‘Blindsided’: Decathlon shoppers in S’pore say loyalty points slashed by over 60% after allegedly unannounced change

Decathlon members alleged that chain ‘massively devalued’ loyalty points ‘without any prior communication’

Singapore shoppers have taken to Reddit to express concern after discovering what they described as a major devaluation of Decathlon’s loyalty points, allegedly rolled out without any prior notice.

In a Reddit post shared on Tuesday (13 Jan), the original poster (OP) said the value of Decathlon points had dropped by “over 60%” following changes implemented at the start of the year.

Points allegedly worth far less after update

According to the post, before the changes, Decathlon points could be redeemed at rates ranging from 40 points to S$1, down to 21 points to S$1 at the best value.

Customers could also choose from four voucher denominations: S$5, S$15, S$40, and S$70.

After the update, however, only S$3 and S$10 vouchers remained available.

The redemption rate reportedly worsened significantly, with points now valued at between 83 points to S$1, and 75 points to S$1 at best.

“Compared to before, the points are also worth over 60% less,” the OP wrote.

‘Enhancement’ allegedly made without warning

The OP claimed there was no announcement or advance notice about the changes, comparing it to an airline quietly downgrading benefits.

“[As far as I know], this change (‘enhancement’ in airline terms [if you know you know]) was carried out silently and without any prior announcement,” they wrote.

“Just putting it out there for people that may have been saving up points for a better redemption value and are now being blindsided.”

Commenter says Decathlon called it a ‘technical mistake’

In the comment section, one user said they had received an email from Decathlon addressing the issue.

The commenter wrote that at 7.06pm on 14 Jan, they received an email notification from Decathlon saying it was a “technical mistake”.

The OP replied that they had not received any such email and asked if a screenshot could be shared.

Another Redditor alleged that the email may have only been sent to members “if you had enough points”.

At the time of writing, Decathlon has not issued a public statement on the matter.

Shoppers also flag stricter return policy

Separately, some Reddit users pointed out that Decathlon has also tightened its return and exchange policy, with one commenter suggesting the retailer may be “not doing too well”.

Another user explained that the chain had “changed” its old lifetime return policy in favour of stricter conditions.

“Basically changed the old lifetime return policy and made returns a lot stricter,” the user wrote, adding that the move was “understandable” due to alleged abuse of the previous policy.

For now, it remains unclear whether the changes to Decathlon’s loyalty points system are temporary or permanent, or whether further clarification will be issued to customers.

MS News has reached out to Decathlon and the original Reddit poster for more information.

Also read: Mirrors at Bayfront MRT dance hotspot frosted, MBS says it’s for pedestrian safety