Published: July 21st, 2011 • Last Updated: January 7th, 2021
Author: Ross Taylor on AskRoss.ca

This morning I decided I would spend some Fathers Day gift certificates at the Chapters Indigo online store. I am already an iRewards customer; I have bought many times over the years both online and in the store – what could go wrong?

But their system could not connect my reward card number to my email address of record, so I was not able to complete the transaction. I called their customer service line and spoke with a very friendly and knowledgeable lady.

Turns out I have several reward account numbers and two different email addresses in their system. The reward card I carry does not link up to the email address I used.

OK, I said, let’s clean this up – I want one rewards number and one email address. No problem she said, and she assigned me yet another rewards number – which will be good for online purchases only.

She warned me if I want a new card, as I now have a new number, I can only get that in a physical store.

Okay, I can do that. BUT, she said, if I go to the store and ask for a card, they will have to assign me yet another card number, I cannot use the one she just gave me.

And having done that, I will no longer be able to make online purchases, unless I then make the requisite changes to my online account.

So when the dust settles on today’s book purchase, I will have upped from three to five irewards account numbers!

Sort of like the purchasing equivalent of Abbot and Costello’s who’s on first?

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