Changes to Birchbox Points Starting July 2016

This sucks Birchbox. I’ve always loved this company and customer service until this new points system. There is no incentive to give reviews and really to continue with your service. I have been an ACE member for 2 years and guess I need to try out Ipsy or Sephora’s monthly box and cancel my subscription. You should really consider bringing back the point system.

Peace out BB!

Wow – way to seriously let your customers down. Their point system was the one thing that set them apart from other beauty subscription services. I guess they just got greedy!

So disappointing.

I honestly think that BB is trying to get rid of their subscription box. For the last year or so, the box has become lackluster, and they quit posting things like sneek peeks, or even the boxes, on their social media. They rely on the store to get them money and I think that they’re trying to push out the subscriptions.

So i’m confused how do you earn points after July?? If you only get 10 points for 5 reviews a year??? 50 points a year??

I like receiving samples of luxury products, and I like that I can try them without putting out a huge investment in a product I will end up not finishing, at least I can finish samples. Seems like the reviews I saw before I subbed three months ago were showing boxes with nicer, larger, more useful samples though. Still not sure if I am going to continue with birch box. Ipsy, while full size products, wee mostly makeup and for younger women. Shame birchbox is changing so much. Maybe with the exodus to other boxes, things will improve? We can hope!

I too wanted clarification on the shiny new changes, and opened a chat with BB rep today. The rep ended the chat twice while I was asking my questions! Literally said “I’m leaving the chat now” TWICE! So.. I will be outright making a sizable purchase with my anniversary code, bundling those points with my stored up points, “cashing in” my points, and I’m gone. And just told my daughter and her bf not to bother considering joining anymore.
I have been seeing unboxing videos from UK members for quite awhile. They get the box, also a bag (like Ipsy) and 6 products…with a full size items such as makeup brushes, lotions, liners, nail polish etc.
When asking if points change will affect UK subscribers, was told to contact BB UK. With the dollar exchange rate, we’re all pretty much paying the same amount per box. And US boxes are definitely sub par to UK boxes.
Building our profiles is clearly a waste of time.
In my 2+ yrs, I have only received 1 curly hair product. And that was my 1st box.(also was only box I got “lifestyle” item, a Kind bar) Pleanty of straightening products, that I can’t use due to disability. Can’t use styling tools (blow dryer curling iron etc). Yes, I have made them aware of this. With oily skin, and constantly getting serums, I called them (before they took that ability away) to tell them to quit it with the serums!!
“We are seeing too many reviews of products people haven’t tried”…Ok, then read the profiles, and send us something relevant!!
Come mid July, peace out BB!

So I was planning on riding out the rest of my annual sub since I got it during black Friday, but after more thought, and seeing the articles, etc. from the co-founder, I decided to break up with BirchBox. I was happy to try out some new items, but I am starting to get a lot of extra product that sits around anyway. Hopefully, they allow me to opt out of my annual sub.

This information sealed the deal on me cancelling this month.

I have enjoyed BB but the points where such a huge incentive to keep going.

What’s crazy is that I logged in yesterday to check my points and log my June reviews, and there’s now a dashboard which tracks how many reviews you’ve completed out of all the samples you’ve received.

It’s like the web developers aren’t talking to the rest of the company. What’s the point of tracking something nobody is going to use after July?

I work in marketing and advertising. I understand the need to make tough business decisions, but if Birchbox wants to focus more on their online shop and brick & mortar sales, they better get really competitive (really fast!) with their coupon code offerings and freebies. They need an aggressive promotions strategy because no one will pay full price for something from Birchbox when they can get the same products with a nice discount using coupon codes (or at least get generous free samples and free shipping by default) from other retailers. In the beauty space and elsewhere, customers have become trained to expect that we can get some kind of discount (or generous freebie) and free shipping with every purchase. If a retailer fails to deliver that basic expectation, there are competitors that will meet that need.

I’ve been a Birchbox subscriber since 2012, and I think I’m in the “nostalgic” camp that other commenters have described. I’ve only been excited about a couple boxes in the last year or so, and I agree that the sample sizes are tiny and the brands are very repetitive. However, it is the engagement of reviewing my samples for points that has kept me satisfied. (This has always forced me to try the products because I only wanted to leave honest, legit reviews.) In recent months, I’ve been tempted to ditch Birchbox for Allure Beauty Box, but I had this nagging feeling that I didn’t want to give up on Birchbox because they were my first. I’m willing to see if they get aggressive with their coupon strategy in the next couple months, but this change to the points system definitely removes the last bit of luster Birchbox had in my mind.

well this makes me really upset. I was thinking about canceling birchbox but now I am for sure. I paid for a whole year, does anyone know if they will give a partial refund? if not I guess I will be letting it run out and not renewing.

It’s such a drastic change, I have to believe they did ran the numbers and predicted that the loss in subscribers due to the point system going away was less than the loss that they were incurring giving out the points. One of the co founders left, and the codes disappeared and now this. Numbers must be looking bad. Wondering if they are setting themselves up to be bought out -or – trying for a brick and mortar model only.

