Tesco fricking Club Card / two tier pricing

[Fahbeep]

AIBU to hate Tesco Clubcard App and the two tier pricing in store. It rely annoys me on principle that Tesco actively sets out to overcharge customers in store if they haven't got the app handy or the card, in which case, massive palaver at the tills. They do this so they can scrape your personal data. It just puts me off shopping there TBH.

Moan over. I'm in Tesco's car park as a I write as I've flounced out in outrage!

I’m gullible so while I might be getting ripped off, the huge Clubcard reduction at the till makes me think I’m getting something good.

Don’t people just have the Clubcard in their phone wallet? I only ever have my phone with me, no cards or actual wallet.

I assume they are irrationally annoyed like you 🤷‍♀️

Not arguing against the fact that people on this thread hate it. Just arguing that it does in fact yield real discounts.

@Ihateslugs yep unfortunately dd chose something on offer and then learned it wasn’t an offer available to her. It doesn’t sit comfortably with me because the “normal” prices are inflated and the “club card” prices are the same as normal Asda prices. Dd now walks passed the little Tesco and goes to the main Asda for sweets, so there’s a solution. Just puts me off Tesco.

I had never thought to add it to my apple wallet as I don't ever use that app. Was getting really annoyed with poor signal meaning the Tesco app wouldn't open so thank you for the wallet suggestion!

I know you are being lighthearted (🧐) but this isn't true.

I was in Tesco this morning as it happened. I'd a reasonable 'top-up shop' list. I specifically looked for items where there was a Clubcard reduction. I didn't buy anything we're the main non-Clubcard price was higher than other local supermarket prices.

My saving was €19.25 on a €75 shop.

Items included several 3 for 2 offers (available to Clubcard only), large bag of giant Buttons (love these - silly prices usually tho!) €2 (non-Clubcard price €3.25, €3.50 in Dunnes); Muller corner yogurts €3 (usual price €5, €5.30 or so in other supermarket).

And so on.

For balance, I didn't buy some items that were more expensive than my usual supermarket, including toothpaste, fabric conditioner, shaving foam.

It appears to me that all supermarkets are in the same position - some items will be more expensive, there's a range of 'offers', some genuine, some marketing trickery.

Tesco own brand is consistently really good, for store cupboard items, in particular & also for choice, and really affordable. Overall though, I still find the overall range not good enough in the Tesco closest to me.

They should do a third tier super-discounts for Clubcard+ people!

Now the Tesco overlords have deemed that only members of their data collection club are worthy of discounted items.

Trying not to be harsh, but this is a really silly statement.

All supermarkets have operated loyalty / discount schemes for many years, bar the German entrants, whose USP is cheaper offerings across the spectrum.

The 'how' is what's changing.

So Tesco offer you that incentive at an individual product level. Other supermarkets give money off vouchers that can be used at the till.

All have benefits and flaws - eg the supermarket I use most frequently offers €10 off €50 vouchers. These are time limited to use, and some items are excluded. You can only use 4 per transaction. There's certainly a situation where people buy more to get to the next €50 to use the voucher!

The point is that individuals can choose what model suits them or not, and go with that.

I've tried Aldi & Lidl many times over the years; I find the quality poor, the range equally so & while the non-branded products are cheap, they aren't great & the branded stuff is so expensive there. And this might sound silly, but I hate shopping there, I find it depressing & the pressure at the till really puts me off. That's just me though - others love it.

The 'overlords' comment is just silly & inaccurate.

the “normal” prices are inflated and the “club card” prices are the same as normal Asda prices.

That is categorically not true! Where is your evidence?

I see the Tesco HQ Social Media Team or on the thread now. Some surprisingly in depth analysis on the alleged merits of Club Card coming from some of the MNetters... 🤔

If you mean me, then no, sorry!

I'm just a bit of a nerd about these things, along with it being something I'm acutely aware of as my food bill is crazily high, and I like good quality food & so do what I can to avail of any offers that makes this affordable.

Plus I really dislike factual inaccuracies, many of which have been on this thread.

HTH

Anyone want to explain to my elderly mum with early dementia how to use her google wallet?! How to work out which card out the many in her purse (because every shop insists on giving her one) is the right one without getting distressed that, yet again, she's really confused about something.

But really thrilled for those that it works for, even if your tiny brain can't work out why it might be harder for others.

Does she carry keys? I am sure that checkout staff would be happy to scan a key fob.

