Originally Posted by
Dave Noble
Like going to a train ticket machine, I could purchase a child ticket , I could then get through the barrier with it and get on the train; if a ticket inspector examines it, can one reasonably argue that it was the train company's fault for allowing people to buy them from the machine
Again, the analogy is not reflective of the actual issue being discussed.
There are published regulations that define who is able to purchase and use a child's ticket on most rail systems. Here in Sydney at the point of purchase of the ticket there are usually signs defining those who are entitled to purchase concession tickets and clearly setting out the punishment for breaking those regulations.
An equivalent analogy would be if the ticket machine offered a standard ticket and tickets at 20% off without defining either at the point of purchase or in clear and readily available regulations who was entitled to use such a ticket.
In that case then yes it would be the train company's fault for allowing people to buy them from the machine.
In the case of IHG and offers, I am still waiting for someone to point to where in the Ts+Cs there is a regulation that is being broken by registering for a promo.
It isn't because to get the coffee, it is necesary to have a code . If the code has not been given to the person by someone authorised to give him the code, then there is no reasonable expectation of being entitled to use it
The code was given and then seen that the user of the code was never entitled to use it
If a promotion is targetted at a specific group, even if the system accepts it, it doesn't somehow make the person entitled to use it
No, to get the free coffee it is necessary to ask the shopkeeper. If the shopkeeper then gives you a free coffee that is reasonable evidence that you are entitled to it (or at the very least that one will not be thrown in jail for theft) .
To get the offer points it is necessary to ask IHG if one is entitled to them in the absence of any clear definition from IHG of who is and who isn't - and how one asks IHG in the system that they have put in place is by inputting your membership number along with the offer code into their webpage which has the capacity to differentiate between those who are and those who are not entitled to benefit from the code.
I don't see any great crime in asking if one is entitled to a bonus offer. If by asking one is committing such a heinous crime that one's membership is cancelled then it is a pretty stuffed program.
If after the crediting of bonus points IHG want to come back and say , that you were not entitled to the benefits of that promo - fine. Still a stuffed program given that they have the capacity to prevent such a problem from occurring. But, nevertheless I can accept that situation. Cutting people out of the program because of IHG's own inaction/incompetence I find a little more difficult to accept.