To accrue points or not to accrue points, Make Up Your Mind Boots!! (Boots Advantage Card)

Name: BatCat

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Product:	Boots Advantage Card
Date:	29/08/01 (941 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good point per pound ratio, large selection of things you can get with points, additionals ways to get points

Disadvantages: can't make up their minds on validating receipts, redeemable stars are scattered , many times you have no idea if you can buy something with your points or not

Don't get me wrong, the Boots card is a handy thing. First off you get 4 points per pound which is a better return then most loyalty cards (like Tescos). Secondly the machines found in larger Boots stores will offer you extra points coupons which you can use (like an extra 75 points for every 15£ you spend) often. Thirdly they have a huge range of promotions which give you even more points (so you can justify buying that nail varnish because really you're saving 5 pounds in Boots points, which will come in very handy at Xmas...).

However, despite all these lovely features I have two main sticking points with the Boots card. The first of these is validating receipts.

Ok, I admit it, I'm not the most organised person in the world. I have 2 different handbags that the card could be living in at any time and sometimes my husband is forced to carry it when I know he's picking up film. For people like me there is meant to be a feature where you can say to the cashier 'oops! I forgot my card, can you validate my receipt for me?' and then within 30 days you can get the points added on your card. The only problem is, that no one can seem to agree as to whether they do this anymore. I've asked numerous cashiers over the past 4 months about validating, and some do, some don't. Some glare at me and do it. The only ones who are delighted to do it are the expensive makeup counters (but then they have to smile as they've usually taken large amounts of money off me) and then getting the points back on the card is usually not a problem. But I do wish they would come up with a solid policy on this issue as I'm tired of being glared at while I buy my sandwiches.

The second gripe I have is over what you can and can't redeem your Boots points on (and for that matter that you can pay for something partially with Boots points, but I can see that would be a complicated system to set up). Normally there is a little sta
r on the price card underneath the product. But, in the large cosmetic booth type things, like Rimmel and Bourjois, there are no little stars, why not? And the stars seem to stray, sometimes you'll get nearly an entire range that is starred and the one product you actually want to buy has no star. Often this is just a mistake that is rectified by pointing out that everything on the shelf/surrounding area has a star. Then there are the higher priced objects like Clarins or Clinique, can I redeem my points with them? They don't have a star... sooooo?
Essentially wht I think Boots needs to do is to pick a scheme and apply it throughout. If you can get something with your points, slap a star on it, throughout the shop not just where it's convenient. A lot of people would use their points to buy expensive things and it would be dreadful to eye up Chanel perfume all year only to find out that it isn't in the scheme as there was no place to put the star.
So Boots, make up your minds, stars or no stars? Validate the receipts or can't be arsed but make up your minds or I'm off to Superdrug where things are usually far cheaper anyway.

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