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PC Optimum program starts with delays, technical difficulties for users

Click to play video: 'PC Optimum: what Shoppers and PC coming together means for your reward points'
PC Optimum: what Shoppers and PC coming together means for your reward points
WATCH ABOVE: What Shoppers and PC coming together means for your reward points – Jan 31, 2018

The PC Optimum rewards program launched Thursday, but many customers hoping to switch over from their old PC Plus or Shoppers Optimum accounts hit delays and glitches online.

Several reached out to the company on Twitter, reporting a number of concerns.

READ MORE: Here are the winners and losers in the PC and Shoppers points merger

Some customers had trouble downloading the PC Optimum app or were unable to log in. Many received an “unknown error” message.

https://twitter.com/CanadianJLow/status/959083895881850882

https://twitter.com/mazinsanity/status/959085588963000321

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Others said they were having trouble linking their old Shoppers Optimum and PC Plus cards to the new system. While they had points that should have been transferred over, customers said their balance was lower than expected.

https://twitter.com/KBruzzese/status/959084473882116097

https://twitter.com/frugalboy11/status/959083969424785408

Catherine Thomas, a senior director of external communication at Loblaw, told Global News in an email that the company hit a new “bumps” in the merging process.

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“As expected, bringing together 19 million members, across 2,500 stores has created huge enthusiasm and a couple of related bumps,” she said.

“But early reports of the conversion process have been extremely positive, and most of our members have converted seamlessly through the app, in store and online.”

READ MORE: No matter how you use it, $25 Loblaw card could be a big gift to Loblaw

PC Optimum added on Twitter that the company is aware of the glitches, which occurred due to a high volume of customers logging in at once.

Earlier Thursday morning, the company replied to customers saying the issues were resolved but then backtracked minutes later.

“Try downloading the app again, it should be working fine now!” they tweeted at several users.

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But later on, it began telling customers on Twitter that the issues had not yet been solved.

“The team is working hard to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” PC Optimum tweeted.

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While customers tweeting at the company received prompt replies, one woman said she didn’t have much luck trying to get answers over the phone.

“When I tried calling the suggested number for technical difficulties, I tried speaking to both French and English reps,” Christine Roy told Global News in an email. “The English section actually hung up on me with an automated message that they were having problems. The French section’s queue must be quite packed. I gave up after ten minutes.”

WATCH: Loblaw merges PC Points with Shoppers Optimum

Click to play video: 'Loblaw merges PC Points with Shoppers Optimum'
Loblaw merges PC Points with Shoppers Optimum

Loblaw has not indicated when the system is expected to be running glitch-free, but Thomas said the process in underway.

“We’re working to resolve that quickly. In the meantime, customers can still swap their cards in store and begin the conversion process,” she said.

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