Originally Posted by RustyC
I think sneaking into first class (for purposes of sitting there, rather than using the bathroom) has been successfully prosecuted as theft-of-services. Most people wouldn't go for that.
Using codes, IMO, is murkier. Many people would say that if the computer takes it, it's fair game. Should it be an individual responsibility to see if they're qualified, or a provider responsibility to police it through automated means (as more and more are doing)? It's kind of like crashing a party you weren't invited to (but of course SHOULD HAVE been).
That was the distinction I was aiming at.
The coupon codes get even murkier when you realize companies will spread discount codes on the internet virally - they may have been initially "intended" for one market, but the company knew and accepted that that code would be used by others not in that intended market. Since the technology to verify whether the user is part of the intended group and entitled to the discount is easy to implement, and most companies can and do implement it on occaison, I'm left thinking that companies knowingly and willingly accept such practices. As an example I know of several internet outdoor goods retailers who
sometimes tie discount codes to email addresses and thus accounts, and other times choose not too.
A bit like someone leaving their Mercedes unlocked, with the keys in the ignition, in Compton, in the middle of the night, on purpose. Technically it may be "theft" - but they wanted it to be stolen.