There currently is a disscussion over in travel buzz about whether the use of discount codes by members outside of the group constitutes a crime. Based on the discussion there and my own legal knowledge and education this is most likely fraud.

Now I have noticed that there are times in various fori where posters will post a discount code that they have had good luck using to obtain a discount for various services. One that comes to mind is the thread in the Avis forum about the various AWD codes that people have used. Many of these codes are/were never intended to be used by the general public or large numbers of people. However, others were intended to be used by the public for example fund raising purposes. Further the publication of these codes, could in some states, constitute assisting in the crime of fraud, or render FT liable for civil damages for allowing these codes to be posted.

Thus I would like to propose a rule to both protect the FT community and promote the proper sharing of discount codes where appropriate. This is much like our rules in the TOS regarding copyrighted material.

When posting a discount code on FT for the purposes of sharing the code number with members of the FT community we ask that you follow the following guidelines. 1. State the organization to whom the code is associated with. 2. State how you obtained the code (email, friend, company travel desk, etc.) 3. State who is authorized to use the code (Company employees, family members, business use only, personal use only, etc).

I think a rule like the above would promote the sharing of codes, while limiting any exposure to FT for the misuse of the codes.

This is just a thought.

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This addresses some of the concerns I've had in the past on codes posted in the Amtrak forum. Some are public, some for Guest Rewards members only and many others for qualified uses. I'm particularly uncomfortable with the ones that post a code with zero information - no expiration, requirements, exclusions, etc.

Admittedly, Amtrak's discount codes aren't exactly rocket science, and even with eligibility requirements one can usually get around the human checks using an automated ticketing machine.

Regardless, improper use of codes ultimately hurts the company involved financially, and in the case of qualified discounts, could harm the relationship with the organization that secured the discount. I also wouldn't want a company to have the impression FlyerTalk is encouraging members to find, post and use discounts they should not be receiving.

Most airline and hotel forums publish targeted and non targeted promos.

And ways to get discount vouchers and $$$ off coupons etc, etc, that one otherwise would not know about if not reading FT.

I can't really see much difference.

Someone posts how to get a Hilton gold card for 2 years if you call and ask for 'promo WXYZ' and half of FT does it.

Such things are exactly why FT is the world's busiest FF Bulletin board.

I ordered Pizza Hut delivery pizza tonight and said I was using a 2 for 1 Entertainment book coupon. Truth is, I used my last coupon months ago. Pizza Hut do not really care as they got the $18 off me and Dominos did not. Give the driver a tip and all is sweet with the world. What does he care?

Sure I have 'saved' $25 renting an Avis car for 5 days using those very useful codes published on the Avis forum. I confess here I am not a member of the South Dakota Baptist Fellowship that code DLxxxxxxx covers.

And frankly I do not think Avis cares. (Seeing they charge me about $40 a day for every kind of insurance they have, I bet they do not care!) If they did care, they'd surely demand proof of membership when collecting rental?

I doubt that the South Dakota Baptist Fellowship cares either, as it helps get some volume via their account - and maybe a better discount next year. If they care to sue me fine - but they will not sue FT.

I have booked hotel rooms before and checked the book that says "AAA Rate". Truth is I am not a AAA member and never have been, seeing I do not live in the USA. Egad. Oddly the hotels have never asked to see my alleged AAA card. So what if I get $11 off a Hilton night using that rate - they'd prefer I stayed Hilton and not Sheraton I bet.

That's how I look at this.

In the cases given by me above you are 100% wrong. IMHO. They got the sale and the other guy down the road did not.

Good ole American free enterprise.

There are a few issues here, IMHO.

One is that codes being pushed with no info often just benefit the poster rather than the readers, perhaps the occasional newbie will be 'taken advantage of' either by paying a higher rate than they otherwise would have or a higher rate than a different discount would have gotten them. Folks are always pushing their Avis AWD #s in the Avis forum promising great, unspecified benefits. The only real benefit is the free rentals it will generate for the person offering the code.

Forum regulars are pretty good at warning newbies of this, and I think more generally that's the role of both experienced members and moderators. I wouldn't forbid folks from sharing these codes. I'd just roll my eyes at them for doing so.

As far as folks posting codes if they aren't supposed to... that's generally their own problem and legal risk, rather than Randy's as the service provider unless (and only sometimes even unless) there's specific knowledge of illegal transactions -- as opposed to simply sharing of proprietary information.

Remember that sharing information does not just permit people to use codes for their own discount benefit, though some use it that way. The posting of codes perform an important market function -- it tells consumers something about a travel provider's supply curve and reserve price. That tells you how low they might go in your own negotiations (or how low they might set a Priceline rate, or..). That's valuable information that I think we ought to permit.

That leaves aside the fact that some individuals may be covered by non-disclosure agreements, but those don't generally apply to individual travelers at a company benefiting from a particular discount.

Marriott Discount Codes have a dedicated thread in the Marriott forum. There are always ethics discussions about whether to use others' negotiated rates that are publicly available via a code entered online. Different folks feel differently about the question, and I guess there could be an official policy statement about it but I tend to favor the sharing of information and letting folks sort these issues out in posts and discussions and for themselves.

Personally I have some great negotiated corporate rates that I can use at some really nice places, I share those with Flyertalkers when appropriate but don't post them. This discussion is prompting me to at least ask myself why that is.

Gleff I think you and I are on the same page here, or if not very close to the same page. I agree that sharing the codes provides a very beneficial service to members of the community for many of the reasons stated above. Further, in the other thread I mentioned that often times corporations want the codes given out to anyone so that they get a better negotiated discount. What I do have a problem with is posters who just post something like this
We know nothing about the code and who benefits. That is why I suggested the three rules for posting codes so that there is full disclosure. This way we as a community know more about the code other than just what the code provides. Also it limits the exposure to FT for the postings.

In the alternative, I would suggest that the code posting threads have a disclaimer along the lines of "By posting a discount code in this thread, you are acknowledging that the sharing of this code is permitted by the terms of your agreement with the provided. Users of these codes do so at their own risk. FT and its administrators make no warranties, expressed or implied, that the codes are intended for the general public, including the warrantees of merchanatabilty and fitness for a particular purpose." However, i would rather not go this route.

Just my thoughts