Anger from shoppers after supermarket giant changes ‘disappointing’ loyalty program
A MAJOR supermarket chain has caused anger and confusion among customers after quietly changing its loyalty programme.
Waitrose shoppers who participate in the retailer’s myWaitrose membership program can earn personalized coupons when they scan their app or card after a store.
Previously, shoppers were automatically eligible for two vouchers per week, which could be redeemed in store or online the following week.
But due to a change in the terms and conditions, customers are no longer guaranteed to receive them every week.
Waitrose said it had not changed the frequency of its vouchers, but admitted there would be ‘short periods’ when vouchers are not issued.
They said these periods could last as long as four weeks, adding that the change will not affect the vast majority of its nine million loyalty customers.
However, the update has sparked anger and bewilderment among customers.
Waitrose confirmed to The Sun that it updated its policy in October, but a large number of customers have only realized this in recent weeks.
Someone recently said: “I don’t get any vouchers anymore.
“I complained to customer service, they referred me to IT and I haven’t heard anything since.
“Absolutely disgusting and I will shop elsewhere now.”
A second bewildered customer said: “Why no personalized vouchers please? Third week this has happened.”
A third recently said: “Have you stopped the personal vouchers, there won’t be any available the second week.”
A fourth added: “@waitrose hello, wondering when I’ll get personalized vouchers again?
“I haven’t gotten them in two weeks.”
And a fifth added: “4th week without personalized vouchers. So disappointed in this service.
“If they stop doing it, please have the courtesy to tell us.”
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “We have not changed the frequency of our vouchers; customers still receive these weekly – in addition to benefits such as free hot drinks every day and exclusive member discounts.
“Like all other supermarkets, our terms and conditions simply reflect the fact that there may be short periods where vouchers are not updated.
“These are very rare and only affect a very small number of customers, whose vouchers will return very shortly.”
It comes after The Works announced it would be axing its loyalty program on March 30, much to customer disappointment.
And in January, Co-op scrapped its points program in a huge change to its membership club.
How to save money at Waitrose
Despite the recent changes to myWaitrose, there are still some benefits to signing up for the loyalty program.
Customers can get a free hot drink from one of the self-service machines after making a purchase in the store.
Shoppers will also get 20% off selected seafood, free Waitrose magazines and 5% off dry cleaning and laundry services at Johnson’s the Cleaners on Friday.
How to compare prices to get the best deal
JUST because something is on offer or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.
There are plenty of comparison websites that will check prices for you, so don’t pay more than you have to.
Most of them work by comparing prices from hundreds of retailers.
Here are some we recommend:
- Google Shopping is a tool that allows users to search for products and compare prices on the Internet. Simply enter keywords or a product number to display search results.
- Praise spy records the history of how much something costs at more than 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and the supermarkets. Once you select an individual product, you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have them in stock.
- Ideal is another website that allows you to compare prices between retailers. All shoppers have to do is search for the item they need and the website ranks them from cheapest to most expensive.
- CamelCamelCamel Only works on goods sold on Amazon. To use it, enter the URL of the product you want to check the price of.
If you’re a myWaitrose member and have a Vitality health or life insurance plan, you can also get up to 25% cashback on Waitrose Good Health products.
You can register for the scheme for free by downloading the app on your smartphone via Google Play or the Apple App Store.
You can also order a physical plastic card that will be delivered to your home address.
It’s also worth keeping an eye out for yellow sticker bargains, which the staff add to products that have been reduced in price.
Richard Price, director of online supermarket Britsuperstore, told The Sun that the best time to visit Waitrose to pick up something is two hours before closing time, when you can get products up to 50% off.
It’s worth also opting for products from Waitrose’s budget “Essentials Range”, which can help you save big on your weekly shop.
Which other supermarkets offer loyalty programs?
Most major supermarkets now have loyalty programmes, including Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda.
The Lidl Plus program allows customers to earn points on purchases that unlock free products such as bakery products.
Customers can also get discounts in stores if they collect enough points, and win coupons.
Meanwhile, the Nectar Card for Sainsbury’s offers customers points on their purchases, with shoppers receiving one point per £1 spent.
You can also get one point for every £1 you spend on fuel and buy at Sainsbury’s petrol station.
Each point earned is worth 0.5p, and you can redeem the points when you earn £2.50 or 500 points.
The Tesco Clubcard scheme works in the same way as the Nectar Card, giving customers one point for every £1 they spend in store and online.
One point is equal to 1 cent, so for example 250 points will get you €2.50, and you need at least 150 points to apply for a voucher.
The Asda Reward scheme works slightly differently, in that customers receive Asda “pounds” for completing certain tasks in-store and online.
These pounds go into a pool of money that you can then convert into vouchers to get money for future purchases.
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