Customers angered as KFC rejects online coupons

Fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken is facing a consumer relation issue in China. Many Chinese customers vented their anger against KFC after the chain restaurant refused to honor its online coupons.

Tuesday evening, upset customers converged on a KFC outlet in Nanjing's Jiangning District. They were holding a coupon that had been offered online by KFC.

With the coupon customers were supposed to be able to purchase a 64 yuan Family Bucket meal for half price.Everyone around the country could seckill the coupon on Tuesday. But after successfully snapping it up and printing it, many customers only to find they couldn't use it.

KFC customer from Nanjing said, "I printed this out on KFC's coupon website. It reads that it's valid from April 6th to 9th. And it says printed coupons are valid. They made rules and now they refused to honor the coupon. I feel being fooled."

After angry customers protested for a few hours, a statement was eventually posted by KFC on the coupon website, saying some of the coupons were fake ones. KFC then posted the notice at its restaurants while crowds continued waiting for a resolution.

"I didn't know the coupon was fake. KFC didn't know the coupon was fake until 5pm. And they suspended it all of a sudden from 5pm. This is so absurd. " KFC customer from Nanjing said.

KFC staff in different locations offered various explanations and even responded to customers differently. In the end, some restaurants honored the deal while some refused. Some compromised by offering a substitute deal while others just closed their doors to avoid the trouble.

Many customers say they cared less about getting the deal than KFC's way of treating customers. Some waited and argued with KFC for hours before finally leaving empty-handed.