UK consumers could be losing £100 million in cash benefits every year
Following the recent feature How to Get Money for Nothing! you might be interested in this press release received this morning:
UK consumers who belong to clubs, gyms and thousands of other organisations could be losing more than £100 million every year in cash savings and benefits, according to a major new survey published today by money saving website iMember.co.uk.
A survey carried out in May of more than 2,000 UK adults found that more than three quarters (78%) belong to, or pay a regular subscription to, at least one organization. However, more than half (52%) of those who are members of at least one organisation or service said that they didn’t know or forget what is available.
It seems – with an estimated 10 plus million consumers who belong to clubs and other organisations in the UK which entitle them to average potential benefits of £100 or more each year – most people simply forget or are totally unaware of what is available or what they can claim.
According to Richard Brown, founder of iMember, it’s not the fault of the clubs if members fail to claim benefits and, in response, has launched a new free online service (imember.co.uk) that ensures no one need ever lose out again. The new website reminds users when savings – to which they are already entitled because of their memberships – are available and where.
Young people are likely to benefit most from the site. The iMember survey says they are the big losers with 63% of 18-24 year olds (compared to just 26% of all ages surveyed) not knowing how many organisations they belonged to. Younger people are also more likely to be unaware of what benefits and rewards are available to them – with 39% of 18-34 year olds who are members of organisations or services saying this, compared to 30% of those aged 65+.
This passivity problem is not just exclusive to the young adult market. In fact, one in six (16%) members of organisations or services ‘cannot be bothered’ to use membership benefits. Meanwhile, almost one in ten (9%) say that they ‘don’t have time’ to use the offers that are rightfully theirs – even though as a member of an organisation, it makes sense to reap the rewards that come with belonging, whether it’s a discounted hotel stay or cheaper health insurance.
The survey has highlighted the clear need for a more transparent, accessible and simplified way for consumers to save money. The new iMember website does just that, providing a free service that informs and reminds people what is available and explains how and where to claim.
Combining all of a consumer’s memberships and subscriptions in one handy location, iMember tells them exactly what benefits so many of the UK population should be enjoying already – simple as that. Rather than trawl through numerous websites and marketing materials for each organisation, iMember also keeps the process as simple as possible.
Founder of iMember, Richard Brown, explains: “Only after paying for tickets and attending an exhibition at the Royal Academy, I found out that as a Barclays Premier customer I could have got in free. As a member of many organisations I realised that there are a plethora of benefits and deals out there of which the UK consumer has little or no knowledge at all.”
It may be true that everyone is busier during tough economic times, but people are missing out on savings that are just waiting to be claimed. Membership deals offer money for nothing, but you just have to remember you’re a member. If, like so many UK consumers, you need a little reminder every now and then – that’s where iMember comes in.
iMember is a free and easy-to-use website (imember.co.uk). A smartphone app which will remind you of benefits you are entitled to out and about will be available in July. Registered users can use the site to access reward offers and membership benefits for more than 60,000 places, venues and retailers across the UK.
With more than 10,000 deals on the website database, available through major organisations from the AA to University College London, iMember helps UK consumers to take advantage of their subscription and membership entitlements.
iMember offers organisations the opportunity to remind members, subscribers or customers of the real benefits of belonging to their organization, encouraging to join or renew their subscriptions and memberships.
The iMember website was developed by The Smack Agency. Part of UKNetMonitor Limited, iMember is based at 1090 Galley Drive, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8GA United Kingdom.
One comment received from a reader: I’ve never really believed the savings on offers were worth the bother, but this website saves time and is easy to use.
Do send an email with your opinion, experience, view – we’d be interested in your response.
Sources
1 Forrester Report – The Impact of Online Voucher Codes (http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/press/reports/forrester-report.html)
2 Organisation and Service Benefits Survey – ComRes interviewed 2,017 GB adults online between 15th and 16th May 2013. Data were weighted to be representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Data tables are available on the ComRes website, www.comres.co.uk
Val Reynolds, Editor
In Balance 