SDM Referral Event FAQ (August 10-12)!

IMPORTANT! If you want to join the groups, you cannot sign up for the event on your own!
You can only register for this even once. Trying to sign up again won't sign you up, but only log you in to your first registration.

Note: As always, we have examined the terms and conditions of this event and have conformed to all of the rules. This groups are NOT an automated process. The participants are all friends, as part of the SmartCanucks.ca community.

Q. What are SDM referral groups?

A.The SDM referral groups are part of a collaborative effort we've undertaken to participate in the referral event put on by Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix (same company). In this way we enable everyone to receive the maximum number of Optimum points they fairly can. It is being administered by Cyanne and Chococrazy.

Q. When is the event?

A.The next event takes place on August 10, 11 and 12, 2009. Visit the thread dedicated to the subject on SmartCanucks.ca. Questions would best be directed there. Answers to frequently asked, or important questions will then be added to the FAQ on the site.

Q. How does it work?

A. Register for the event, buy $25 worth of eligible products, in one transaction, on one of the days of the event, and you'll get 5,000 Optimum points awarded by SDM/Pharmaprix on August 19. In addition, the person who referred you (henceforth known as the Group Leader) will earn 5,000 points for every person that they refer, to a maximum of 10 referrals (or 50,000 points). These referral points will then be distributed evenly amongst the group members who shopped. The maximum number of points you will receive is 5,000 + 4,545 points = 9,545 Optimum points. Not bad for a $25 purchase!

Q. Do I need a coupon?

A. No. Printing a coupon to bring to the event is no longer necessary.

Q. How much are 9,545 points worth? Should I bother with these groups?

A. If you wait to redeem at the highest level, 9,545 points are worth $19.09. Don't forget that you'll earn your normal Optimum points on a purchase (250 points for a $25 purchase). That's worth $19.79, pretty good for spending $25 + any taxes!!!! Plus, buy a 30$ gift card first, to use to pay for your purchase, and earn an extra 300 points.

Q. Can I refer people on my own?

A. Sure, you are free to do this. It might be a nice idea to start a sub-group of your own at work though, as this way you could reap the benefits of both groups, and most of your coworkers could benefit as well. Anyone who isn't going to commit to shopping should be referred outside the SmartCanucks groups. Note: Group Leaders cannot refer their friends and family under themselves!

Q. Can I buy ____ as part of my $25 requirement? / What are eligible items?

A. These are the conditions regarding purchases:

*Points are issued according to the net pretax purchase total of eligible products after redemptions and discounts and before taxes using a valid Shoppers Optimum Card®. Excludes prescription purchases, bonus points, products that contain codeine, tobacco products (where applicable), lottery tickets, stamps, milk (in Atlantic provinces), transit tickets and passes, event tickets, electronic gift cards, prepaid phone cards, Life Experiences® packages and Shoppers Home Health Care locations and any other non pointable items. Offer applies to photofinishing services that are picked up and paid for on Monday, August 10, Tuesday, August 11 or Wednesday August 12, 2009. Not to be used in conjunction with any other Shoppers Optimum Points® promotions or offers. A maximum of 5,000 bonus points will be awarded to the registrant that shops and makes a one–time purchase of $25 or more on Monday, August 10, Tuesday, August 11 or Wednesday August 12, 2009. An additional 5,000 bonus points will be awarded to the registrant for each direct referral that registers and makes a purchase of $25 or more on Monday, August 10, Tuesday, August 11 or Wednesday August 12, 2009 to a maximum of 50,000 bonus points for ten (10) direct referrals. A maximum of 55,000 bonus points will be awarded per registrant. Registrant must shop and spend $25 or more to be eligible to receive referral bonus points. Both the registrant and referral must register online before shopping and spending $25 or more at Shoppers Drug Mart on Monday, August 10, Tuesday, August 11 or Wednesday August 12, 2009 in order to receive the bonus points. The additional points will be awarded to the registrant's account by August 19, 2009.

Q. The conditions say bonus points are excluded. Does that mean I can't buy anything that has bonus points awarded with its purchase?

A. No, it doesn't mean that. These exclusions are the same for all SDM special events. On a referral day, that exclusion doesn't apply. You aren't getting points on the bonus points; you're getting points on the purchase.

Q. Can I buy SDM gift cards so I can do my shopping later?

A. No. Those are gift cards (see exclusions above). You can buy gift cards and use them to make your $25 purchase, but the purchase of the gift cards themselves don't count towards the $25.

