Shoppers baffled as Nectar card issue leaves them 'overdrawn'
Nectar card owners have expressed their frustrations after they discovered their accounts had somehow become 'overdrawn' with negative balances, something they didn't know could happen
A Sainsbury's shopper has taken to Reddit to voice their bewilderment after their Nectar card account displayed a negative balance. The customer posted a screenshot showing they were -115 points in the red, equating to a monetary deficit of -57p.
Nectar, one of the UK's most popular loyalty card schemes, enables members to collect points through various large outlets including Sainsbury's, eBay, Argos, and British Airways, which can then be redeemed for discounts in-store or rewards online such as flight savings. Yet, as one user's experience suggests, complications can arise.
"Gone overdrawn on my Nectar account," the individual wrote on the CasualUK subreddit, sparking a discussion with others speculating on the cause of the issue. Another Reddit user responded, sharing that their account was also in the red - sitting at -464 points.
A second commenter shared their own experience. "Happened to me," they said. "Returned a TV (£1500) bought via eBay. Had already spent the points. Went badly into the Red when they took them back."
Meanwhile a third chimed in: "One time an error meant Sainsburys accidentally added 12k Nectar points to my account, they rectified it pretty quickly, HOWEVER, I had auto-convert to Avios enabled, so those 12,000 Nectar points were all turned into Avios immediately. So they took me 12,000 nectar points in debt."
A fourth Reddit user expressed frustration, saying: "This happened to me and it took me 6 months to get into the positive! It infuriated me, as surely it's the company's fault?!"
A fifth shopper shared: "Someone spent all my Nectar points, in London, I don't live anywhere near London and haven't been for years.
"Complained to Nectar, they froze the account, but won't replace the points, because I can't remember the exact year and month I opened the account, all I know is I've had it for about 20 years!"
One possible reason for a negative balance could be due to suspected fraudulent activity or other irregularities, as per Nectar's FAQ section, which states: "Redeemed points cannot be used again. If a transaction on which points are issued or redeemed is cancelled, reversed or not completed, we will reverse the associated points movement when instructed by the relevant Sponsor or Supplier. If insufficient points are available, or we suspect fraud or misconduct, Rewards may be refused or cancelled."
Earlier this month, Nectar announced a significant update that impacts anyone who collects points with eBay.
Starting from September 1, collectors will no longer be able to earn or redeem Nectar points directly on the eBay website. Nevertheless, shoppers can still accumulate Nectar points on eBay purchases by going through the Nectar app or website.
To continue earning points, users should search for eBay on the Nectar platform and then proceed to eBay via the provided link to complete their shopping.
In a positive twist, you'll now accumulate two Nectar points for every £1 spent on eBay - a rise from the current rate of one Nectar point. Any vouchers that you have already generated on eBay prior to 31 August will remain valid on eBay until their expiry date.
Nectar has been invited to comment.