IVape offers a loyalty rewards program where you accumulate 1 point for every $10 you spend. Each point can be used as a dollar towards future purchases.
I have been a customer at IVape since before this program was introduced. I would allow my points to accumulate, then I would use them towards a purchase where I would only spend $10 but use like 80 points, which would go towards a $90 purchase. This was a good way to keep me coming back to them despite other vape shops nearby offering other products. It incentivized me to keep coming to IVape.
Lately, they keep saying the FiveStar system is down and we can only add points with purchases but there's no way to spend them. So I intended to just use more of them since they were adding up. I currently have more than 100 points that are worth $100..
I went in on July 19th and told the sales rep Matt that I wanted to get two of the same item so that I could just pay half and it would be like getting one free. He said ok, grabbed them from the shelf and wrung me up. But he only took off 40 dollars and said, "Sorry, we can only take 40 off now." He didn't tell me there was a change until after I was already wrung up. There was no announcement (this store has no website but they have social media and no announcements were made through any of their platforms, I checked). I was really surprised that the rep didn't at least warn me. When I came by the following week, the system was down again. I came back on July 27 and it was still down, this time the rep that was there, said that when it comes back up it would only be 10 points that you can use at each purchase. Again, no announcement and the system was down.
I went in there today, July 28 to speak to the manager Tyler. He told me that the loyalty program was shut down at the moment. I asked where the details of the program are written for clarity, he said they are not in writing because it doesn't exist, it is shut down. They would not allow me to use any of my points. I told him I wanted to use my points the way I used to and he said he doesn't have the ability to do that. I asked him if there was someone else above him who was in charge of the loyalty program and he said no, that this was something that he was just put in charge of. I was not provided with any details of the program in writing, I was not allowed to use any of my points, no communication about the changes to the loyalty program was provided.
This is against the law with the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of Attorney General. I have reported them to both, as well as the Better Business Bureau. Beware of these unfair business practices! They gained an advantage over other vape shops in the area because of this loyalty program so this is potentially an antitrust violation as well and has been reported for investigation.
They have no website and they provide a linktree link at the cash register that leads to:
https://linktr.ee/ivapeatxrr?utm_source=qr_code
At the end of the conversation he told me to leave his store or he would call the police. I told him to go ahead so I could press charges on how he's running his store. He said, "You have no leg to stand on." At which point I held up my phone and told him I was recording this whole conversation. He looked stunned and said "No you didn't". I did.
See:
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC.17.htm
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE CODE TITLE 2. COMPETITION AND TRADE PRACTICES CHAPTER 17. DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 17.46. DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES UNLAWFUL read more