Sunday 23 August 2015

Loyalty Cards - How many have you got?




When I shop, I often go to Myer. It's close, it's clean and even in the mad post Christmas sales it doesn't look like a Chinese brothel on free night. I have their Myer One card and I use it, and then every now and then they send me a rewards card. Yeh I know, that's so I will go back and spend more money...I am not a complete idiot! But this time I was a winner winner 2 T shirts for free winner! I walked in, grabbed stuff I liked up to the value on the card and they stuffed it all into a baggie and I even left with the $1.35 still on the card. I mean let's face it, there is usually a catch in the fine print isn't there.

So it's a keeper this Myer One card, but let's look at the rest of  'em in my purse.

I have cards for clothing shops, which I go into, but do not enjoy and I can't bear the sycophantic bullshit of first names and chatter about previous purchases so now I am gonna finally throw 'em away cos I never use 'em cos it just takes longer at the til. Yes I shop there, but I am NOT a loyal follower mostly cos I go there under sufferance.

The Woolies one I use after every shop and I like that I get a discount on my petrol, although really filling the little Mazda from bone dry to overflowing saves bugger all. It does of course make a difference when Steve fills the  monster truck. And this is all pretty easy, so long as you remember to bring the card and you are near a Woolies garage. But all the other 'BIG DEAL' crappola is just too much trouble...log in for this, print out that, use this voucher before 5.15pm yesterday, I just truly can't be arsed. But the points from the groceries get toted onto the Qantas frequent fliers, so if I ever get sorted to use them well that will be a good day. Yeh the Woolies one can stay.

My Cinebuzz can stay too. When you go to get your ticket and you use the card they tell you if you have a freebie and that is a very nice surprise. It means that you can get a sundae for the price of the ticket, and what a delicious little treat that is.

The Virgin Velocity can stay, cos I am a Virgin girl. Really out of the Goldie they are the best, although I believe that Qantas has resumed service here in the bush so maybe they'd be worth a look next time. With those other cheapies you really get just a little less than you pay for and as a nutter traveller they're no good to me.

The Westpac credit card loyalty points have added up but all too often when I think of 'spending' them, it just becomes too difficult. I reckon someone should run a Sunday afternoon session about how to get the most out of 'em, cos I am more than a little cynical about getting too much for nothing. I did use the points once years ago, for a fully paid birthday surprise for Stevie. We flew to Cairns, hired a car, stayed in a luxury unit right on the beach all on points. So quite a lot for nothing at all - well Steve would say it comes at the expense of me using the plastic so often it's become thin and brittle, unlike my good self. But the trouble is that when you use the travel agents provided, they don't give you the best prices, so yeh I know I am spending points, but why can they not get the same fares and tariffs that are available to anyone online? That irrationally enough gave me the shits and I have not bothered again.

As there is no chance what-so-ever of getting rid of the credit cards, those points can just keep doing their thing.

I am pretty sure that there is still no such thing as a free lunch, but occasionally I remember with fondness a simpler time when store owners and workers provided good service to everyone cos let's face it, that was their job. There was no super service for people who had spent a lot of money, or who might have a lot of money to spend.

There was just good service.

No points or cash have been exchanged for this post.

Do you keep a track of your points?
Which are your favourite programmes?

No comments:

Post a Comment