My keys (car key and front door key) would not easily fit in my pocket if I added a load of loyalty cards!

But really thrilled for those that it works for, even if your tiny brain can't work out why it might be harder for others.

What a nasty comment 😡

I too had a parent with dementia, so fully understand the myriad challenges, which extend far beyond shopping.

It is of course reasonable to ask that the needs of as many as possible are accommodated - it includes people with conditions like your mum's, those with disabilities, or literacy issues - and also those who are on a tight budget, lone parents or trying to juggle competing financial demands.

When my dad was still alive, his form of dementia meant that, a previously highly numerate man, with a senior financial role, was unable to understand how money itself worked. Notes were a mystery to him. From an early stage in his diagnosis, he needed help from family or reliable shop assistants, just to pay for the paper. Should shops not take money, in that instance?

I fully empathise with the challenges. Those of us who find the discount system useful are not possessed of tiny minds, but the reality is that no system will serve everyone equally; of course as much assistance and adjustment should be available for those who need it; and welcoming the advantage of a system to me personally, doesn't mean that I am not aware it won't work for everyone.

My keys (car key and front door key) would not easily fit in my pocket if I added a load of loyalty cards

What type of tiny pockets have you got? The cards for key fobs are tiny. And surely you only need to add the ones that are relevant to you eg your supermarket of choice or maybe boots.

(Or so as I suggested & set up Google pay / wallet which you can do on your phone)

She has one door key, but I don't think she would remember a key fob thing was on there - she doesn't take in much new information. She is still able to be independent, and Tesco is now the only food shop she can manage to walk to. I send her a supermarket delivery every 2 weeks, but being able to get out and shop still is really important to her.

Finding the system useful is far different from those saying "I can use it so I fail to understand why everyone else can't". They're the ones I was referring to.

Tescos customer service continually fail to get my app and card talking to each other. Between visits my app logs itself out and I rarely remember before the checkout, at which point there is no reception, I end up stressed, so I choose to avoid the local tesco now due to it. That's my choice and I am comfortable with it.

But I am mobile, I drive, and can easily go elsewhere. The fact there are people on this thread who refuse to accept there are elderly / disabled etc etc people who do struggle with things like clubcard are, IMO, tiny minded. The "I'm OK jack, so fuck everyone else" mindset.

And to add. The old system was fine - collecting vouchers etc etc. It's this new way of people having to pay way over the standard pricing for a myriad of products if they don't have a clubcard that I object to and find incredibly unfair for the most vulnerable in our society. As others have said, the clubcard price is rarely an actual discount, but the non clubcard price is an inflated price.

How is it more of a faff? I don't have any cards saved on my phone. I have a physical wallet, get out my store card and my bank card and pay. Absolutely no hassle. The people who hold up the queue are the ones who can't find where their card is on their phone, or their phone is misbehaving or something similar.

I hate it too. It's not a bargain for 'members'. It's inflated prices for tourists, forgetful and those that don't want to give their data to Tesco.

Annoying now that many other shops are doing it. Superdrug etc.

I don't want to carry a dozen cards in my wallet.

Lots of stores do this. Doesn't bother me - margins are very small at supermarkets and loyalty counts. It's a business and I enjoy the benefits of having a card, especially the points which I trade for air miles. If you don't have your card with you you can usually go next time to the service counter with your receipt - a pain maybe but remember your card next time!

I genuinely don’t think anyone is trying to discriminate against your mum. But, in all honesty, if she can select the right payment card, she may well be able to locate a single loyalty card too? Not trying to be unkind at all.

I can't believe how many people are actually defending Tesco, as if they're some sort of benevolent and wonderful organisation that looks after us all and has our best interests at heart.

Like f* it does. They care about making absolutely obscene profits, and they don't care how much they screw us over to get them.

I'm using my Mum as an example. She's not alone.

@justteanbiscuits

You make very valid points, well put, and I agree with a lot of what you say.

I fully accept that there are many 'advances' which I personally find useful, but many others don't. (Banking for instance, the idea I'd have to go physically into a bank seems anachronistic & a massive pain, I delight in all my online banking options. My mother is driven nuts by it. She's perfectly capable but doesn't want to. She resisted a bank card for years; she still deals in cash only as much as possible. Won't do online banking. She's had to do quite a lot of transfers & other things recently - each one necessitating a trip in person, where they yet again, try to convince her to do it online. It takes her longer & is more complicated but she wants to do it this way & it should be accommodated more easily than it is).