Q. If you redeem points toward your purchase on August 10-12, does it still count towards your $25 purchase requirement?

A. You can't get points for spending points. The amount you spend out of pocket, before tax and after coupons, on eligible items must be at least $25. So if you redeem $75 in points towards a $100 purchase, it counts because you are paying $25 out of pocket. If you use $25 in points to pay for a $40 purchase it will not.

Q. When will I get my referral points?

A. According to the SDM site, "The additional points will be awarded to the registrant's account by August 19, 2009." This means you should get 5000 points for shopping credited to you by the end of August 19. It also means that group leaders will get the extra points for the group by August 19. If not everyone shopped they will require your proof of purchase before they can distribute the group's referral points fairly.

Q. Has this worked for you in the past?

A.We have successfully administered numerous groups.

Q. I'm in! How do I sign up?

A. If you want to join, please email sdm@cookiecrumbs.ca from the email address that you check every day with the following information:

1. What is your name?
2. What is your name in the SmartCanucks forums? This is very very important. This is how we will identify you on the board.
3. Can you log in to your account on the Optimum site?
4. Are you available to shop one day between August 10-12? Note that this is a MONDAY to WEDNESDAY.
5. Have you already signed up for this event? (note if the answer is yes, then don't bother sending me an email because you cannot join again :( )
6. What are the last 9 digits of your Optimum number--no spaces, please? (so that your group points can be distributed to you)
7. Are you interested in being a group leader?

Q. The email address SDM has for me is not the one I gave you. Does it matter?

A. Email doesn't matter at all. Another family member can even use the same address. SDM uses your Optimum number exclusively to identify you.

Q. I sent you an email. Did you get it?

A. If it didn't bounce, probably. We won't have time to respond to each question, but we will update the groups list as soon as possible, within 24 hours at latest. Check the first posts of the thread on SmartCanucks.ca for updates.

Q. What is the signup procedure?

A.

1. Email us with the information listed above.
2. Your name will be added to the groups list, which is in the third post of the SC thread.
3. Your group leader will Email you to tell you that you have been sent a referral link from the real name on their card.
4. Check your email for an invitation that says The real name on their card has invited you to the Tell a Friend event" At the bottom of this email click the "Register Today" image.
   After you click this link, you'll be prompted for you optimum number and one of three security questions. Answer any of these. You will be taken to a page with all your account information on it. Verify that this information is correct, check the box that says "By checking this you agree to our Email Terms and Conditions", and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and submit. The page will warm you if you get anything wrong such as like having selected the wrong title for your gender, or if your email and confirm email fields do not match. You may enter any email here, it need not be the same one your invitation was sent to.
5. You will me taken to your status page, which should now say you have O registered (beneath you). Under that it will say how many you have referred directly. This is the number of email invitations you have sent using the "refer more friends" button beneath it. The referred directly number does not mean those individuals have registered; it only means you have sent them invitations. The number at the top "you have # registered" indicates how many people have registered using your invitation. The third line says how many points are possible if everyone beneath you shops. This starts at 5000. Note that this is seperate from your group points. The group points are points we at SC have agreed to share. This has nothing to do with SDM. If you shop and refer no one yourself you will get 5000 points from SDM. Each person who registers under your link will increase this number by another 5000. You will get 5000 more points if they shop as well. Your group leader will give you your group points if you shop, These do not appear on your page.
6. Email sdm@cookiecrumbs.ca AND your group leader RIGHT AWAY and tell them that you've registered. You will have just received an email confirmation of your registration at the address you just confirmed on your account information page. Hold on to this, as we may ask for it later. This confirmation does not, however, mean you are registered in the group. It only means you have registered. Email your group leader so she can check if her registered number went up.
7. You're done! Yes, your page will say 0 registered and it will stay that way unless you refer other people yourself.
8. To refer other friends yourself, click the "refer more friends" button. Then enter their email addresses to send them invitations. DO NOT, however, send invitations to anyone who wants to be in a group themselves. You are the only one who will receive any points for their purchase.
9. Go to Shoppers on August 10, 11 or 12, and purchase $25 before taxes and after coupons in one transaction on eligible products (see above). KEEP your receipt... if someone in your group does NOT end up participating, you will need to send/show us your receipt before your group points will be given to you!!!! No exceptions.