Rewards Points

[alphillips]

I have been saving my rewards points for some time (I only top up a small amount each month) to a level whereby I can treat myself.  At such time as I wanted to redeem some points a while back Vodafone had changed the gifts on offer such that there was nothing I wanted to spend on.  I still have a fairly high number of rewards.  Today I received a text telling me my new balance (useful) and that I could use 2000 points to get a £20 voucher for a high street store and to head over to the rewards website by 31st October to redeem my points.  My question is why?  I can see nowhere on the website that there is a time limit and I don't actually want to spend any points at the moment.  I likewise do not want to lose any points.  As per usual the live advisor chat isn't working and 191 just cuts me off.  Can anyone answer this question?

[Annie_N]

@alphillips I've had confirmation that it's an "offer" that will end on 31st October - I can only think that either the high street vouchers will be discontinued, or that the "rate of exchange" is going to fall. So, if you are interested in such vouchers, now may be the time to get some! But you won't lose any points by not taking up the offer.

However, do bear in mind that any points you acquired in 2014 will expire at the end of this year, so you do need to think what you want to do with them. You can work out roughly how many it would apply to from the rate at which you top up. Each £10 top-up earns you 100 points, and I believe you also get 50 points when you buy a Big Value Bundle. If in doubt, the Live Chat Team should be able to tell you how many points are affected.

[alphillips]

Thanks for your message.  I really only ever use Amazon to be honest, so with that not being high street it won't affect me as such.  I will try to find out when points expire but unfortunately the live chat has not worked now for the past 3 days that I've tried.

[Annie_N]

Well, we've passed 31st October, and the "rate of exchange" is as it has been since the scheme began - 2000 points for a £20 voucher - and exactly the same range of vouchers as there was a week ago and a month ago! I hoped it might mean an imminent return of vouchers for Boots and Sainsburys, or some lower-value vouchers, but no such luck.

So it appears to have been a phantom offer - did they change their minds about the offer, but find themselves unable to stop some publicity texts going out, so changed the wording? Or maybe someone was confused about the normal rate of exchange?

Anyhow, it looks as though we can all go back to sleep until the next excitement.

[alphillips]

But 2000 points for a £20 voucher has always been the case, it's not a special offer unless I have missed anythign obvious.  As long as I'm not going to lose my points that's all that really matters at this stage.

[stevetyler]

i have recieved my voucher so that i can get a new phone all i have to do is show my voucher code in my local shop and with £5 extra to pay i will recieve my phone?/ NO i have done this before with my last voucher and the same thing happened ? no you must also buy a £10 bundle ? now i have chatted on line with 3 different people on vodafone and was told that NO you do not have to pay this if you dont need too? i just want to put the sim from my old vodafone into my new phone but NO the HALIFAX branch refuses to give me my new phone unless i do , nothing in the t&cs say anything about this extra cost and vodafone direct state that no this is an option but still i cannot get my phone without paying an extra £10 ???

[Annie_N]

@stevetyler

Unfortunately, the Live Chat agents you have spoken to have been talking through their hats. Did you request transcripts of any of the chats? If so, could you give their names, so that they can be updated on this issue.

The situation has changed gradually over the past couple of years. For a while it was necessary to pay for a £10 top-up when buying a new phone through one of the Vodafone stores, but there was a "not needed" option if you bought online. Then it was changed, so that the £10 top-up became a Big Value Bundle of at least £10, and it also became compulsory when buying online - going from memory of other things at about that time, I'd say that that was probably late 2015, but I can't be absolutely sure.

The "compulsory top-up" when buying a PAYG phone isn't confined to Vodafone. Most networks have something similar, as there is a subsidy on the price of the phone, and the networks are keen that anyone who uses their subsidy should at least give their network a try, even if they don't stay forever.

If you go into a Vodafone store, the price ticket for PAYG phones includes words to the effect "£nn when bought with a Big Value Bundle". My view is that the online shop doesn't make this as clear as I'd like, in that the compulsory bundle doesn't become clear until after you have made your selection of phone, but at least it does become clear if you are intending to buy online.

The problem comes for anyone who uses the online shop to choose a phone, but then goes to a store to purchase it, whether paying by cash or card or using a Vodafone voucher. Then the additional £10 can come as something of a shock, as has obviously happened in your case.

However, going into a store has a definite advantage, as you will be able to get the store to set up the phone for you, using your existing SIM or swapping your number to a different size SIM if necessary, and then applying the BVB to your current number.

Anyone buying online will be provided with a new SIM, and the BVB will usually be applied to that SIM, which is a pretty unsatisfactory situation.

Final thought - as Vodafone store vouchers can't be used for top-ups, you'd need to pay for the BVB separately, rather than have it covered by the voucher.

I hope this puts you in the picture, although I realise it isn't what you were hoping to hear.