Have any of you..

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

received a postcard or any other form of information warning you of losing your Reward Points from Bass Pro Shops??

I received a postcard in the mail today informing me that if I didn't make a purchase by August 25th., my Outdoor Rewards Points will expire and my account will become inactive.

I've never heard of such a thing and when I signed up for this program there was no mention of it. I called the 800 number (1-800-227-7776) to ask about it and "Jennifer" told me the postcard was right but I could request a six month extension, which I did. But I HAD to buy something else in that six month period because no more extensions will be allowed. Then she got snotty because I questioned the whole thing. As the Reward Points equals money for shopping ALREADY done at BPS, just how can you "take away my money/points", which equals almost $165. for not buying something in the future? The Law, at least here in Anne Arundel County, MD, abhors a forfeiture and wouldn't let it stand if I pushed it. She then asked me to hold on and I waited for about five minutes for her return. She then informed me that if I didn't buy anything from BPS even after the six month extension, just call this same number, give them my Customer Number and they will give me as many extensions as I want. I then asked her if that would cover everyone and she said no, and "doesn't anything placate me." :huh: That's when I said "thank you" and hung up but figured I should inform y'all and I might write an e-mail to BPS Corporate Headquarters.

Man, what the heck's wrong with BPS? All of the taking up for them and their customer service over the years that I've done and then they pull something like this? I think I'm going to order some stuff on-line tonight that I don't really need but will use up my points and then I'll do more ordering from Cabela's. If you have points saved up but haven't been to BPS for awhile, you better check into it.



Uncle Billy

 

[Larry Harp]

I heard a little bit about this. Someone on one of the message boards (I don't remember which one) posted about a $10 off coupon for BPS that he got in the mail. Somewhere in the fine print it said something to the effect that if the coupon wasn't redeemed, you would loose all your accumulated points. The guy said he called a number on the coupon and they basically said, "nevermind". Since I get coupons and mailers all the time from BPS I was concerned so the next time I was in the store I asked at the customer service desk about it. The girl said that it was only an effort to find out who had active "Rewards" cards and was only sent to customers who hadn't used their Rewards Card in awhile. She checked mine and I had bought enough to not be on the list. I don't understand why they would go to the expense and trouble to try and ferret out dormant Rewards Card customers. Do they have to have cash reserves to back up the Rewards program? (I doubt it)....is it some huge bookkeeping expense? Do they need to purge the computer of inactive customers? ....could be but it sure seems like a funny way to do it. Maybe I need to apply for the job of Vice-President of Customer Relations there. I'm pretty sure I could come up with something better than this....hell, a monkey on rock could do better than this.:lol:

 

[TrepMan]

Bill - Of course I don't get my mail over here, and hope mine don't expire but this seems to be common on a lot of larger stores these days. Heck even my Delta mileage expires if I don't take flights occationaly. In fact Beka had over 75,000 miles and got a notice if she did not make a trip on Delta w/in a certain amount of months she would loose them! Luckily, we did one leg of our initial China visit on Delta. Also, if you remember there was a HUGE issue in the press about a year or so ago where Simon Mall gift cards not only had a usage fee but would decrease in value after a certain period and then expire, even though the original buyer paid cash for the card!



I hope it is just an exercise by BPS to cut its history/active databases to save marketing money and realy don't cut off those of us who are big shoppers but only in bulk occationaly (and not for year in my case!).



Trep

 

[Greg. Avery]

U.B. ran into the same thing with BPS thats why I use Cabela's now when Gander Mtn. does not have what I need. At the time they did this to me they would only extend it for 6 mo. I had bought 3 boats from them. I know they did NOT count in the reward program but a good customer I was.:wacko:

 

[Berry Lindley]

Here is a different viewpoint....Why don't you guys (and ladies) use the points up and buy something you need? If you fish, you are buying something every week or 2 anyhow (sorry Trep). What use is accumulating a bunch of money in points anyway? They are not compounding interest to your balance. I buy something there at least once a month so this won't apply to me, but why carry a meaningful point balance? This should not be a big deal to anyone even if they do implement this.

 

[Larry Harp]

I like to let my points build up to around $50 or $60 and then I buy something big like a new reel or rod. I may not want to spend $150 or $200 on a new reel but if I can get it for $90 it's not such a big deal. Just a psychological thing.



I'm a big fan of BPS so I like to give them the benefit of the doubt but I really don't understand why they're doing this. Seems like a bad PR move to me.

 

[Bill McElroy]

I agree w/Berry,.....just cash'em in and buy yourself something!! $165 will buy a nice rod/reel combo or a bunch of baits!!...all this time you spent "questioning" could have been spent "ORDERING!!!"...LOL...spend it!!!:lol::lol:

 

[Carlos Hathcock III]

Spend it!!!!!!



Or you can spend on me Bill!!! I need one more KVD Quantum Baitcaster in 6.3:1 ok???

