Heinz has apologized to a German customer this week after a QR code affixed to one of their older ketchup bottles led the man to a hardcore porn website by mistake.
From 2012 to 2014, Heinz ketchup bottles produced in Germany featured a QR code on the front that, when scanned, allowed customers to order a customized bottle via a promotional website. However, after the promotion finished, Heinz let the domain registration expire, allowing the website to be sezied by a porn website operator.
The German man who discovered that the domain had transformed into a porn site first thought that it must have been a mistake, but after he tried the QR code on several other devices and got the same result, he posted a complaint on Heinz' Facebook page.
The complaint stated that Heinz should be able to afford domain renewal for one of their promo websites, at least until well after the bottles are available to be purchased. He definitely has a point: a major company like Heinz shouldn't let one of their key domains expire just a year after it was used on a physical product.
As part of their apology, Heinz said they would send a customized bottle to the affected man anyway. And not to be outdone, the porn website the QR code now redirects to, FunDorado, offered the man a free year-long subscription to their website.