this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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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 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by MeatsOfRage@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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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.

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[–] zakobjoa@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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

Repeat three times.

Have $33 gas. Spent $3.

Math.

[–] Cinner@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 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.

[–] MeatsOfRage@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 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.

[–] Cinner@lemmy.world 8 points 10 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.

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 4 points 10 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.

[–] MeatsOfRage@sh.itjust.works 4 points 10 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