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Geeez, now I have to buy CIII what he wants too:huh:



Berry, I think you fail to understand the point. HaHa, point, get it? The points accumulated are MY POINTS, MINE.. and I should be able to do with them what I want and when I want. At least that's the way it was when I signed up. So, BPS awarded me points for goods I bought in the past, a lot of goods, and now they change their mind and want me to use them when they say I have to or I will lose them? I don't think so. I really mean no offense but why do you care how I shop or spend my money? And as most of the people on this board know, I don't fish and haven't been able to for a long time. So why should I order something that I don't know I'll even want or use in a year or so? "Why carry a meaningful point balance?" Because I wanted to! I also just wanted to make board members aware of something they might not have been aware of.



Mac, I was going to cash them in when I had enough to get something I really wanted and that's a Loomis rod I've had my eye on. So my points were in kind of a savings account for that purpose.



I just thought, and still do, that this is a horrible public relations gaff for BPS and I don't know how I can make it any simpler to understand. What they are doing is not right.



CIII, your Quantum spincaster is in the mail.. That is what you said isn't it?



Uncle Billy

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Ok, I guess they've extended my due date for sure now because I just spent a lot of money on goods from BPS. There are a couple of other things I want so as soon as I learn that the points I earned tonight are credited to my account, I'll send in another order and then close the entire account....



Uncle Billy

 

[Bob G.]

I shop at Cabelas more than BPS, I have a Cabelas Visa and I'm a Club member. I get points on all purchases that I use my card for, not just Cabelas. I also use all of the points every time I order from Cabelas. Sometimes the points cover shipping, other times it covers most or all of the order.



If ya got points....use em.....no sense saving them.



Bob G.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Bob, I just explained why I was saving them so there IS some sense in doing so! At least it is for me. It seems to me that's why they make chocolate and vanilla, so you'd have a choice as to what you want..



Uncle Billy

 

[Rich Stern]

Reward-type cards are supposed to help build goodwill with a business' best customers. Letters like the expiration notice fly right in the face of that.



BPS is vastly different than it was ten years ago, and I don't mean that in a kind way.

 

[Bill McElroy]

Ten years ago there were 5 stores,...............now there are over 50. along with growth come massive changes in policies,......and not all of them are "customer oriented".

 

[Mini]

I received one of these a few years back when they came out with the Rewards Credit Card. I lost my points as I was out of town.....I didnt have many, didnt want a credit card either.



Before you know it you will be back up there....I need to go get some stuff soon....and I am purging my points that trip.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Well, hate to be a contrarian, but those are not your points - they belong to the store as a 'potential credit on future purchases'.



Here is their problem, which is very similar to the Airlines problem with air miles. They have to be accounted for on the books. It's either income, assets or liabilities - debt (for the most part). It's certainly not income; nor an asset. So that makes it a liability/debt that has to be carried and accounted for.



Same reasoning on the bonus cards from others; airlines; hotels; etc. Similar to the costs associated with keeping up with 'gift cards'.



As others have mentioned, just use them to buy something, or make a regular purchase to 're-up' your status.



Tex

 

[Edward Lea.]

Yep they expire. It's been quite a few years but we had to drive down to Springfield, Mo to go to a BPS. I got my points when we stopped in there on vacation. A little later here comes the card saying they are going to expire. Back then I wasn't willing to buy off the internet, yeah it was a while ago. So the points went away. I wasn't happy about it but back then what are you going to do.

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Man, the last two posts were interesting, especially by that contrarian Tex who is only making me contrary against BPS. I'm really not too sure of what everything you said was. But, like I said, if you buy a gift card in Maryland for someone it is worth the entire face value until one year has expired. And that has to be spelled out at the time of the purchase and on any agreement you sign. Even restaurant gift cards that SAY expires in six-months, etc., is not so. That's illegal here.

As far as BPS, absolutely NOTHING on any of the material I have concerning that program, nor did anything I ever signed in regard to that program, does it say anything like it's "potential credit on future purchases". Not even the card that says Johnny Morris Outdoor REWARDS. So I wonder how a "reward" can be considered as "potential credit". You're not talking about the BPS Visa Card are you? That's a whole different thing.

And Ed, they only expire if you let them expire. Like my experience with customer service showed, one phone call and they will extend it for six months. If at the end of that six months you question it, they will extend it again. They just DON'T tell everyone about it and I find that to be incomprehensible. I agree with what Rich said about it but it isn't only to help build goodwill with customers but was and is also a way to get them to spend more and more money at their BPS stores instead of other outdoor oriented stores.

So, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you John, I'm really not but I still believe they ARE my points and I will not use them just because two or three guys on here tell me to. That just makes me dig my heels in especially when I know I'm in the right. If anything, it's making me stand firm more and more in my new Crocs..



Uncle Billy