ABH20: Did a quick check. Lost Planet 2 from GMG on sale - $6.79 before login, $6.29 after login. Wow, a whole 50 cents, that sure sounds like the lowest price. Except it isn't, because if the 20% voucher was active the lowest price would be $5.43 - and the voucher would be valid for this title because the 'VIP' discount is valid. There's some titles in the sale that don't have the 'VIP' discount, safe to assume those titles would not have been voucher applicable.
In the end as I've said they have their reasons for doing this and the vouchers were their way of staying competitive. My issue is how they're lying about why they've made the change, trying to sound as if this is all for the customer's convenience and that we're still getting the best price.
Another aspect of it is the fact that calling someone a VIP simply because they have an account at your store is disingenuous at best. I've had stores I've never even shopped at mail me marketing materials telling me that I am a VIP and their special offer is only for VIPs. If I've never shopped there and I'm a VIP then everyone who has never shopped there is also not a VIP and they're likely getting the same offer, so essentially it is just a promotion for everyone with the term VIP being thrown around as a sly eye-rolling bullshit marketing hook. The end result might possibly be good for me, but when someone throws out such shovels full of bullshit it gets my attention alright but not in the way they intended. I start to scrutinize what they say and do as being manipulative psychological nonsense rather than genuine and it becomes meaningless drivel to me. It doesn't necessarily make me stop shopping somewhere but it raises an eyebrow and keeps me on guard for future BS. Such companies tend to make changes to terms of service etc. over time by making changes that negatively impact the customer experience or take something away from it and then put marketingese around it to make it sound like it is a good thing for you and that they did it all for your benefit.
This VIP thing at GMG sounds suspiciously like that to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be just that - a change that gives people less but is marketed as if it is the best thing ever and everyone benefits from it.
ABH20: Did a quick check. Lost Planet 2 from GMG on sale - $6.79 before login, $6.29 after login. Wow, a whole 50 cents, that sure sounds like the lowest price. Except it isn't, because if the 20% voucher was active the lowest price would be $5.43 - and the voucher would be valid for this title because the 'VIP' discount is valid. There's some titles in the sale that don't have the 'VIP' discount, safe to assume those titles would not have been voucher applicable.
In the end as I've said they have their reasons for doing this and the vouchers were their way of staying competitive. My issue is how they're lying about why they've made the change, trying to sound as if this is all for the customer's convenience and that we're still getting the best price.
Heh, your post seems to confirm what I suspected above. Most likely they made this change so that even if they give the majority of the games the same discount the voucher had before - they can now modify the discount more easily on a game by game basis but still give everyone the impression you get the same discount. The vouchers they offered used to be the prime reason I favoured shopping there for a long time.
