Promotions must pass fairness test!

Dennie Quill, Contributor

My friend Rose has a beef with her bank and all of last week I was forced to listen to her ranting about unfair promotional gimmicks. Here's what got her angry. The bank is currently running a promotion/competition in which a credit-card user who spends a specified amount may win a trip for two to Miami, complete with spending money.

But there is a catch, for one to have a chance at winning in this promotion one has to register online or via text message sent from two specified mobile providers. It may be that everyone who does business at that bank has access to a computer or cellphone, but there are still people in this country who have neither, my friend argued. She summed it up as the bank creating an exclusive class of customers who own computers and who use one of the two specific mobile providers.

So there are, in fact, users of credit cards issued by this bank who have been excluded from participation, and Rose says these are significant boundaries that stand in the way of fairness in how her bank operates. She feels strongly that in this age of inclusiveness, every person who operates a credit card with that bank and spends the requisite amount should automatically qualify for any game of chance or promotional benefit that is being offered. She reasoned that access to computers or cellphones is not a prerequisite for operating a credit card.

I broached the subject with someone who knows about such weighty matters and he explained that all competitions and games of chance are operated under the watchful eye of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission.

Register

He said in this age of digital technology and social networks, this requirement for participants to use the Internet or cellphones to register for a chance is not at all unusual and is, in fact, growing in popularity.

As far as registering goes, my knowledgeable friend explained that for religious, or other reasons, some people may not wish to enter any such game of chance and that is why interested parties are asked to register.

All of this got me looking deeper into the issue of promotions and marketing. It is a fact that merchandisers and service providers often target certain groups for promotional activities offering cash and other prizes. They know exactly why they are reaching out to certain groups, but from the perspective of the customers, it often does not seem fair.

Competitive war

Take the mobile-phone companies which have been engaged in a competitive war over the last several years. They routinely offer incentives to pre-paid customers, including doubling of credit. The post-paid customer is rarely offered any inducements and almost feels like he is being punished. Occasionally the post-paid customer is invited by text message to participate in some promotional activity. Judging from the bills my colleagues pay each month, I believe post-paid customers are who keep telecoms companies in the black. A question one may ask is to what extent are marketing companies creating distinct categories of consumers by selecting specific groups to shower with incentives? And for those who fall outside of these groups, what options do they have?

I have had plenty to say about banks and their shoddy customer service over the years, now I have one more thing to think about.

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com. Feedback may be sent to columns@gleanerjm.com.