Dispute the charges on your credit card and let the companies fight each other, while you watch. :-) No need to pay for something you didn't get, not have some freak that looks like "Roper" (from Ebert and Roper) come to such a conclusion of abuse.

Let me ask you something since you clearly seem to know so much about this. I am sincere in this and not trying to create a problem with you. I respect that you know more about this and I want to learn.

Why are you so sure that it cost TUPPERWARE for these points? Did you know that in MOST, not all I suppose, affiliate situations that a commission is paid to the affiliate (Mypoints in this case) and the affiliates can do whatever they want to get you to shop their site. Old Navy pays every site the same commission (Charity sites and loyalty sites, etc). Some sites pay "miles" and in turn reward you with flights or certificates, like Milesource, while some pay in other ways, Airmart or Ebates, for example. Some sites, Like Dealhunting, don't give any incentive other than they use the commissions to keep their boards going and they share common ways to save money and get deals. I do know for fact that some companies pay higher commissions at key times of the year and this is when the affiliate might up the "bonus" like in this case of 800 points. Or the Goldpoints bonanza last year. You could be right about this, but I want to know where you get your facts since I don't grasp things very easily. Spell it out and be n-i-c-e about it and I will comprehend. I am willing to learn. If Mypoints were not profiting from this, they would not still be sending out emails and links as of today. They would also make the links all with the same code so it would state that the points have already been issued. This gig has gone on long enough that they clearly have had the opportunity to stop it if that is what would be in their best interest.

I realize that many sponsors pay Mypoints for the emails that are sent and this is different that just going to the site for online shopping and getting a commission.

I know I said my other post would be my last, but I really wanted to ask you this question. Thanks for sharing your information.

I just spent $30 separate from any gift certificates as a result of this promotion. I doubt that would have been the case if such an advertising blitz had not existed.

Fscher, my business has had some negotiations with Mypoints and businesses definitely pay for each email. Terms may vary, some for each click-through, some for each sale. We ended up not doing it because the cost was very high compared to other customer acquisition methods. BTW, according to Mypoints, very few of their emails get clicked on.

spare us your business "expertise".

i'm sure most people would agree that it is incumbent upon the business to make sure they consider potential loopholes in their promotional offers BEFORE making such offers available to the general public.

get a clue.


[This message has been edited by chriseng (edited 03-26-2003).]

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[This message has been edited by Superd1 (edited 03-26-2003).]

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[This message has been edited by Superd1 (edited 03-26-2003).]

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I agree that members are within their rights to buy $1 gift certs and that mypoints will be within their rights to freeze their accounts. :P

Seriously, asking FTers not to milk a great deal is like asking crack addicts to pass up free drugs. It's a classic tragedy of the commons, and it's not fixable by any amount of persuasion.

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Superd1, a number of your past postings have been helpful to me, and I appreciated your contributions. In fact, barely a month ago, I openly applauded you for an admirable idea of yours, and the generosity that came with it.

However, on the present issue, I am afraid your position is gravely ill-taken. The more it is defended, the more obviously indefensible it becomes. And this remark comes from a person whose MyPoints account has not been disabled, and who has not attempted to use any $1 Tupperware certificates. Also, in my humble opinion, your harshness toward FScher is totally uncalled for. I hope your future postings will return to the higher standards of before. I look forward to benefiting from them.

As for MyPoints and Tupperware, to err is human, to maximize damage is divinely moronic. During AA's 20/20 promotion not too long ago, a similar situation arose. How did the company involved handle it? It granted the miles and did not process the $1 sales. Money was lost aplenty. And yet that company was, I believe, a far, far smaller one than either Mypoints or Tupperware, and therefore much less able to afford the loss. However, it gained infinite respect. Is this not the exemplification of honor in capitalism?

[This message has been edited by Likemiles (edited 03-27-2003).]

It is, however, fixable by companies having common sense when they create such schemes.

I don't understand anyone who makes economic arguments here about the value of the particular certs or points or whether they are profitable. Over the years, in the US (this doesn't happen in Australia, fwiw), I've visited places such as CompUSA and Circuit City and bought mice, CD-RW media, RAM, etc, for nothing (after rebate). Now, if I go and buy something for $15 with a $15 rebate, is the company making money? No. Do they have the right to refuse my rebate because they were too generous? No. They limit these offers in the way they choose to (1 per person, 2 per household, or whatever) because it's a marketing scheme to get us in the door (or in the web site). They can fully expect that if they offer me something useful for nothing and I can get 2 per household, I'll buy 2.

Anyone with the slightest sense who puts a web promotion together should have set whatever limits they want on it and expect some people to take the maximum, just as bricks and mortar outlets do.

To add on, I still do not feel that MyPoints, Tupperware, etc., should treat customers like criminals because they took advantage of an offer that made no economic sense to these companies.
I would like to compare this to a homemaker who would spend her (or his) time collecting coupons and researching things like double-coupon promotions at local supermarkets. Then they would go to the supermarket and buy $500 worth of merchandise for 10 cents, after combining all the coupons and offers. Does this make this person a criminal, since they took advantage of the system? Obviously, the supermarket and product manufactures all lost money on this, for taking advantage of a discounting system in a way that it isn't intended. And when this happens, you may see such a person (using all these coupons) written up in a local newspaper as a hero! But with MyPoints and Tupperware, we're treated like murderers for doing something similar.
Anyway, I had to get this off my mind.

Just to add to what others have posted, there are two issued here. The first is the crediting of MyPoints points. I think it's rotten what MyPoints is doing (cancelling accounts), but if they want to be scrooges, that's technically within their legal rights.

BUT, it is completely UNACCEPTABLE for Tupperware.com to cancel/hold/lock any gift certificates purchased, unless they are also promptly refunding the purchasers' money. It is not legal - at least in California - for any business to cancel a gift certificate paid for in legal tender. Other states have similar regulations, in which expirations dates and such may be allowable.

However if Tupperware decides that customers who made a legal purchase on their Website simply following the prompts given are somehow breaking the "rules," they're in for something else. I would strongly recommend that anyone who gets any similar word from Tupperware immediately dispute the CC charges. Not a very good business practice if you ask me.

SGM