Originally Posted by pinniped
I'm surprised you could get away with #3. I just figured you had to get a salesman (with some sort of unique ID code or whatnot) to sign the form.
You can get the required dealer code off the bottom of a window sticker (or, I think, from an FT thread in the AA forum).
Originally Posted by pinniped
As for #2, as long as you position it as the salesman's call, I think it's ethical. Basically, the offer got you to show up at a dealership, willing to drive a Lincoln. That was the purpose of the promotion. The salesman can then make the call as to whether or not he thinks you are a real buyer.
Exactly what I did - after parking a shiny BMW in front of the window so they'd know for sure that I really, really wasn't a customer. I said I'd drive it if they really wanted me to, but did they? They didn't.
However, truth be told, I got the bimmer because of another promo. It wasn't for airline miles, it was for something else, but it worked! Had it not been for that, I wouldn't have thought of one at the time. I'm sure car companies know this goes on and accept it as part of the cost of a promo that will sell at least a few cars.