Bhubaneswar: When AJIO launched its Supercash program, the proposition seemed straightforward and appealing: shop more, earn points, and use them toward future purchases. The company heavily marketed the system, emphasizing that 100% of accumulated Supercash could be redeemed against subsequent orders—a strong incentive for shoppers to remain loyal to the platform instead of exploring competitors like Myntra, Amazon Fashion, or Nykaa Fashion.
"I became an AJIO regular specifically because of their rewards program," says Meera Sharma, a 32-year-old marketing professional from Bangalore who has been shopping on AJIO for three years. "The idea that I could accumulate points and then essentially get free items later was the main reason I chose them over other platforms."
This sentiment was echoed by thousands of customers who flocked to the platform, accumulating points with each purchase and eagerly anticipating their redemption. Industry analysts noted that AJIO's growth in recent years was partially attributed to the perceived generosity of its rewards program compared to competitors.
The Changing Rules
The trouble began when users started noticing subtle changes to the program without any prominent announcements from the company. What was once marketed as a straightforward points system began transforming into something far more restrictive.
"I got 462 points on my previous order. But it's showing 0 in my wallet, and I basically can't use it. What a joke," complained one user on a popular social media platform. "They promoted heavily that 100% of this Supercash thing can be used in future orders but now allowing to use only 3% of total order value. What a scam."
This experience isn't isolated. Another user responded: "Agreed! Earlier they showed you could use 100 percent of the cart value. However, now it's showing only 15%."
The most common complaints emerging from the controversy include:
- Disappearing Points: Users report logging into their accounts to find their previously accumulated Supercash reduced to zero without explanation.
- Usage Restrictions: The percentage of an order that can be covered by Supercash appears to have been dramatically reduced—from the advertised 100% to as little as 3-15% of the order value.
- Activation Delays: Some users report being told their points will "activate" on future dates, despite having already earned them through previous purchases.
- Premature Expiration: Several customers have complained about points expiring before their communicated expiration dates.
- Customer Service Challenges: Many affected customers report difficulty in reaching AJIO's customer service representatives or receiving satisfactory responses.
Consumer Rights Advocates Take Notice
The mounting complaints have caught the attention of consumer rights organizations. An advocate Rajesh Khanna from the Consumer Rights Association explains, "What we're seeing with AJIO's Supercash program potentially raises serious concerns about transparency in e-commerce reward programs. If a company promotes certain redemption terms to attract customers and then substantially alters those terms without clear communication, it could potentially constitute an unfair trade practice under the Consumer Protection Act."
Legal experts suggest that the case highlights a gray area in e-commerce regulations. While companies typically include clauses in their terms and conditions allowing them to modify reward programs at their discretion, the question becomes whether substantial changes made without prominent notification cross ethical and legal lines.
Comparing Industry Standards
AJIO's situation isn't occurring in isolation. Similar controversies have emerged with other e-commerce platforms, creating what some industry observers call "rewards program fatigue" among consumers.
"I've had almost identical experiences with Myntra," shares one customer. "My cash expired before the due date. I checked one week before the date, and my own refunded cash had expired. I couldn't get with them on a call either. I've got 3,000 rupees and change that's unusable now."
E-commerce analyst Priyanka Mehta explains that while reward programs are designed to foster loyalty, poorly managed changes can have the opposite effect: "When customers feel deceived by a rewards program, the damage to brand trust often exceeds any financial benefit the company might gain from restricting redemptions. We've seen this pattern repeatedly across various platforms."
Industry data suggests that customers who feel mistreated by loyalty program changes are 78% more likely to switch to competitors and 65% more likely to share their negative experiences online, creating a ripple effect of negative sentiment.
