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When your ad is wrong...not your fault, who pays???

P

pizzatime

New member
What do you do when your ad is wrong?

I advertise heavily on the front of a weekly publication. I have 10 coupons and one of those is for a$19.95 - BIG SELLER!!!
This week, the publication changed the price to $12.95 - they screwed up. I am taking calls now from customers that want this great $12.95 deal. The ad is $500 each time.

My question is, what should I have to pay? What discount should the rep give? What,what,what…

Your thoughts???
 
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my ad exec comps me one free week if he messes up. As Nick and a few others say… business relationship. Been with the same company for 8 years. If the company is at fault then you should be compensated somehow. If they wanted to keep you as a customer, they would do what they can to make you happy.
 
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Just got off the phone with the rep, he wants to credit $200 for the ad.

The ad is $500, is this acceptable to you???
 
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pizzatime:
Just got off the phone with the rep, he wants to credit $200 for the ad.

The ad is $500, is this acceptable to you???
Click to expand...
Well, all that matters is if it is acceptable to you. We don’t know the details of your relationship with this company - and if you are willing to stop using them.

Did he give you a reason for the error? If so, what was the reason? What will they do to prevent it in the future? What if it happens again?
 
Anonymous:
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pizzatime:
Just got off the phone with the rep, he wants to credit $200 for the ad.

The ad is $500, is this acceptable to you???
Click to expand...
Well, all that matters is if it is acceptable to you. We don’t know the details of your relationship with this company - and if you are willing to stop using them.

Did he give you a reason for the error? If so, what was the reason? What will they do to prevent it in the future? What if it happens again?
Click to expand...
The publication screwed up. I will spend over 30k this year with them, how much am I worth to them???

When I screw someones pizza up, I go above and beyond for the customer.

Last week was another unrelated to this issue with this company and they accepted full responsibility for that problem. The $200 is to cover this weeks coupon ad disaster and last weeks “bad” decision on there part.

???
 
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pizzatime:
Just got off the phone with the rep, he wants to credit $200 for the ad.

The ad is $500, is this acceptable to you???
Click to expand...
nope, just think of all the cash you lost because of THEIR mistake. Insist on a full credit. Tell him what it cost you, when we screw up in this business, we eat the cost of the mistake. We make it right any way we can. They should have the same philosophy
 
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ADpizzaguy:
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pizzatime:
Just got off the phone with the rep, he wants to credit $200 for the ad.

The ad is $500, is this acceptable to you???
Click to expand...
nope, just think of all the cash you lost because of THEIR mistake. Insist on a full credit. Tell him what it cost you, when we screw up in this business, we eat the cost of the mistake. We make it right any way we can. They should have the same philosophy
Click to expand...
I agree wholeheartedly. If someone made this mistake with me, a full credit is all I would accept while maintaining a future relationship with them. You are paying them to print an ad, if they don’t print the right ad why should you pay for some of it? That is absurd. There is no question they should offer 100% refund.

Let’s put it this way. If someone order a large pepperoni and you give him a large mushroom. Let’s say he is allergic to mushrooms and these mushrooms will do his body harm, should you still expect him to pay for half the pizza?

That example may be an extreme, but it is basically the same situation. He poisoned your business, you should not have to pay anything for that.
 
IF you are spending $30K/year with them, then there is no doubt you should expect a full credit.

Is this ADVO?
 
exactly. if you proofed it and its their mistake… then its their fault… next time they come in to get the following weeks ad… tell them your gunna skip a few weeks… see how fast they come crying back to you.
 
We had a similar situation with mail marketing. They never sent a proof of the ad for me to sign off on and when the ad ran it was wrong. Of course we were very upset but they didn’t seem to care. The rep even went as far as telling me he had sent a proof via email when we both knew that was a lie. I keep everything sent and received in my email for instances just like that.

We told them that if they wanted to continue doing business with us they’d have to comp the ad for us. We haven’t heard back from them either way, wanting a payment or wanting to continue doing business with them.
I just can’t work with people who lie to me.

I don’t think ANY type of print should run without a signed final proof.
 
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Sounds like a lame offer.
They’re 7$ error is costing you, right? You’re going to honor the $12.95?
Even if not - tell the paper you are, and that they’ve cost you goodwill, bad ad, and $350 in unintended discounts. You want two complete placements free. Or a bump to a full page next couple times.
Or, as an earlier writer suggested, stop using them and see them come back with a better deal…
 
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You’re going to honor the $12.95?
Even if not - tell the paper you are,
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I disagree with that. Dont tell them you are honoring it if your not. Your integrity is more important then money
 
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Yeah, OK - I take it back.
I wouldn’t actually lie about things.
But certainly hold the paper accountable, if you can, for losses that you will incur if you DO find that you have to honor the printed price…
 
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I would be interested in how many new customers are gained by the error. Sure you lose $7 per sale but will you gain new regular customers from this ad. Let us know how it goes. I agree the ad should be comp.
 
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