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Digital Empire Online Voucher scam

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Totts
Totts Posts: 121 Forumite
edited 28 June 2009 at 2:39AM in Discount codes & vouchers
This post refers to the half price stand offer quoted on just about every voucher site going (free publicity no doubt)

The codes are (don't bother noting them down as they're useless): DEOLCD50 DEOPLAS50 & DEO PLA50. I suspect there'll be a few more combinations of useless letters and numbers promoted by DEO as well.

I intended to use a voucher for a half price TV stand from Digital Empire Online. I had read various reviews and decided not to order electricals but to take advantage of a stand I was in no hurry for.

I came across several codes (all much the same) some specified you had to but an LCD or plasma TV to qualify for the half price stand, but there were plenty of other sites with another offer ongoing to allow the user to gain 50% off ANY TV stand.

So, I tried to order one (£229 - disc = £114.50) and after the transaction persistently failed with every single code I entered (even if I pretended I was buying a mega expensive telly) I rang DEO.

The sales assistant said the voucher was only valid on the 2 stands they sold for over £300!

I even offered to order a DVD recorder with hard drive (costing £239) to up the overall cash value of the order, AND still pay £150 (50% of the £300 criteria) on top as a reduced diuscount amount for the stand. But they were having none of it so I came away empty handed and will never use them again.

I'm new to this so is this a common scam to offer non existent vouchers with unclear or manipulative T&C's just to try and lure consumers in to spend?

Shot themselves in the foot as far as I'm concerned as the telephone manner also left a lot to be desired too.

Comments

  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,602 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    looking at that code it's comes out top on a chain of linked voucher sites that are renowned for using "forced click" to reveal the codes (and opens affiliate link stuffing cookies, meaning that they get the cashback for the purchase)

    some of the voucher codes sites are known for posting out of date or restricted codes purely to get you to find them on a search and hopefully get the cashback

    article here

    http://www.further.co.uk/blog/Is-This-The-End-For-Voucher-Site-Affiliates-115
    Ex forum ambassador

    Long term forum member
  • Totts
    Totts Posts: 121 Forumite
    Thanks Browntoa - the code is on at least 7 or 8 sites. The sites I did bookmark have provided me with successful codes also. But I will deffo read that article - as I have already said I am a bit of a newbie to this and appreciate any guidance by those a bit more in the know such as yourself.

    Thanks
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