A warning on Tesco Clubcard points and vouchers - 'expired' vouchers policy change

custardy

Doc_N wrote: »

custardy wrote: »

Not remotely necessary. Undated vouchers etc are perfectly possible for accounting purposes, and used by many customer-focused companies. Companies sometimes use this as an excuse, but it doesn't wash, and the real reason is the desire to cheat their customers at the expiry date.

Tesco used to revalidate the expired points on request at any point. Now they don't. You have about a month, but after that you've lost the value of all accumulated points completely.

Does that sound like a company that cares about its customers?

which companies?

Doc_N

custardy wrote: »

Doc_N wrote: »

which companies?

IKEA..........John Lewis...........Boots...........to name but three.

custardy

Doc_N wrote: »

custardy wrote: »

IKEA..........John Lewis...........Boots...........to name but three.

I dont see any of them as bastions of customer service
JL in days gone by,however things have changed
Do you set the benchmark by a companies voucher policy?
Does JL and Ikea run a loyalty programme like Clubcard?

Doc_N

custardy wrote: »

Doc_N wrote: »

I dont see any of them as bastions of customer service
JL in days gone by,however things have changed
Do you set the benchmark by a companies voucher policy?
Does JL and Ikea run a loyalty programme like Clubcard?

I'm talking accounting issues, which you suggested was a reason for having expiry dates.

And let's not forget Royal Mail for that matter. Stamps have no expiry date (no accounting problems there) - and they even increase in value in line with postage charges.

custardy

Doc_N wrote: »

custardy wrote: »

I'm talking accounting issues, which you suggested was a reason for having expiry dates.

And let's not forget Royal Mail for that matter. Stamps have no expiry date (no accounting problems there) - and they even increase in value in line with postage charges.

Ah, now we are onto thin ice for customer service

Speculator

Just a quick tip.

If a voucher is nearing expiry, find the cheapest item on Tesco Direct and buy it using your voucher for click n collect. The balance over the value of the item is re-credited to your clubcard account as points.

POPPYOSCAR

custardy wrote: »

Doc_N wrote: »

I dont see any of them as bastions of customer service
JL in days gone by,however things have changed
Do you set the benchmark by a companies voucher policy?
Does JL and Ikea run a loyalty programme like Clubcard?

No but Ikea do offer a family card which gives you free tea/coffee and cheap breakfast. They also give vouchers throughout the year for free items. We got free garden chairs and tea lights recently.

They also give you three months to return items.


I also recently used a £10 off £50 voucher that they sent me.

TeeMac67

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

custardy wrote: »

No but Ikea do offer a family card which gives you free tea/coffee and cheap breakfast. They also give vouchers throughout the year for free items. We got free garden chairs and tea lights recently.

They also give you three months to return items.


I also recently used a £10 off £50 voucher that they sent me.

Out of interest - did the £10 off voucher from Ikea have an expiry date?

Doc_N

TeeMac67 wrote: »

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

Out of interest - did the £10 off voucher from Ikea have an expiry date?

Probably it did. And I have no problem at all with Tesco money-off vouchers having expiry dates - most do.

The big difference, though, is between vouchers given away as 'gifts' which have no value at all unless you buy the product, and something which has actually been paid for or earned.

Tesco Gift Cards expire after 5 years, which is better than most, but there's still no good reason for having something that cost money lose all its value at any point.

The Clubcard vouchers, though, expire after just 2 years, and can't be renewed at all now.

The discussion centred on accounting practices, because that was put forward as a reason for Tesco causing the value of these vouchers to be wiped out at the 2 year point. No other reason has ever been put forward, and the accounting practice theory was knocked on the head by reference to Ikea, John Lewis, Boots and Royal Mail - none of which use expiry dates.

Tesco have no good reason to expire these - other than the desire to strip customers of the credit they've managed to accumulate.

TeeMac67

Please excuse me if I am missing the point here, however, am I not correct in saying that you DO NOT purchase Clubcard vouchers - these are a loyalty bonus from Tesco and come in the form of "Vouchers" - not a gift card that you purchase. Retailers are not obliged to provide vouchers for customers for loyalty and therefore they have the same approach as "money off" vouchers which retailers offer to entice customers to purchase either branded products from their store or a store of their choice - these all have expiry dates (to the best of my knowledge).

I would fully understand someones frustration at a Gift Voucher which was purchased with cash not being honoured after a period of time, however, the Clubcard scheme does not operate under the same genre - more like "money off" coupons or vouchers.

You may argue back that you pay "hiked up" prices at Tesco and are "entitled" to clubcard points, but you do have a choice of store to shop in and if the Clubcard Scheme is not beneficial to you then don't spend your money in Tesco - simples!!

I, personally, think the Clubcard loyalty rewards is fantastic and has enabled me to purchase items that I would not normally be able to afford or give my children vouchers to treat themselves to a Pizza Express or a Day Out" !

Next time you get a "money off" coupon in a magazine, allow it to expire and take it to Aldi, Lidl, Waitrose, Morrisons and let us know how many of them accept the voucher - would be interesting.

Now, I will get off my soap box and go purchase my Hudl using my Clubcard Loyalty vouchers - could never have afforded it otherwise!