Please check your Boots Advantage Card total

Naggity

If shopping at Boots please check your Advantage Card points.

At 1.33pm I made a purchase at my local Boots. I had the points added to my Advantage Card. The points total was correct.

An hour later I went back and paid for some photos. Once again I added the points to my card. I was very surprised to see exactly 1000 points were now missing from my card.

A cashier told me they had recently changed to a new system and it might have caused a glitch. I called the Advantage Card line to be told my card was showing an 'SO' at 1.34 for which I had paid with exactly 1000 points. The call centre person had no idea what an 'SO' was and went to check. When she came back she still did not know. I informed them I had made no purchase with my card and my cash purchase had occurred at 1.33.

The call went down hill from there, with the call centre person saying I must have spent the points as they can only be removed if the card is used at a till. She did agree to add the points back to my card.

I spoke to a supervisor who agreed to do an investigation and call me back later in the week with the results. She also said the points could only be removed if the card was in the till. However, she did then say they had installed a new systen and it might be glitching.

It might just be that I have suffered a one off freaky glitch, but I would urge everyone to check their cards just in case it is a wide spread problem.

Naggity

Got a call back today. There had been a system error. The till was retaining the card number, so my points were deducted when the next customer paid by points. The call centre person said they believe up to 60 cards had been affected.

I have no idea whether they have corrected all the cards, but mine is now back to the correct amount. They are also sending a gift card as an apology.

VT82

I always spend my points as soon as I get them. I know people hoard hundreds of pounds worth, but I don't get it:

You aren't getting any interest on them whereas you would on the money you save in your bank by spending them (no big deal really I know with the small amounts involved).

They are at risk if your card is stolen and the points are used, whereas your bank normally makes good any card fraud.

It's not as though Boots offer special deals which means they might be worth more in future like Tesco do, so you should hold onto them.

Tesco points I hoard, but Boots and Nectar I just spend straightaway.