Customer FAQ
February 7th, 2009 by Cherry Planet
What if my coupon expires before I get to use it?
We clearly mark each coupon with the expiration date. We cannot be responsible for expired coupons.
What if a business closes before I get to use the coupon?
In the event you have purchased a coupon from a store that has since closed prior to the expiration date, we ask that you notify us. We will give you a coupon credit so that you can get a different coupon.
There was a problem and you credited me a coupon, but why can’t I just get a refund?
Because the cost of coupons on CherryPlanet.com is so low we use a micro-payment system. We are charged for that service, but even if we weren’t, the charge-back fees from credit card companies are considerably more than what you paid for the coupon. If we could easily credit you for free, or even at the cost of the coupon, we would. Presumably, you like the idea of purchasing coupons and the benefits it provides to customers and businesses, so presumably you will be able to find another offer that interests you. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions or concerns.
Why do I have to pay when I can get other coupons for free?
We are providing free advertising for businesses in order to offer you bargains that otherwise might not be available to you. Many small businesses do not or cannot budget for a coupon campaign. CherryPlanet.com is a way for businesses to make themselves known to you and to get your business by offering high-value discounts for their products and services.
The idea of paying for coupons is well-established. You may already be familiar with coupon books for restaurants, entertainment establishments and the like. These books provide significant savings but require that you spend much more money up-front. You typically also end up with a large number of coupons that you will not use. If you forget about or lose the coupon book, you could loose twenty dollars or more. At CherryPlanet, you pay only for those coupons that you want when you want.
In addition, in a very real sense you are always paying for advertising. As with any of their costs, businesses must recover the costs of advertising via sales. Therefore, whatever you buy, you are in effect, paying a little toward the costs some business has put into informing you of their presence. This includes overlooked things like signage and local ads on place-mats to newspaper, magazine, radio and TV ads. Also, if you get an ad from a newspaper for example, you have, in effect paid something for that coupon.
I bought a coupon from CherryPlanet.com and then I found that someone else got the same deal from a free coupon put out by the business. Aren’t these supposed to be exclusive offers?
As part of our agreement with businesses, they are required to offer exclusive deals with us. They are free to have any other offers through any medium, but they should not offer the exact same deal that they place on CherryPlanet.com. Please contact us if you feel that a business has violated that agreement. However, bear in mind that even if someone else has a free coupon of the same value for the same business, you may not have found that coupon without Cherry Planet. It’s quick and easy to find valuable offers at Cherry Planet and since time itself is our most precious commodity, so it’s not unreasonable to pay a little for that convenience, as well as for the mutually benefical ways it helps businesses and the community.
One final thought, let’s suppose, that not only was there a matching offer for free at a given business, but you found it yourself, and you stumbled upon it with no trouble at all. Even if that happened, it isn’t likely to happen often, but more importantly, you are still saving money.