From Feb. 2017 to Feb of 2018, I was a member of Sam's Club and, as well, had a Sam's Club credit card through Synchrony Bank. Because our nearest Sam's Club is 40 miles away, I did not renew my Sam's Club membership in Feb. of 2018. At that time, I called Synchrony Bank to cancel my card but, surprisingly, was told that I could continue to accrue benefits from the card's rewards program and spend my earned rewards once a year at a Sam's Club as a non-Sam's Club member. I continued to use the card and accrue benefits thereafter. I relied on information given to me by an agent of the rewards program.

In January of 2019, I received a postcard from Sam's Club informing me that, in Feb. 2019, I would receive no rewards for my prior year's use of the card unless I was a member of Sam's Club. I protested this change, made so close to the end of annual reward accrual period. I contacted the Chairman of Sam's Club, John Furner. Mr. Furner did not respond to my emails personally, but a customer service person from Synchrony Bank called me in his stead. This service lady, Carla, was most polite but was insistent that I would receive nothing. She understood that I had relied on good information the prior February, but the program had changed in December of 2018 and now required all recipients of rewards to be current Sam's Club members. Carla acknowledged and understood the seeming unfairness of changing the rules so late in the program's year, but the company was entitled to do so. I admitted the company could do whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted. But fairness and equity had been violated for those affect in the 2018-19 year with such a harsh rule change. The change should have been made effective for years going forward from February of 2019. Because of the change, I lost $175 of accumulated rewards for 2018-19 and have become a very harsh critic of Sam's Club policy.

After walking into a local Sam's Club I was looking to purchase a printer and came across a model that had been marked down. The item was sold out at this location but the store searched the local market and found one in stock at a store about 30 minutes away. I called the store to confim they had it and they offered to hold it for me since I was on my way over. When I went to check out the price was substantially higher and I alerted them that the item was marked down and told them what had happened at the other store. They promptly told me that it did not matter and that was that stores price. I promptly handed them my membership card and told them to keep it and walked out. I then called the corporate office to file a complaint and after spending 30 minutes on the phone was told that the first store manager had called the second store to resolve the issue and was told that they would not honor the price. The representative then offered me a gift card for the difference for my inconvenience and told me I would hear something in a few days. Below is the response:

Response By Email (Dora) (05/16/2018 03:59 PM)

Hello James,

We hope you are having a wonderful and successful day. My name is Leticia

an associate from Sam's Club, it is a pleasure to help you.

I apologize can't help you, in this case you need visit our club where they provided you information about Item with less price.

we can not honor the same price with gift card because we don't have historial about your purchase Please contact a manager from this club 4418 W. Wendover Ave.

Greensboro, NC 27407

In advance a thousand apologies for all this inconveniences but I'm doing my best in order to assist you the way you deserve.

Leticia P.

Sam’s Club Member Service Center

2101 SE Simple Savings Drive

Bentonville, AR 72716-0745

Maybe it's me but this looks like a 4th grader wrote it and is the most unprofessional response I have ever seen. As a business owner and former Sam's Club member I will never walk into a Sam's Club or Walmart again.