Any word on GC promotion?

[kidsteph]

So would I and alot of other people too..I've already heard rumours that the program will end by 2015...They may not get rid of the program all together, instead they may limit great promos or just stop offering them all together.

All programs have expiry dates in their terms and conditions...SDM has had many in the past and adjust new dated as the last one approaches. An impending expiry date does not necessarily mean that is when the program will have changes - remember July 1, 2010 was when they did a major point overhaul and I don't believe that was an expiry date.

[peachies]

All programs have expiry dates in their terms and conditions...SDM has had many in the past and adjust new dated as the last one approaches. An impending expiry date does not necessarily mean that is when the program will have changes - remember July 1, 2010 was when they did a major point overhaul and I don't believe that was an expiry date.

I hope your right...I personally didn't read anything about 2015 in their terms and conditions but maybe that is where the rumours began. I really don't know. Either way, i love shoppers and their rewards program and don't want things to change drastically for all of us because people have to get greedy.

[bonfire]

i can't see them stopping it esp that they now have a deal with a bank.

[peachies]

i can't see them stopping it esp that they now have a deal with a bank.

Very true!!

[luckbealady]

So would I and alot of other people too..I've already heard rumours that the program will end by 2015...They may not get rid of the program all together, instead they may limit great promos or just stop offering them all together.

Like someone said above, it is subject to change. But under the Terms and Conditions on the site

GENERAL INFORMATION


42. The Shoppers Optimum Program will terminate at 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2016 (the "Termination Date").

[Miss Molly]

If SDM got rid of the optimum program I can guarantee you they would see substantially less business as I for one know that 100% I would just price match everything if there was anything I wanted.

Not only that but how many people actually take part in Optimum? So many times when I'm in the store the people ahead of me don't have a card. There are the hard core users like people in this forum that likely make up a very small percentage of shoppers, no different really than people who use coupons. If SDM reduced the points there is no way I would shop there much because they're so overpriced a lot of the time. It's a tradeoff and I'm not going to worry about how much money they may or may not be losing because people take advantage of their promos. If SDM is allowing people to pay for gift cards with SDM gift cards, why is it an issue?

[Sunraven]

I always use my SDM GCs to buy Esso GCs though out the year, since when this is an issue?

[PammieD]

Not only that but how many people actually take part in Optimum? So many times when I'm in the store the people ahead of me don't have a card. There are the hard core users like people in this forum that likely make up a very small percentage of shoppers, no different really than people who use coupons. If SDM reduced the points there is no way I would shop there much because they're so overpriced a lot of the time. It's a tradeoff and I'm not going to worry about how much money they may or may not be losing because people take advantage of their promos. If SDM is allowing people to pay for gift cards with SDM gift cards, why is it an issue?

My DH'S company does work for SDM & while he was in the head office for a mtg, he was talking to someone in their mktg group. She told him that the Optimum program is the most popular points program in the world, and something stupid like 80% of Canadian women have a card. Plus she gave him some free stuff for me because he made some smart assed remark to the effect of 'so this is where my wife's pay cheques go!". Hardy har har!

I don't see them canceling the program any time soon, however, I'm sure there will be some changes in the future to keep them competitive...kinda like the changes to "plus" memberships etc

[Poirot]

My DH'S company does work for SDM & while he was in the head office for a mtg, he was talking to someone in their mktg group. She told him that the Optimum program is the most popular points program in the world, and something stupid like 80% of Canadian women have a card. Plus she gave him some free stuff for me because he made some smart assed remark to the effect of 'so this is where my wife's pay cheques go!". Hardy har har!

I don't see them canceling the program any time soon, however, I'm sure there will be some changes in the future to keep them competitive...kinda like the changes to "plus" memberships etc

They got rid of Plus memberships.

[Cuckoobird]

They got rid of Plus memberships.

Yes but there is no "official" announcement though. I'm still waiting for them to say the program is stopped for good.

[PurpleBunny89]

My DH'S company does work for SDM & while he was in the head office for a mtg, he was talking to someone in their mktg group. She told him that the Optimum program is the most popular points program in the world, and something stupid like 80% of Canadian women have a card. Plus she gave him some free stuff for me because he made some smart assed remark to the effect of 'so this is where my wife's pay cheques go!". Hardy har har!

