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AIBU?

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Original poster

Do I win the prize for the worst freebie ever on sparks card?

374 replies

OchonAgusOchonOh · 30/10/2023 19:54

Just opened the M&S app and saw the little 1 beside Sparks.

Oh goodie. Will it be free chocolate or percy pigs? Or even 20% off women's clothes?

Nope. It was:

Drum roll.

A free paper bag!!!! Be still my beating heart, I can't contain my excitement.

So, aibu in thinking I have just received the worst ever freebie or can you beat that?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
AppleDumplingWithCustard · 30/10/2023 22:49

CrabbiesGingerBeer · 30/10/2023 21:41

I got the farmhouse loaf. I hardly ever shop in M&S since they moved my local store to an out of town shopping centre.

When I do, it’s for pastries or sometimes a nice tin of biscuits as a gift so I generally spend between £5 and £20 each time.

Show quote history

Colchester? That was such a dick move. I feel sorry for the older people who used to get the bus to M&S when it was in the town centre.

wesurecouldstandgladioli · 30/10/2023 22:51

I would actually like that :)

My Morrisons paper bag for life lasted for months

ThinWomansBrain · 30/10/2023 22:53

Some people🙄
You've got a free paper bag, and not just a paper bag, an M&S paper bag
And you want a prize as well?😂

Wolvesart · 30/10/2023 22:53

I was much amused that they brought in those paper bags the week we had torrential rain. I doubt most of them made it to the bus/bike/car before disintegrating

Original poster
OchonAgusOchonOh · 30/10/2023 22:54

MajorBarbara · 30/10/2023 22:48

But you have to eat it in-store because it will have gone all brown by the time you get it home.

Show quote history

That is true.

OP posts:
windysocks · 30/10/2023 22:55

I got a bottle o gin last Xmas and my sister got her shopping for free ( well it was my mums shopping, sister had already put hers through!)

AbbeyGailsParty · 30/10/2023 22:56

@OchonAgusOchonOh yes, that’s definitely the worst freebie I’ve heard of.
Who on earth thought that was a good idea, in any way. 🤷‍♀️

Stressyfab · 30/10/2023 22:59

This has made me genuinely laugh so hard
question - (sorry if I’ve missed it)
…do you have to collect the paper bag?
will they send it out if you cover postage? 😂
Congrats Op!

MadeOfAllWork · 30/10/2023 23:00

I’ve just checked mine and I have nothing at all. Which is annoying as I bought a jumper their on Saturday

Original poster
OchonAgusOchonOh · 30/10/2023 23:01

Stressyfab · 30/10/2023 22:59

This has made me genuinely laugh so hard
question - (sorry if I’ve missed it)
…do you have to collect the paper bag?
will they send it out if you cover postage? 😂
Congrats Op!

Collection only.

OP posts:
1975wasthebest · 30/10/2023 23:02

Thanks for starting this OP, you gave me a good laugh in your first post.

I agree with everyone who’s said it’s a crap loyalty scheme. I would much rather prefer to collect points to later spend on items, rather than the generally useless offers (currently 10% off their already expensive fresh fruit, sandwiches and chocolate, which I can only use once).

SilverSilverStreet · 30/10/2023 23:06

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/10/2023 20:24

I always get free poison gluten. Every single time.

My purchasing history is extremely clear that I've always bought gluten free.

It's as though it's not actually linked in any way, shape or form to the customer profiles - like the IT company that flogged it to them didn't bother enabling the 'we can tailor your promotions to the appropriate consumer groups' part after the initial pitch.

I get free poisonous loaves, too, but the small print says it applies to their Free From range, so I choose their expensive but good-for-gluten-free bread.

Twice I’ve had offer with a croissant picture. I can’t remember exactly what the small print says for those, but it includes f-f flaky pastry items but not the cakes/buns.
However, at the till it doesn’t work for free-from croissants. Both times I’ve taken a packet to the till, they have scanned it, the price comes up, I show the small print, the assistant calls a supervisor over and they give it to me for free anyway.
The bonus is that the offer stays on your card as it hasn’t registered as being used, so you could get a free flaky pastry the next day, if you chose to.

