Marsh Facebook Coupon – No Coupon for you!

by Briana Carter on July 31, 2009

Marsh is not honoring the Facebook coupon they released due to the PDF being distributed via email and other copies, etc.

Dear Marsh Fans and guests.. We recently offered a coupon for our facebook fans of Marsh. Unfortunately this offer has been widely distributed in an unauthorized manner throughout our marketing area. Due to the vast numbers of inappropriately transmitted and replicated copies of this offer, we will no longer be able to accept these coupons in our stores. Our sincerest apology for any inconvenience this has caused

I apologize to any of my readers who had a problem with this coupon. I kind of suspected there would be issues with this coupon because of previous problems with other companies distributing PDF coupons. If anyone is wondering, me posting the information on how to get the coupon is not something that is against the rules. Emailing the coupon to everyone in your contact list, well, is not the spirit of the coupon.

People take advantage and use coupons not intended for them or use the coupon multiple times even though the coupons state one per household. This was an extremely generous coupon and of course, people got greedy with it and started using it multiple times as well as emailing the coupon (not the link) to friends.

It is always the bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us. I’m very disappointed I wasn’t able to use my coupon before this statement was released. So disappointed, I’m not sure my heart is into the coupon match ups for Marsh this week because it is going to be awhile before I can step foot into a Marsh.

PDF coupons, in my opinion, are never a good idea because they can be distributed in an unauthorized manner. Ugh, same old thing. You think companies would LEARN from each other.

For the future, Marsh, I hope you invest just a little bit in technology that will eliminate/reduce fraud and authorized copies. Other stores have used internet coupon specialist to distribute special coupons to prevent this from happening.

Tagged as: facebook, Marsh

comments { 15 Comments }

Kristin - July 31, 2009 @ 5:28 pm 1

I’m not trying to take away from the fact that people abused the PDF coupon, because it isn’t right, but stores who do promotions like this without thinking them through really do disappoint me. PDF coupons are never a good idea. I never print them unless I get them myself from the manufacturer’s website, and even then I rarely do because stores won’t accept them for good reason. Maybe Marsh will figure something out and make things right with their Facebook fans in a way that cannot be abused.
Beth - July 31, 2009 @ 7:53 pm 2

Well…..I just came out of Marsh pretty disappointed with Marsh & with people who spoil it for everyone. The guy recognized me & offered to go ahead and use it but it was blocked! His explanation was that the Tipton manager is friends with an Indy manager & a shopper came in his store & said that someone at a rummage sale was selling a stack of the coupons for $2.00 each! My question is this: if you have to show your Fresh Idea card to use the coupon why didn’t Marsh implement something that would only allow the card to accept ONE coupon? Seems to me that might be where Marsh failed! And it’s unbelievable for a large corporation with the computer technology that they surely have!!!
Shame on Marsh & shame on cheaters!!!
But…thank you, Briana, for sharing the great bargains!
Amanda - July 31, 2009 @ 7:55 pm 3

Boo!!!! I signed up on Facebook just because of this coupon. I know, that’s sad.
Corey - July 31, 2009 @ 8:02 pm 4

Marsh really is not that big of a company. I am not sure how big their parent company is. I have to admit that I did save the coupon and I did send the direct link to my family. None of them got to use it though, I was planning a Kelloggs deal. I will still probably do my deal there.

What I am disappointed about is the fact that Marsh tried to fool consumers into thinking they could limit it by putting the card number field on the form. I knew that there was no way in hell that that would limit it to one per a card.

