Customers protest after Loblaws demands ID before sending $25 gift card for bread price fixing | Page 4 | General financial discussion | Discussion forum

Rick said
I'm thinking that people that applied for a card that live at the same address as someone else that applied got flagged for verification. I applied and the wife applied ...same address...prove it. We spent a ton of money on bread at a loblaws during that time period. I don't think 50 bux would even come close to what we spent. Never the less, will not supply a 3rd party with a copy of my drivers license for 50 bux. Told them where to stuff their card and will no longer patronize their business on principle. Will cost them more than the 50 bux I conceded. Should have been clear on the possibility of requiring confirmation BEFORE we applied. That would have been a different story.  

Right, and that's not fair. Unless there's an inordinate number of people applying with the same address (i.e., greater than 10), no additional verification should be required - nor allowed. It's conceivable even underage children purchased bread so a typical family of say, 4-6, should be allowed to apply. Right, Loonie?

Cheers,
Doug

Actually, Doug, I wouldn't see any need for a per-household cap.
As i recall, the requirement of the offer was merely that you had to have bought a loaf of one of specified breads at some point during specified years and be of a certain age now. If they had meant to restrict it further, they could have done so. And that is the whole point of this thread, that they added a new and invasive requirement after the fact.

When I was a kid, it was my job to run over to the store after school to pick up any last-minute necessities.

Loonie said
Actually, Doug, I wouldn't see any need for a per-household cap.
As i recall, the requirement of the offer was merely that you had to have bought a loaf of one of specified breads at some point during specified years and be of a certain age now. If they had meant to restrict it further, they could have done so. And that is the whole point of this thread, that they added a new and invasive requirement after the fact.

When I was a kid, it was my job to run over to the store after school to pick up any last-minute necessities.  

Great points, Loonie. And, to be clear, I don't see a need for a per-household limit either, but it would be something I could live with if it were large enough. 10 might be even too small, especially with multi-generational households now becoming commonplace again thanks to the high cost of housing. It's now conceivable to see a young couple with three kids rent out a basement suite to the husband's parents, and build a carriage house (same civic and mailing address) for the wife's parents meaning you now have 9 people at one address - and that's with only three kids. 🙂

Even though housing prices are out of control in some markets, I, for one, quite like the re-emergence of the multi-generational households that were once commonplace at the turn of the previous century (i.e., early 1900s) with grandparents, kids, and grandkids living together on the family homestead.

In 1980-81, my dad's mom's husband (my dad's dad) had just passed away a few years ago, and all of her sons and their wives had just moved out to Kelowna from Alberta. So, they had 7 people plus one baby (my oldest cousin) living in a two bedroom house on Smithson Drive in Kelowna (for those unfamiliar with Kelowna, this will mean nothing to you). As I understand it, my grandma had one of the bedrooms upstairs, my aunt & uncle had the other upstairs bedroom with the baby, and my mom & dad and other uncle (that's right he wasn't yet married) shared the downstairs basement "suite" (not a legal suite since it didn't have a kitchen or its own bathroom). As you might imagine, all of those women getting ready for work (at the same place - Scotiabank; my grandma may have moved to CIBC then) sharing one bathroom would've required major logistical coordination. They actually had a written "bathroom schedule" and each each was allocated 10 minutes total.

Fortunately, it was all for less than a year until everyone had found suitable rental accommodation, or purchased homes. I believe my mom & dad went on to rent the upstairs of a duplex house on Coronation Avenue in Kelowna. While I never "lived" there (outside of the womb, anyway), I was conceived there. My mom ultimately delivered me in hospital, so it's a moot point, but imagine if she had had to deliver me at that house? We could say that she "crowned" on Coronation.

Cheers,
Doug

Pipersierra said
Just curious,
Is anyone opting for the class action instead of the gift card? I saw where it said you can do both, but some lawyer said to think twice about it. thoughts?  

Loblaw says you can safely do both, but Loonie pointed out that even that, the judge may invalidate that provision in the agreement that they make you agree to since it wasn't paid in cash - only in "Loblaw dollars" good at Loblaw-owned and operated grocery stores.

I think you're probably safe to do it, but I would participate in any and all class actions, too. 🙂

I suspect, given what Loblaw has already charged for the gift card program, legal costs, possible fines from the Competition Bureau, Privacy Commissioner investigation outcome, court costs from competitors alleging slander and libel, and class action lawsuits, Loblaw's costs alone will rise to north of $1 billion. Add in Weston's costs and it's likely to easily exceed about $1.5-2 billion. Mark my words. 🙂

Cheers,
Doug