I don't see them canceling the program any time soon, however, I'm sure there will be some changes in the future to keep them competitive...kinda like the changes to "plus" memberships etc

smart ass remark that paid off

[sweet sparrow]

I remember many, many termination dates in the past. If you do a google search, December 31, 2004, December 31, 2006, and December 31, 2011 have all been termination dates. They just keep renewing the date when the next one nears. Maybe it's like a legal opt-out, sort of like how they renege on some of their recent deals.

They can probably end the program on the date without any repercussions if it's posted as part of their terms and conditions. I think it's too much of a "goose that lays the golden eggs" for them to cancel though.

[lealgen]

I didn't know they had a policy about not buying GCs with SDM GCs, but I see what you mean...it would be like double-dipping (whatever number of points on the SDM GCs and then using those cards to buy more GCs and get points on those, if I've understood this correctly).

On the one hand, they've received "good funds" for the initial SDM GCs. so those are "legal", but using them to buy more GCs would be 16,000 points on the same $150 (if the promo is the same as last year).

I really hope they have that policy prominently featured somewhere, and that the cashiers are all trained appropriately ahead of time.

As an aside - if we used the SDM GCs to buy other ones when the promo was no longer on (effectively just swapping the dollar value to a different brand of card) that would be okay (if the policy didn't exist), right? I know I've done that at least once, when I had to go buy a Chapters GC as a last-minute present. It never even occurred to me that it might not be okay, the cashier didn't bat an eye, and I was happy that I wasn't spending more OOP on an unplanned purchase.

You don't get the second set of points if you purchased your gift cards using a SDM gift card as per the fine print.

[lealgen]

I am probably going to upset some people with what I am about to say and I am sorry. I don't think that it is right for people to try and do things that are not permitted like buy gc's with a gc. Everyones know that the policy is NO. It doesn't matter if you can get away with it you know it is wrong. With all the problems we have been having with SDM I don't understand why people are still trying to get away with stuff. Not only with this there are people telling others they can double up coupons for vib products and just because one person can get away with doesn't mean you should be telling others to do as well. Cashiers and manager would be alot more friendly if people are not always trying to pull a fast one.

I do apoligize if I have offended anyone as that is not my intention. I know there are alot of new people that are just learning how to coupon and how to get points and they shouldn't be reading about ways to buck the system. We can't stop people from trying to be sneaky and get away with things they shouldn't be but, it would be best if you kept it to yourself. I have been reading a few posts where people say they wouldn't let me do this or that and they are mad because so and so posted they got away with so why can't I, and they stand and argue with cashiers and managers and they are in the wrong themselves. So please can we all try our best to follow the rules and teach others the same.

I purchase gift cards with a SDM gift card ALL the time. I'm not trying to be sneaky - I think it's smart to purchase a SDM gift card first to get base points and then use that card to purchase Esso gift cards for instance. Just like people buy a SDM GC to pay for their purchases just to get base points.

"Everyone knows the policy is NO" - not quite, since the store manager at my store has always said that it's okay for me to do this. Other stores have also allowed me to do this in the past, like Sobeys. If I'm purchasing an Esso gift card, I don't see why a gift card can't be used to pay for it. A gift card is like money afterall!

[Tabby40]

I purchase gift cards with a SDM gift card ALL the time. I'm not trying to be sneaky - I think it's smart to purchase a SDM gift card first to get base points and then use that card to purchase Esso gift cards for instance. Just like people buy a SDM GC to pay for their purchases just to get base points.

"Everyone knows the policy is NO" - not quite, since the store manager at my store has always said that it's okay for me to do this. Other stores have also allowed me to do this in the past, like Sobeys. If I'm purchasing an Esso gift card, I don't see why a gift card can't be used to pay for it. A gift card is like money afterall!

Sorry I was talking about the promo. You can't buy SDM cards get 8000 and then use them to buy Esso or something else and get another 8000 it was stated in the rules last year for this promo. The rest of the year I trust that you can do this just not with this promo.