Nectar ~ A Cautionary Tale.

short_of_a_shilling!

I started using a Nectar card about six years ago. The application had the option for two names and so I added my then husband as the other user and thought no more about it.
I never spent a point, just saved and saved and was delighted with the accumulating possibilities when each time I shopped or bought fuel my balance increased.
Imagine my horror when I glanced at my receipt this week to see that my balance of points which were last week worth £950 was now £9.00.
I phoned Nectar immediately and was told that my ex husband was the first name on the original application making him the primary cardholder.
He had put a stop on my card when we got divorced and neither he or Nectar where obliged to tell me. The ‘stop’ prevented me from ever spending my points but didn’t prevent me from earning points on his behalf for him to spend.
Nectar assure me that neither he or they have done anything wrong by not telling me that my card was stopped or that they had linked my earning of points to his card.
So, I suggest that you all check who the primary cardholder is on your Nectar card or better still ensure that you are the only card holder on your account.
Needless to say I shall be shopping in Tesco’s from now on and buying my fuel where it is cheapest rather than where I can earn Nectar points.

williacg

You say that you added your then husband as the other user, so wouldn't that then make you the primary cardholder and not your ex-husband?

thatguy1

that would make you the primary card holder, unless he lied!

I'd contact them again & tell them you were the primary card holder & that your ex was added as a secondary card holder. If that doesn't work, I'm sure this is classed as fraud which would be of interest of the police??

short_of_a_shilling!

Nectar are certain that the ex hubby is the primary and so I guess I must have just put him first, as always ~ what a silly billy, it was 2002 and I really can't recall for sure.
I'm cross with myself as much as anything, but hope that at least I might make someone else think about their own position.
2002 until 2011 is a shed load of points.

NeverInDebt

Another cautionary tale is never leave lots of money in your nectar account or other accounts like cashback sites. You never know if a company will go tits up especially cashback sites lots have done so. I always take money out once I accrue a bit of money. Fair enough with nectar I leave it in for maybe a year and cash it in at xmas

Middy

Also with Nectar points, the points can only be transferred to a partner if you die. So if you are single or widowed and die, the points die with you. I work for Sainsburys and there are some elderly customers that have £4.5k in Nectar points. Looks like they have NEVER redeemed a point since opening their account. What's the point in collecting when you not going to spend them? They must have more money in their Nectar account than their bank/PO account. I redeem my points if I have enough on clothing when they have 25% off promotions.

I had a Nectar card since 2003 and when me and my ex split up, one of the first things I did was to call Nectar, cancel his card and opened a new account and transferred the points as I was the primary card holder. What Nectar can do is to make a secondary card a primary card holder, which could be the case for OP. He could claim that the primary card has got lost.

This is a cautionary tale for anyone with a loyalty card. If you have a joint loyalty card with a partner and split up, contact the loyalty card people asap.

sharnad

Middy wrote: »

Also with Nectar points, the points can only be transferred to a partner if you die. So if you are single or widowed and die, the points die with you. I work for Sainsburys and there are some elderly customers that have £4.5k in Nectar points. Looks like they have NEVER redeemed a point since opening their account. What's the point in collecting when you not going to spend them? They must have more money in their Nectar account than their bank/PO account. I redeem my points if I have enough on clothing when they have 25% off promotions.

I had a Nectar card since 2003 and when me and my ex split up, one of the first things I did was to call Nectar, cancel his card and opened a new account and transferred the points as I was the primary card holder. What Nectar can do is to make a secondary card a primary card holder, which could be the case for OP. He could claim that the primary card has got lost.

This is a cautionary tale for anyone with a loyalty card. If you have a joint loyalty card with a partner and split up, contact the loyalty card people asap.

Do you advise them to spend before it is to late

myalphabetgirls

Middy wrote: »

Also with Nectar points, the points can only be transferred to a partner if you die. So if you are single or widowed and die, the points die with you. I work for Sainsburys and there are some elderly customers that have £4.5k in Nectar points. Looks like they have NEVER redeemed a point since opening their account. What's the point in collecting when you not going to spend them? They must have more money in their Nectar account than their bank/PO account. I redeem my points if I have enough on clothing when they have 25% off promotions.

When my eldest daughter died she left a nectar card with a smallish balance of around 3000 points. When I rang nectar (one of those dreadful and unenviable jobs you have to do, along with closing bank accounts, utilities etc) to inform them that she had passed away to avoid junk mail mostly the lovely lady I spoke to offered to transfer the points to me as my daughter's next of kin. No death certificate or other proof was necessary. Actually I found Nectar, Barclays Bank, Orange, Wessex Water and British Gas very helpful. My only thumbs down goes to Capital One who were complete and utter pillocks!

caz2703

Middy wrote: »

This is a cautionary tale for anyone with a loyalty card. If you have a joint loyalty card with a partner and split up, contact the loyalty card people asap.

Or given that my marriage is failing and I'm the one who spent the money to get the points, I've opened a new account in advance and have spent the old points on the iTunes voucher exchange. Will check my Nectar card as well as I'm not sure if I just had 2 cards or 2 names as well.

Thanks for this thread and sorry to the OP.

VoucherMan

Middy wrote: »

Also with Nectar points, the points can only be transferred to a partner if you die. So if you are single or widowed and die, the points die with you.

http://www.nectar.com/help/FAQ.nectar?partner_wl_path=/FAQ/std_adp.php&p_faqid=227&p_created=1271785796&p_topview=1

When someone dies, we are able to transfer their points into another account, as nominated by their legal heir.

I read that as they can be transferred to anyone.

BlueFox

caz2703 wrote: »

Or given that my marriage is failing and I'm the one who spent the money to get the points, I've opened a new account in advance and have spent the old points on the iTunes voucher exchange. Will check my Nectar card as well as I'm not sure if I just had 2 cards or 2 names as well.

Thanks for this thread and sorry to the OP.

What is the iTunes Voucher Exchange?