Too many club cards

[Wanabee FTer]

We started Full-timing Jan 7th this year and I am beginning to see an issue concerning store club cards.
Last year we had a few club cards like Costco, Vons and the like. No big deal, it wasn't too inconvenient when we lived in one area. Now we have so many cards I don't know what to do with them all. Every time we set up camp it seems there is a different local grocery store that requires a club card. We get the grocery store club cards so we can buy our stuff at almost reasonable prices. Sometimes we camp close to casinos, so we get the club cards to get the good dinner deals. I go to discount stores like Big Lots and now I need a card from them too. It seems like every store we walk into requires another club card so we don't have to pay the ridiculous high prices without one.
So anyways I get an email from a discount store saying how valuable I am as a customer and because you are a member come in and shop this sunday for 20% off anything you purchase. OK, I need to restock a few things anyway, so I went there. As I drove in I saw sign wavers all over the place saying 20% off today. WTH? I thought this was for members only. I went in the store and could not find a few things I needed, but bought the rest. At the check out everyone got the 20% off and the clerk was pushing the club card for people that did not have one.
Why did I need a club carb if everyone gets the discount anyways? My real issue now is I have so many club cards I can't keep track of them all.
Cant' we go back to the old days when a customer was just a customer, not a card or a number or whatever, and you shopped at the store with the best prices/service

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer Cant' we go back to the old days when a customer was just a customer, not a card or a number or whatever, and you shopped at the store with the best prices/service

I agree. I have so many of those tags on my key chain that I feel that a revolution is in order. Where's my shredder!

[Yaj]

I don't have any club cards anymore! One time when I didn't have a card I just said to the check out person "Bob said I could use your's". It seems that "Bob" was a mananger at that place. And it worked! Now I just say the mananger said to just use Yours to the employee and they almost always do it. More than once I said my wife has the card and then the employee just swipes their card to help me out. Sometimes they ask me for a telephone number to look it up and if I say we have cell phones only and don't give out those numbers, the employee swipes their card, again to help me out. I have even made up a phone number and that as worked!

[wa8yxm]

If you visit an office supply store they have something I call a "Card Wallet" this is a special wallet, comes in assorted sizes, designed to hold nothing but business cards... Which are the same size as Store "Reward" cards, and Credit cards, and Campground membership cards, and your FMCA card and your Good Sam's cards and on and on and on.

[RickO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm If you visit an office supply store they have something I call a "Card Wallet" this is a special wallet, comes in assorted sizes, designed to hold nothing but business cards... Which are the same size as Store "Reward" cards, and Credit cards, and Campground membership cards, and your FMCA card and your Good Sam's cards and on and on and on.

We did exactly this and keep it in the cabinet above the driver's seat. Whenever we head out shopping we just grab the wallet. Probably should keep it in the toad though.

I too wish they would just do away with all the cards and reduce the prices accordingly.

Rick

[Barbaraok]

One thing to realize is that you may be duplicated things - Vons, Safeway, Tom Thumb - all the same corporation. Fred Meijer, Frys, King Sooper - all Kroger stores.

The other thing is to ask for a courtesy card - most of the stores have them. If not, say "sorry, I won't be shopping here" and see how fast that courtesty card appears.

And don't confuse the 'loyalty' cards for supermarket chains with the membership cards from Sam's or Costco - different animals.

We generally don't worry about loyalty cards UNLESS there is a gas station with the supermarket chain - - then that can make a real difference. And there is always Wal-Mart.

Barb

[Finhawk]

When we leave Vegas in the Spring, all the Casino cards that we've accumulated over the Winter go into the trash. Then when we return in the Fall, it doesn't take that much time to get new cards. Just too much junk to carry around and try to keep track of

[Cherylv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer Cant' we go back to the old days when a customer was just a customer, not a card or a number or whatever, and you shopped at the store with the best prices/service

Next you will be asking for companies/stores to actually GUARANTEE their products without BUYING a warranty...remember those days?

[Dixieray53]

I also keep my "camping" cards in a separate card holder as they are not used every day. I keep these separate from the grocery store cards.

Tracy

[Terier]

I stopped carrying them all - I just give my phone number (which isn't really my number). I don't like that the store can track my shopping habits so the name on the card isn't really my name either.

Ok, I'm terrible

As for emails I use an account that I no longer use for anything important or that I care about so I just hit the delete key without reading. Once in a while I will get a coupon via email but that doesn't happen often. For that particular store I might read before hitting delete.

[Lorna]

I just drill a hole in the corner of the card, stick it on a dedicated key ring and keep all the discount cards in my purse (small backpack). I have a gmail account that I put on the card applications. It's my "junk" email. Some stores will accept other stores cards. Like Smith's, Krogers and Ralph's are all the outfit ( among many others The Kroger Co. - Home Page). I was using my Kroger card (Perry GA) here in NM but forgot the card one day and now I have a Smith's (Socorro NM). I'll have to remember to use my NM card in GA! :P

[jablair]

Like some others I don't bother with the loyalty cards. Just wish more people would lodge their complaint in person, in writing and via the web. Then maybe in time retail outlets just might dumb the whole scheme. That is what happened with the mail in rebates. So many complaints and dissatisfaction that they have largely been eliminated. Same thing can happen with the loyalty cards if enough persons would voice their dissatisfaction. Too many seem to think they are actually saving money.

[Wanabee FTer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terier I stopped carrying them all - I just give my phone number (which isn't really my number). I don't like that the store can track my shopping habits so the name on the card isn't really my name either.

Wish I would have read this suggestion before I gave out all my info.
The phone # thing is great advice and I think I will start using that tip
Now if I could just figure out what to do with all my casino cards?
For now they are taking up most of the space in my toads driver door storage pocket.

[JazzZen]

If you have a smart phone, there are now apps that will store the card information for you. You add the card to your phone by entering the bar code - either by number or by scanning it with your phone. Then, when you shop, you just pull up the store and the bar code appears on the phone. The clerk can scan the bar code from your phone. Admittedly, I have had some issues with the store scanner not being able to read my phone, but they've just entered the number if it's a problem.
It's not perfect yet, but it beats taking up all of my wallet space with the multitude of cards I have - and it's vastly easier to search my phone for the card!