this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
67 points (90.4% liked)

Asklemmy

43807 readers
871 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
67
A large local gas chain offers $10 off when you sign up for their app. Is there any legal trouble when spinning up new accounts to claim it over and over again? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
36 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Basically as the title says. A local gas station chain has released a new app. They give you a one time $10 off your purchase of any purchase over $10 promo coupon.

The only unique identifiers for your account are an email and your number from a different loyalty points service. I noticed they don't verify the loyalty points number so you can put any random number in as long as it's the right length.

The $10 off only requires a $10 purchase. So if I spun up 3 accounts and went to 3 of their gas stations, pumping $11 worth of gas I would get $33 worth of gas for $3. Furthermore, it looks like this promotion works for anything in store, groceries or even gift cards. The only restrictions printed on the promo itself are tobacco, alcohol and lottery.

Their terms of service doesn't specially state anything about having multiple accounts.

Is there anything actually illegal here or is this a loophole they didn't consider?

Edit

After comparing two coupons back to back I just realized it's the same barcode each time. I don't even need to generate new ones.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (3 children)

You're getting $63 for $33, not $33 for $3.

And that's $63 you're not spending with their competitors.

They're probably okay with it.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago

Its late... what why 63?

Goes to 3 servos. Pays 11, gets 30 back

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Pump $11. Get $11 gas. Get $10 back. Spent $1.

Repeat three times.

Have $33 gas. Spent $3.

Math.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It doesn't apply to the same order. Coupons are off your next order. Coupon comes after transaction completion. Nemo is right.

Spend 10 to get 10 (you spend 10)

Spend 10 pay 0 (you spent zero)

Spend 10 get 10 (you spent 10)

Spend 10 pay 0 (you spent zero)

Spend 10 get 10 (you spent 10)

Spend 10 pay 0 (you spent zero)

= You spent $30 for $60 worth of gas.

So it's basically a half off coupon however many times you manage to use it. 3 times if you bought $10 (not sure why 11) you would have gotten $60 gas and spent $30.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

In this case, you don't have to spend anything to use the coupon. You have it immediately available when you sign up for a new account.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

If that's the case, you and about 100 other people have already figured it out. Better start filling up your friends and neighbors cars before they run the weekly numbers and fix it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Do you need to link a payment method somehow in the app? If yes, that’s where they can possibly track you. Like when services such as streaming keep your credit card on file so you can’t use it again to abuse the free trial.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

Nope, you can't pay for anything in this app. The only info they verify as unique are an email and the other loyalty number. They don't even verify if that loyalty number is real. I noticed this because I signed up for that loyalty account twice only to notice the numbers there are generated sequentially so I just took my real number, added 100000 and randomize the last 5 digits

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I don't think you understand the coupon. You get the $10 off to use immediately. As long as your order is over $10 it'll work. I've spun up 3 accounts and pumped just $33 worth of gas and only spent $3 out of pocket. Like literally I just gave each clerk $1 in cash.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

That wasn't clear from how you described it, honestly. But I feel you now.