Why should I keep Vitality?

[Vaultboy]

 

1 hour ago, Mountain Bru said:

Just do the sums and see if you're saving more than you're spending per month. No one can really answer for you without knowing exactly what you spend, and what other loyalty or reward programs you're on. 

Exactly this, provided that the behaviour modification is worthwhile. Getting a free bank account was a plus for me - i treat it like a petty cash account, linked to my phone, so that my primary credit card is safe(r) from fraud. 

I was already house-trained to fill up at BP from my prior rewards programme, so being able to fill up at BP and Shell opened up options. I already shopped at Woollies and Clicks. Already primarily ate out at Kauai, etc. So there was no behaviour modification required. 

So, Vitality looked like a no-brainer. For R450 p/m, I would get at least R1500 back per month in miles. My miles go straight into vouchers, so its literally disposable income. 

[Skubarra]

55 minutes ago, Nick said:

It was the removing of the behaviour manipulation for me 

🧘‍♂️

My fundamental problem with this (and all rewards scheme) is that you have to spend money to save money otherwise you lose money - great if this happens to be money that you would have spent anyway, but in my case often not.

I value the freedom of not being tied into having to spend money and tied to where I spend my money more than the discounts.

That's just the way I am wired but happy for the peeps who work those systems to their benefit.

[Bub Marley]

Not sure what people expect going into programmers like this. Discovery are not gonna just hand out free money for nothing. You need to engage with the program to get rewarded. If you do actually engage, then it can be really beneficial financially and health wise. If you’re not someone that’s interested in this, then Discovery ain’t for you.

 

And of course they want to lock you into their ecosystem. It’s good business sense that. Apple does exactly the same with their products. 

 

I will also just add that there is a free bank account option for members who just want to use the bank for miles. Every person who has a vitality membership qualifies for this.

[Shebeen]

27 minutes ago, Vaultboy said:

 

Exactly this, provided that the behaviour modification is worthwhile. Getting a free bank account was a plus for me - i treat it like a petty cash account, linked to my phone, so that my primary credit card is safe(r) from fraud. 

 

FYI - most banks you can just get a virtual credit card these days and link that to your bank account.

[Vaultboy]

25 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

FYI - most banks you can just get a virtual credit card these days and link that to your bank account.

I am aware. I prefer a totally separate account.

[ChrisF]

46 minutes ago, Bub Marley said:

Not sure what people expect going into programmers like this. Discovery are not gonna just hand out free money for nothing. You need to engage with the program to get rewarded. If you do actually engage, then it can be really beneficial financially and health wise. If you’re not someone that’s interested in this, then Discovery ain’t for you.

 

And of course they want to lock you into their ecosystem. It’s good business sense that. Apple does exactly the same with their products. 

 

I will also just add that there is a free bank account option for members who just want to use the bank for miles. Every person who has a vitality membership qualifies for this.

 

Marketing ..... 

 

Back in the 90's we DID get a heck of a lot of free stuff from Vitality, for very little input.

 

They stepped up the gym attendance requirements .... so you had to at least clock in at the gym, and possibly have a juice twice a month.  

 

All of this in the name of "healthier living".

 

 

Vitality became a different beast all together as Discovery grew, and branched out into other businesses.  

 

 

Those ENTERING today .... hey, do so with eyes wide open !  AND, know that the goal posts WILL shift as they "encourage" you to buy into new products ....

 

 

Now spare a thought for the grumpy old farts that lived through 3 decades of behavioural modification as Vitality morfed again and again .....

 

 

 

 

Thus, it boils down to simple maths, AND lifestyle choices ....  any rewards program works for some, not for others ...

[betaboy]

The brand loyalty kick backs are drying up. Now of these offer a long term benefit. Most are short goal  based  to drive internal revenue among third parties. This trick has been milked beyond its shelf life. EG: Discovery isn’t so much concerned about your overall health but rather the potential to shave those bank charges which all go unregulated in a non policed sector. 
Gosh I can remember when they came begging to get business back in the day ….when they were small fish in a big pond. Now you got a building that belongs more in Dubai than the dirty streets of Rivonia road. It’s your “financial health” that keeps those lights on! LoL ( suckers)!

[BigDL]

3 hours ago, Mountain Bru said:

What I think is true of all these loyalty schemes and scams is that you have to be 100% committed to them to get the real benefit. On Vitality, you need to be on Diamond Status, and jump through all the hoops of shopping at the right place and buying petrol at the right garage etc to get real value back. On eBucks you need to be on Level 5 and do all your banking with FNB and jump through all of their hoops. It's seldom that you can maximize the benefit of 2 places at once because quite obviously, their loyalty program is geared to make you loyal to them, and not the other bank. 

I think we easily forget that all of these programs are behavior modification tools specifically designed to maximize the profit of Discovery/FNB/Momentum etc, and not benevolent programs designed to reward you and give you extra money for being such a good citizen. We're basically all just circus animals being given treats for obeying the commands of our trainers and punished for being disobedient or listening to the instructors from a different circus. 

This x 10000

[madmarc]

19 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

Marketing ..... 

 

Back in the 90's we DID get a heck of a lot of free stuff from Vitality, for very little input.

 

They stepped up the gym attendance requirements .... so you had to at least clock in at the gym, and possibly have a juice twice a month.  

 

All of this in the name of "healthier living".

 

 

Vitality became a different beast all together as Discovery grew, and branched out into other businesses.  

 

 

Those ENTERING today .... hey, do so with eyes wide open !  AND, know that the goal posts WILL shift as they "encourage" you to buy into new products ....

 

 

Now spare a thought for the grumpy old farts that lived through 3 decades of behavioural modification as Vitality morfed again and again .....

 

 

 

 

Thus, it boils down to simple maths, AND lifestyle choices ....  any rewards program works for some, not for others ...

Yep to good old days

Remember when they rolled over 25% of your previous years points into the new year.

My gripe with them is the changing of the goal posts every year and then trying to cover it up by offering you additional discounts and free s#$t on things you would never use.

Another gripe is the miles or points system for say the wife and me - I have a CC i never use but i can use the app to spend my points - My wife does not have any banking products so her points are only usefull for free coffees.

Now if they pooled all the points so they could all be used on the main members banking profile - Would be a game changer and i'd stop being grumpy

[Luqies]

there is no such thing as a free lunch. 

[stringbean]

Just my 2C

If your main aim in joining Discovery especially the medical aid is for freebies etc 

Then please don’t complain when you have to go to Dr or dentist and end up paying huge co payments out of your own pocket.As mentioned there is no free lunch.Where you think you scoring on one side believe me Discovery and nailing you somewhere else.