As you probably know, I'm pretty outspoken when it comes to web site marketing and web site stupidity. I just came across something that absolutely positively takes the cake.
My wife found that CVS (as in the CVS Pharmacy) carries the Enfamil Lipil with Iron nursette bottles. As you may or may not know, we just had our second child last week. We just love the Enfamil Lipil with Iron nursette bottles because all you have to do is open one up and it's ready to go. Our hospital, Baylor Hospital in Dallas, provided us with them for the first few days while we were staying in the hospital.
So, my wife pings me and tells me that CVS carries them. So, I do some searches and check out some prices and then go on over to CVS.com after a Froogle search (they have the best price according to Froogle). Guess what? The page starts to load and then I get redirected (I think it's a JavaScript redirect but I haven't checked) to an error page telling me that I cannot view their site unless I upgrade.
I've copied what it says below, but I'm just amazed that I was redirected to it. CVS does not want to do business with me online if I'm not using their preferred web browser of choice. I've got news for you:
That's absolutely the most ridiculous, ludicrous, online policy that I've ever run across since I've been doing web site marketing since 1996. And oh yeah, I'm actually using the latest Internet Explorer browser. I also checked it in Opera: same thing.
So, CVS, you don't want me spending hundreds of dollars on your site today and you don't want me to even be able to VIEW your web site? Uh, why don't your web designers consider redirecting visitors to a more "stripped down" version of your site that actually works rather than stopping people entirely from even viewing your site.
All I can say is, WOW. CVS is saying to me, "absolutely positively do not do business with us if you're using Internet Explorer 7 or the Opera web browser". Anyway, here's the text of the page you get when you go to their site using IE7. I also checked the site with the Opera web browser and you're not allowed to do business with them online if you're using Opera, as well.
Quote:
Welcome to CVS.com
CVS/pharmacy is the leading pharmacy and drug store in the United States, with over 5400 retail stores. CVS.com offers prescription drugs for in-store pickup or home delivery, home medical supplies, CVS store items and online exclusives.
You have landed on this page, because we do not currently support your web browser and/or browser version.
Our site currently supports the majority of Mozilla-based and Internet Explorer browsers on Windows and Macintosh systems. However, we do not support Opera, Beta versions, or recent releases of some browsers. We hope to remedy this in the near future.
CVS.com is committed to your satisfaction, and we apologize for any inconvenience that this situation may have caused. Your interest in our site is appreciated.
If you have any questions or require additional assistance please contact us by email at customercare@cvs.com.
Thank you for visiting!
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