Bower: Recycle & get rewarded

I used too really enjoy this app and it helped me get a few extra pounds too put into my savings account for place of my own but since the update it’s awful. I can’t seem to gain any points no matter how much I recycle it just gets turned into xp. It’s a shame because I used to really like using this app(hence why the 2 stars and not just 1)

Really liked the app when I first downloaded it but since the update I have lost all the coins I earn’t over the previous 18 months which I didn’t get a chance to convert. My partner who has been doing the recent scanning has scanned thousands of items for little progress since the app changed which is extremely disheartening and there seems little point continuing as all we seem to be doing is wasting our time. We recycle everything we can anyway which we will continue to do but we shall not waste our time anymore scanning it first when there is little to be gained from it.

The latest update has zapped the fun!!! I lost my points … I no longer see them increasing which was an incentive to continue with the app now with every scan it tells you you’ve earned ‘x’ points but your balance doesn’t change then you suddenly see a few points added when you acheive a challenge - which I add are lengthier to complete for regular household user!! THEN thin cardboard packaging from fruit/veg now randomly shows as needs to be recycled at a ‘recycling point’ yet a cereal packet is accepted - same thickness so whats the difference?!?!? Not only that but the app no longer works on my phone advises to reset my password - which i did .. still doesn’t work so can now only use on a tablet - lining up the camera to scan is fiddlier than zapping with your phone. Overall the update hasn’t encouraged me to keep using!!

It was a good little app, since the update, all changed, not worth doing now, so little reward. I would advise, anyone thinking of downloading, do not bother.

I loved using this app and keeping a check on how we were doing recycling at home. It was great to earn a few pence too. The updated app is now like playing a stupid game with the different levels & pushing you towards their partners. It’s just not worth the effort of scanning the items now so I’ve deleted it.

This used to be a great app, with incentives for recycling. Now it feels utterly pointless, with the introduction of virtual ‘rewards’ that I don’t want or care about. Like a poor man’s Pokemon awarding you XP and a path on a journey. Bring back the old system, because as soon as I have enough coins to cash out I won’t be using this new version any more.

Stated collecting points and stopped using the app for a while came back an all my points had disappeared not starting again just to have them deleted later down the line.

I have no idea what this app is all about anymore. Used to be one of”coin” for scanning and recycling. Not anymore. I keep scanning but my tally doesn’t seem to be increasing. The help pages aren’t much use either. Please either revert to how it used to be or explain the new fangled app. I can’t be the only one who’s beginning to wonder whether it’s worth it.

I was really enjoying using this app, although the amounts you could earn each month were capped, it felt like a nice reward to save up. They’ve now just updated it and there’s very little chance of earning any coins to exchange for cash. You now earn XP for scanning recycling which don’t exchange for cash, so not sure what the point of those is? The missions only unlock at certain points, so basically you’ll need to use it for months before you get very little back. Unless you buy items from their ‘brand partners’ and get a small amount cash back. It’s now very complicated to use and I don’t really see the point of it any more.

Before I updated the app I had a bunch of coins saved up to get the top voucher amount when it became available. However since updating it they’ve been completely wiped out and I’m back down to 0. This might be a bug or planned with the way the coins now work, but either way it’s very frustrating. Other than that the update is a bit mixed. ***Edit: after I wrote this there was an in app message about points and it mentioned an email and notification sent about a week before. I don’t have notifications turn on but eventually found the email in my spam folder, even though I’d previously had emails from Bower. It would probably work better if the in app message was included before to make sure people see it.*** The increased coin amounts for vouchers is disappointing, but being able to get multiple a month is nice. I’m not sure on these missions you need to finish to get coins now. The amount you get is alright but overall feels like you’ll get less than you used to when it was per item recycled. I’m assuming as well that if you complete a mission early there’s no way to get more coins until the next one is available, which could easily put you off using the app since there’d be no point.