Best Buy changing Rewards Program

[dx23]

Changes are not as bad. They are trying to be more environmentally friendly, but expect that you use the points within the year they are earned. That's the part I don't like.

Important member update.
Your Reward Zone® program is changing
on October 31, 2009

* Get reward certificates faster online
* Receive benefits more safely and securely
* Be more environmentally friendly


Reward certificates will only be available at MyRZ.com
To help reduce the amount of paper we use, certificates will no longer be delivered via mail.

Reward certificates will no longer be transferable
This safety measure prevents others from redeeming your reward certificates without your knowledge.

Lastly, for the following two conditions, points will be cashed out, available certificates will be sent, and any remaining points under 250 will be forfeited:

* Your profile must include an e-mail address
Make sure your e-mail address is unique to you and shared with no one else. This will improve your security by ensuring that only you receive your reward certificates. Members who haven't provided an e-mail address will no longer be eligible to participate in the program.
* You will need to use your points in the year they are earned
Reward Zone is becoming an annual program, which means that points no longer roll over from year-to-year.
* You will need to make one purchase every 12 months to remain in the program


Read the Program Rules

We appreciate your membership, and we want to help you take full advantage of the Reward Zone program. Please verify your e-mail is correct.

[pinata242]

So they're just rounding off the fraction of a certificate I don't earn at the end of a year... into an account they set up.

Extortion to spend more at the end of the year so they don't steal my not-quite-enough points.

[dino88]

That sounds pretty shitty. It already takes an unusually long time (30+ days) for the points to be added. Now they are making you rush to use the points that take forever to become eligible. So, what happens when everyone spends a shit load on Black Friday? Do those points roll over to next year or are you only going to have a few days to use them before years end? They won't show up until the last week of the year, so I guess they're hoping people have too much on their mind (Christmas, New Years) and will forget to use their points. Seems shady to me.

[pinata242]

I don't think that's the issue. Once a certificate is issued, I think you're fine. It's usually pretty quick from the points posting to your account and them issuing the cert. I highly doubt the "pending" period will count against you. This is just meant to clear off a portion of everyone's next $5 cert.

It'll affect people who have their cert threshold on something higher than $5, why you would do that has always escaped my understanding...

[dtcarson]

Don't like the year thing. Having to use the points (ie, converting to a RZ cert) within a rolling year is one thing, but calendar year?
One purchase every 12 months. ok, fine.
I don't mind the print-only, I never had mine snailmailed anyway.
Most of the changes are definitely in their favor (and yeah, they spin the print-only as being "green", but the bottom-line of saving postage is the more likely reason.)
Does this mean they'll quit mailing the flyers with coupons as well?

[dino88]

Originally Posted by pinata242

It'll affect people who have their cert threshold on something higher than $5, why you would do that has always escaped my understanding...

Yeah, I don't understand that either. I changed mine after my first certificate was issued at $10 and I realized I had the option to change it to $5. It makes even more sense to print them at $5 increments for the fact that your purchase total must be over the value of the cert. to be able to use it. For instance, if you have a $20 cert. and have a $15 dvd in your hand, you won't be able to use it. You'll have to grab something else that puts your total (before tax) over $20 just to use the cert.

I guess I'm just a little pissed bc I'll be leaving the country soon and probably won't be back until next year. I've got some points pending that will put me over the mark, including another 500 bonus points that haven't posted yet. I don't know if I'm going to get a chance to use these now.

[KillerCannibal]

Lame. Who cares when I use them, I earned them so I can use them when I want. I ended up in the RZ Silver program, not even sure how as I don't go to BB that much, but I know I won't spend enough to stay in it when it expires on Feb. '10.

[atari2600]

BB rewards question: if i buy gift cards can i get BB reward points for that?

[Deftones]

i think you get points for gift cards but not when you spend them.

[waylonsmithers]

Originally Posted by atari2600

BB rewards question: if i buy gift cards can i get BB reward points for that?

If you buy the card at Best Buy, you get points when you purchase it but not when you use it. If you buy it at another store you get no points whatsoever.

[atari2600]

perfect. thanks.

[Superman07]

Originally Posted by pinata242

I don't think that's the issue. Once a certificate is issued, I think you're fine. It's usually pretty quick from the points posting to your account and them issuing the cert. I highly doubt the "pending" period will count against you. This is just meant to clear off a portion of everyone's next $5 cert.

It'll affect people who have their cert threshold on something higher than $5, why you would do that has always escaped my understanding...

Because I like to walk in and buy something straight up instead of just getting a discount! Yes, I know it's a wash in the end.

