I got my copy of the Director magazine this week (as an IoD member you get a free subscription). I have tried using the Google free advertising leaflet which is coming up as ‘invalid code’ when I enter it into Google adwords. I have contacted Google Support who said:

‘Thank you for your email. I understand that you are having trouble entering a promotional code. I have searched for your coupon but i am unable to locate it. To this end, I ask you to please contact the third-party provider with which you signed up for AdWords and they should issue you with a new one.

Google AdWords works with certain third-party providers to offer promotional coupons to new AdWords advertisers. If you signed up for AdWords through one of these third-party providers, you will receive a promotional code to enter in your AdWords account.’

With that in mind I contact the Sales Exec for the Director Magazine. He too contacted Google and got this response:

There was a problem with the Google AdWords voucher codes in the last edition of this publication. Google quickly realised this was an issue and have taken steps to sort it out, but unfortunately not before some people received incorrect codes. They will be issuing an apology, along with an increased £40 voucher offer, in the next issue of Director’

What I find stunning is that the Director magazine goes out to 52,000 IoD members (and others that subscribe independently) so every individual could potentially have an invalid code. Considering the size of Google, I really cannot believe that they could quite manage to make such a blunder. What’s more, is that the IoD members are all on company boards (or equivalent), so it really couldn’t happen to a better bunch of influencers in business.

Anyhow, I have a new code and have applied it to the PPC account and have a happy customer. So I got there in the end 🙂

So my question is this – has anyone else had such a bad experience of Google free promotional vouchers as I have?