Anyone else disappointed by the new M&S Sparks rewards changes?

[Nikki3009]

Hi,

Has anyone else noticed the change to the M&S Sparks Cards Rewards? I've previously often had 20% off clothing etc, but under the new system you have to spend money on certain items to earn money off future spends.

Before anyone comes at me, I know M&S don't have to offer a reward card in any shape or form. But the way the new rewards are going to operate seem highly biaised towards high-spending customers rather than all customers.

As an example...under the previous rewards I might have had 20% off dresses which, if I bought a dress for £50 would mean £10 off. Under the new scheme, I may get a £6 reward for spending £30 on a dress. So, as a customer I'm not really gaining anything - in fact, it'll end up costing me more, because I will no doubt have to top up that £6 reward in order to buy anything!

Obviously this has been done to be beneficial to M&S and it's a business decision but does anyone else feel it's a bit of a shame as a loyal customer?

Also, the influencers shilling this as a 'Fantastic Upgrade', need to start being transparent about their partnerships with M&S. You only have to do the maths to realise for the average customer, it's anything but 🙄

I am obviously a supreme customer, a cut above you plebs. We have an M&S food hall SO close, less than five minutes walk. So I buy all our food there, bog rolls and cleaning stuff comes from Tesco. It sounds extravagant but there’s only two of us and we almost never waste any food (now my straws are clutched!). We don’t have ANY other supermarkets nearby apart from Minis and Expresses, not even to drive to

Yeah yeah… excuses excuses 🤣

😂 I have just changed my preferences to revive marketing emails in a bid to join you in your superiority

Let me know when you earn admission to exalted status

😂😂😂 I am going to be so disappointed if I don’t get an invite. I googled and you can’t join the M&S Collective you have to be asked 😂

Be gone peasant!

I want one!

I am mega disappointed in the change to sparks rewards and don’t really bother with them now

I’m just been sent the thank you gift too!

I’m so jealous! Are you also a collective member? I want to join your ranks, I’m out here doing the good work of celebrating the new rewards system 🤣

I feel too thick to use Sparks, it’s too complicated and I always forget to go on there before I go in.

I assume their previous scheme was too expensive so fair enough but I could never work that one out either.

The till ladies used to help me sometimes by checking rewards for me. I do like that.

@HollyhockDays congratulations on joining the exalted ranks. Did you get the same things? Sweets, hand cream and excellent canvas bag? I’m interested to know if there is a hierarchy in the elite

Yes! Exactly the same. The handcream is really nice! We will be able to spot each other with our fancy bags!

I got the present too! All the same stuff, nice surprise in a shit week.
I do spend a lot in the food hall.

Congratulations @vjg13. I just went in and have no idea why the £1 I earned isn’t loaded onto my card. Why do I even need to load it??

I used to make good use of the discounts on underwear and uniforms, stocking up. The Christmas gifts like small perfumes and baubles were a nice touch.
I think the new scheme will be great for savings. As I won’t use it!

<stamps foot> I’m going to have to up my game

I really hate this new scheme even more as time goes on. I want 20% off all womenswear, not £2 reward when I spend £10 on pants.

I never got anything like that via the old offer it was always 20% off pajamas or children’s outerwear.

I agree I don't think it's worth having any more.
I used to like getting 20% of clothes and it actually made me buy more.
Now I don't seem to get anything I think all I've had is I a £1 reward

I've had those with the old sparks scheme.

I like it, I've earnt £26 in rewards already, just by doing my usual food shopping, so I had spend £6 on coffee get £1, spend £130 on food get £13, spend £5 on bakery get £1 etc. I don't usually buy clothes or homewards so I haven't been targeted with those.

So it's all things I'm buying anyway, I haven't gone out my way to buy anything different.

I was in there today, all the staff were wearing “new Sparks, ask me how to join” t-shirts but no one could tell me how to transfer my £1 “reward” onto the actual card. A manager even tried

Ohh that I am less happy about I got £7 chocolates for my birthday in early spring.

Doesn’t it just load up in the digital one?

@TofuTuesday that’s what I thought. I can’t work out if the money has been put on my sparks card and where it has gone, if anywhere. I’ve got receipts emailed to me so I can see if the money has come off and I can’t see it 🤷‍♀️
I’ve made it work before so I can do it again 💪