M&S f-f flaky pastry is mostly soggy, though.

melj1213 · 30/10/2023 23:07

SqueakyDinosaur · 30/10/2023 20:59

After about 3 years of answering "No, because it's absolutely rubbish", M&S assistants seem to have stopped asking me if I have a Sparks card. I just can't be arsed with the level of engagement it demands for the potential reward. Mind you, all the schemes are a lot shitter than they used to be.

My problem with Sparks is that there is no personalisation of offers, at least with other "loyalty" schemes they either give everyone the same offers (anyone with a loyalty card gets X% off etc) or they at least tailor your offers based on the information they have collected from you (eg you buy XYZ, you get offers for XYZ; you never buy ABC, you don't get offers for ABC)

I only ever buy food from M&S because they closed our local M&S and now there's a Food Hall in the next town but the next nearest M&S with clothes is 2hrs away ... Yet 80% of the offers I get are for clothes, 15% are for things I would never and have never bought and maybe 5% of the offers are relevant to me (but usually inflated - eg I buy one of something regularly and when I get an offer it requires me to buy a minimum of 2 to get a small % off)

I usually spend about £20/30 a week on food and last month the only offer I had was "Spend £300 this month and we'll give you a voucher for £20" ... Firstly that would require me to spend £75 a week which I have never done (and if I did it would be a one off buying wine or maybe stuff for a party) and secondly the least they could do was round it up to £30 to give me 10% back

The whole point of loyalty schemes is so the stores can mine your information for the analytic data and as an acknowledgement of that is that, they use some of that data to offer you little "thank yous" by way of tailored offers ... M&S get all your analytical data but consumers aren't getting their side of the deal.

timetorefresh · 30/10/2023 23:13

I've got nothing. Want to buy some bits too, holding out for a discount code

N4ish · 30/10/2023 23:14

Agree, it’s a really rubbish scheme. I shop in M&S a few times a week but don’t bother scanning my Sparks card any more. I’m not giving them access to my purchasing data without ever getting anything decent in return.

DragonFly98 · 30/10/2023 23:14

The fact that it has terms and conditions killed me.

Starbeeees · 30/10/2023 23:16

I’ve got hee-haw

fetchacloth · 30/10/2023 23:25

I've just checked mine, drum roll.

Bugger all!

Majorly disappointed 😞

MobHistory · 30/10/2023 23:28

Sweet Baby Cheese's!!! I've only gone and got a loaf.

If you could all see me now. I'm crying happy tears.

I got a loaf.

Cartwheels!

In.Your.Face.Michelle! (Who was rude to me last week! Bet you didn't get a Loaf! I did!)

Do I win the prize for the worst freebie ever on sparks card?
FiveShelties · 30/10/2023 23:29

OchonAgusOchonOh · 30/10/2023 22:41

And it's got a map of Ireland on it in case I forget where I live.

Show quote history

A bit if a dripfeed, only telling us now about the map. That makes a real difference 😂

Zandra123 · 30/10/2023 23:39

Bananas here

SunlightOverBamburgh · 30/10/2023 23:48

TokyoSushi · 30/10/2023 22:14

Just a 'Farmhouse Loaf' @SunlightOverBamburgh

Still yummy I bet!

Original poster
OchonAgusOchonOh · 31/10/2023 00:16

FiveShelties · 30/10/2023 23:29

A bit if a dripfeed, only telling us now about the map. That makes a real difference 😂

Show quote history

In fairness to me, I only noticed that when a pp had said they like the union jack design and I went to check were they really handing out bags in Ireland that were emblazoned in union jacks.

The map does look pretty though. Maybe I should collect it after all.

OP posts:
Tilllly · 31/10/2023 00:22

Zandra123 · 30/10/2023 23:39

Bananas here

Bananas? You've got free bananas?

Theredfoxfliesatmidnight · 31/10/2023 00:27

Don't mock they cost 40p/60p depending on where you are!!

As someone that has just left the employment of M and S, I can confirm the new paper bags are causing huge problems behind the scenes, no wonder they are trying to promote them.

The main problem not being disintegration in the rain as everyone thinks. The massive problem is that being made of very thick strong paper, varnished with special strong resin and filed to make a clean line at the top they are causing a large amount of quite serious injuries. Bad paper cuts, by which I mean slashing the palm clean open. Sufficiently that in the M and S I work(ed) in there has to be a first aid kit including bandages behind every till now.