downloaded from the Internet, most without the permission of the manufacturers, Harry Soza, vyrl mkt president, said.
As the test was getting underway, the coupons were copied by computer hackers, manipulated to offer sometimes exorbitant discounts and posted for people to download, he said. For example, one coupon was changed to offer $8 off flavored water. Other offers were as high as $16.50 off an item. Reports said that coupons for Pantene shampoo and Cheez-its were among the offers.
Soza said he attempted to stop the downloading.
The Association of Coupon Professionals and the Coupon Information Corp. said in a statement that the coupons were "unauthorized," and classified vryl mkt.’s behavior as negligent and reckless.
“It appears that the management of vyrl mkt, Inc. has disregarded U.S. intellectual property laws, ethical business practices, and basic Internet security procedures and, in doing so, has caused substantial confusion among reputable retailers and consumers and harm to the manufacturers whose trademarks were misappropriated,” CIC and ACP said in a statement.
“This all could have been prevented,” John Morgan, executive director of the ACP, added.
Vyrl mkt President Soza, agreed, and said his company didn’t mean any harm.
Shoppers who are getting turned away from the offers aren’t happy. Blog postings mention customers are considering filing a class-action lawsuit against vryl mkt over the coupons.
The ACP and CIC, which monitors the industry for coupon fraud, represent together dozens of manufacturers.
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