Frank Zhang thought he was winning at the PC Optimum game — stacking up points on groceries, gas and gift cards by chasing bonus offers and swiping his PC Mastercard for extra rewards.

But his seven years of smart shopping didn’t pay off. Instead of cashing in on his hard-earned 43 million points — worth about $43,000 — Zhang found himself locked out of his account with no warning, no clear explanation and no way to access his points.

“That’s unfair,” Zhang told Go Public. “They can control my money. They can control my points, but I can’t do anything.”

  • nyan@lemmy.cafeEnglish
    242·
    9 days ago

    'Tain’t your money, dude—you didn’t actually pay a cent into this, and I’m sure there’s a clause in whatever fine print you signed that says they can freeze or close your account for any or no reason. Never count on loyalty bonus programs. Not only can your account vanish without warning, but so can the entire program (if the company files for bankruptcy, for example).

    Cash out early and often.

    • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
      4·
      8 days ago

      Yes you did. Do you really think that companies will offer this stuff for free? The cost of it is paid by every consumer, every customer of these stores