My sub is still active. I am an ACE member and thought all of our shipping is free of charge. I logged on and ordered a Swell bottle with some of my balance and was charged 50 points for shipping and handling. Make sure you check your balance if you are a BB ACE member apparently that doesn’t apply to purchases made with your points. Have one other purchase to make and then it is bye bye BB.

after thinking about this for a couple days, i’m not really upset about it. i mean it was a nice perk getting those points for reviewing… but honestly i don’t think those reviews really make a difference. i hardly ever read through reviews before i purchase a product. and i hardly ever purchase a full size product from the samples i get. i usually just save up to get a limited edition box. so it’s not really a big loss… no one is forcing anyone to have a bb subscription. if you’re so upset then yeah just unsubscribe. and i don’t really see what the point of letting anyone have the points for the first 5 reviews or whatever how does that make a difference that’s like what $5 big whoop. it would be nice if they improved their samples though. it would be great to see some new brands or slightly bigger samples or maybe one deluxe sized product… and 4 other small ones, that’s my main issue, getting the same products i’ve received in the passed or stuff that doesn’t match my preferences at all.

Just got back with Play by Sephora. I left them to go to Birchbox for their point system. GoinG back to Play. They have their 50 points card towards samples. Also their site is acting up just keep trying. The first time I got in they never emailed me. Months went by and I just went on their site and it went Thur.

Does anyone know if we will still receive points every month for sharing our box on Twitter or Facebook?

Has anyone of you got a prompt (while visiting the site, I’m actually planning to unsubscribe today!) to take a 30-min telephone interview for 100 points? Seriously, I thought this is Birchbox getting alarmed with the numbers of unsubscription. I signed up for the interview today, and if I get selected, I will air out my opinion, just like every one of us, that the reason why I am planning to get off the boat is because of the points system being slashed. I hope that if they hear this comment enough from other interviewees, they will change their game into something better, if ever it’s really impossible for them to bring back the points system that we all loved.

Is Birchbox samples worth 10 dollars. My second box had texture spray (My profile says I have thick curly hair) and lotion and primer and sunscreen for the face and brow product (My skin concerns were none). I checked Makeup only for what I wanted most. I didn’t get anything I wanted but a brow product and a box. My first box had Burt’s bee balm and shave cream and sunscreen for the body and leave in conditioner small eyeshadow and the free gift. Like the balm and conditioner and smaller sample of eyeshadow. Don’t use shave cream I wax and sunscreen I didn’t want (shouldn’t be in this box and if it is it should be free). 3 out of 5 OK but 1 out of 5 if very bad. Waiting 1 more month and try to chat with them about my profile. But if this is the box forget it.

Wow. Unbelievable. I thought the email wording was confusing and came here to clarify what the changes were..can’t believe there are no more review points.

For almost three years, and multiple different sub boxes, I’ve always had Birchbox. I have too many products and am taking a sub box hiatus; but I was considering keeping one Birchbox account.

Now, when my two annual subs run out in November, I am done.

It’s a shame Birchbox won’t really see the impact of this decision right away–all of us with annuals or gifts or who didn’t correctly read the email (who will get an unfortunate surprise in July when they can no longer review) will be cancelling over the next few months. It will take a while for them to see the true impact, though I honestly doubt they’ll change back. They’ll probably hope new subscribers won’t know any better, although the most devoted subscribers are likely on this forum/are current subscribers…I don’t see a very large number of new people coming in or current subscribers sticking around.

In case anyone was interested, the day We got the email I tweeted the CEO and basically accused her of being the Marie Antoinette of subscription boxes. The respond I got in return was Sorry you feel that way. Restructuring was going to happen.

Basically, sorry not sorry and I planned to do this all along.

BB explained their decision
(quoted from Consumerist):
“We asked Birchbox for a statement on why they made the change, and they explained that under the new system, customers don’t have to rack up 100 points to get a discount, and can redeem them as soon as they earn them.”

““Finally, we owe it to our customers to have the highest quality reviews,” a company representative wrote in a statement to Consumerist. “We found that many people were leaving reviews without having tried the sample first, so beginning July 11 we will only be offering points for the first five reviews that our customers write (10 points for each one).””

I think their system was not sustainable and non profitable. They also said they were not a sample-selling company. Sad.

Petit Vour is WAY better. It’s $15 a month(shipping included), and you get 4 products every month. Sometimes the samples are small, but you always get at least one full-size product, and the brands are usually high-end. They also tend to send out only non-toxic and natural products. Plus, they have a review points system and they are cruelty-free/vegan!

Birchbox shame on them. The response I received from Instagram upset me. I just wanted to know what great benefits they offered to subscribers. I was told they offer alot of great benefits to their customers. They are beating around the bush with this change. Nothing different. What a surprise. I will cancel mine my daughter’s my mom’s . My sisters and their daughter’s will to. Also my brothers daughter’s. Also my cousin’s. That’s 23 customers in my family.

Obviously the people who are upset are being very vocal. I’m wondering if there are other people like me who are not that upset and are continuing their subscriptions.

So what are their great benefits now to only subscribers. The same as a non subscriber? That’s not great that’s nothing. Just subscribed less than 3 weeks ago. Samples were not that great either. I thought I was getting this point system and now nothing. Shame on Birchbox for being so misleading with all their promotions. I feel lied to and upset. I cancelled another subscription to try them out. I’ll see how this plays out and if it doesn’t farewell to BB and then its play.