Anyway, my resolution this year has been to dump BB and shop with Amazon. In fact, now that I've set out to do that (I went with the Prime Shipping after a trial) I find it very difficult to buy anything at BB. Even if an item is on sale you can usually still find it cheaper on Amazon. This really sucks since I can't even bring myself to use up gift cards. I feel like I'm wasting free money by going there.

[pinata242]

Originally Posted by Superman07

Because I like to walk in and buy something straight up instead of just getting a discount! Yes, I know it's a wash in the end.

To each their own, but it's sort like telling your boss to go ahead and hang onto the paychecks you've earned because you don't like going to the bank every 2 weeks to deposit them.*

*Direct deposit left out of this little analogy for simplicity's sake

[fujishig]

At least they didn't up the amount of points per certificate like they did last time "due to customer demand"

[pinata242]

Originally Posted by fujishig

At least they didn't up the amount of points per certificate like they did last time "due to customer demand"

See, Superman, it's because of you that they think we don't want them as fast. And you've gone to Amazon to leave us with the mess you created

[JckRbbitSlim]

I love it when companies use "going green" or "environmentally friendly" as the rationale for changes in the elimination of services or goods. It's a pathetic attempt at pandering to people's sensibilities while shrewdly cutting costs. Although I did get the certificates through email, the lack of point roll over is yet another incentive in the ever growing list of reasons to just shop at Amazon....

[komsik]

Not a fan of these changes.. #1. I like them being mailed out to me and never having to go to the website to check points, when I get one in the mail its a surprise and I usually visit the store within a few days to buy something I don't really need and spend more than the $5. #2. Give me less points by expiring old ones, give me less of a reason to come in and shop.

[pinata242]

^ You know that with email, they let you know without going to the site first. It's just like mail in your mailbox, but electronic!

[Pizza]

This is petty ante of BB and hardly worth my time anymore. My card's going in the trash. I would think one would do a program like this to bring business in and maybe, just maybe, make your customers feel appreciated. Otherwise, why bother? This is probably for the best, the whole RZ point thing was a minor pain for me anyway. Now, it'll be one less card in my wallet.

[fujishig]

Originally Posted by Pizza

This is petty ante of BB and hardly worth my time anymore. My card's going in the trash. I would think one would do a program like this to bring business in and maybe, just maybe, make your customers feel appreciated. Otherwise, why bother? This is probably for the best, the whole RZ point thing was a minor pain for me anyway. Now, it'll be one less card in my wallet.

The point, I thought, was to give a small incentive to customers to make purchases at Best Buy instead of other places, and to make it easier to track purchases from customers. Grocery stores have been doing it for years before Reward Zone came along, and I read yesterday an article on Kroger grocery stores doing well precisely because they were using the customer-gathered information to properly place items on sale.

[Trevor]

I don't get all the hate, companies have the right/duty to make a profit. Buy the item wherever it is cheapest and/or most convenient. If Best Buy meets your needs, the RZ program is just a bonus.

I buy about equal amounts from Amazon and Best Buy, wherever it is cheapest.

[dtcarson]

You're absolutely right. I don't begrudge a company trying to maximize profit and minimize cost, as long as they're not breaking laws or defrauding customers (neither of which is occuring in this case). But consumers also have the right to take their business elsewhere, or comment on anti-consumer changes.

It's just slightly more galling when they say "Due to customer demand, we're making this worse for you" and "We are reducing our offerings which also have the benefit of saving us money, but we're calling it Going Green."

The RZ was a tool that could cause people to spend a little more at Best Buy because they're "earning points" rather than ordering online or shopping elsewhere. Some consumers now won't even reap that little benefit. Of course Average Joe will still likely buy at Best Buy, because, you know, they're the 'best buy', right? And that there's no real competitor to them in most areas anymore.

I still go into Best Buy occasionally, just to window shop, but I think the last two things I bought there were Scene It for 360 when it was 20.00, and one of the Dinner and a Movie DVDs with free pizza. It takes me a long time to rack up 250 points Actually I have exactly 250 points right now...and I think some of that was when I bought something for someone else on my card.

[pinata242]

I try to get BB to PM my game purchases due to the RZ Gamer's Club. Spending $150 on games gets me 500 bonus points. So by the time I hit $250 spent, I've got the normal $5 from the $250, another $10 for the first $150, and well on my way to another bonus $10.

[dino88]

This could definitely backfire on Best Buy. I can see people who hit the 250 mark in November, not making any further purchases for the rest of the year. They may choose not to buy from them until after the new year begins, so they don't have to worry about losing unused points or racing to hit that mark on time.

[reverie]

If they really wanted to "go green", why not just have the RZ points show up on your account, so when you make a purchase it deducts the $5 from that, instead of you having to kill a tree to print it out yourself? (doesn't Borders do this?)