Conclusions
You'd never guess Webloyalty has had to field these kinds of questions before would you?
Judging by its comprehensive response, Webloyalty seems to have gone to great lengths to ensure what it does is legal and legitimate. It is obviously sensitive to bad publicity and it's reassuring to see that it's so keen to put its side of the story forward.
The HEXUS reader that brought this matter to our attention has now confirmed that they've been able to cancel their subscription and, furthermore, are having their membership fee refunded. They made it clear that their grievance now lies with the company that initiated their subscription in the first place.
This remains the part of the process that seems to be most suspect to us: the moment at which your card details are passed from the partner company to Shopper Discounts and Rewards.
In conversation with Hynes yesterday she stressed that every part of the process she detailed has been rubber stamped by the Committee of Advertising Practice. But the fact remains that some people are still signing up to the scheme without realising, so it could be that the links provided by the third party website are the ones that are insufficiently clear.
Having said that, we would like to hear from anyone whose experience of the Shopper Discounts and Rewards differs from the process detailed by Webloyalty. We welcome your comments, as ever, in the HEXUS.community.