Member Card Jungle

[khun_j]

hiya,

i´m really at lost with the different member cards in bkk. actually, we just wanted the discount at the central childom supermarket, but got at the information booth a card, which is for collecting some points (?). no discount at the super :/

We buy a _lot_ of (european) food over there and neverever get any privilege. it kind of p**ses me off.

on the other hand, we buy muchos clothos there, show our "be 1st" card, get some points (?) and never know what they are good for. great - they know what i like, but i never get any use.

i don´t want a central credit card, is there a normal "payback" card available? if so - how it is called? the information tells you a lot of things, but not what you want to know...

and oh yes - which member cards do you recommend? this would sure interest not only me

[khun_j]

...aaand the last question was for bangkok alltogether, not only for central

[logpoacher]

My all time favourite card is my Central "The 1 Card" with "Expatriate Privilege 5% Off". We were advised to apply for this card when we were buying quite a lot of housewares in Central, up we went to the top floor and were given a form, my girlfriend started filling it in and then the clerk said something to her in Thai which I just knew I had misunderstood. She looked startled and a couple of questions went back and forth, then she tore up the form and the clerk gave me a new one to fill in. I asked what was going on and was told it didn't matter. My confidence that I had correctly understood the Thai increased and I pressed my girlfriend for a straight answer. With a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp, she confirmed that I was entirely correct in thinking that this card is FREE for farang or 50 baht for Thais! I immediately ordered two, in a loud voice.

It does also give 5% off most of your shopping (not the supermarket, not some brands and not anything which is already discounted). Oh, and did I mention it is free for farang but Thais have to pay 50 baht?

You also accumulate points which can be redeemed for discount vouchers and cash coupons, we recently redeemed points for a 50% discount coupon which my girlfriend used to buy several pairs of shoes. The points promotions change quite regularly.

And of course you can recommend it to your Thai friends, but do make sure you point out that they will have to pay 50 baht if they want one.

[g00dgirl]

The Tops Supermarket card is good, you get points and for these points you can get cash vouchers printed out once you have enough points and use them like money. Also they send various discount vouchers to you by mail every once in a while.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

hiya,

i´m really at lost with the different member cards in bkk. actually, we just wanted the discount at the central childom supermarket, but got at the information booth a card, which is for collecting some points (?). no discount at the super :/

We buy a _lot_ of (european) food over there and neverever get any privilege. it kind of p**ses me off.

on the other hand, we buy muchos clothos there, show our "be 1st" card, get some points (?) and never know what they are good for. great - they know what i like, but i never get any use.

i don´t want a central credit card, is there a normal "payback" card available? if so - how it is called? the information tells you a lot of things, but not what you want to know...

and oh yes - which member cards do you recommend? this would sure interest not only me

Go visit a PIZZA COMPANY outlet (NOT Pizza Hut), pay baht 199 and get a card that's good through March 2008.  It's a "2 for 1" deal, pay for one large, super deluxe at baht 380 and get the 2nd one FREE.  TAKEOUT ONLY, which suits me fine, I pick them up for the kids often, me too....

Mac

[THAILIBAN]

The CENTRAL card is indeed the most useful one, I even get 5% discount when I buy international magazines at the B2S in Central World Plaza.

as well of use is the SIAM PARAGON card, even it is not free (it was 100 Baht if I remember that right, the yearly extention of the card is then just 50 Baht, as I found out few weeks ago when my old card expired.

it can also be used at THE MALL department stores (Bangkapi, Ngamwongwan etc., and probably Korat too) and their supermarkets......

VERY useful is the ASIABOOKS membercard, which entitles you to 10% discount (magazines usually 5%, but 2 days ago I got 10% discount in Asiabooks at Emporium on the new November issue of AIRLINERS WORLD - magazine as well). u get this card for free once u make a bigger purchase, otherwise there is a small fee (though i think they changed the rules lately and made it even easier, so better inquire there urself)

[backflip]

"My all time favourite card is my Central 'The 1 Card' with 'Expatriate Privilege 5% Off'"

You don't need a card to get a 5% discount at Central - all you have to do is ask.

[sutnyod]

VERY useful is the ASIABOOKS membercard, which entitles you to 10% discount (magazines usually 5%, but 2 days ago I got 10% discount in Asiabooks at Emporium on the new November issue of AIRLINERS WORLD - magazine as well). u get this card for free once u make a bigger purchase, otherwise there is a small fee (though i think they changed the rules lately and made it even easier, so better inquire there urself)

To be precise, the 'bigger purchase' has to be 3,000 THB. They also have special promotions in selected stores (you'll get informed by snail mail) with up to 25% discounts.

