Single hen

[Guest]

 

Over the last 3 weeks, I have had several 'discussions' with checkout staff about the green clubcard points in Tesco.

 

They've told me that you only get them for re-using Tesco bags (I use Omlet bags), I've been told that you only get 1 point per visit (doesn't matter how many bags you've re-used) and I've been told you get a point for every bag you re-use (ie, how it's advertised )

 

I'm absolutely fizzing now, so much so I sent a snotty letter to Head Office - when Tesco announced the scheme, I was sceptical, and I still believe that this is a purely penny-pinching scheme, to help Tesco make more profits - they've introduced new bio-degradable carrier bags, which are more expensive to produce., so they less the customers use, the less they need to pay to produce.

 

Anyone else had any problems with the 'green' points?

[Karen & co.]

I thought it was one point per bag re-used, regardless of where it came from

 

karen x

[ubereglu]

In our local Tesco store, you say how many bags you re-used when you get your clubcard scanned. No matter what bag you use. So I think your store has interpreted the 'green' clubcard points wrongly.

[Egluntyne]

In The Abbeydale Road Branch (Sheffield) you get 1 point per standard carrier reused, and 2 points per large bag, irrespetive of their origins.

 

If it only applies to Tesco carriers, then why the advert with Allan Wicker's suitcase, Ronnie Corbetts golf bag etc??

[Charlottechicken]

In our local Tesco store, you say how many bags you re-used when you get your clubcard scanned. No matter what bag you use.

 

Same here, and irrespective of bag origin as Egluntine said, one of my bags is a string one.

 

A green point appears to be the same as spending a pound in Tesco, but I am sceptical about this. Those of us who bother to take half a dozen bags with us will be 'earning' these points without having to spend as much. I await the November statement

[ali-s]

My local Tesco gives me 1 point for every bag used, and 2 points for each of my big jute bags

 

Last night the checkout operator forgot to add on my green points so I went to the customer services desk. I had used 3 bags for life and the nice lady on customer services gave me 15 points

 

There is an advertising board in the store promoting the green points. On the poster there is a photo of a Tesco carrier bag and also an Asda and Sainsburys bag.

[Guest]

Tesco deliver my shopping to me once a month and I hand over all my carrier bags from the previous month together with as many of the new ones that I can unpack (eg when they put one tube of toothpaste on its own in a bag ). I don't think I earn any green points for this.

 

Whichever shop I go to in between (Tesco, Waitrose, Co-Op, Morrisons etc) I use my lovely Waitrose bags. They were 'quality', so well made. I think I've had them at least 8 years and there's no damage at all (well OK, maybe a little bit grimey inside, but not at all damaged and nothing a good clean wouldn't fix).

[One Man Banned]

I have yet to try it out in Tesco's

 

I keep going to Sainsbury's to get those Jute bags free with organic items

 

Got about 5 or six now! - they hold loads and they're free!!

 

Just got to remember to take them with us when we go shopping!

[Mel (& Paul)]

there was an article in our local paper where a chap wanted to take his shopping out to his car and pack them in boxes. The checkout refused to give him green points

I have to say that I am sceptical - I think TEsco are in it for the money - like they will give you double points on organic food (which is, of course, more expensive.) I would rather buy British where I can and organic / fairtrade for stuff like oranges and bananas

[Cinnamon]

I am just really echoing what everyone else has said.

I have been getting 1 point for each bag I reuse,whatever sort og bag it is,including bringing in & reusing a Tesco wine carrier.

 

I think you should phone customer services,who are really helpful,& they will contact the branch to make sure they are doing it properly!

 

One thing I have noticed is that I sometimes have to prompt the checkout staff to give me the points,as they forget.

Also,this week the girl started to pack my stuff in a new bag,despite the fact that I had bags for life with me

[Linda]

I have to say that I am sceptical - I think TEsco are in it for the money - like they will give you double points on organic food (which is, of course, more expensive.) I would rather buy British where I can and organic / fairtrade for stuff like oranges and bananas

 

Of course they are only in it for the money. There will be a whole team on the case thinking up ways of how to convince the gullible general public that, as they care so much about the environment, we can all feel perfectly guilt-free about shopping there. Help to contribute towards Tesco's massive profits while keeping your social conscience intact!

[Guest]

I can assure you (as someone who unfortunately used to work for Tesco), that the whole scheme is to stop them having to pay to produce so many of the new degradable poly bags.

[Egluntyne]

Well that's no bad thing in its own way, as long as they don't produce more of the non degradeable ones instead.

 

If we paid for the bags as they now do in Eire, then it would make a huge difference to the number of new bags we took home.

[Guest]

If we paid for the bags as they now do in Eire, then it would make a huge difference to the number of new bags we took home.

I agree entirely! And if a country like Tanzania (I think I'm right ) can ban all plastic carrier bags altogether, then why can't we?

