The Midcounties Co-operative - Terms and Conditions

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Terms and Conditions

It is important that our members have the opportunity to tell us what matters to them and to share their experiences as a member. There are two easy ways for you to do this. Either go onto the members' forum or email us your views.

Terms & Conditions

1. Applications for membership

We welcome applications from customers who share our values, live in the UK and who are aged 16 years or over. As a member you are required to hold and retain at least one £1 share fully paid in The Midcounties Co-operative. When your membership is accepted £1 is added to your share ledger balance and £1 is then redeemed from any subsequent dividend payment due. We reserve the right to refuse any application for membership.

You can apply on-line at www.midcounties.coop/join-us/ or via an application form which you can pick up in store/branch.

As a member you are able to invest further sums in your Society. You will earn interest on balances over £10 and you are able to invest up to a maximum of £20,000. For more detail, please go to Members' Share Accounts

1.1 Membership card details

As an individual member of The Midcounties Co-operative you will receive a Co-operative Membership card.

1.2 Ownership of the card

The Co-operative Membership card is issued by and remains the property of The Midcounties Co-operative, who may withdraw the card at any time. Your card is evidence of your membership and you may be required to produce this in certain circumstances.

The membership card is not a credit card, cheque guarantee card, debit card or a savings account card.

1.3 Change in Personal details

As a member it is your responsibility to inform us if your details change such as your name or address, should this be the case please contact us via email or post so we can update your details, this will ensure we are able to send you your dividend payments and other communications. Please quote your membership card number, or name and postcode to help the call centre advisor to find your record.

1.4 Card Usage

The Co-operative Membership card can only be used for the benefit of the member named on the front of the card and when that person has signed the back of the card.

You may not transfer any of your rights or duties under the scheme.

The card cannot be used by anyone other than the member as evidence of a right to exercise democratic rights save to the extent that this may be permissible under the rules.

1.5 Partner Cards

Partners Cards are available to members and can be requested from Member Services. They can be used by another person living at the same address as the member and will accrue points for the member's account when shopping with us. The member will receive the benefit of these points on their account and have them converted to a Share of the Profits twice yearly, along with any points they have earned themselves.

Restrictions

A Partner card holder is not a member of the society and, as such, they will not be eligible for any of the benefits available to a normal member.

This includes participate in member democratic voting, such as the elections for our Board of Directors.

Charges for Partner Cards

If you order a Partner card at the point of your application for membership then the Partner card is provided free of charge. However, if you order a Partner card after you are already a member then there is a charge of £1 to cover the cost of the welcome pack. If you need a replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged Partner Card then there is a charge of £2 for each replacement. All charges will be registered against the members account and deducted from their Share of the Profits.

2. Earning points

To earn points you must present your card at the beginning of a transaction at a participating outlet. If you make purchases online or over the telephone you must quote your card number to earn points.

The following standards apply for points earned per pound spent in participating branches owned by The Midcounties Co-operative.

There is a minimum spend of £1 per transaction before points can be earned.

The Co-operative Food

1 point for every £1

The Co-operative Funerals

2 points for every £1

The Co-operative Travel

1 point for every £2

The Co-operative Motors

1 point for every £2 on vehicle sales

Imagine Co-operative Childcare

2 points for every £1

The Co-operative Pharmacy

1 point for every £1 spent on non-prescription goods

Member Involvement

Graduated according to type of involvement

There are a number of exclusions to the above and these can be found at the end of this document.

2.1 Registering points on previous purchases

If you are unable to produce your Co-operative Membership card at the time of purchase you can still register your purchase and claim points using the procedure set out below. This must be done at the outlet where you made your purchase and we will only accept purchases made within the last six months:

Co-operative Food - obtain a supervisor signature on your receipt at the time of purchase. Return to the store with both the signed receipt and your card within 7 days and your points will be credited.
Co-operative Funeral Services - If a client is not in possession of a membership number at the time of arrangement the client can ask the Funeral home to contact the help line to obtain and verify the members' details.
Co-operative Travel - Within 7 days from financial balance payment
Motorworld - If a client is not in possession of a membership number at the time of transaction the client can ask the branch to contact the help line to obtain and verify the members' details.
Imagine Co-operative Childcare - If a client is not in possession of a membership number at the time of transaction the client can ask the nursery to contact the help line to obtain and verify the members' details.
Co-operative Pharmacy - Within 7 days of purchase on production of receipt and membership card and speak to a supervisor.

2.2 Affinity Scheme - Points are earned

Notice for Midcounties Members

As part of the Affinity Scheme with the Co-operative Group you can also earn points for transactions within participating Co-operative Group businesses where you see the membership bee sticker in the window or door. See their members' website at www.co-operative.co.uk/membership for the terms and conditions.

Points will be earned in accordance with the standard terms and conditions laid out here and any additional offers as published.

2.3 Businesses and Products excluded from the scheme

You will not earn points for purchases at the following Midcounties Co-operative outlets:

Post Offices
Direct Sales (Co-op Travel website sales)
Co-operative Pharmacies (where the bee sticker is not shown)

In addition there are a number of products and services that unfortunately we are not able to offer points on. For a full list of products that you can and cannot earn points on please refer to the business specific appendices at the end of this document.

2.4 Earning Points through Member activities

There may be times when you can also earn points for taking part in certain Member activities and events run by The Midcounties Co-operative. This is at the discretion of the society and we will communicate these opportunities at the time of publication of the activity.

2.5 Refund or return of goods

If you purchase goods from us and return them for a refund (or if you cancel/amend a holiday booking) we may remove/amend any points you have earned from your card . This will not apply where this is as a result of a valid complaint.

