Overseas visitor, can I family pool them

[freebo]

I have a friend coming over next year, his first time in Australia and likely he won't be returning for a good while. We'll be taking several VA flights together (I'm VA Plat).

Can I pool their points & SC's? Obviously they're not a VA FF but I was going to enrol them, not strictly family I know but he's like a brother to me

 

[Denali]

Where from OS is he from?

https://www.velocityfrequentflyer.com/content/TermsConditions/

[FONT=&quot]5. MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Eligibility and Applying for Membership
5.1.1 An individual is eligible to become a Member if:
(a) they are an individual resident in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Christmas Island or Cocos Island;[/FONT]

 

[ozjuice]

I'd say the question may best be answered by how much a risk you're willing to take. Weren't there a heap of memberships recently closed?

 

[CJEMNMAC]

I have a friend coming over next year, his first time in Australia and likely he won't be returning for a good while. We'll be taking several VA flights together (I'm VA Plat).

Can I pool their points & SC's? Obviously they're not a VA FF but I was going to enrol them, not strictly family I know but he's like a brother to me

On reading the T&C I think its pretty clear about family pooling.


[FONT=&quot]14.9 The Beneficiary Account and Contributing Accounts must be held by Members of a family living at the same residential address.


[/FONT]Eligible Family Member[FONT=&quot] means any person a Member can demonstrate is related to that Member in any of the ways described as follows: husband/wife/domestic partner/de facto, parent/child, brother/sister, grandparent/grandchild, son/daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law, father/mother-in-law, uncle/aunt, nephew/niece, first cousin, or any foster, step or adopted relationship in any of these categories.



Whether or not you consider your friend " like a brother " I would suggest on the information you provided that he is not your brother[/FONT]

 

[Denali]

.......[FONT=&amp]/de facto.....
Whether or not you consider your friend " like a brother " I would suggest on the information you provided that he is not your brother[/FONT]

Maybe he can be OPs de facto - they met online

A couple of guys in NZ got married on a radio competition just to get rugby tickets a few years ago.

 

[fewings85]

I'm doing something a little similar. My long term partner, (5 years) is currently working overseas, for another year, she's not a citizen of Australia, she's coming back to complete 5 moths of study between October '17 and march '18. Before going back overseas to work for another 1 year and then returning here permanently. During the 5 months she is here she will be living with me. We have a few flights lined up so I signed her up and all and is using my address (she will be living there in that time as I said) and I put in for family pooling, I selected the option "defacto/long term partner" it successfully went through.

 

[freebo]

Maybe he can be OPs de facto - they met online

A couple of guys in NZ got married on a radio competition just to get rugby tickets a few years ago.

That sounds like taking it a bit far, and anyway we're both married (in fact I was his best man a few months ago).

We didn't meet online, we went to school together and met when we were 10 years old, later I moved here with my Mrs.

Seems I can't pool his points, shame!

 

[Jack_OC]

I agree that it's too risky to try to break the T&Cs. Furthermore, there's an even more basic problem:

14.3 A maximum of two Members of the Family Pool may be 18 years or over in age. If the Beneficiary Account belongs to a Member aged 18 years or over, they can have a maximum of one Contributing Account belonging to a Member aged 18 years or over.

So if the OP's wife already pools to him (which seems likely), then he would not even be able to add a real brother, even if said brother really did live with him.

 

[Wezza]

I have 2 nephews traveling with us on some flights from Moscow to Sydney in August, do you think I could set it up for them to pool to me?

 

[Jack_OC]

I have 2 nephews traveling with us on some flights from Moscow to Sydney in August, do you think I could set it up for them to pool to me?

Three key questions:
1. Do they live with you?
2. What ages are they?
3. How many people in total are in your family pool already and how many are over 18?

If the nephews are under 18 and they live with you, and you currently have 4 or fewer people in your family pool, then yes, they can pool to you. If they don't live with you, then they are not eligible to pool to you. If you think this is a grey area and you're willing to take a risk, that's up to you. Just bear in mind that Velocity has discretion to cancel your account, with the result that you lose all points and status, if they decide you have breached the T&Cs (just to emphasise, Velocity gets to decide - it's not a court of law situation where they have to prove wrongdoing to an independent arbiter).

Leaving aside question 1, you can only have a maximum of 2 adults (including yourself) and 4 kids in your family pool - so that may or may not prevent you doing this in any case.

