To be really annoyed you can't get points on formula?

[Jengnr]

Due to 'Government legislation'

How about the Government fuck off? I've made the decision (actually, it was made for me but that's neither here nor there), I'm spending the bloody money, why should I not be able to collect advantage points on that?

Wankers.

[MrsDimples]

EVERYTHING Idocrazythings said so brilliantly.

Fab post.

[Idocrazythings]

Thank you stargirl and mrsdimples it all just sort of tumbled out of me?

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Fabulous post Ido.

[ReallyTired]

Idocrazythings excellent post.

[PolkadotCircus]

Errr babies and mums do benefit from epidurals,inductions and many other drugs-big time.Without the drugs I took ttc my dc wouldn't even be here.

And giving points on something you have to buy isn't promotion-it's simply giving points.Any other vouchers,promotion or literature could quite simply continue to be banned.

You simply put the points on the card end of,not hard.

[Idocrazythings]

Yes, you're right polkadot drugs and intervention have their place, we live in a modern world; and without them we'd have many women still dying in childbirth and babies not surviving infancy (or being made...). I'm not saying they are the big bad, just that they are over used, and that there are vested interests behind it. I am not in any way against modern living.

With regards to the points thing, I think there is just a blanket ban to prevent competition on the sale of the products, rather than saying you can get points, but you can't get double or triple for buying product x. They just say no points, no promotion no advertising. It probably prevents sneaky loopholes being created maybe??

[fosterdream]

Infant formula doesn't go on offer. let's play.

You're skint struggling with 3 kids, childcare and bills to pay. Now standard infant milk is £10 then every week a different one goes on offer at £4 and double points. Most people would go for the one on offer.

Now I think most people know that changing milk brands will upset a babies stomach so that is why you don't get points or discounts on infant milk.

[PolkadotCircus]

Foster not talking about points like that,talking about store loyalty points,the ones you get for everything in your basket,brand is neither here nor there as all get the same discount.That is why not giving them is rather pointless.

[sheeplikessleep]

You don't think giving points is promotion?

Giving points is all about promoting a brand in the generic sense. Yes it may be promoting Boots, rather than the supermarket, but it's all promotion. Hence why it falls under the legislation that formula milk (for under 6 months) cannot be promoted.

"Not giving points is rather pointless" ... it isn't about choosing one brand over another. It's about not promoting or advertising formula milk at all, under any guise or any form. A blanket ban is the easiest way to ensure no unethical marketing slips under the radar.

This isn't about individual consumers or even thinking of it from your own perspective. It's about making sure baby milk isn't being promoted at all. It's about monitoring the milk manufacturers, ensuring they provide a product which isn't being advertised or promoted in any way.

[tiktok]

Changing brands does not upset a baby's stomach - at least not generally. This is a Big Myth, designed to make parents think they have to stick with the same brand no matter what. In fact, it's actually prob a good idea to swap brands - that way the minuscule differences in nutritional content allow the baby to experience some of the naturally-occuring different flavours in breastmilk :)

Manufacturers want you to think you must never change your baby's formula - that way, once they have snared you, you are with them for the length of time you need to buy formula. That's the reason that until the law changed about 20 years ago to stop them doing it, maternity units got all their formula free, on condition they had only one brand available. That was deemed anti-competitive and now, by law, all units have a minimum no. of brands available to mothers (or they require mothers to bring their own in).

The reason for 'no points' is to curtail unethical marketing of formula - and the reason it's unethical is explained many times on this thread.

[Idocrazythings]

Brand is neither here nor there as all get the same discount. If you buy a certain brand of non-biological washing powder this week, or their home brand cheese you will get a bonus 150 points. "They" are trying to avoid this happening with formula.

[MrsHoarder]

tiktok thank you for explaining a mystery: why when DS had blood sugar problems after birth we were offered a choice of formula. Seemed odd to us as it was the midwives insisting he had to have some and we were just keen for him to not get any worse.

Incidentally he spat all the formula (cup-fed) out and has drunk only bm since.

[PolkadotCircus]

As I said blanket awarding of loyalty points by the supermarket for everything in every supermarket with no extra vouchers is not unethical marketing.Formula companies are not awarding loyalty points or awarding anything?No one particular brand can benefit as they all get exactly the same but the consumer saves a few pennies.It is petty.

[sheeplikessleep]

Points comes under 'promotion'.

