Next has made a HUGE change to its 50% off sale – and customers are not happy
FASHION retailer Next has announced a major change to its 50 per cent off sale – and customers are furious.
The high-street clothing and homeware chain usually gives customers signed up to its VIP service the chance to access its sale online early.
The VIP sale launched online yesterday – but some customers no longer have the option to browse it before their slot, sparking furious backlash on social media.
Customers said that they have spent hundreds of pounds with the retailer and now feel snubbed.
One fumed on Instagram: “Oh Next you have a great VIP sale but for some reason you have decided that only certain people can now view the sale prior to there time slot!
“How is that fair? Where is the terms and conditions for that?!?
“Nothing to state this on your website?!? If you wish to change the terms of our agreement then customers should be made aware.”
On Facebook, another customer wrote: “Next is only allowing some customers to view the sale beforehand.
“No good to me as I work so I won’t have time to trawl through 1000s of pages at 2pm on Wednesday.
“Shame as I usually buy lots in the sale but won’t bother now.”
And Sheila Penman wote on X: “I have just been advised that the criteria for VIP access to your sale has been changed.
“I’m not happy. People are busy and it was nice that you could look before your slot to take the order number of the goods you wanted. Not customer service.”
A fourth hurt shoppers added: “I am definitely no longer shopping with you anymore.
“Literally spend hundreds in every sale and on normal priced items every few months and now you have chosen not to let me preview.
“No thanks, won’t be shopping with a company that treats loyal customers this way.”
The Next website does not appear to have been updated, with customers told: “If you’ve received a VIP Sale invite from us, you can preview the sale online here as soon as you’ve booked your slot!
“Simply sign into your account to see our sale listing.
“Just to let you know, you won’t be able to place your Sale order until your VIP Sale slot has started.”
But the change was confirmed on X, where one Next representative told a customer: “We’re so sorry, we’ve made some changes recently and as a result not all customers who have been invited to the VIP sale will receive a preview list ahead of their sale slot.”
The Sun has approached Next to ask the reason for the change.
To have a decent chance of getting invited to a VIP sale, shoppers should have a Next shopping account, have made a recent order and not returned it and be signed up to receive marketing emails.
A Next credit account would also bolster your chances.
The money-saving site Playpennies.com advises logging into your Next account at 9am three or four days before the sale begins in order to bag the first sale slot, assuming there’s something you really want to buy on the cheap.
Next sends out invites to its Autumn Sale 2024 on Sunday (September 15), with the Vip sale beginning on September 18.
Typically there are sales for Spring in March, Summer in July and Autumn in September, as well as a Boxing Day sale.
This typically begins on December 21 for Vips.