3. Payment Calculation

At certain points throughout the year, as determined by the board of directors of the society, the points you have earned during the qualifying period will be converted to a cash value at a rate determined by the board. The total cash value of all the points earned is approved by members as a distribution. Vouchers for the cash amount earned in pounds, and redeemable against purchases in Midcounties branches will then be sent to members.

3.1 Affinity Scheme - Payment Calculation

Notice for Midcounties Members

As part of the Affinity Scheme with the Co-operative Group any points earned in The Co-operative Group sites, will be declared with their dividend once a year and then we will be given the value of the points earned by members at Co-operative group sites. The value can then be added to our next distribution.

4. Receiving your payment

We will only pay your Dividend if the value of the points you have earned is greater than the minimum limit for payment, which varies each trading period. If the value of the points you have earned is less than the minimum limit for payment we will roll this amount over as a balance carried forward and add it to the points you earn in the next trading period.

Your Dividend will be paid to you in whole pounds as vouchers. Any pence amounts will be carried forward and added to the Dividend payout in the next period.

Please contact the member hotline on 0800 435 902. if you would like to change your method of payment. The choice is between vouchers, charitable donation or both. For further help in understanding these methods of payment email member.communications@midcounties.coop or phone the member hotline on 0800 435 902.

4.1 Charitable donations

If you have instructed us we will pay either 50% or 100% of your Dividend to your named charity(s) chosen from our published list.

Any Donations to your chosen charities will be your chosen proportion of Dividend, either 50% or 100%, paid in pounds and pence. These payments will be made directly to each charity by The Midcounties Co-operative.

5. Spending Dividend vouchers

The vouchers can be spent at any Midcounties Co-operative outlet.

You must present your membership card when you spend your vouchers, and the number on the voucher must be the same as the number on the membership card. We may request proof of ID.

5.1 Lost or Stolen cards or vouchers

If your card is lost, stolen or damaged, replacement cards are available by calling the Members Hotline on 0800 435 902 or writing to us at:

The Co-operative Membership,
The Midcounties Co-operative,
Co-operative House,
234 Botley Road,
Oxford
OX2 0HP

or via email at member.communications@midcounties.coop. However, an administrative charge may apply for replacement. Production of a replacement card may take up to 14 days.

We will not replace lost or stolen vouchers.

We may give the appropriate authorities any information considered important about the loss or theft of a card or voucher.

5.2 Power of Attorney

If you are no longer able to look after your own affairs you can appoint a power of attorney to operate your card. The power of attorney will be able to request to receive any outstanding dividend to be paid to you but they will not have any other power such as voting or participating in any democratic activity.

5.3 Voucher Mailing - Terms and Conditions

Full Terms and Conditions relating to voucher use can be found included in the Dividend payout mailing that accompanies each voucher mailing.

6.Cancelling your membership

6.1 How to cancel your membership

For information on cancelling your membership please call 0800 435 902. We require any request of cancellation to be made in writing to us at:

The Co-operative Membership,
The Midcounties Co-operative,
Co-operative House,
234 Botley Road,
Oxford
OX2 0HP

6.2 If we cancel your membership

We value your membership. However, as a consumer co-operative, we reserve the right to cancel this membership. This can be done when you have not, within the immediately preceding period of six years either:-

maintained a share account balance in excess of £10.00 throughout that period; or
made purchases from or traded with the Society; or
subscribed to the share capital of or invested with the Society; or
taken part in the business of the Society by having attended a members' group meeting or by voting in the Society's elections;

We will write to you at your last known address and give you two months notice of any intention to cancel, during which time you may provide evidence of purchases or other interaction with us (to be determined by us from time to time) and we will reconsider our decision to cancel.

6.3 Death of a Member

In the event of us being advised of the death of a member, all points will be calculated at the rate of the last dividend payment, converted into money and transferred into the deceased's share account and form part of their estate.

6.4 Bankruptcy of a Member

A trustee in the bankruptcy of a member may apply to us for repayment of your share account.

6.5 Repayment of the Dividend

In the event of your membership being cancelled for any reason the points balance will be surrendered and no vouchers issued.

7. Data protection

We take our responsibilities for data protection seriously. Our policy on data protection is as follows:

The Society will hold certain information about you, for example, your name, address, membership details, communications with the Society, etc.
We use your 'membership' information to administer your share account and your membership record, and to provide you with the membership services and benefits that you are entitled to as a member of the Society. Our businesses also use your 'customer' information to help them develop their businesses and to keep you informed of special offers, etc.
As a member you are a part owner of the Society.This entitles you to a say in how the Society is run, a vote on important issues and exclusive offers and benefits available only to members. Hence, as part of your membership you will receive information about the Society on all subjects relating to the Society. This will include, for example, voting papers for the annual Board of directors election, and may also include details and offers for goods or services from the businesses we own which we believe will be of interest to you (known as 'direct marketing'). We may also send you information on goods and services from other co-operatives that we think may be of interest to you (but we will never pass your details on to them).
We will only pass your information onto another organisation if we need to for the purposes of providing your membership benefits, or are required to by the law, or regulation. Note that it is the responsibility of the Society to check any organisation for data integrity used to provide membership benefits.
In addition, and again, as you would expect from the Society, we strive to keep the information we hold about you safe and secure so that no-one else can access it.
As an individual, you have certain rights in relation to the information we hold about you. In particular, you can obtain a copy of this information. To do this, and to enquire about other matters concerning data protection, please write to: The Secretary, The Midcounties Co-operative Limited, Co-operative House, 234 Botley Road, Oxford, OX2 0HP.
You can obtain more information on data protection matters from the information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire, SK9 5AF, Tel: 01625 545 745.

8. Appendices

8.1 Appendix 1 - Exclusions from the Scheme

Midcounties Co-operative Food Stores