Boiling the story down to its bizarre essence, brick-and-mortar retail establishments are now selling real cards holding imaginary money to buy things which don’t actually exist. While there is undoubtedly a certain surreal quality to this news, the move seems logical enough, and I’m not one to question what people do with their money. But I believe there are some potential pitfalls for retailers who want to use Facebook Credits (meaning, virtual goods) as part of in-store incentives and promotional offers. Basically, they have to be careful not to annoy consumers by insulting their intelligence.
Barbara K Iverson 