I also think people are going a little overboard. IndyChannel has a news story up about people cutting up their Marsh cars and what not. I must be the only person who isn’t angry at them for pulling it. Disappointed that it is gone yes, disappointed in the marketing team yes, disappointed in people who used it multiple times yes, disappointed in people who distributed it no (They told you to), but life goes on and I will shop there.
Steph - July 31, 2009 @ 10:15 pm 5

I wasn’t able to use mine. check my info out http://bargainfun.blogspot.com/2009/07/marsh-supermarket-reneging-facebook.html
Joe - August 01, 2009 @ 10:32 am 6

I heard about this guy selling the coupons for $2 out side a store on Shadeland. Smart this guy is trying to make $. I guess you have to make a buck somehow. I wish I would have thought of that.
Frugal Fritzie - August 01, 2009 @ 2:09 pm 7

That’s a shame this happened with this great deal for those of you who have a Marsh store. And Briana, you make an excellent point about having a Coupon Internet Specialist. If Marsh is smart, they’ll take your advice. If they had done that in the first place, they could have avoided disappointing their customers!
Cindy - August 01, 2009 @ 9:31 pm 8

This is just another KFC deal. Internet coupons are hotter then ever and everyones out for a deal now. I am not surprised at this nor am I surprised they were taken advantage of. We live and learn- move on but it would be silly to stop shopping there over just $10.00 and if the deals are there.
Lee McLaughlin - August 02, 2009 @ 4:42 pm 9

It was in appropriate of Marsh to inconvenience their customers due to their lack of planning and effort in this promotion. Ten Dollars or fifty cents, unethical tacticts like this is enough to make me shop elsewhere. And how do you know they won’t recall their next great deal.
Jenny - August 02, 2009 @ 5:07 pm 10

I don’t normally shop at Marsh because they are more expensive. However, I went in to use the coupon and did some of my regular shopping. Once I got ot the register and found out the coupon wasn’t valid, it ws too late since I didn’t have time to go to another store. I called customer service and was told someone would call me back, but have not heard anything. Needless to say I will not be shopping at Marsh again anytime soon!
Bargain Briana - August 03, 2009 @ 3:34 pm 11

Lee – That is what upsets me about this…is people like you who will get to the register and just decide to go ahead and purchase after doing all the shopping! They need to put a sign up at the front of the store to let people know before they shop!
Debra Leap - August 05, 2009 @ 4:49 pm 12

I have to say that not only was I very upset by the fact that I could not use the coupon. The lack of any kind of real sympathy was displayed by the Manager. I am sure they were sick to death of this coupon, but if you put it out there, expect there to be a ton of people who will try to use it any way they can. I absolutely agree that when it is stated that you have to use your Fresh Idea Card, how is it that they cannot track the purchase with coupon? Shame on Marsh, and shame on me if I ever go back there again.
jackie cesnik - August 08, 2009 @ 9:09 am 13

My experience also. Left me feeling as though I won’t be back to Marsh for awhile. And I won’t. I have options.
Marsh Employee - September 01, 2009 @ 6:04 pm 14

I am a Marsh employee and it was not only frustrating for Marsh customers but for employees too. I work in the customer service dept. and we had to deal with a lot of upset customers. I don’t blame them, but I don’t know if ya’ll knew they were offering a $10 coupon to those who were denied the Facebook coupon at the register. They were supposed to send it in the mail to those customers on Facebook they had registered with a Fresh Idea card.

Also I was informed that the marketing guy at the corporate office lost his job b/c of this coupon. So making it available to Marsh Facebook fans and the negative impact it’s had on stores/customers did have dire consequences. Don’t let this turn you away from shopping @ Marsh. We’re offering all kinds of cool things right now at Muncie, IN Marsh stores, including a 10% discount for college students every day until Sept. 5th and every Saturday thereafter…and people who sign up for new Fresh Idea cards get a $5 off a $25 purchase coupon on their receipt. Also existing Fresh Idea holders have coupons available to them for discounts on Marsh water, Ibprofen tablets, toothpaste and a $5 off coupon..just ask your customer service desk.

Also about putting signs up, we had signs up on both doors, at our customers service desk and each register explaining why these Facebook coupons were denied.

Also I’d be surprised if Internet coupons are accepted at all in a few years. We have a huge list of counterfeit coupons that are being produced, and even if you have a legit coupon that looks exactly like it, we can’t accept it. Be mad at the people who take advantage of these deals and ruin it for everyone else. I can’t believe people were selling these coupons for profit!!!