A Washington State mall is reminding shoppers to read the fine print after bargain hunters say they were misled by a long weekend promotion meant to entice Canadian shoppers.
Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham said it would accept the loonie at par over the Victoria Day long weekend, and many British Columbians crossed the border to take advantage of the promotion.
With the Canadian dollar hovering around 76 cents U.S., the promotion was a real draw for British Columbians.
But some shoppers say they braved the crowds, only to find out that many stores weren’t participating.
“I asked the cashier ‘are you doing any deals today?’ And she just shook her head,” said Carly Fryer.
Only 22 retailers out of more than 100 participated in the promotion.
The mall maintains its promotion was transparent, offering a 25 per cent discount to bridge the difference between dollars.
On social media the mall apologized for any sort of miscommunication, and reminded shoppers to read the terms of the promotion.
“I think we all want a deal. And perhaps we got a little sucked into it,” said Carly Fryer.
Bellis Fair will be offering the promotion on all Canadian long weekends this summer.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Sarah MacDonald
Thanks @BellisFair for louring the Canadian shopper only for us find out it was all a bunch of bunk! #ShameOnYou
— Caterina Mansueto (@cmansueto) May 23, 2016
Don't waste your time heading to #bellisfair for the Cdn $ match. The participating stores are far a few between. #moneymoneymoney
— Carly (@theregoesCarly) May 22, 2016
@cmansueto We thought this event was explained very clearly. Not sure where the miscommunication is coming from. Our apologies.
— Bellis Fair (@BellisFair) May 23, 2016