[Charlottechicken]

I think part of our problem in this country is we expect everything in a nice new shiny bag, it will take a generation to change the 'new bag' culture. Most people would not think to take an old carrier bag out with them when they go shopping. I am the only person I know who does this (present forum company excepted of course!) apart from my mum, and she was the one who drummed it in to me!

[Mel (& Paul)]

Its difficult isnt it - on one hand you have Tescos but I suppose that by the recyling bags etc they are doing some good (even if the whole exercise is to increase their profit)

I try not to take a bag when I go into shops and buy small items- unless I really have my hands full - and whats it all about buying cards that are already wrapped in plastic only for the shop to put them in a small plastic bag If I am buying fruit or veg from the supermarket I try not to put it in the plastic bags (why put bananas / oranges etc in a bag - they have their own built in wrapping!) - and when I get to the check out the till person puts them in a bag (so when it comes down the conveyabelt to where I am packing I take it out again )

[Guest]

I keep my trusty canvas Waitrose bags in the car now, so if I forget to take them into the shop I just load everything back into the trolley and bag it when I get in my car.

 

As long as supermarkets provide bags, people will use them. If they charged 5p or 10p a bag, people would quickly remember to bring their own or manage without.

 

My children are embarrassed by my behaviour. 'Mummy, that lady had gone to a lot of trouble putting your shopping in that bag. It was really rude of you to just tip it out again!'

[Cinnamon]

I use my lovely Omlet jute bag all the time now.

 

I have had various reactions to it,mostly from shop assistants.

 

I said to a girl yesterday not to pack my items,as I had a bag with me & she just didn't get it at all.

She actually said that they HAD to put items into a carrier bag before they left the shop

I let her put them in,then took them right back out again,leaving the bag on the counter (it was "Claires")

 

The guy in M&S was really impressed with my bag.

The girl in Boots rolled her eyes at me

[Guest]

They'll get the message in the end. We can't be the only people behaving like this!

[Guest]

She actually said that they HAD to put items into a carrier bag before they left the shop

 

To be fair to the girl, some shops insist on putting it in a bag to:

 

1) Ensure that the security guard doesn;t have a heart-attack when he see stock go out the shop, with no visible proof of payment

 

and

 

2) Provide free advertising to for the shop.

 

If you are working in (lets face it), a poorly paid job, where you have to take stick from spotty teenagers, shoplifters trying to make their fortune through ebay, other peoples children pulling stock from all the shelves and little more than minimum wage and minimum (if any) proper breaks during your shift, if your manager says 'If I see anything going out this shop, NOT in one of our bags, then you'll be given a written warning', then you be damned sure you insisted on putting everything in a bag.

 

Take the arguement to the management, and stop giving the people on the frontline a hard time - PLEASE. You are far more likely to get a result, and much less likely to turn someones day from OK to rubbish.

[Cinnamon]

I don't think I was that hard on her Shona - & she was the manager of the shop (even if she did look about 16!)

 

And I do understand why some insist on bags - I used to manage a shop myself,but we only used recycled paper bags

 

Believe me,I was nothing but polite (& firm )

[Louise]

I got annoyed in B&Q the other day I had a few bits in the basket got to the till and was told I couldn't take the basket to the car as it would trigger the alarm and the really snotty assistant said 'well if you don't want to pay for a bag' at which point I stopped her by telling her the money was not the issue I just wanted to take my items to the car so in the end I left it sitting on the counter and made 2 trips

[Cate in NZ]

I went to Tesco's the other day with my motley assortment of bags, and the cashier counted up how many of my own bags I had. I was rewarded 1 point for a standard carrier bag sized bag, 2 points each for my large Sainsbury's bags that hold loads, and I had a net of oranges that wouldn't fit into any of the bags, so I popped them into my handbag.... and earned a point for that too

There doesn't seem to be any consistency on how this is being implemented in the branches from the sounds of it.

When I'm shopping generally I rarely take excess bags, I just refuse politely and say it's easier for me to just carry everything in the one bag that I've already got, thanks, and no-one's ever been funny with me or tried to force unwanted bags on me

[Charlottechicken]

When I'm shopping generally I rarely take excess bags, I just refuse politely and say it's easier for me to just carry everything in the one bag that I've already got, thanks, and no-one's ever been funny with me or tried to force unwanted bags on me

 

Is this just with foodstuffs though? I find that other retailers like you to have the product in their bag (clothing, accessories etc) but if you buy food it is enough to have the receipt and they don't seem to mind how you carry it home.

[kannie]

We're just back from France, and they're a long way ahead of us in this respect. The supermarkets didn't even have those flimsy plastic bags, so you had to buy a big strong one (about 70p) or bring your own.

 

Their big strong ones were so nice that we ended up buying 3, even though we had several Waitrose ones in the car boot and there were shopping baskets in the house!

 

However I discovered the problem when I took the French bags to Waitrose on Monday: they hold so much I ended up pulling muscles in my back when I tried to carry them home!