Thursday, January 4, 2018

Rite-Aid....Oh Brother Here We Go Again!



Seems like every 2-3 years Rite-Aid changes up their program/how they do things.
WTF Rite-Aid!?!?
I guess they've never heard of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!".
That or somebody has to keep all those marketing folks in business, right?  ;-)

This new Bonus Cash system is going to suck ass, pardon my French, but it will.

I've heard the following from online sources and from a head-to-head conversation with my store's manager and a couple of cashiers too.....some are indeed fact and some of the following are rumors.....

*  That new Wellness cards will be issued(the employee are rolling their eyes about that one, since all the work will fall to them).rumor still
*  The you need to accumulate $5 in Bonus Cash(BC)in order for it to come "off" your card and be used.  Also heard you don't need to accumulate BC for it to come "off" your card.  I guess we'll find out when I go back next week and attempt to spend it. 8-)
*   When you earn BC it will appear on your receipt(it did)but sources say it won't appear on subsequent receipts(but it will be attached to your card/account).  If so, people aren't going to be able to keep track of how much BC they have(unless they study and keep track of it in a spreadsheet or with pencil/paper).
*  Unlike with +Up Reward(the predecessor of Plenti Points)you could choose to have Up Rewards printed out on your receipt OR have them electronically attached to your account(like Bonus Cash).  No such printed Rewards option with BC.
*  If you have Plenti Points AND Bonus Cash in your account, which will be taken/used first? no clue yet
*  I also heard that if you have BC to use that the register will take those as payment even before your coupons!  The workaround of not scanning your Wellness card until AFTER you hand over the coupons will work for some items but not for those that you need to scan your card to get the discount?  I foresee a lot of "post coupon" situations ahead for me and other couponers at Rite-Aid.
*  At some point, will Rite-Aid not take your Plenti Points in payment before your PPs expire in 2 years?  I don't see them hanging onto the Plenti system that long.  As long as they give us advance notice that won't be a problem.

So in some ways this new system is worse and in others it's better.
It's worse as the BC expires in 60 days, but better than the +Up Rewards because those expired in 2 weeks.
A mix of PPs and BC is a problem just waiting to happen.
Having to use your BC even if you don't want to is a problem, at least for me.
Also what about folks who share a card?  Person A may be saving BC to use on something for themselves but Person B can't not use the BC if they go to Rite-Aid first.

Again, time will tell and shake out the problems.

Sluggy

3 comments:

  1. That sounds like a nightmare. I had $2 plenty points that were to expire on Dec 31. However, they would not work two days earlier. I suppose I need to make the call to complain. Hopefully, you will have the skinny to straighten if all out in our puny brains.

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  2. I missed not having a rite aid within 200 miles until they started changing things. I don’t know that i’d Ever be able to figure out this new system. I do have CVS envy, though. We have a Walgreens an hour away; not impressed.
    Debbie

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  3. I have had plenty of trouble recently with rite aid not giving me point when I earned them, so I a, a little gun shy. I have been doing Walgreens instead. Just easier.

    ReplyDelete

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