Super Bowl safety means $70K in refunds for retailer

Gardendale, Ala.--After the Super Bowl safety that started Sunday’s game, shocking viewers across the country and ultimately serving as a not-so-super harbinger for the Denver Broncos, Jeff Dennis Jewelers will be giving more than 400 customers their money back.

The Gardendale jeweler offered a promotion tied to the big game that kicked off last month: any purchase made between Jan. 21 and Feb. 1, regardless of price, would be refunded if either the Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks scored a safety during the game.

It took less than 15 seconds for a safety to occur on Sunday.

Owner Jeff Dennis said the refunds include 461 customers and around $70,000 in merchandise. The store will have a catered refund party for all those involved on Feb. 21. 

“It’s phenomenal. We’re so excited. Our customers love it, and it puts our name in front of so many people. We’re getting a lot of national exposure from it,” he said, noting he has appeared on CNN and Fox, among others.

Though safeties are not that common in football, Seattle’s two-point gain on Sunday marks the third time in as many years that a safety has happened during the Super Bowl.

It also was the fastest-scoring play in Super Bowl history--it happened 12 seconds in--and only the third time that the first points to be scored during the big game came from a safety. The first was during Super Bowl IX between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. The second was in Super Bowl XLVI between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

Jeff Dennis Jewelers has done similar refund promotions with success in the past.

In November 2012, the jeweler did another football promotion, refunding customers who bought jewelry the week before the “Iron Bowl” if either Alabama or Auburn shut out the other team. When Alabama beat Auburn 49-0, Jeff Dennis Jewelers refunded some $55,000 worth of merchandise.

Last fall, the store guaranteed a full refund to customers who purchased jewelry between Aug. 1 and 26 if it rained more than one inch on Labor Day.

It ended up raining 1.42 inches and the jeweler refunded more than $86,000.