# points programs like air miles



## shoe (Apr 6, 2005)

So I have an air miles card and i decline the use of any other point system unless it can be converted to airmiles

edit ( however my last gf had a shoppers drunk mart points card and did quite well with it)

and a friend has the sears points and just took me out to dinner at milestones with her $50 cara foods gift card redeemed withthe sears mastercard points

I mean how many cards can your wallet hold?

So the programs Im in are

RBC rewards ( just found out about this today) tacks on to my visa card

Esso rewrds tacks on to my ez pay key tag

HBC rewards damn an extra card

air miles ( thee card were talkin bout here)

and the bottom line on this is a heads up to anyone who collects airmiles

did you know that online threw the esso extra web site you can convert your rbc rewrads to esso points your esso points to hbc points and threw the hbc web site you can have your hbc points automatically convert those points to air miles each month.

Sounds like a lot of work but it all goes in 1 place

shoe and his 2000 + airmiles


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## Paul O'Keefe (Jun 3, 2005)

All these points systems are just marketing tracking tools.


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## Clockwork (Feb 24, 2002)

Paul O'Keefe said:


> All these points systems are just marketing tracking tools.


I never thought of it that way  good point. 1984 in the year 2005 perhaps? Big Brother is Watching


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## Mrs. Furley (Sep 1, 2004)

It's true that it's a marketing ploy and the scariest thing is that nobody really knows how far it will all go...

I have airmiles, optimum and hbc rewards and I'm sure they know a hell of a lot about me from these 3 cards. It's scary. I'm about to get $75 worth of products from Shoppers which I will enjoy...but at what price?


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## ArtistSeries (Nov 8, 2004)

Mrs. Furley said:


> It's true that it's a marketing ploy and the scariest thing is that nobody really knows how far it will all go...


It's the merging of various database to create "profiles" that is intrusive.


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## CN (Sep 3, 2004)

The only one I have are PC Points (because I bank with President's Choice Financial). I am sure that once I am old enough to have a credit card, these companies will know all about me.


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## Paul O'Keefe (Jun 3, 2005)

I saw a story on W5 or Marketplace about these. Basically they said that all these programs COST consumers money because they have to paid for by someone. I remember that the program looked at the Shoppers Optimum Card specifically. Basically you get points based on how much you spend that you can then use to get money back off future purchase. They showed that places with these programs actually had higher prices on their goods to offset the cost of ruining the promotional points program. Other stores that didn't have the programs had the same products at cheaper prices.

These cards are often called loyalty cards or loyal programs. Several years ago, I got ticked off at going to Shoppers Drug Mart and being constantly asked if I would like an Optimum Card when I didn't present one. I told the clerk no, and that I would appreciate if I they would stop asking me and that if I wanted one, I would let them know.

Of course the woman was taken a bit back and responded with the typical, "I just work here and they make us ask that." Maybe so, but after awhile it's a type of harrassment of the consumer. Stores and business should just offer good prices and good service. They shouldn't harass customers with points redeption programs that offer no real value.

Just imagine if a store just gave the you option at the checkout of lowering the price of a good or giving you points to redeem later. I think most would choose to recieve the price break.

So no only do these programs cost consumers money to operate (built into the price of the good), but they all cost you in terms of privacy. Companies gain valuable information about you and your lifestyle with each purchase you make with a loyalty card.


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## K_OS (Dec 13, 2002)

Every time my wife and I go to Zellers she allways pulls out her Club Z card for her points and I allways ask "do we have enough points yet to get that stick of bubble gum I allways wanted?"

she allways answers "NO"

Laterz


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## Pylonman (Aug 16, 2004)

bump


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## shoe (Apr 6, 2005)

K_OS said:


> Every time my wife and I go to Zellers she allways pulls out her Club Z card for her points and I allways ask "do we have enough points yet to get that stick of bubble gum I allways wanted?"
> 
> she allways answers "NO"
> 
> Laterz


sorta related

i always say to my girl friend when she enters her interac pin # " 1234?"

get wierd looks from people around


shoe


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

shoe said:


> did you know that online threw the esso extra web site you can convert your rbc rewrads to esso points your esso points to hbc points and threw the hbc web site you can have your hbc points automatically convert those points to air miles each month.


So................ You've managed, not only to get yourself on every major corporate spy list in the country, but also to make sure the lists are synchronised! Cool. Your identity is about as easy to steal as it could possibly be..... by the time each of these has passed the list up and down the length and breadth of the tentacles of their related corporate empire. Oh no, they won't *SELL* your info... just share it... you know, amongst friends.... Secure?.. absolutely, sir, your data is stored on only the finest (sic) Windows servers....

What the hell do people see in these cards? You let people follow your lives in detail when their only interest in you is screwing you out of yet more money. Ain't nuthin' fer free! Not only did you pay (premium price) for those "gifts" but also the infrastructure to run the program(s).


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

dont forget canadian tire money. plus the canadian tire credit card with the money on the card reward.
Not really points, but same idea.
Oh well.


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

K_OS said:


> Every time my wife and I go to Zellers she allways pulls out her Club Z card for her points and I allways ask "do we have enough points yet to get that stick of bubble gum I allways wanted?"
> 
> she allways answers "NO"
> 
> Laterz


She's saving up for an iPod behind your back!!!


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## CN (Sep 3, 2004)

Canadian Tire money is the non-digital version of all these programs  I always lose mine, though. One time, when I was little, I saved up alot of it and bought a kite! She was a good kite...

At least I don't have to fill in a personal form before they hand over the Canadian Tire money.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

I have an AeroPlan Visa card, and that's it. It keeps me using that one card for purchases, but in general they're not getting any info that they wouldn't get anyway. (As far as I know, Visa sends a points total to Aeroplan, not an itemized list.) I avoid store-based ones like the plague...but I don't usually shop in places that have them. Shoppers (Pharmaprix) and the Bay once in a while.


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