ONERAHI MUM LOSES 14 YEARS OF FLY BUYS OVERNIGHT, BLOCKS NEW WORLD ENTRANCE WITH MOBILITY SCOOTER
She was saving them for a toaster. The toaster is no longer on the table. Neither is the scooter, technically.
A New World loyalty points expiry at the Onerahi shopping centre on Tuesday has triggered what can only be described as a mobility-scooter blockade, after one customer discovered fourteen years of accumulated Fly Buys had quietly vanished at midnight.
Denise Paniora, 71, had been saving the points since 2010 with a view to redeeming them for a Sunbeam four-slice toaster. She arrived at 9.04am with a printout, a thermos, and what staff described as "a real set against the system".
"Gerald and I started that account before he passed," Mrs Paniora told The Daily Yarn, parked diagonally across the automatic doors. "Fourteen bloody years. They send you a wee email at 11.47 at night and that's your toaster gone. Piss-take."
By 10am she had been joined by three other Onerahi residents with similar grievances, one of whom had brought a folding chair and a packet of Krispies. A Loyalty NZ spokesperson said expiry notices had been "clearly communicated" via the app, which Mrs Paniora pointed out she does not have, because she is not a knob.
New World's duty manager attempted to offer a $20 voucher as a goodwill gesture. Mrs Paniora described the offer as "an insult to Gerald" and asked for it in writing. The scooter remained in position until 11.20am, when she had to get home for the meat delivery.
The toaster, last seen on aisle six, is still $89.
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Reader Letters
Trev_Hornby
Denise has a point though, fourteen years is a bloody long time to be spinning the wheels for a toaster. Corporate shenanigans, I say!
Margaret_F
Reminds me of when my Book Club points expired in 2015. Was saving for a complete set of Dickens. Just vanished. They never give you enough notice, do they?
BarryBishopdale
Fly Buys is just a distraction from the fact we're paying through our noses for overpriced groceries. Blockade the doors until prices drop, I say!
MumOf3_Riccarton
Honestly, the fact that they sent the email at 11:47pm is a bit dodgy. Like they knew no one's going to see it until it's too late!
Garry (Halswell)
Back in my day, loyalty was actual loyalty. This digital rubbish is just a way for them to grab more of your cash. And they used to send actual catalogues in the mail.
couchgremlin
Krispies are underrated.