Shoppers Optimum points

[lekate]

You've made some excellent points.

Why can't items with a receipt (you need it for the warranties) be returned. If the points no longer exist, SDM has nothing to loose.

We all know that point programs track our purchases and buying trends. That is a bit of privacy we chose to give up to obtain "rewards".

And are "shady corner store" operators really that different from those who "brag" about selling on their deals at yard sales??

True, but I don't think those that sell things at a yard sale mark up the prices so much (I see people buy water 24 cases on sale for 3$, like fill up 2-3 carts, and you know they sell each bottle up to 2$ at their store).

[ame555]

[

QUOTE]

If you still have the receipts, you should be able to return the items. You don't need an Optimum account to do a return (do you?).

SDM has treated you in an arbitrary and heavy-handed manner. I would send a sternly worded letter informing SDM (not that it is any of their business) that the DS lites were for my three children and the cameras were Christmas presents for my mother and sisters, and demand immediate reinstatement of my account and return of my points. (I would expect an apology and a whack of bonus points as well, frankly.)

Someone who buys 4 cameras might be planning to sell them on, but so might someone who buys 4 chocolate bars or 4 bottles of laundry detergent. SDM cannot say one is wholesale-buying and the other is personal shopping. (Well, they can say it, but they should be called on such BS.)

Maybe we all need to ask ourselves -- if SDM is using Optimum accounts as a tool to spy on customers, judge their purchases, and punish those whose purchases they deem improper for whatever reason, do we really want to belong to this program? Are the points really worth it?

I think this is the same of every point card, whether pc, airmiles, hbc etc

[eri]

Since I started my degree (Master of Info. Studies) I have stopped using all of my points-type cards...Minimized my use of social networking sites etc..

[jojos_n_kelowna]

thanks for your insider info...good to know

[roseofblack25]

I work for one of those "shady" corner stores LOL and we do buy stuff at local big box type stores just because we dont sell enough of it to bother getting it from a supplier...and the big box stores here know where we are from and what we plan to do with the stuff and they dont even care and we still get the sobeys points or airmiles depending where we go but we only make the trip once a month or whenever we run out...so very poor excuse for taking away points for people buying multiples just another thing they made up to not honor the points that are rightfully ours

[Tuktu60]

True, but I don't think those that sell things at a yard sale mark up the prices so much (I see people buy water 24 cases on sale for 3$, like fill up 2-3 carts, and you know they sell each bottle up to 2$ at their store).

Well I say the "shady corner store" owners are the smart ones. If you don't want to pay $2 a bottle - go to the box store yourself! No one is forcing you to purchase it from the corner store. Its the convenience that the corner store offers - possibly extended hours, proximity that provides a service to their customers that will allow them to charge slightly higher prices.

[Bloo]

Well I say the "shady corner store" owners are the smart ones. If you don't want to pay $2 a bottle - go to the box store yourself! No one is forcing you to purchase it from the corner store. Its the convenience that the corner store offers - possibly extended hours, proximity that provides a service to their customers that will allow them to charge slightly higher prices.

Totally agree.

[lekate]

Well I say the "shady corner store" owners are the smart ones. If you don't want to pay $2 a bottle - go to the box store yourself! No one is forcing you to purchase it from the corner store. Its the convenience that the corner store offers - possibly extended hours, proximity that provides a service to their customers that will allow them to charge slightly higher prices.

I don't shop at these types of stores because of debit/credit card fraud. I also use my own reusable water bottle.

[Katyana08]

I think SDM basically has franchisees and consumers by the nuts. (Sorry for being crude.) They effectively can tell the consumer who, when, and how much they can transfer their points with (as it is up to the sole discretion of SDM), how they can be collected, and how they can redeem them (if 3 or 4 items is wholesale... I really want to call Wal-Mart to tell them to give me the wholesale price on some tins of cat food, as I buy more than 3 at a time!)

**For the record I have an Optimum card, and they can be sooo worth it. I'm just scared by the Big Brother attitude they (and other companies) have. What they did to Zozo and Cheapskate bothered me.

[blackpup]

I just checked out my sdm's owner & it says that its a corporate store. I guess mine is owned by h/o. Now, I feel better about my coupons & 20x

[cabmonk]

I don't shop at these types of stores because of debit/credit card fraud. I also use my own reusable water bottle.

I usually don't use my debit/credit card at small corner stores. Usually I'll go to the corner/convenience store since well yeah its convenient,lol. Usually only if I have forgotten something. The other day I bought a bunch of pasta but forgot the sauce, well I'm not going back to the grocery store to buy 2 cans of pasta sauce.
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As far as SDM goes, I think they can basically do what they want with their points program and most of us can't do anything about it. Sure, it would suck if I lost all my points but at the same time I'm not openly trading them (or trading them at all for that mater).

[lekate]

I usually don't use my debit/credit card at small corner stores. Usually I'll go to the corner/convenience store since well yeah its convenient,lol. Usually only if I have forgotten something. The other day I bought a bunch of pasta but forgot the sauce, well I'm not going back to the grocery store to buy 2 cans of pasta sauce.

I guess I'm lucky in that one of my jobs is at a grocery store, if I forgot the pasta sauce tonight, screw it we'll have it another night I always like to keep a few frozen pizza's around for this reason! I know it may sounds odd, but I really never do shop at convience stores, I don't like to pay for 100% marked up prices.

[robbiebaby69]

Very informative! Thank you for taking all that time to explain things to us!

[Macsfight]

Thanks for a great post about SDM!

[cabmonk]

I guess I'm lucky in that one of my jobs is at a grocery store, if I forgot the pasta sauce tonight, screw it we'll have it another night I always like to keep a few frozen pizza's around for this reason! I know it may sounds odd, but I really never do shop at convience stores, I don't like to pay for 100% marked up prices.

I don't have a car and the closest grocery stores to me are a 20 minute walk each way. I'm not going to walk 40 minutes for a can of pasta sauce.