• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Coupons

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

hstello

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

My daughter enrolled in Blue Bird Driving School to take get her required drivers certificate on July 7th 2008. We found a coupon online that was valid for two of their locations. The location where she enrolled was not stated on the coupon, but we figured what the heck, we'll ask, maybe it was a misprint. We asked an employee if the coupon was valid and the stated that he would have to check because the location was not listed. We said fine.

Two days later we went back into the office and talked to the same employee and he said that it was fine and they would accept the coupon.

Yesterday, my daughter got a phone call from the Blue Bird Driving Academy and they said that we owed the price of the coupon before they would release my daughter's certificate. When I called the main office and spoke to another person, they said that it was my fault for presenting the coupon and if I didn't pay the extra money, I couldn't get her certificate.

I wouldn't have minded paying the extra money, it's really the principle of the company blaming me. Is there anything I can do about this?

Harry
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

My daughter enrolled in Blue Bird Driving School to take get her required drivers certificate on July 7th 2008. We found a coupon online that was valid for two of their locations. The location where she enrolled was not stated on the coupon, but we figured what the heck, we'll ask, maybe it was a misprint. We asked an employee if the coupon was valid and the stated that he would have to check because the location was not listed. We said fine.

Two days later we went back into the office and talked to the same employee and he said that it was fine and they would accept the coupon.

Yesterday, my daughter got a phone call from the Blue Bird Driving Academy and they said that we owed the price of the coupon before they would release my daughter's certificate. When I called the main office and spoke to another person, they said that it was my fault for presenting the coupon and if I didn't pay the extra money, I couldn't get her certificate.

I wouldn't have minded paying the extra money, it's really the principle of the company blaming me. Is there anything I can do about this?

Harry


**A: you could file a complaint with the state Consumer Protection Office.
 

hstello

Junior Member
I know that I can pay them and get the certificate, but what I really would like to know is do I have any legal rights?
 

ytie94do

Junior Member
I know that I can pay them and get the certificate, but what I really would like to know is do I have any legal rights?
I doubt it. The written documentation (the coupon) stated the terms, and what the clerk said was just oral. Oral agreements are almost always worthless in court. After all, how can you prove anyone told you anything? There's a good chance the clerk didn't remember you and never asked, and just told you it was okay to get you as a customer.

Many times. when coupons are only valid at specific locations of a business, it's because those are franchises, and only those franchises have opted to participate in the promotion (paying for the advertising, programming the computers, taking the hit in profit, setting up iin-store and window displays, and so on). When specific locations are mentioned, the coupons are almost never valid at other locations. The other locations _can't_ accept the coupons, since they aren't equipped to do so.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top