[skyblues]

Tops is a very good one if your meat eater as on the majority of meat they have 2 prices one is for card holders and the other for non and the difference is normally about 50%

[jezchesters]

The Tops Supermarket card is good, you get points and for these points you can get cash vouchers printed out once you have enough points and use them like money. Also they send various discount vouchers to you by mail every once in a while.

Do you know how you check your points, and how they equate to vouchers? I've been using mine for a couple of years now and must have built up a fair few...

Cheers!

[khun_j]

oh yes - i got me tops this week, very handy. but i haven´t got an idea how many points i get for what and how to check them?

pls don´t tell me that i have to go to the (always crowded) info booth to check my points - i already know i´ll never do it ;/

how long do the various points, pints ) or whatever stay valid?

thx again

[g00dgirl]

You also get statements with your points balance by mail including discount vouchers. But to use the points you need to go to the info counter anyway, that's where they will then give you the cash vouchers, so once in a while you should check at the counter how many points you've got and if they can print you some cash vouchers already.

oh yes - i got me tops this week, very handy. but i haven´t got an idea how many points i get for what and how to check them?

pls don´t tell me that i have to go to the (always crowded) info booth to check my points - i already know i´ll never do it ;/

how long do the various points, pints ) or whatever stay valid?

thx again

[t.s]

one might ask if having your purchases tracked and applied to market research and customer profiles is worth the savings.

people are concerned by their footprints on the internet yet think nothing of letting the companies know they eat steak twice a week and use 3-5 tubes of ky jelly fortnightly.

it really comes down to how much you value personal privacy

[g00dgirl]

Yes that is something people should be aware of, that not only the items and quantities they buy, but most likely also the dates and times when they went shopping and in which store/branch will be saved in a database that might be more or less secure and where the data might end up in the end and what it might be used for will be beyond their control.

You don't need to show an ID when you sign up for the Tops card or to receive your cash vouchers, so you could just as well change your name on the application form and just leave your correct mailing address to get the mail or use a PO Box and put in a fake phone number if you are worried.

one might ask if having your purchases tracked and applied to market research and customer profiles is worth the savings.

people are concerned by their footprints on the internet yet think nothing of letting the companies know they eat steak twice a week and use 3-5 tubes of ky jelly fortnightly.

it really comes down to how much you value personal privacy

[jezchesters]

Yes that is something people should be aware of, that not only the items and quantities they buy, but most likely also the dates and times when they went shopping and in which store/branch will be saved in a database that might be more or less secure and where the data might end up in the end and what it might be used for will be beyond their control.

You don't need to show an ID when you sign up for the Tops card or to receive your cash vouchers, so you could just as well change your name on the application form and just leave your correct mailing address to get the mail or use a PO Box and put in a fake phone number if you are worried.

one might ask if having your purchases tracked and applied to market research and customer profiles is worth the savings.

people are concerned by their footprints on the internet yet think nothing of letting the companies know they eat steak twice a week and use 3-5 tubes of ky jelly fortnightly.

it really comes down to how much you value personal privacy

All a bit cloak and dagger isn't it? The evil Tops empire - they know what you have for breakfast!

[g00dgirl]

All a bit cloak and dagger isn't it? The evil Tops empire - they know what you have for breakfast!

Cloak and dagger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cloak and dagger is a term sometimes used to refer to situations involving espionage, mystery, or even assassination. The phrase dates in English from the early 19th century. It is a translation of French de cape et d'epee and Spanish comedia de capa y espada. The French and Spanish terms refer to the genre of drama in which the main characters actually wore cloaks and carried swords. In 1840, Longfellow wrote, "In the afternoon read La Dama Duende of Calderón - a very good comedy of 'cloak and sword'." Charles Dickens subsequently used the phrase a year later.[1]

No I don't think so and I would not make fun of it, datamining in this form is a very serious privacy issue. This is not an issue relating just to Tops supermarkets but to all other member cards / points schemes and customer databases, phone and flight records, etc ..

Whoever makes fun of it most likely lacks some imagination in regards to the potential uses / abuses of this data.

In Thailand direct marketing by phone or SMS might not yet be a big and annoying problem like in other countries but this data is worth a lot in the hands of marketing people.

Also the government could abuse it, imagine someone from the government who wants a list of names of Muslims, doing a query on what members bought special Muslim foods, just an example, the possibilities of use are endless.