Formula milk is not allowed to be advertised or promoted. They are promoting formula milk by giving points on its purchase.

It isn't about brand trade off / inequalities. It's there purely because formula milk shouldn't be promoted or advertised. It should be provided, because it is needed, but it shouldn't be marketed (over breastmilk).

It isn't petty by any stretch. It's there for very valid and sound reasons.

[MrsDimples]

< bangs head on table >

[sheeplikessleep]

I'm with you MrsDimples

[ICBINEG]

polka but from that point of view all points are erm pointless.

boots put up the price of everything by 1 pence in every 25 pence and then give you one pence back per 25 pence for having their card. You aren't actually getting anything back at all...

So here is a potential loop hole if you give 'standard pounds spent" points back on formula.

Boots gets all generous and puts it "standard rate" up to 5p back on every 25p spent but then excludes a whole bunch of it's other products from the standard rate and gives you something lower say 1p or even nothing back on electrical goods etc. The points are theirs to allocate as they like so no-one could gainsay them. So now you get standard points on formula and no points/lower points for other exclusions. Which is obvs no different from having bonus points for formula, which most on this thread believe does go against the spirit of the blanket ban.

[PolkadotCircus]

If you promote something you advance or raise it to a higher rank.If every single thing in your basket and every single brand are awarded the same loyalty points nothing is being advanced or raised. There is also no marketing.Mothers shopping for formula have no choice and no mother is going to stop bfing for a saving of 7p on something it costs 700% more to buy in the first place.

Banning of loyalty points is petty and pointless.

[tiktok]

Polka, I'm afraid you are the one being petty with your insistence that withholding points is some sort of comment on the decision to use formula (if that's what you're saying when you say it is 'ridiculously unfair') .

Points are unlikely to be equally awarded across all brands in the same retail outlet permanently - points are manipulated by manufacturers and retailers all the time, to support short-term marketing programmes which incentivise purchase. They are a form of promotion. Promotion is outlawed by legislation, in order that the true cost of formula remains the same and does not go down and then up.

Your idea that all brands should always have the same no. of points at all times would be strongly resisted by both retailers and manufacturers, who do not want a level playing field at all (apart from the one that maintains all brands at a high price). They want to be able to differentiate brands, to shed over-stocks when needed, to offer double/triple points when they want to create brand loyalty....etc etc.

[PolkadotCircus]

Err you do get the same Boots advantage points on everything in your basket,you need an extra promotional voucher on top to get extra points which is not what I'm talking about.Obviously those extra promotional points I can see the beef with.However it would be perfectly possible to separate the two and I don't see the problem with the blanket 1p in every £1 points such as Tesco used to award and Boots still do in a similar way now.

[Pipsqueak123]

I think it's important to realise that government policy like this is in place specifically to influence healthcare costs on a population wide level based on extensive research by the WHO. Everyone should feel free to make their own 'informed' decision, but part of that decision is being influenced by policy on purpose to increase breast feeding rates.

Obviously every policy decision doesn't influence everyone's decision, but if you're in two minds between breast and formula, cost and lack of loyalty points may well play a part. Certainly out of say a million women, the influence could be significant. If people feel strongly about it then it must be having the intended effect for at least some!!

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Polka - no you don't. Certain items attract a lower rate of points accumulation - off the top of my head anything from the optician section (glasses, lenses and fluids). Prescription medicines don't attract points, stamps don't and a few other things.

[tiktok]

Polka, read my post again.

I explained, I thought clearly, why the standard application of points across all brands of formula is not possible.....but, heck, I'll try again.

It's because retailers and manufacturers would be very unwilling to renounce their freedom to use points as part of their marketing strategies. In the world of retail, points exist in order to incentivise as and when the manufacturer/retailer decide they want to. They no longer work as a loyalty scheme rewarding repeat custom and encouraging customers to use the same shop - not when every chain has a loyalty card.

I expect your idea to forbid them to offer anything but standard points on formula and to make it illegal to have double/triple points or whatever from time to time, would be rejected by all retailers, who want the freedom to use points schemes as part of their marketing. They would much prefer the simple rule of 'no points ever on formula' which everyone has to obey, than an 'only ever standard points' rule.

[PolkadotCircus]

Yes I know some don't at all only starred things which are pretty much everything bar formula and what you mention but I was of the understanding everything else was the same unless you had a bonus point voucher.