A SAM’S Club shopper has been let down by the retailer after it announced it would remove free shipping from some online orders.
The customer said the loss of this benefit for loyal members led her to abandon her subscription.
“Wow, Sam’s Club just found a way to lose a lot of money by taking away free shipping for Plus members unless you order at least $50 worth of stuff,” Karen Husman he wrote in a Facebook post.
Sam’s Club’s Plus members pay $110 per year, $60 more than the standard membership.
For this additional cost, Plus members are entitled to a number of perks, one of which is free shipping on most online items.
Or at least that was the case.
The retailer recently announced that from next month, only orders worth $50 or more will qualify for free shipping.
If customers’ stores arrive less than that, they will be forced to pay an $8 shipping fee.
Husman explained why this change led her to cancel her subscription.
“Now, $50 isn’t hard to come by once in a while,” she said.
But it seems unlikely that members will hit that limit every time they make purchases.
“This longtime Plus member will cancel his Plus membership when it renews this fall, and I suspect many others will as well,” Husman said.
This change provoked fury among buyers.
“They are scamming us and we should stand up to them,” one user commented on Husman’s post.
“Pure greed in search of greater profits to please shareholders,” said another user.
It appears Sam’s Club’s upcoming policy change is part of a growing retail trend.
Rising inflation has forced some companies to increase shipping prices.
The chain’s policy change will take effect on August 19th – from then on, shoppers will only be eligible for free shipping if they spend $50 or more.
Sam’s Club Membership Levels
Sam’s Club shoppers can choose between two membership levels
Club membership:
- $50 per year
- Bonus Offers
- Same day delivery
- Instant savings
- Sam’s Club Mastercard
- Fuel savings for members only
- Tire and battery center
More membership:
- $110 per year
- All the benefits of Club membership plus Sam’s Cash
- Free shipping on qualified orders
- Free curbside pickup
- Advance purchases
- Pharmacy and optical savings.
“What a great way to alienate your members,” Husman wrote.
“Our members consistently tell us that convenience is important to them no matter how they choose to shop,” a Sam’s Club spokesperson told The US Sun.
“These recent changes are designed to simplify the same-day delivery and shipping experience and rates, but also provide better access to the items our members buy most.
“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with members saying it is easy to meet the basket minimum.
“We’ve also added several new benefits in response to member feedback [details here] – including food delivery, which members tell us is a highly valued benefit, and removal of curbside pickup fees for our initial membership level.
Husman, however, is not the only customer outraged by the loss of this advantage.
“I’m definitely cutting back on my Sam’s Club membership,” wrote another customer on Facebook publish.
“Free shipping is what tipped the scales in favor of me keeping a plus subscription,” the user explained.
And without this benefit, members question whether the Plus membership is still necessary.
“I’m not happy with these changes,” another customer wrote on Facebook.
They encouraged shoppers to “boycott Sam’s.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story