Friday 14 May 2010

Nearly caught out - discount vouchers offer after an online purchase

I heard about this problem a long time ago but had almost forgotten about it when last week I nearly got caught once, and then saw the same potential catch 10 minutes later.

Two very popular websites, both reputable national companies, one probably one of the most popular ones selling rail tickets in the UK and one a retailer of computer parts I've used for years, both came up with the following situation:

I'd completed a normal and safe purchase on both web sites, when I was presented with a final screen confirming my order. On that screen there was also a button marked continue, next to a message offering a discount off my next purchase. The button actually led me off to an external site (Shopper Discounts and Rewards) where I believe (I didn't see, I killed my web session part way through loading as soon as I saw it was an external web page) if you agree and claim your discount; actually your credit card details are passed on from the first site and you end up pretty seamlessly joining a subscription service for discounts costing something like £10 a month, which does get you vouchers, but it is far from clear that it's a subscription service.

Fortunately I think I stopped the page before I was joined against my will, but it just goes to show that it's too easy to get complacent about online safety.

There is a long discussion (the link is to page 41!) and advice about how to escape if you've been caught by this on one of my favourite web sites Martin Lewis' Moneysavingexpert.com