Is This Appropriate?

[+Clyde1140]

I don't want to run afoul of the rules for keeping caches non-commercial so I am asking here first.... would it be OK to place gift certificates for my business as swag? Or would that be seen by GC.com as promoting a business?

[+wimseyguy]

Don't make a big deal about it and it isn't promotion, just giveaways. Heck trade fairly-take something and leave the coupons or GC's. (Just remember to use the cost basis for the product and not the full retail value ) Instead of posting it in your logs, let it be a nice surprise for the next cacher to open the container.

 

The same logic would hold true if you decided to place a cache there. Make the cache page about the location and the search for it and you are fine. Use the website as an unapproved marketing partner and tell us how great your stuff is on the cache page and it will never get published.

[+StagsRoar]

I'll accept travellers checks or money oders if ya want to leave them. Gift certs would be ok as long as they have a value >$50=00 and not at a local florist or something stupid.

[+briansnat]

I've found worse things in caches (unless your business happens to be a funeral home or something).

[+BlueDeuce]

First, clarify what you mean by your gift certificates and business.

Edited July 31, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[ju66l3r]

I've seen worse.

 

As long as you don't put out a cache designed around a theme for your company and then stoke it full of certificates...you'll be fine.

[+Clyde1140]

First, clarify what you mean by your gift certificates and business.

 

I run a store, and the gift certificates would be redeemable for $5 or $10 in merchandise of the persons choice. No gimmics, no strings. Plus the certificates are actually made from military dog tags.

[+Team Torque]

That sounds very cool to me. I don't think it is a problem. After all these Jeeps everyone is seeking comes from a German corporation that sells cars. That is not so subtle advertising for Jeep.

[+The Leprechauns]

Just a wild guess, but I'm thinking that Jeep has more formal marketing arrangements in place with Groundspeak than Clyde does.

[+BlueDeuce]

what is up with this edit function?

Edited August 1, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+BlueDeuce]

name='Clyde1140' date='Jul 31 2006, 05:53 PM' post='2377371']

First, clarify what you mean by your gift certificates and business.

 

I run a store, and the gift certificates would be redeemable for $5 or $10 in merchandise of the persons choice. No gimmics, no strings. Plus the certificates are actually made from military dog tags.

 

Dang, you are skating that line. Don't do it.

 

What's your business and what's your offer?

 

I mean I can handle Joe Cacher dropping off a Starbuck's card, but if you are giving me free coffee and gc.com finds out later you are making an onsite sales pitch, wwwwkkkkccckkk (makes the 'cut across the throat' gesture)

Edited August 1, 2006 by BlueDeuce

[+Torry]

Sounds like a cool idea for swag. Similar to cachers who leave phone cards with a bit left on them. The dog tag concept is pretty cool.

 

Just keep it low-profile.. don't flood a single cache with them ...try to spread them out you'll get better value and meet more cachers later that way.

 

You can increase your chances of blunting any complaints by being a "sponsor" of a local cache event or two. Nothing major, shoot, just a few of your dog tags as door prizes will spread some goodwill around.

Edited August 1, 2006 by Torry

[+Munin]

My two cents (a deal at half the price ) - if your store is something like a five'n'dime, where a $5 gift certificate is enough for a cacher to pick up something without laying out extra cash (like a munchkin-cacher picking up a Matchbox car or a superball, or an older cacher choosing ...oh, I dunno... a couple of handy-dandy bungee cords or a bobble-head dog for the back window of their cachemobile), then it might be a fun idea. If you're running a fine art gallery where someone would have to shell out a couple hundred dollars to buy anything with the gift certificate, then it's a bad idea. In the former case, someone makes a trade (hopefully leaving something worth about $5 ) and in return eventually ends up with a similar bit of swag - the cool/fun bit being that they get some choice about what form their swag ends up being, plus they might get to meet a fellow cacher. In the latter case, someone makes an honest trade and ends up with a "gift" certificate that's essentially unusable - not fair.

[+sbell111]

... In the latter case, someone makes an honest trade and ends up with a "gift" certificate that's essentially unusable - not fair.

Of course, they could simply trade it at the next cache they find.

 

I think that as long as you don't hide a cache with no trade items except your gif certificatess, it's fine. I've found gift certificates in caches many times and never considered them a problem. Of course, if they expire, they become trash.

