Monday 21 October 2013

Having a laugh!

That's what I think someone at that big supermarket you all know I don't like must be doing!  Sitting on my bed in Aberystwyth Friday night, I idly opened the post that the postie had given me as we were leaving here in the morning: a catalogue from The Book People [straight in the bin to avoid temptation] and a letter from Tesco.  I didn't think too much about it as I sometimes get a wee bundle of "personalised" vouchers in the post, so that was what I imagined I had got then.

No.  No such luck.  What I had got was just ridiculous!  An offer for a voucher of £60 off a £110 shop, when I did shopping totalling £110 each week for the next four weeks......words failed me then, and they are only flowing now because I have looked into this!  Even the "reward" shop at the end when I spend the voucher would cost me at least £50...

On the FB page for that shop, there has been quite some feedback, so they should be in no doubt as to what folk think about it all.  To add insult to injury, in a manner of speaking, we haven't all been sent the same offer: some people are reporting having to spend £130 a week for the period to get a £70 voucher, others £80 to get £40 and one person even reports her offer is to spend £150/week to get £75 back......how do they think ordinary people are going to afford to commit these sorts of amounts to one shop in a month?!

Morrison's, on the other hand, have a system of vouchers, where anyone who spends £40 will get a voucher, and one is supposed to collect vouchers from nine different weeks between 7th October and 9th December in order to qualify for a £40 voucher.  The voucher will be collectable in store between 16th and 31st December and must be spent in the same period, and no change will be given.  There does not seem to be a minimum spend, but obviously, if you spend less than £40, you will lose out.

This is a much more sustainable and reasonable scheme, and one in which I would definitely participate if I lived closer to a Morrison's, as £40 each week would be sensible and within reason for us.  Go, Morrison's!

However, since I do not have the luxury of easy access to Morrison's, nor do I wish to spend stupid amounts in that other emporium, I shall be wending my way to Lidl this week for the few bits and pieces we need......good prices all the time with no daft gimmicks.  Probably make a trip to an Aldi next week, as it will be half term, and I shall be doing a stock-up shop.

(image at the top from dailymail.co.uk and at the bottom from telegraph.co.uk)

Did you get an offer from that supermarket?  Are you tempted?  Are you participating in the Morrison's voucher scheme?  

12 comments:

Sue in Suffolk said...

Should I feel upset at not receiving any sort of offer? ( sob - they dont care about me!) Or mighty glad that I obviously don't spend enough there for them to bother with sending me any thing!!

Morgan said...

Don't be upset ;) I feel kind of insulted by it myself the more I think about it! I haven't spent anywhere near that amount in there for a long time, and I don't understand why they would think that I would do so now...even if I bought petrol/diesel there, we wouldn't buy it every week. We now buy fuel elsewhere as we have found a cheaper garage which is on our way to the girls' school so we pass it often.

rabbitquilter said...

Unfortunately we don't live near a Morrisons either. I haven't been in Tesco (except for a couple of emergencies!!) for a few years, both my boy's worked there, they worked hard to and I can't begin to tell you how they were treated, it disgusted me. I don't often interfere in their lives, but I was up seeing the Managers on a few occasions. The Managers seem to change more often than the weather, and none of them really cared about their staff, even when one swore at my youngest. I was so glad when the boy's got other jobs, that they enjoy. So the rabbitquilter boycott continues!!!! Won't make a jot of difference to Tesco, but it makes me feel better!!!!!

Morgan said...

RQ - have heard some horrible things about how people have been treated, and yet others who seem to have a positive experience, so it seems to be a localised thing, where some stores are run by better managers, but one of our neighbours is an ex-manager and she retired because she had had enough of the way she was being pushed to deal with the issues. I know someone who told me that her friend had applied for a job and was told she had to submit a letter from her husband indicating that he would give her permission to work there...the mind boggles!

I am really working on using alternatives myself, and finding that other supermarkets can compete very well. The only thing for us is proximity - we have the place in every direction from here!

Lesley said...

I'm feeling left out and rejected! A good friend got the £70 off for £130 spends, but so far nothing for me. I don't claim to be uber-frugal, but even I don't spend that much a week! I do the occasional shop in Tesco, (it is too flippin convenient) but I much prefer Sainsburys. We will have a Morrisons soon; one is being built right now (to add to the Asda and Sainsbury's which are not much more than a stone's throw from the site). I really won't have any excuse for not shopping around! Lesley x

Morgan said...

Lesley - jealous at your new Morrison's!

Anonymous said...

They sent me one - spend £40 x 4 get £25. My daughter got offered £80 x 4 to get a £40 voucher...the £80 spend is an unbelievable amount for her and her partner.

I'm so over using this supermarket!

Sue said...

They obviously don't care about me either I've not had an offer of anything. Not that I would use it if I had, they are all trying to tie us into using their shop in the run up to Christmas for the big boasting game they play afterwards of what percentage of the market they can hold for the festive period.

I stopped playing their game a long time ago. I will be shopping as usual, only for things I actually need and at any shop I care to go to, and putting a few extras in my trolley for the food banks while I'm there.

sweet blondie blue eyes said...

I used to be a Tesco girl as it was the nearest shop to me until I discovered Aldi. There are a couple of things I used to still get from Tesco but once our new Sainsbury store open I will be having a look to see if I can get them from there. The one thing I really like that T'd does is their breaded haddock fillets, but if I can find a suitable alternative I will not be shopping at Tesco for anything except possibly diesel. At the moment fuel at Tesco on the way to my friends is 8p cheaper than our local store. I just go in for diesel once a month when I visit her.

I do still have a Tesco CC which I pay off in full I am looking for another one. I am so fed up with T I do not want to put any more money in their pockets.

I was talking to the manager of Aldi a few weeks ago, I told him that I still used Tesco for the odd thing and he asked me what. One of the things was sparkling water which used to be 17p a bottle (I use it in my elderflower cordial) theres was more expensive. Tesco recently put the SW up to 24p, the next time I went to Aldi SW at 17p!! in their basic range. They have also started going spaghetti at 17p as well, more power to their elbow I say....

It is a 36 mile round trip for me to go to Aldi, but I save more than the cost of the fuel and the fruit and veg are better quailty.

Jo said...

I haven't been sent a letter from Tesco either but would never spend the amounts mentioned. I often don't spend that much in a month let alone a week. We don't have a Morrisons nearby either. So we shall be carrying on as normal and visiting Lidl and Aldi with the occasional trip to Sainsburys.

Welsh Poppy said...

I never got that offer from them but then I never shop in there unless it is a super bargain.We use Morrisons but seem to be using lidls more and more.In a mile radius we have Lidls ,Aldi,Sainsbury,Iceland,Farmfoods,Tesco,Asda and Morrisons!

Morgan said...

Wow! Thanks for all your comments - this has obviously touched a nerve with people - glad to know I am not the only one standing up to them and making our own choices! Well done, everyone.

Like Sue said, I would like to contribute to a food bank more often, and I can donate more for my money if I buy it at one of the German supermarkets or at Asda.

:)