VIP Program Release info

[FinalFeature]

I really would like the stamps back Lego for many reasons.

1. We get more money back when we fill the stamp card.

Every 400 dollars we get 30 dollars back.

-1. Vip only gives you 20 dollars back when you spend 400 dollars.

2. We could see how many stamps we have after they stamped it. Some workers are nice and give you extra stamps when you buy Lego all the time there.

-2. Its a pain when you try logining in on Lego.com to see how many points you have. Sometimes it wont even say anything.

3.Me and many other people could easily spend 25 dollars on Lego. It would mean more money for Lego it you have to spend 25 dollars.

-3. No negative things here.

All im saying is that i would really like stamps back instead of vip. If Lego wanted to they could do stamps and vip( just if they kept 30 dollars back or more with the stamps).

Does anyone else agree?

[Stash2Sixx]

I disagree with you LegoGalactus.

I was, at first, skeptical of this new program. Spend $400 (USD) and you get $30 off. That's was a great deal. But how many times did I actually walk in and spend $400 or more? Once, UCS Falcon.

Usually when we go into the stores, we end up buying something for $40, sometimes $11, or maybe $150. Usually, what happens is I either have to spend up to make it an even increment of $25 or eat the lost points. On a subtotal of $45, that stinks. Not only would I only get the one stamp, but I would lose $20 worth towards my next stamp.

Now, this new program takes that into account. If I spend $45, I get 45 points. So when I spend a total of $400, I may only get $20 in rewards, but those rewards are going to cycle faster! Meaning all those points I may have lost in the past...well they don't get lost any longer.

Plus, it's really nice that it can all be tracked. I hated when I forgot my card; I would have to start a new one and then have two cards to keep track of until I could get them combined.

Only negative with this program, for me, is I know how much I have actually spent on LEGO since October when I signed up!

[Oky]

I just received a newsletter from Lego where they confirm that the VIP program will be applicable to S@H soon:

Soon you will be able to earn VIP Points and redeem rewards every time you shop online at shop.LEGO.com as well as over the phone and, of course, in LEGO Stores.

This is reason enough for me to like VIP better than the stamps! Can't wait for it to go into effect!

(And no, this is not some stupid joke.)

[petero]

I just received a newsletter from Lego where they confirm that the VIP program will be applicable to S@H soon:

That's great... and way too easy! At least now we have to plan a major trip to hit a Lego store.

<sound of credit card begging for mercy>

Peter

[k_peek_2000]

I just won a Max mini-fig via the VIP club. I am going to go to the lego store today and pick him up :p

[Teddy]

Jay! My VIP works now.

Apparently there was a spelling error. This was fixed after three attempts. Than it appeared I can only give my current USA adress for my USA VIP card.

When I'm back in the Netherlands I don't know if I can keep using my VIP card under my Dutch adress in the stores in Germany.

Does anybody know this?

Anyway, I went back to Glendale Gallerya and spend some money there and earned points which I could use at my next buy.

So it works and I'm happy.

Hopefully it will work when I'm back in Europe. Otherwise I guess I will loose the points and need to get another card.

[Corvus]

Argh! I've accumulated $20 worth of rewards, but the nearest lego store is 200 miles away! Here's hoping that we'll get the ability to use it on S@H before it expires...

[Oky]

I just won a Max mini-fig via the VIP club. I am going to go to the lego store today and pick him up :p

What, what, WHAT? How did this happen? Did I miss something?

[k_peek_2000]

What, what, WHAT? How did this happen? Did I miss something?

I joined in feb, and that was the give away for the month of Feb in the VIP club, they picked about 20 members. I ended up selling the fig with a few other sets and getting a Tantive.

[Oky]

Is the "VIP Club" something different than the VIP program? Because I hadn't heard of that promotion.

By the way, it looks like you can now use your VIP points online in the UK. LINK (You'll not be able to see it if your country is not set to UK)

Also, you get 5 extra points when you buy ARC-170 Starfighter, Tantive IV, Freeco Speeder, Droid Tri-Fighter, or TIE Defender until May 12

[Stash2Sixx]

If you wanna word it that way, anyone who has a VIP card is in the VIP Club. It's really all the same thing.

