MrConsumer received an email from one of his favorite stores, Christmas Tree Shops, advertising a new rewards credit card. It seems to pay back 1%, 2%, and 5% in various categories and then they throw in some type of “$10 reward certificate” for every $10 in regular rewards that you earn.
So, I am trying to figure out what kind of $10 reward certificate this is because it sounds too good to be true. I bet it is really more like a coupon — get $10 off a $50 purchase — I said to myself.
Maybe the fine print will explain it.
*MOUSE PRINT:
*Reward Certificates are issued in $10 increments with your billing statement. Restrictions and exclusions apply, see Reward Certificate for details.
Thanks for nothing.
Clicking through from the email to their website does not offer any clearer explanation. In fact, it repeats the same exact claims and footnote.
Only after clicking “apply” and then “rewards terms and conditions” do the full details come up.
*MOUSE PRINT:
Reward Dollars will automatically be redeemed for Christmas Tree Shops andThat! Reward Certificates when the below threshold is met. Reward Certificates are issued in $10 increments via your monthly billing statement. $10 Reward Dollars = $10 Christmas Tree Shops andThat! Reward Certificate. … Once a Reward Certificate is issued, your Reward Dollars balance will be reduced by the number of Reward Dollars used to obtain the Reward Certificate(s).
So, it appears that the 1%, 2%, and 5% reward earnings are called “reward dollars” and when you accumulate $10 in reward dollars they automatically convert those into “reward certificates” good for purchases at Christmas Tree Shops, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc.
There is no bonus of a separate $10 reward certificate for every $10 in rewards that you accumulate.
How did you, dear reader, understand this offer? Did you think that you got some type of extra $10 certificate for every $10 in rewards that you accumulated? Or, did you understand that all reward earnings were converted automatically to reward certificates when you had reached the $10 level of earnings? Add your comments below.
The line “Receive a $10 Reward Certificate for Every $10 you earn!” has an implication of a 2-for-1 deal. From this marketer’s standpoint, it feels more like sophomoric Copywriting by Committee than something intentionally misleading. It’s as if the original subhead was “Receive savings for your earnings”, then an in-house lawyer or reviewing required it to be disclosed as a ‘$10 reward’, because the savings are only in $10 increments then another lawyer required it to be called a ‘reward certificate’ to align with the definitions.
Yes, I thought for sure it meant once I’d get $10 accumulated in cashback they would give me $10 more.
Do they have an expire date on the coupons? It sounds like they don’t want people to build up their rewards
Reading the Christmas Tree Shop fine print here reminds me of the old Abbott and Costello routine, “Who’s on First?” The company should hang its corporate head in shame for its conscious effort to mislead its customers.
My hunch is different than Marc as I believe it was intention. As soon as I saw “Reward Certificate”, I figured it would be something only good at Christmas Tree Shops, but I did assume that the certificate was above and beyond the “standard” $10 cash back rewards (although note that they never actually state cash back, people just assume that because they are used to seeing it).