Come Monday (or Sunday depending on which state you are in), I am sure many of your will be queuing in Post Offices around the country for the Woodpecker issue. Here’s another thing collectors in Kuala Lumpur should look out for.
Apparently there has been a loyalty programme going at the Dayabumi Head Office for a few years. I found out by chance when one of the frequent buyers had the loyalty card lying around when he was sticking his stamps. When he saw me he quickly tried to hide the cards away (so much for friendly stamp collectors – hmmm from the quantity he buys, must be a dealer so the attitude is forgiven). Only after I asked did I get a grunt about “ask the philatelic counter”. Aha!, so that is what these people are trying to hide from use regular buyers.
The loyalty programme rewards frequent queuers who buy a minimum of one full folder set each time there is a new stamp issue (empty folder sets do not count, stamp and ms sets do not count, FDCs do not count). Well if you are a SODA account holder, it does not count too. Seems like queuing for full set folders is rewarding.
NOT FAIR (I heard you scream in your heart!). Tsk, tsk, rules are rules mind you (wagging my finger). Maybe someday, armchair and outstation philatelists will be rewarded with a proper SODA loyalty programme such as in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore!
Personally I am not very excited (sour grapes you say). I have managed to complete a few tiers and the gifts are just so-so (it is a Malaysian term, if you do not understand write in). I missed out a few other tiers as the folder sets are not appealing or I just plain forgot to bring my card.
Here’s how it works:
1. Get a loyalty card from the Philatelic Bureau (where you queue for stamps not the office counter) – ask around (I have already given you so much information!). Looks something like this (remember designs can change!):
2. Each time you queue (I stress the word queue) and buy a full folder set, obtain a verification. A Pos Malaysia logo cancellation will be applied to the loyalty card corresponding to the stamp issue (e.g. Woodpecker is issue number 1).
3. At the completion of each tier (e.g. issues 1 to 3 or 13 to 15) you are eligible to get a free gift. The free gifts are usually excess old presentation packs. If you are lucky you will get a mint presentation pack. If not, well you will get a CTO presentation pack or an old empty folder. I have not seen any FDCs being given away.
4. At the end of the year, you will get a surprise gift, e.g. old annual albums. All the stamps inside the albums are cancelled with “not for sale”. Good for keepsake and maybe really for sale!
It is that straight forward. Oh, if you miss an issue in between the cycle (say you bought issue 1, issue 3 and missed issue 2) then you are not eligible.
Good luck!
sky52200
myfdc 