There was a promotion to boost VIP sign-ups, in the month of February, by having people sign up for VIP membership and then registering their cards online before February 28th. Those that did were automatically entered into a drawing. About 20-some full sign-ups, per store, were chosen to receive an exclusive Max minifig. This was the same minifig that was given to kids who attended the LEGO Club Meetings in February.

Hope that helps Oky, and anyone else who might have been confused.

I believe the plan was for VIP to be used online at some point this year. Only time will tell.....

[astra]

A small update, at the end of this month the VIP Program will be extended for more countries, including The Netherlands. In the Lego Club magazine sent this week there is already some info on how to register and that Dutch customers will be able to use it with their online purchases

[k_peek_2000]

I am starting to REALLY love the VIP program. I am good friends with most of the employee's at my lego store, so whenever I used my VIP card they only add to it and never subtract any points even though I use my VIP rewards for every purchase. :)

[squiz]

How long do the vip points take to turn up into your account ?

I bought a couple of beg sets on tuesday and registered for the vip while in the store. My online vip account is still showing 0 however.

(sorry if this doesnt belong in this thread but i didnt think it was worth its own one!)

[k_peek_2000]

How long do the vip points take to turn up into your account ?

I bought a couple of beg sets on tuesday and registered for the vip while in the store. My online vip account is still showing 0 however.

(sorry if this doesnt belong in this thread but i didnt think it was worth its own one!)

For me it's usually instantly. I always check my account when I get home and my recent purchases are in there.

[squiz]

For me it's usually instantly. I always check my account when I get home and my recent purchases are in there.

Cheers. Just emailed them and they said they are having trouble with the website. The points are in my account but not showing up online. Im pleased, especially because there was a 2x vip bonus!

[Ricecracker]

I have a few questions about the program.

1) In both Canada and the US, you get one point per dollar. Is it safe to assume that I could gain more points by buying sets in Canada and spending them in the US?

2) Living in Canada, would it matter if I were to register/get my card at a store in the US?

3) If I could not for #2, could I obtain a card at a store in the US and register it online?

Thank you!

[timtosino]

I have a few questions about the program.

1) In both Canada and the US, you get one point per dollar. Is it safe to assume that I could gain more points by buying sets in Canada and spending them in the US?

2) Living in Canada, would it matter if I were to register/get my card at a store in the US?

3) If I could not for #2, could I obtain a card at a store in the US and register it online?

Thank you!

I am from Vancouver, BC and I just registered a VIP card in Bellevue WA. One of my friends just went over the fine print in the program and it says that the points earned are redeemable in your country of residence only. I bought a Imperial Flagship in WA state and got 180 points, which translated into $5 redemable in CAD. I couldn't redeem the points yet in WA because you need 24 hours for them to show up but it seems pretty pointless for me if I can't redeem them there as the Seattle Lego Store is about 6 hours closer than the Calgary one and am upset at the ridiculousness of earning points in one store and not being able to redeem them at that same location. I imagine this would draw even more complaints from people in Europe.

[Whittleberry]

I am from Vancouver, BC and I just registered a VIP card in Bellevue WA. One of my friends just went over the fine print in the program and it says that the points earned are redeemable in your country of residence only. I bought a Imperial Flagship in WA state and got 180 points, which translated into $5 redemable in CAD. I couldn't redeem the points yet in WA because you need 24 hours for them to show up but it seems pretty pointless for me if I can't redeem them there as the Seattle Lego Store is about 6 hours closer than the Calgary one and am upset at the ridiculousness of earning points in one store and not being able to redeem them at that same location. I imagine this would draw even more complaints from people in Europe.

Hmmmm this is an interesting point. I'm an Aussie but I picked up a VIP card when I was in the UK in January. I logged into the VIP website recently, and if I change my S@H country to Australia then it converts all my points to $AUD. This means theoretically I can get better value for my money by earning AU points and then redeeming them in the UK, if the cost of the set I'm buying with the credit is just as cheap in the UK. I've only used the card in the UK though, I'm not sure what they'll say if I try and use it here in AUS for S@H purchases.

