User Tag List
Results 16 to 30 of 102
Thread: Blow the points and blow off SDM
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:29 PM #16
I don't live close to Walmart, so I'm not tempted to go there. I don't like their business practices either.
-
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:36 PM #17
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- Montreal area
- Age
- 53
- Posts
- 2,464
- Likes Received
- 1936
- Trading Score
- 65 (100%)
I have been at this Optimum Points thing for a little over a year and it is the best points system out there at the moment. However, I never buy anything that I don`t need and is not on sale for my rock bottom price. I usually combine with a coupon to get an even better deal. Getting the `free`stuff for buying things we need is icing on the cake.
I have never really understood those people that brag about buying stuff they don`t need or is not on sale ¨just for the points¨. I think it defeats the purpose of a points program.
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:40 PM #18
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- West Vancouver, BC
- Posts
- 7,008
- Likes Received
- 11041
- Trading Score
- 368 (100%)
SDM "deals" are few and far between......
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:41 PM #19
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:42 PM #20
I didn't mean it was comparable exactly, but it's a reward program I use, so I wanted to mention it. I stopped shopping at Shoppers last year and I have not spent any more out-of-pocket money this year than prior years. I live in a big city with access to lots of stores/sales, so that plays a part too though. Shoppers isn't that great except they have the cheapest milk in my area. Their stuff is expensive. 2/$4 chocolate bars that are $1.25 on sale elsewhere is not great to me. Sure, you get chocolate and optimum points, but you have to spend those at shoppers in one day.
For me personally I find it limiting, and I wanted to say I don't regret not buying a lot there this year. But everyone shops differently
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 01:44 PM #21
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Location
- London, Ont
- Posts
- 1,864
- Likes Received
- 181
- Trading Score
- 25 (100%)
The Walmart near me is commonly referred to as the place where souls go to die, Airmiles is useless in Ontario and I refuse to open a credit card or bank account I don't need or want to just get PC points so I'll stick with Shoppers and my 1% cash back debit account from Scotiabank. I've been playing the Optimum game for years and have only once had an issue that was easily resolved. I've probably redeemed thousands over the last 4 years.
The Shoppers I go to is 2 blocks away so unless I'm doing a 20X day or a redemption I always walk there (no gas necessary) and the staff there is fantastic. Our favourite daytime cashier knows me and my kids by name, knows that my son is obsessed with Cars 2 and my daughter is a Minnie Mouse fanatic and remembers that we always buy Smarties instead of M&Ms because my son has a red dye allergy and Smarties have natural colouring. Over Halloween my son became obsessed with Scaries (Halloween Smarties), when they went on $0.50 a box after Halloween she arranged to have 10 boxes put aside for me for the next time I came in. I didn't ask, she just saw the sale and thought of me. I get why others are going elsewhere but we're happy right where we are.
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:05 PM #22
I find their sales fantastic - i.e. last Saturday on 20X, Tide or Downey at $4.99; Dove soap at $1.99 for example. And with a ROI over 40% doing things right, all the better. I don't see better prices than those.
I get my eggs, bacon, cream there as well; plus paper towels, other personal care.
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:10 PM #23
My local store too knows me by name too. All the cashiers are pretty nice and helpful only one negative cashier, but I have been working on her.
I too, have a decent credit card (aerogold VISA, infinite) and earn lots of points pretty darn quickly. It took me 2.5 years to earn the points for my family of 4 to fly to Australia/Maui last Christmas....and I have enough points right now for another 2 top redemption flights (to Oz).
Hey to me, free is free and I am spending the $ regardless, and everything on top is a bonus.
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:14 PM #24
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
- Location
- London, Ont
- Posts
- 1,864
- Likes Received
- 181
- Trading Score
- 25 (100%)
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:23 PM #25
My SDM store is awesome with coupons and I never have any problems there. However, I only shop on 20x points day and I start my list with milk, eggs, bread and usually TP, so I am already up to $20 pretty quickly. Other items I buy are on sale and I have a coupon. I buy all of my Lise Watier and Smashbox make-up at SDM on 20 x day because it is the same price everywhere. I have 2 x $210 redemptions available for next week end. I will probably just do one redemption this time. All in all, despite the points debacles of the last few months, I still get excellent value by avoiding the over-priced items and not buying crap I don't need. I did shop there less in 2012 than I did in previous years but I am pretty happy with being able to stuff the stockings and pick up the extra Christmas treats that add up quickly -- all with points. SDM never, ever advertised a Mega-Redemption next week-end....we all played chicken with our points and lost. Like others, I hope the grocery flyer is good because I don't need much else. If not, then I will just hold onto my points and spend them throughout the year.
So many coupons....so little time!
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:25 PM #26
- Join Date
- Nov 2011
- Location
- Vancouver Island
- Posts
- 1,305
- Likes Received
- 1127
- Trading Score
- 209 (100%)
I LOVE SDM optimum points!!! I never buy anything extra to top up my points...I buy the deals they have on food (their milk is actually way cheaper then WM when it's on sale)...I trade coupons for more points (LOVE that you can trade SDM points!!) and in the end I get FREE stuff!! I seriously can't see the problem with that.
I don't count on the points for a mega or super or whatever redemption...I use them year long for stuff I need (usually waiting for it to go on sale and pairing it with coupons so I don't overpay). SDM is overpriced....IF you are.... ummmm...."silly"(to be kind) enough to pay full price, just like any store can be but that's why we are couponers ....we know what is a good price to us.
And if I use my points to buy Xmas presents and the electronics are more then WM...that's my choice to pay more ....in TAX!!! It's FREE stuff...which I will never complain about and didn't cost me anything extra (except the tax part....grr...damn government)
We all know the mantra...."I'm not picky when it comes to free"...live it ...love it...don't pay for it!!
J
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:35 PM #27
- Join Date
- Jan 2009
- Location
- West of the Tdot
- Posts
- 36,219
- Likes Received
- 21143
- Trading Score
- 173 (100%)
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:42 PM #28
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- West Vancouver, BC
- Posts
- 7,008
- Likes Received
- 11041
- Trading Score
- 368 (100%)
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 02:54 PM #29
There is one cashier at my favourite SDM who is very strict with coupons who I avoid like the plague. I go there for 20x day and get all my medications filled there. Everyone knows me there, cosmeticians, 2 managers, cashiers, even the stockboys, lol. They all say hi or wave to me. I won this cashier over so now she's friendly to me and takes my coupons without going through it with a fine tooth comb because she sees how her coworkers are treating me. I asked her one day how she liked working there and she loves it, just that they would pay her more. From what I see, I truly believe that it's the people that you work with that makes a good working environment. One time, I saw a stockboy walk around with a box on his head, he didn't expect me to see him, lol. When my DS turns 18 next year, going to try to get him a job there as a stockboy.
-
Sun, Nov 25th, 2012, 03:07 PM #30
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- West Vancouver, BC
- Posts
- 7,008
- Likes Received
- 11041
- Trading Score
- 368 (100%)
Bottom line is.....most of us shop there because of the Optimum point program. In the past year they have clawed back points; freezed accounts; changed promotions halfway through the sale because they didn't think it through and customers were gaining more than they'd like...plus last Christmas numerous people had points disappear and from what I understand....there has not been any reasonable explanation by SDM/they have not been held accountable.
I don't trust a company that does this type of "business".Last edited by redhdlois; Sun, Nov 25th, 2012 at 03:09 PM.
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)