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 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.

Who said this? I can't recall one post that I read that suggested this.

What some of us are saying is that the rewards system can be beneficial if approached in a certain way, and for a particular demographic. Of course it's not done out of charity - those of us finding it useful are aware of its marketing purpose & the commercial basis. We still benefit from it.

It's also true that others dislike it and find it a barrier.

They don't make pockets on women's jeans very big, no. I'll have to see if someone can look at my phone and work out this wallet thing.

I also shop at a mix of four supermarkets, not every week of course.

Don't get me started on the banks having closed and the issues that is causing! Her bank now do a service in the local library for help once a week and I swear she is there at least once a week! She used to be able to use internet banking fine, but she is really struggling with it now. Aging parents are a big stress!

@Pipistrellus

I think the wallet will be a life saver so!

I similarly go between 4 supermarkets ... I remember the days of a stuffed (physical) wallet of cards!

Now I don't even have a purse; tho I recently was really stuck when the shop's machines went down - I'd no cash but also no means to get any, not having my actual card with me. I was so taken aback, just goes to show that there are downsides to the technological advances!

Don't get me started on the banks having closed and the issues that is causing
I know, it's really crap. And for a lot of people, having the in person interaction really matters, as a point of connection but also in terms of security. My mother can (if she wanted) do online backing, she claims she can't but is totally adept, but she finds the concept stressful - as if money is 'going somewhere' intangible, whereas it feels like a more defined transaction having dealt with a person.

Her bank employ a type of 'triage' person inside the door, who drives her bonkers. She has to - every time - explain why she's there, yes she knows she can do it online, no she doesn't want to, no she doesn't want to be set up, before she's allowed, reluctantly, go to a teller.

I think most people who talk about it being a faff must really struggle with basic stuff in life. I do wonder these type of people aren't just constantly in a rage! Or confused!

But I do think it's a good point about it putting up the price for people who can't use the card. This doesn't sound like op though.

All the banks in our town have closed, I do 95% of banking online but occassionally have cheques (that the app can't read) or cash to pay in.
You are meant to be able to do some banking at the post office but the post office can barely cope with people posting or collecting parcels. Our post office seems to have 1 competent person and one who's there for decoration , the poor guy who knows anything is run ragged collecting parcels, helping people on the self checkout and assisting the other person who works there. You'd be there all day if anyone wanted to do banking as well!

I take a pic of the club card QR code, in case the app is down.

@Fizbosshoes

That's awful, that there are no longer any banks in your town 😮 the same is true for lots of small & medium-sized towns in Ireland (I'm in Dublin so it's still ok re branches).

I’d really like just one example of these ‘inflated’ non-Clubcard prices.

They do this so they can scrape your personal data.

Nah, shucks, really?! We didn’t know? Thanks for enlightening us!!!

If you don’t like it, other supermarkets are available.

Fallen for what? Keeping my Clubcard in my Apple wallet and taking the two seconds it takes to scan my card to save money?

For the record. I neither regard Tesco as an evil corporation, nor object to people shopping there. The thread was meant lightly. Live and let shop!

Isn't it just like lots of other places though.

I.e. restaurants, attractions, etc., where only a fool would pay the "official" prices because there are, literally, always offers to be found by a quick google.

Similar to buying a used car, (granted things are different after covid and the chip shortage), but only a fool would pay the windscreen price and I'm sure everyone knows you needed to haggle them down.

It's basically "mug" pricing, i.e. to get people who don't care about money to pay more, but at the same time, having "offers" for people more money-aware.

May not be morally right, but it's the way things have been for decades, if not centuries - even in biblical days, people would "bargain" when buying goods!

So take photos of the bar codes or use an app, or don't bother , no one cares that you choose not to take advantage of offers and cheaper prices

Ok - my iron died and I needed one urgently.

Tesco sadly is the only game in town now. I can't remember the exact price but the Clubcard price of the model I chose was over £20 cheaper than the non Clubcard price. Luckily I do have DPs card saved in my phone so I was able to use that.

There was an old lady two in front of me who didn't have a clubcard. The store assistant asked the woman directly in front of me if she had one that she could scan to save the elderly customer money which is what happened. Without the kindness of both those people she would have paid over £10 more for her shop.

The more I read this thread the more I hate Tesco!

But neither of those examples show that the non-Clubcard price was inflated, just that there were savings available with Clubcard. To show inflated prices you’d have to show that the same products were generally available elsewhere for the Clubcard price. Sorry, I thought that was obvious.

I've just gone and looked at the model of my iron. Tesco non Clubcard price was £46. It's £30 in Argos and from £22 on Amazon.

So yes. Inflated.

Even with Clubcard I'd have paid less on Amazon

Interesting. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I have had a look and the only iron that Tesco sells for £46 is not available for any sort of Clubcard price. It’s £46 for everyone, so no 2-tier pricing 🤷‍♀️Anyone would be a fool to pay that price, granted, as you’re right that it does retail much cheaper on Amazon. But things will always be cheaper somewhere else.

We’ve started shopping in Tesco again. Lidls prices were just creeping up and up. Our shop used to be £50 and it’s now up to £85.

over the last few weeks we have been shopping in different supermarkets and Tesco with their club card deals has been the cheapest.

i couldn’t care less that they have my details, any company can get our details.

There are rules that state an item has to be on sale at particular price for a set period of time, before you can claim that is the normal price and discount it. So possibly Tesco have over inflated the price of the iron in preparation for reducing it shortly as a clubcard ‘offer’.

Well maybe 🤷‍♀️I guess with something like an iron or other appliance you’re always going to have a look round at prices before buying.

My experience of the Clubcard is quite different. I don’t go in looking for the offers particularly, but if I’m looking for, say, a multipack of crisps, I might well scan the aisle to see which are on Clubcard offer. Virtually all the others will be at normal price (not inflated) and the Clubcard ones will be about 50p cheaper. So it’s quite easy to see you’re saving. It’s not as if you just look at the Clubcard one in isolation is it? You’d notice if they were trying to tell you that the special Clubcard offer was £2.35 reduced from £2.85 if all the other similar products on the shelf were also £2.35, wouldn’t you?!

It’s pretty easy to tell if you’re actually saving!

I forgot my club card recently and had done a fairly big shop and i knew about £15 would be taken off at the end. Didn't realise until payment that i had forgotten it and wasn't going to give up£15 of savings and I was prepared to cancel the shop and put everything back.

Then I remembered it didn t have to be my Clubcard..... I asked the lady behind if I could use hers and she obliged .

Win for the lovely lady in Clubcard points and a win for me in saving hassle and getting the savings.

It clearly IS that you don’t believe her if you went to the trouble of checking in that much detail. But I’m stubborn inquisitive too 😅

The £46 iron is the “Tower Ceraglide”. It was on a clubcard offer with £20 off in March.

So yes, the £46 was inflated, and they discounted it to the level of other retailers standard prices.