Matalan Store Membership Card

chris1988uk

When Matalan first opened you use to have to pay £1 to get a card now though there free to get in store by anyone who would like one, The card gets you the offers that are in store and you get sent discount and birthday vouchers through the post.

Now the problem is that now they are trying to get people to sign up for one, Staff at the tills ask if you would like one if your say no they still then go on saying what offer you would get if you sign up for one some staff are even now saying you HAVE to have a Matalan card or they get in trouble about how many card bypasses they have.

To my understands you can't force anyone to sign up for any type of store card they can only ask if you would like one and if you say no that should be the end of it.
Does anyone have any information from trading standards about this.

Forwandert

I doubt there are laws against persevering to get you to sign up for a card in-store. If they start roughing you up contact the police. If they just keep asking say no or shop elsewhere.

paddyrg

They can sell to whoever they please, and if that is cardholders only, so be it!

I suspect it started to sidestep some kind of consumer laws, maybe being a buying club as opposed to retail store has/had some advantage to them. Either way, if they insist on a card, either take a card or take your custom to primark...

visidigi

You are confusing a store card with a loyalty card.

The Matalan card has no credit facility - merely just a purchase tracking tool and offer personalisation technique.

Poppie68

When Matalan first opened in the 1980's you had to have a card to enter the store, these were only available to certain people like the wholesalers cards are. I remember going to the 1st store in Preston when it opened with my mum and dad who had got one because they were business owners. Then they started charging a £1.00 and everyone could get one.
These days all they are good for is deals and vouchers. I have recieved some good money off vouchers though.
I have a friend who works in our local store and she says they are 'encouraged' to make as few sales as possible to people without them.
I think though in the end they are not making any money from giving these cards away and the customers do get some good vouchers, so i imagine they arent' really doing anything wrong.