I HATE the Company Shopper Discounts (operated by Webloyalty International Ltd)
As my 5 day photography course/holiday in Italy is next week, I thought it would be a good idea to arrange the travel to and from the airports.
Unfortunately I can’t leave my car at Stanstead airport where I am flying out of because I’ll coming back via Gatwick airport. I got quotes for taxis to and from each airport (from my house in Milton Keynes) and they are just under £80 each way. So I decided to get a coach from MK to Stanstead airport for the outbound trip and my dad will pick my up from Gatwick airport for the return journey.
So I went onto http://www.nationalexpress.com and found a coach (depart MK at 03:40, arrive at Stanstead Airport at 06:00). The flight departs at 08:30, so check-in opens at 06:30. I got a 10% discount code from http://www.hotukdeals.co.uk (a good site) so it worked out to be just £15.21
Anyway, after purchasing the ticket online (nice and easy) an advert appeared on the National Express website for a saving of £15 off of my next purchase. So I clicked on it and it took me to a sign-up page which had in small writing:
Offer and Billing Details:
Sign up for Shopper Discounts FREE for the next 30 days, with our compliments, and enjoy ongoing savings for only £10 a month thereafter. Get your £15 cash back voucher, (if you make an additional booking at National Express within the next 3 months). Plus, cash back rewards at hundreds of leading websites plus all the valuable benefits of Shopper Discounts. It’s a Special Reward! If you are 100% satisfied during your trial period, do nothing. All your Shopper Discounts savings and protection will automatically continue for just £10 a month billed by Shopper Discounts to the credit card or deducted from the debit card you provided. Shopper Discounts is owned and operated by Webloyalty International Ltd. In the event your monthly membership fee were to ever change, you would be notified before being billed. Shopper Discounts benefits may be enhanced or modified at anytime without prior notice. And you have our Guarantee! If at anytime you are not completely satisfied during your trial period or thereafter, simply call Shopper Discounts on 0808 234 1539 (free phone) to let us know you wish to cancel your monthly membership benefits and owe nothing further. All your benefits and access will then be cancelled. All the money you have saved is yours to keep!
Consent to receive electronic disclosures: Please read carefully and save or print a copy for your records. Shopper Discounts will communicate your benefit and other membership information to you, including payment authorisation made by clicking Yes, by electronic communications, including email and electronic postings on our site. Your Membership Pack email will also include a copy of the Offer and Billing Details for your convenience.
I will highlight the important part of that here:
Sign up for Shopper Discounts FREE for the next 30 days, with our compliments, and enjoy ongoing savings for only £10 a month thereafter. Get your £15 cash back voucher, (if you make an additional booking at National Express within the next 3 months).
I wonder how many people sign up to this without reading it properly? It is how the sales companies leech off of the ignorant. I won’t go into the ‘they are ignorant so they deserve it debate’ (although I agree it is partly true), but I do think that advertisers who come up with ‘deals’ like this which are clearly unethical are scum (like thieves) and it should be illegal.
What do you think?