in suggesting that the Marks and Spencer Sparks card is the worst loyalty scheme ever

[JackandDiane]

1. YOu have to activate offers - requires WAY too much thought and planning
   
2. I just want money off things I buy fgs
   
3. that fucking ' have you swiped your sparks card' is surely mitigation for murder?

[Bathinginthedark]

I only ever buy gf products and a few other odd bits of food, it kept sending me offers for normal bread and cake which, if it was based on my shopping, they should know I can't fucking eat! I don't bother going in there at all now. Zero incentive.

[Nanny0gg]

I tried that!

The final straw was a discount on jeans sent to me the day after I ordered some.

And I am not going to faff about returning them so I can re-order.

[IhateMandSSparks]

I tweeted them a copy of this thread. they'll probably still do nothing, but a few more tweeting them might not go amiss!!

[jackpommery]

Whoa hang on! You have to log in? I just swipe my cards and build up the points. Same with Waitrose. No idea what the points are for!

[melj1213]

I love a loyalty card, I have loads lying around the place but I refuse to get a Sparks card as I have never heard anything positive about them at all.

I prefer a nice simple system - when you buy stuff we give you X points per £1 ... whenever you come in and shop you can either redeem those points at Y "point redemption rate" or just add more points to your balance. Every so often there can be offers of double/triple points either on the entire stock for a specific time or on specific items.

Those are the kind of loyalty systems I use - simple, straightforward, easy and I can use them even if I've nipped in on impulse on the way home.

[AccrualIntentions]

It's total shit. I don't bother with it now. Now if they could bring out a Boots Advantage card equivalent that would be excellent

[BluePheasant]

It's so rare to get an offer on something I actually buy. Having 20% off something I never buy is not going to make me run and and buy it M&S!

For example, I quite regularly buy a wrap or sandwich for lunch at work. Have not once had an offer on these, just random things like macaroons and popcorn. What are they on?

I have thousands of points and no idea what they are for!

[greendale17]

At least we get sale previews, money off vouchers etc.

I get absolutely NOTHING from my crap John Lewis loyalty card

[ProphetOfDoom]

Come to the conclusion the M&S sparks card is a way of mining data off its loyal customers for essentially fuck all back.

Unlike Sainsbury's - I got a whack of money off a Dyson vacuum cleaner @ Argos - thanks to Nectar. Tesco and Boots have also got it sorted.

[MrsPorth]

Boots is great, as is Waitrose. Nectar was great but has become stingier.

Sparks, I swipe for the charity. No other reason. It's nonsense.

It's best to keep things simple. Money off without having to log in, or occasional freebies. Better still, points to spend.

[whereismyparachute]

I chucked mine a few months ago, I don't understand how they could get it so consistently wrong.

[Iamtheresurrection]

I got a sale preview and they couldn't fulfill my order - but waited 10 days to tell me!!

[paradoxicalInterruption]

"The Sparks card is shite but annoyingly I can't quite get rid of it as I occasionally save money with it. It doesn't make me feel happy or grateful that I've managed to save money it just makes me very slightly less frustrated. "

This sums it up perfectly.

Got 20% of a watch the other day (emergency purchase) but I just felt grumpy about it as I'd grumpily handed over my card when asked by the cheery person at the till.

And I got £5 of £35 food that I forgot to use... so I'll probably never get given that again.

[GeekyWombat]

I just went and got measured and spent 50 quid on new bras. Got home and checked my email and in the 20 minutes it took to drive back they'd sent me a Sparks 20% off lingerie offer. They did the same thing for jeans shortly after I bought a pair of jeans a few months back.

It's not a loyalty card, it's a trolling device.

But they shall not win. I've accepted the offer and tomorrow I'm returning everything to rebuy it with 20% off.

Yes I know I'm petty and need to get out more but it's a chuffing tenner!

[killjoy1]

Just got my Sparks card and thought I would take up the offer of the cream tea for 2, but can I find which branch actually does it ~ can I F*ck !

[ElBelle]

Absolutely the worst loyalty card ever! I feel like I have to keep collecting the points just in case it ever improves but right now there is zero point! Have 000's of points and the best offer they have is 5% off croissants?!?! I don't even like croissants!!! 😩 It's useless!!!!

[SkippyFox]

The Sparks card is shite but annoyingly I can't quite get rid of it as I occasionally save money with it. It doesn't make me feel happy or grateful that I've managed to save money it just makes me very slightly less frustrated.
The amount of emails is ridiculoud and totally excessive and the 'personalised' offers are a joke. It's as though they are taunting me with useless offers.

I'd rather not have it and for M and S offer simply to use and simple to understand offers to everyone. (And while they are at it they should ban all the 3 for 4 and 2 for 1 but only on a Sunday if it's not raining type of offers. I DONT want to have to buy more than I actually want. The multi buy offers are restrictive.
I don't want my shopping trips to be a test of my observational and mathematical skills. It's all too bloody complicated.

ANNOYING X a million.

[Clayhead]

I have asked so many staff members what the points are for and they just don't know.

The last one I spoke to admitted she thinks it's really poor and people are totally confused by it.

Waitrose, Costa, Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury's I can make good use of, Sparks I just cannot understand so I've binned it.

[BellyDancer124]

YANBU- was just talking about how bad sparks is today with a friend. WHAT AM I SAVING POINTS FOR CAN I ACTUALLY SPEND THEM??? someone please tell me

[SisyphusDad]

Dumped my Sparks card ages ago. It just seems symptomatic of M&S. Consider their customer surveys. I shop in the local Food store quite frequently and every now and again get asked to fill in an on-line survey. I did it the first couple of times because they get linked back to the staff member and the staff there are nice. But I gave up after it took longer to complete the survey than my actual visit to the store.

[bakedbeansandtuna]

I only have the Boots one. The Holland and Barratt one I grew tired of and the superdrug one is crap IMO.

[TurquoiseDress]

Yes the Sparks card is still shite.

I agreed with this thread when I read over 1 year ago...still haven't chucked my card out.

On the other hand, I do love my Waitrose card as Kittencatkins describes!

[Kittencatkins123]

I love the Waitrose card - wander around on a sat, get nice food, pick up free paper, get a coffee for the walk home, lunch, paper, crossword, joy.
Nectar is good too as I can get money off shops or travel. Boots I like because sometimes you're about to spend £20 on wax strips and a stupidy expensive razor because the cheap ones wreck your legs and they're like - that's free!

SPARKS CARD SUCKS.

[opinionatedfreak]

The electronic card in the app doesn't scan at the self service tills. I have way too many loyalty cards to carry them around with me in physical form.

They need one like John Lewis - I just scan my phone screen.

[ThreeLeggedHaggis]

This was posted last April.

And? Have all these problems magically resolved themselves?

People whinging about ''Zombie threads" make me stabby.