[+Clyde1140]

... In the latter case, someone makes an honest trade and ends up with a "gift" certificate that's essentially unusable - not fair.

Of course, they could simply trade it at the next cache they find.

 

I think that as long as you don't hide a cache with no trade items except your gif certificatess, it's fine. I've found gift certificates in caches many times and never considered them a problem. Of course, if they expire, they become trash.

 

Naah, it would just be a thing I drop off every now and then, not every find. And it is a military surplus store, so they can get ammo cans, decon boxes, P-38's, patches and other cache containers or swag easily for the amount of the card.

[+sbell111]

... In the latter case, someone makes an honest trade and ends up with a "gift" certificate that's essentially unusable - not fair.

Of course, they could simply trade it at the next cache they find.

 

I think that as long as you don't hide a cache with no trade items except your gif certificatess, it's fine. I've found gift certificates in caches many times and never considered them a problem. Of course, if they expire, they become trash.

Naah, it would just be a thing I drop off every now and then, not every find. And it is a military surplus store, so they can get ammo cans, decon boxes, P-38's, patches and other cache containers or swag easily for the amount of the card.

In that case, I say definitely do it and I wish you lived in my area.

[+Munin]

Naah, it would just be a thing I drop off every now and then, not every find. And it is a military surplus store, so they can get ammo cans, decon boxes, P-38's, patches and other cache containers or swag easily for the amount of the card.

In my mind that would definitely put your idea into the fun/cool category - go for it!

[+wimseyguy]

My two cents (a deal at half the price ) - if your store is something like a five'n'dime, where a $5 gift certificate is enough for a cacher to pick up something without laying out extra cash (like a munchkin-cacher picking up a Matchbox car or a superball, or an older cacher choosing ...oh, I dunno... a couple of handy-dandy bungee cords or a bobble-head dog for the back window of their cachemobile), then it might be a fun idea. If you're running a fine art gallery where someone would have to shell out a couple hundred dollars to buy anything with the gift certificate, then it's a bad idea. In the former case, someone makes a trade (hopefully leaving something worth about $5 ) and in return eventually ends up with a similar bit of swag - the cool/fun bit being that they get some choice about what form their swag ends up being, plus they might get to meet a fellow cacher. In the latter case, someone makes an honest trade and ends up with a "gift" certificate that's essentially unusable - not fair.

We had a local eatery pull that stunt a few years back. They mailed GC's to everyone in the local neighborhood, but in the fine print it read good for up to $8.00. The only thing on the menu under that price was spaghetti with tomato sauce, not even meat sauce. When this was pointed out to me, I got up, tossed $5 on the table for the drinks we had ordered, and walked out never to return. Many of the neighbors did the same, or trashed them after hearing of our experience, and we talked about for months afterwards.

 

It sounds like clyde will be just fine with this project as long as he takes some of the good advice given in this thread. I hope to find some of his gc's someday soon when I go caching at that end of the state.

Edited August 1, 2006 by wimseyguy

[+sbell111]

We had a local eatery pull that stunt a few years back. They mailed GC's to everyone in the local neighborhood, but in the fine print it read good for up to $8.00. The only thing on the menu under that price was spaghetti with tomato sauce, not even meat sauce. When this was pointed out to me, I got up, tossed $5 on the table for the drinks we had ordered, and walked out never to return. Many of the neighbors did the same, or trashed them after hearing of our experience, and we talked about for months afterwards.

 

It sounds like clyde will be just fine with this project as long as he takes some of the good advice given in this thread. I hope to find some of his gc's someday soon when I go caching at that end of the state.

You got upset because a restaurant only gave you $8.00 off? Okey dokey.

[Verga]

I don't want to run afoul of the rules for keeping caches non-commercial so I am asking here first.... would it be OK to place gift certificates for my business as swag? Or would that be seen by GC.com as promoting a business?

Are you the guy that sells those home vasectomy kits?

[+BlueDeuce]

I don't want to run afoul of the rules for keeping caches non-commercial so I am asking here first.... would it be OK to place gift certificates for my business as swag? Or would that be seen by GC.com as promoting a business?

Are you the guy that sells those home vasectomy kits?

 

 

Now that's funny.