[jezchesters]

All a bit cloak and dagger isn't it? The evil Tops empire - they know what you have for breakfast!

Cloak and dagger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cloak and dagger is a term sometimes used to refer to situations involving espionage, mystery, or even assassination. The phrase dates in English from the early 19th century. It is a translation of French de cape et d'epee and Spanish comedia de capa y espada. The French and Spanish terms refer to the genre of drama in which the main characters actually wore cloaks and carried swords. In 1840, Longfellow wrote, "In the afternoon read La Dama Duende of Calderón - a very good comedy of 'cloak and sword'." Charles Dickens subsequently used the phrase a year later.[1]

No I don't think so and I would not make fun of it, datamining in this form is a very serious privacy issue. This is not an issue relating just to Tops supermarkets but to all other member cards / points schemes and customer databases, phone and flight records, etc ..

Whoever makes fun of it most likely lacks some imagination in regards to the potential uses / abuses of this data.

In Thailand direct marketing by phone or SMS might not yet be a big and annoying problem like in other countries but this data is worth a lot in the hands of marketing people.

Also the government could abuse it, imagine someone from the government who wants a list of names of Muslims, doing a query on what members bought special Muslim foods, just an example, the possibilities of use are endless.

Point taken and agreed with - forgive my flippant comment...

I think that you are somewhat missing the point - making fun of it is not lacking in imagination of the potential uses/abuses of the data gathered. On the contrary, I think that anyone that buys into these 'loyalty' schemes lack imagination if they're not open to the potential misuses of the data generated. That should be taken as read, right?

My point is this - if like me, you couldn't give a sh*t about what people know about your shopping habits, then sign up and get some (admittedly pathetic) benefits. If you are concerned about third parties storing data on your shopping habits then don't sign up. If you sign up and you haven't considered the potential consequences, then you must be a bit stupid - everyone has a choice, right? It's not like they force you to have a loyalty card...

Just my point of view, of course...

[khun_j]

"if like me, you couldn't give a sh*t about what people know about your shopping habits, then sign up and get some (admittedly pathetic) benefits"

my point of view as well - i usually buy so exciting things like cheese, ham or rye bread but sure - everything will be put to record. it´s everyone´s own choice and needs to be thought over well.

i´m still not wiser about the central supermarket thing, but ok, i get most of it at tops as well

[Tyke]

Yes that is something people should be aware of, that not only the items and quantities they buy, but most likely also the dates and times when they went shopping and in which store/branch will be saved in a database that might be more or less secure and where the data might end up in the end and what it might be used for will be beyond their control.

You don't need to show an ID when you sign up for the Tops card or to receive your cash vouchers, so you could just as well change your name on the application form and just leave your correct mailing address to get the mail or use a PO Box and put in a fake phone number if you are worried.

one might ask if having your purchases tracked and applied to market research and customer profiles is worth the savings.

people are concerned by their footprints on the internet yet think nothing of letting the companies know they eat steak twice a week and use 3-5 tubes of ky jelly fortnightly.

it really comes down to how much you value personal privacy

All a bit cloak and dagger isn't it? The evil Tops empire - they know what you have for breakfast!

Well I wouldn't want any of my data mined by any company anywhere for the sake of 5% off a few things. Once they have that data, they won't delete it, as part of their research is into historical trends. Look what happened to SWIFT transaction data in Belgium - given freely to the US government in the 'fight on terror'. To say nothing about Yahoo betraying the chinese dissidents. Don't be fooled by the inocuous appearance of Tops - their data can be requisitioned at any time by the Thai military or any other Thai government - and the US government only has to ask! You never know, my predeliction for unswettened, unflavoured yogurt might mean a whole lot to them - hel_l I could be construed as a greeny liberal ready to fight the good fight for organic food.

I know all this might sound over the top but why not just give a false name and address on the application? From what I have read here

you can still get cash vouchers at the info desk without a letter in the mail - is that so? In any case who really needs cash vouchers? The immediate discount on individual items in Tops anyway is good enough. Collecting points is for saddies. I remember throwing my Tesco card from the till right across the store when in the UK - I felt so free of all the points-collecting hangups associated with it eg. having to carry the card everywhere, looking out for the particular store to buy from, all the advertising blurb that comes with the points account, then all the hassle with cashing the points - it's never ending - and you do all that work for them for maybe 5% off items on non-discounted goods. That's why they have so many bloody fake sales on at these stores! That's my tuppence worth anyway. I've convinced my self now so might as well ditch my card.