DEZERVED – a new shopping platform coming to a loyalty scheme near you

Lufthansa’s Miles & More programme is the launch partner for a new shopping platform called DEZERVED.

I wanted to take a look at DEZERVED today, not because we have loads of Miles & More members amongst our readers (we don’t) but because it is currently signing up other airline and hotel partners. It is likely that you will be invited to join at some point.

What is DEZERVED?

DEZERVED is, effectively, a ‘members-only shoppers club’.

You need a Lufthansa Miles & More account to gain access.

Whilst this is not how they describe it, what DEZERVED is doing is negotiating aggressive deals with retailers on the basis that they are hidden behind a ‘members only’ login screen. This allows retailers to offer deals without the risk that they will leak into the public domain.

Loyalty programme members don’t get these deals for free. Whilst DEZERVED costs nothing to join, you need to ‘buy’ these deals using miles. This gives additional certainty to retailers that their discounts won’t ‘leak’.

The shopping discounts are a bit weak

DEZERVED is still in launch mode and, to be fair, the shopping deals are not great, especially for a UK resident.

You can buy:

• a €50 coupon off a €250 Farfetch order for 200 Miles & More miles

• a €100 coupon off a €500 Farfetch order for 500 Miles & More miles

• a 40% coupon for Gentleman’s Tonic toiletries for 100 Miles & More miles

• a €110 coupon off €219 QuiteOn sleep earbuds for 100 Miles & More miles

….. and so on. There was nothing I wanted to jump on.

The hotel deals are a lot more interesting

DEZERVED also has special hotel deals. These look a lot more interesting. The downside is that you need to pay upfront in return for a gift voucher valid on a future stay.

Vouchers are typically sold at 65% to 70% of face value. Current properties taking part include:

• Six Senses Residences Courchevel
• Six Senses Kaplankaya, Turkey
• Six Senses Kocatas Mansions, Istanbul
• Villa des Orangers, Marrakech
• Hotel Kungsträdgården, Stockholm 
• Icelandair Hotel Myvatn
• Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel
• Heure Bleue, Essaouira

The only potential snag with the hotel vouchers is that you need to book a ‘pay on departure’ rate to use them, which may mean you are locking yourself out of cheaper prepaid rates. The vouchers are also non-refundable.

Conclusion

I would have preferred to see DEZERVED launch with a broader range of offers, because there is a risk that Miles & More members take one look and don’t come back.

I also think that they are missing a trick by not making their hotel offers the heart of the business. All of the marketing I have seen is focused on the shopping discounts, which narrows their target market. I didn’t even know the site had hotel deals on it until I logged in.

DEZERVED is trying to sign up more loyalty schemes as partners, so you may get a chance to take a look soon.

If any of the hotel deals I listed above sound interesting, you can get access by signing up for a Miles & More account – although you will need to earn a handful of miles before you can buy a voucher.