[timtosino]

Hmmmm this is an interesting point. I'm an Aussie but I picked up a VIP card when I was in the UK in January. I logged into the VIP website recently, and if I change my S@H country to Australia then it converts all my points to $AUD. This means theoretically I can get better value for my money by earning AU points and then redeeming them in the UK, if the cost of the set I'm buying with the credit is just as cheap in the UK. I've only used the card in the UK though, I'm not sure what they'll say if I try and use it here in AUS for S@H purchases.

I just confirmed with my club that the US/CAN VIP points go 1 for 1 and you can redeem them on S@H Canada/USA and Lego Stores in USA (Not sure what the situation will be when Calgary opens up). There really isn't an advatage of doing this on either side of the border.. If I buy lego in Canada I am paying a 15%+ premium over the US Exchange Rate which hardly makes up for the 5% back. If I redeem points earned in the USA on S@H Canada I am still paying that 15% premium again. Thankfully LEGO doesn't care about this confusing scenario and does them 1 for 1 despite the VIP card rules :P

[Stash2Sixx]

How's everyone doing with VIP? Any strange issues at the moment? Let me know and I would be more than happy to find out some answers for you.

[Clone OPatra]

How's everyone doing with VIP? Any strange issues at the moment? Let me know and I would be more than happy to find out some answers for you.

Well, I'm not sure how strange this issue is really, but it is a problem.

I got a VIP card when I bought my MMV at a LEGO store back in late June. It said I would also get a bonus 25 points, since that was something going on. I am pretty sure I activated it online a month later, and it listed my points.

Then, when I went to pre-order my HP sets, I logged into my account on LEGO.com and it said that there is no card connected with my account, so I clicked "add card" or whatever it was, and went through the thing again. When I was done, it told me I had zero VIP points, but I should have had roughly 124 from buying the MMV and the extra 25 point promotion.

Now I have 110 points again from ordering several HP sets, but it was odd that my older points disappeared.

[Skafte]

OK, here is a question about the VIP program:

Do points count when the order is placed or when the money is drawn from your bank?

I know that they won't register on your VIP account until the payment has been done, but with the upcoming double point October, this might mean quite a lot of points...

I plan to order the UCS Obi-Wan's Starfighter that is released on Nov 1 along with a bunch of other stuff. Now, IF the 10215 can be ordered on the evening before (as the Imperial Shuttle was), would I then get double VIP points, or do they only count when the order is paid for?

From S@H:

Earn DOUBLE VIP Points on all LEGO® sets throughout October!*

Earn DOUBLE VIP Points when you make a purchase at a LEGO Store, online at shop.LEGO.com or over the phone.

Not yet a VIP Member? Click here to learn more about VIP!

*Offer is valid October 1 through October 31st, 2010, or while supplies last. For online and telephone orders, points are attributed to the account once payment is received. Offer cannot be combined with any other VIP offer, discount or coupon. Points will not be earned on the purchase of Gift Cards or any applicable taxes or shipping charges. Offer not valid at LEGOLAND Discovery Centers or LEGOLAND Parks. The LEGO Company reserves the right to amend or cancel this promotion at any time without prior notice. Subject to availability.

Yes, it says "points are attributed to the account once payment is received", but it doesn't say if the points will be double if you order in October and pay in November...

[AndyC]

Yes, it says "points are attributed to the account once payment is received", but it doesn't say if the points will be double if you order in October and pay in November...

In my experience it tells you how many points you will recieve when you place the order, but they just aren't credited to you account until after the order has fully completed. So I'd expect any order actually placed in October to recieve double points, regardless of when the payment actually goes through (since that's dependent upon when they ship anyway).

[Skafte]

How's everyone doing with VIP? Any strange issues at the moment? Let me know and I would be more than happy to find out some answers for you.

"You will earn 298 VIP points with this purchase"

Nice. Then I'll just apply my 300 SEK VIP bonus from my last order. *Apply*

"You will earn 238 VIP points with this purchase"

S@H takes away VIP points when you use VIP points? Then it's not even the 5% that this was supposed to be!

Also, they have increased the shipping cost and the most expensive rate is when you buy for 1000 SEK or more (used to be 1500).

It seems to me that what little they loose on the VIP Program is gained on shipping.