Tastecard Price Increase on Fixed for Life Fee

khgibb

So I've had the same - renewed last year on the 29.95 for life, only to find my renewal (due 22 July) has gone up. Having found and read this thread I was thinking of phoning to see whetrher I could get them to renew at the promised price, given I've never used the tastecard+ deals. The 40% off cinema would be a nice new bonus, but given I go to the cinema about 2-3 times a year I'm not that bothered.

However just found that until this Friday (4 July), using code SUMMER14 you can buy a 12 month tastecard with free tastecard+ for 29.99. Am wondering whether it is just easiest to do that, but then again who knows what they would go when the deal ends in 12 months time.

khgibb

Quick update - I telephoned them and requested that they honour their £29.95 for life promise as I didn't was tastecard+. They said as a "goodwill" gesture they could do £29.99, which is this year's base price, but they had not and would not offer £29.95 (even after I said I knew people who had been given this price, which they said would not be possible as they were not able to do that - yeah right).

I also pointed out that with the code I could join as a new customer and for £29.99 get tastecard and 12 months tastecard+, so why would I bother to renew? They said they would match this and give me 12 months tastecard+free, and then my membership would revert back to the base price, which is currently £29.99 and that would be the price for my 2015 renewal, but after that it may rise with inflation. This would not be guaranteed if I joined as a new customer.

I asked for written confirmation of this price guarantee for 2015, and they said that with "goodwill" gestures they could not confirm anything in writing, but they had made a note on the system for next year, and all calls were recorded should they need to be referred back to.

In the end I accepted the offer, and immediately emailed myself with details of the time and date of the call and the person I spoke to, knowing full well that in 12 months time I'll get a ludicrous renewal offer again.

"Goodwill"? What a joke. It's not goodwill if they have broken their own deal to screw customers and are hoping most people won't remember, and offering a slightly less bad deal to those who do complain.

No respect for tastecard anymore.

dealer_wins

Maybe Tastecard think humans have a life expectancy of 2 years

You do have to laugh at these though. Its like companies offering unlimited, with limits!!

JenniferF1978

Just had the same issue for my parents' upcoming renewal of tastecard. For 3 years they had a "price for life" of £29.95 and now an email which justified "a small increase" to £35.98 because as a renewing member they were still getting a big saving over the full price of £104.98 (which I am sure no-one ever pays anyway, as they always sell on special offer!).

My parents still thought it was very good value for them at the higher price, BUT I was so angry they sold on the basis of a "price for life" and then try to sneakily increase, probably hoping many customers won't notice before the renewal or decide not to quibble for £6.

I called and was told that the price of their "Tastecard" hadn't actually been increased, but in the past they had been given the extra "Tastecard+" for free (hotel/cinema deals etc), and now there was a charge for that part of the service. I argued "+" wasn't what was originally purchased, they don't use that service, and I wanted the price for life honoured, and was told "this is easily fixed by simply removing Tastecard+ for you", reducing the price to £29.99 (4p more than original price for life, which I didn't notice).

Got an email confirming the renewal price of £29.99 a few days later. The email text was almost identical to the original one, so it still says they have access to "Tastecard+" (not that they will use it anyway)

jamthesun

Does anyone have a copy of the original offer letter or email?


I think it would help if we could refer to something concrete.


I too have had this notice.

dhil

Hi,

i do not normally get frustrated with companies but i really don't like the customer service of taste card. I purchased the card last year for a 12 month membership.

a few days before the membership ended i received a new card in the post renewing my membership. i was planning to call them anyway to cancel my membership as i hadn't used my card regularly and it seem to only apply in non-peak days in most restaurants.

i called them a3 days before my membership and was told that my deadline (set by taste card) was 5 days before the end of the membership and they would not cancel my membership for the new year. They had already taken payment from my bank account.

They didn't pre warn me in any way.

They say they sent and email...but nothing in my inbox except several emails asking me to join Tastecard (when i am already a member).

The customer service is very poor in my view.

When i initially joined taste card i remember calling to ask them not to have automatic renewals. They blame me for there poor customer service and systems.