Received in my email recently, a message from a consignment (or maybe it was a resale) shop looking to rid themselves of the last vestiges of winter merchandise (“We’re getting great spring stuff in and we need the space! $1, $5, $10 racks! Come see!”)
In the email, a coupon for 25% off any item.
In the fine print of said coupon,
*discount does not apply to sale merchandise*
HUH? Didn’t you just tell your email list recipients that you had to make room for incoming?
Why would that 25% off coupon NOT be usable on sale merchandise? Isn’t the sale stuff the stuff you MOST want to get rid of?
And wouldn’t you MUCH rather give an additional 25% off on a winter item marked down to $5 (discount taken: $1.25) than 25% off a new incoming item of, say, $40 (discount taken: $10)…if that’s how your customer wants to use her coupon?
And why oh why do you give with one hand and take away with the other…especially when using a percentage coupon, which if used on less-expensive items…costs you LESS? (Remind me, we’ll talk about % vs $ coupons soon.)
Keep your fine print to the minimum. In this case, that would have been:
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
I love the *Items with no tickets are $300!!
When we do our Facebook Give-aways one of the rules is “you must be awesome to win”.
I do agree with Julie though, its a good reminder of the math behind the coupons!
Here’s some fine print that made me laugh.
Here are the rules for Prima Donna’s Closet’s sale:
*Play nice!
*Be Patient!
*15 Minute Limit in Fitting Room
*Items with no tickets are $300
Thank you for pointing this out. I have said discount not available on sale items before thinking they are reduced already why give them away. You really helped me remember why I mark things down – to move them out. And you showing the math really helps understand why I would want it used on a sale item, rather than a new item.
Thanks for everything!
Julie