EDIT - here is the relevant part of the Velocity T&Cs (my emphasis):

9.1.3 In addition to clauses 9.1.1 and 9.1.2, VRPL may, in its sole discretion, immediately suspend or terminate without notice the Membership of any Member who, in VRPL’s opinion, has breached:

(a) clause 5.6.2 by selling, bartering, attempting to transfer or otherwise dealing with any Member Benefits other than in accordance with these Terms and Conditions;
(b) clause 10.2.4 by making a Points Transfer – Airlines other than in accordance with these Terms and Conditions;
(c) clause 21.2.5 by claiming Status Credits with both Velocity Frequent Flyer and a Program Partner program;
(d) clause 5.6.1 by supplying incorrect or incomplete information; or
(e) clause 14 by failing to comply with any of the terms and conditions for Family Pooling.
​

 

[Happy Dude]

T&C's? Pppffft. Both the OP and Wezza could family pool and if Velocity has the audacity to attempt to enforce the T&C's just get a lawyer to write a "how dare you!". Some AFF members may be able to provide further info.

 

[Jack_OC]

T&C's? Pppffft. Both the OP and Wezza could family pool and if Velocity has the audacity to attempt to enforce the T&C's just get a lawyer to write a "how dare you!". Some AFF members may be able to provide further info.

Not sure what you're referring to, but as a general rule, getting lawyers involved isn't going to help if you have clearly broken the T&Cs. And if you think VA/Velocity respond to letters saying "how dare you", I can only assume that you have not had much experience of lodging complaints with them.

Anyway, as I said before - it's up to the individual whether they want to take the risk.

Finally - the rule about 2 adults per pool and 6 members overall cannot be broken - the system will not let you do this in the first place. Even if one of your kids turns 18, resulting in a third adult in your pool, they automatically remove them.

 

[mannej]

There were a few members who have had accounts frozen due to alleged Family Pool breaches. It would be interesting to hear from them about any of the risks involved with the OPs idea

 

[Jack_OC]

There were a few members who have had accounts frozen due to alleged Family Pool breaches. It would be interesting to hear from them about any of the risks involved with the OPs idea

Yes - I remember that thread. And IIRC, some had their accounts reinstated after sending stat decs/evidence that they had not broken the rules. Perhaps that's what HappyDude is referring to? If so, that's a very different situation - I understand that in those cases, the members had not breached the T&Cs and were able to convince Velocity that was the case. In the example of the OP in this thread, there is no question that it would be a breach of the T&Cs, so if he did this and got caught, he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. The same may or may not be true of Wezza - depends on whether the nephews live with him - and the answer to that question could easily be verified.

In any case, those previous examples show that Velocity monitors compliance with these T&Cs, and enforces them if they believe they have been breached.

 

[Wezza]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I'm aware of the terms & conditions. How could they possibly know where they live though? That's the only criteria that doesn't fit for me. I don't think I'll do it, but the extra SC's would be nice.

 

[Jack_OC]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah I'm aware of the terms & conditions. How could they possibly know where they live though? That's the only criteria that doesn't fit for me. I don't think I'll do it, but the extra SC's would be nice.

They probably won't know for sure, but if the situation strikes them as unusual (and this might), it could be enough for them to ask you to provide evidence that the kids live with you. It's also possible that they could audit a random sample of people with Family Pools that include people who are not spouses/kids of the beneficiary. As noted above, they definitely do look into this and take action if they think something is not right.

It's pretty easy to provide evidence that someone lives at your address, if they really do live there. So if you can't do that, I think you would be in trouble.

 

[Wezza]

It's probably not worth the risk. I already have my wife & son pooling into my account anyway. Cheers.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

One of the good things about the VA program is the ability to pool. I really like it and it has helped me over the years to maintain and derive value out of our family and individual flying experiences.

What often comes to light in these discussions is that some people consider pushing the limits. ( we all have different views on this )

I would hate this benefit to ever be removed because of constant breaches of the T&C's

 

[Wezza]

It's certainly helped me recently, I went from gold back to pleb status a few months ago, then my wife & son flew to Russia in June. Straight back to silver & I'm heading over on Thursday, by the time we get back in easily be gold again well on my way to platinum. Family pooling is a brilliant idea!

 

[Deleted member]

On reading the T&C I think its pretty clear about family pooling.


[FONT=&quot]14.9 The Beneficiary Account and Contributing Accounts must be held by Members of a family living at the same residential address.


[/FONT]Eligible Family Member[FONT=&quot] means any person a Member can demonstrate is related to that Member in any of the ways described as follows: husband/wife/domestic partner/de facto, parent/child, brother/sister, grandparent/grandchild, son/daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law, father/mother-in-law, uncle/aunt, nephew/niece, first cousin, or any foster, step or adopted relationship in any of these categories.



Whether or not you consider your friend " like a brother " I would suggest on the information you provided that he is not your brother[/FONT]

Maybe they need a bromance , would that count ? (Lol)