SYW Changes

Just when I got really good at manipulating SYW to my will, TPTB manipulated the points system and I have not figured it out yet. This all happened this week and it has something with the new points structure and the Sears Mastercard 5-3-2-1 temporary deal.

Naturally, I am interested for more than just my own benefit. I had some brake work done on my truck on Wednesday and paid for that. I had about 25 dollars in points so I used those and instead of using my discount I option for a barcode coupon. The system said I should get $16 in points but when I checked, I only had a dollars worth. That is not how is supposed to work. So I called SYW and since I have to enter my phone number it knows that I am VIP so I get someone to answer. (They always answer so I appreciate that.) The lady looked up my missing points and found them. They won't be awarded until Nov 20 and are only good for 3 days. She couldn't tell me for sure what promotion that was part of. We talked for a while and I asked about the 5-3-2-1 promotion which she was aware of be really hadn't studied up on much. She stated, "I had better read up on that and she agreed that something was afoot because in four years she not seen that sort of points delay. Black Friday stuff I guess.

In the meantime, I applied and was approved for a Sears MasterCard. That means I should get 2% back in points.

That brings us to today, Friday 10-28, I decided to plow forward with fixing up this older but solid mini-van I bought for next to nothing off Craiglist knowing full well that I put some money into it. It is nice to have a third vehicle. I needed a new halfshaft as it turns out. The bill came to about $680. Now it's time to play the game. There was an obscure online coupon barcode that another Sears full-line associate used the other day that I had never seen before. $100 off on any purchase over $399 in auto. I knew of the exact same same coupon but it had a different barcode and it would not work because I had used my associate discount. The double super secret probation barcode went through and the invoice was finalized.

So now where are we at exactly? I check my points and I didn't get my $100 and I also didn't get my $44 in regular points plus the other $15 is lost to Black Friday and who knows when I get the other $12 is for the Sears MasterCard. I was credited with $5 in points. What? From where? I called SYW again and thoroughly baffled them. Even they don't know.

I called SYW and they said that the changes this week are causing them grief and consternation because there are issues. SYW credited me the $100 in points because that barcode went through and I am supposed to get $28 more in points tomorrow and $15 to be used between 11-20 and 11-23. No one has any idea about the $12 from using the credit card.

So what just happened? I feel bad for the SWY folks who have to deal with this. What is an associate supposed to say to a member when none of it makes any sense? All is serves to do right is frustrate everyone involved. So the corporate tarnished brass has managed to turn SYW into not only a profit margin furnace, they have managed to piss off everyone involved in the transaction.

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Here are a few other ways to find current promos offered and their terms.

As already mentioned, the weekly print ad. That ad is more easily found digitally on both sears.com & app. Info for available balance and expiration dates listed in your online profile.

The App & On-line only promos are another way to earn points. Ex: Black Friday has 100% back in points on certain items in jewelry, electronics, shoes etc....w/$50 max p/member.

$5 bonus points are offered for downloading the Sears, SYWR & KMart apps. Maybe that's where the $5 came from?

At the store level, there's a weekly report that lists all SYW offers, marketing events, and operational activities. The terms for these promos aren't included, but it's a list- and that's a start towards your points quest.

SHC Connect ->References-> Merchandise & Sales Planning -> choose your own adventure, I mean department.

Soooo, hope this helps!

AMEN! I found out several years ago that there was something hinckey..as in the milk smells spoiled and DON'T DRINK IT!

It is very hard to figure what gives you points. I have been to toe liquidation sales and both gave me points. Why ? What for? Who know.. they were listed as bonus and by playing the SYWR game, I watched for my balance to change and redeem. These were different promotions then what was listed in the ad. It feels like when they started this program and nobody knew what they had or when they expired. Great way to give out points without the customer redeeming it. Before I left, we would just check the balance and ask the customer if they wanted to redeem them. Big no no in Sears Holdings eyes.

As long as no changes or points credits are made, there should be no issue using the tool to look up your own transaction. Alternatively, have another key holder do the look up.

I would never never never use the SYW care tool to look up my own account, what an unbelievably stupid suggestion (I am not the OP btw)

You should be able to pull up the transaction when logging into the SYW account maintenance portal that is for store use. IF you are a key holder you have access. The details of what promos were applied will show up there.

Good info. So why was the Wednesday transaction points award delayed until Nov 20 but today's regular purchase is supposed to post in 24 hours? I can understand the $12 not being applied until I pay the credit card bill so that makes sense. So where did the $5 come from? I used 4 dollars from regular syw points and 6 dollars from surprise points and cleared my account only to get five dollars back in points.

It is going to be interesting to reverse engineer what is going on. Technically, the way it was before, I should not have been able to use my discount and the $100 coupon. The main beneficiary of that is my Master Tech who is buying a house and needs everything he can get. I was invoiced for something that I should have not been charged for and he will get commission for it.

My tech gets paid, I get my discount and Eddie gets another one in the arse. It is Hunger Games. Call me what you want but I will take care of my techs.

The $12 as part of the 5-3-2-1 promo from using the credit card posts once your monthly statement is generated. That is how it works.

The $15 points that posts later is a buy now, spend again promo that applies to anything in Sears and Sears Auto. THE terms are listed in the weekly print ad for Sears full line.

You stated that you used a coupon for $100 off. THAT does not award you $100 in points, although you seemed to manipulate SYW into believing you so they give you a manual adjustment of +$100 points.

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SYW Changes

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