CVS Email Offered 50% Off Memberships, But It’s Full Price Online

CVS just sent out a sensational year-end promotion via email for CVS ExtraCare Plus — its premium loyalty program — promising customers a $10 monthly bonus reward for a year and it would only cost $2 a month.

Whatta deal — pay $2 a month and get $10 off every month!

CVS maintains two types of loyalty programs. The most common is CVS ExtraCare – a free card with a barcode that most of us have. The other is called CVS ExtraCare Plus – which is a $48 a year program that provides extra benefits, including 20% off on full price CVS brand products, free delivery and shipping, and a $10 monthly credit on purchases.

Since MrConsumer had planned to feature this offer in Consumer World as the “Bargain of the Week,” he tested the promotion on the CVS website to ensure it was giving customers what it promised.

*MOUSE PRINT:

To his surprise, the screen on which customers would finalize the purchase of the plan for a year was charging the full price — $48.

We immediately contacted CVS’ PR folks to alert them to the issue and get an explanation. And the answer was, where else, lurking in the fine print:

*MOUSE PRINT:

So you have to be a first-time “plus” member, and enroll in person in the store. The company could have made it a lot easier for customers if they simply issued a promo code that could be entered on the CVS website in order to get the half off deal.