Loss of Points. Advice please.

[Thunder Down Under]

Hi

I got a statement via email 15/11/2013 stating that due to inactivity, 169,428 points were cancelled 31/10/2013.

I 'phoned 131131 and after being on hold for approximately 30 minutes, I then got put through to a representative.

I explained the situation and was informed that an email had been sent to me warning of the potential loss. This I did not receive.

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

Today 02/12/2013, I received a 'phone call stating that nothing more could be done.

To say the least, I am disgusted having been a member since 2002.

I wish to take this matter further and would like to receive advice from other members who may have had the same situation occured to them.

Many thanks

TDU

 

[Hvr]

Hi Thunder Down Under and welcome to AFF.

Sadly, this is a fairly common scenario and of course easily avoided by having virtually any activity in the preceding 18 months.

I haven't seen anybody who has lost points reporting a successful restoration of their points.

 

[Orca]

Hi

I got a statement via email 15/11/2013 stating that due to inactivity, 169,428 points were cancelled 31/10/2013.

I 'phoned 131131 and after being on hold for approximately 30 minutes, I then got put through to a representative.

I explained the situation and was informed that an email had been sent to me warning of the potential loss. This I did not receive.

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

Today 02/12/2013, I received a 'phone call stating that nothing more could be done.

To say the least, I am disgusted having been a member since 2002.

I wish to take this matter further and would like to receive advice from other members who may have had the same situation occured to them.

Many thanks

TDU

Presumably this is in regards to Qantas FF program? It's disappointing but I think you'll find that Qantas are pretty tight in regards to inactivity and revoking points. (Similar stories are abound on AFF) It's difficult for you to prove you in fact didn't receive the email warning of the impending loss of points.

 

[Mwenenzi]

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight..

Did you take a QF flight Perth to Broom or is this for the future?
You can claim for flights taken in the past

It's difficult for you to prove you in fact didn't receive the email warning of the impending loss of points.

Especially since "I got a statement via email 15/11/2013 stating that due to inactivity, 169,428 points were cancelled 31/10/2013."
So your email address is in the QF system

 

[Aussie_flyer]

The terms clearly state you will lose your points if you do not have any activity for 18 months. It's been discussed to death here but just going to woolworths for a $31 shop is all it would have take to renew your account for another 18 months. The points are gone and you won't see them again

 

[drewbles]

Suggest you browse/search the forums. There have been a lot of new members joining and complaining about this.

The bottom line: Qantas have invoked a term in their terms and conditions, and there has been zero evidence from anyone to show that they have been lenient and returned the points.

With so many ways to earn points in an 18 month period, it's really not their problem. Sorry if I sound a bit rude, but it's the truth. Shopping once every 18 months at a Woolworths store is all it takes to keep the points ticking over.

If you're not crediting at least once in 18 months, you're not really a 'Frequent Flyer' (and QF sent multiple warnings about it, and make it pretty clear online that it's 18 months).

 

[drewbles]

Did you take a QF flight Perth to Broom or is this for in the future?
You can claim for flights taken in the past

Only for up to 3 months, so it's a fine line for the OP depending when in August the flights were taken (and, if they were retro-claimed, it's possible that they may re-instate the points; there's not been any cases of that around here that I know of, one for trying out for sure).

 

[TomVexille]

Suggest you browse/search the forums. There have been a lot of new members joining and complaining about this.

The bottom line: Qantas have invoked a term in their terms and conditions, and there has been zero evidence from anyone to show that they have been lenient and returned the points.

With so many ways to earn points in an 18 month period, it's really not their problem. Sorry if I sound a bit rude, but it's the truth. Shopping once every 18 months at a Woolworths store is all it takes to keep the points ticking over.

If you're not crediting at least once in 18 months, you're not really a 'Frequent Flyer' (and QF sent multiple warnings about it, and make it pretty clear online that it's 18 months).

This.

Sorry to hear that you lost your points, but it's pretty easy to avoid.

And third, welcome to AFF

 

[get me outta here]

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

Do you have any proof of this? Wouldn't that be 'activity'?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

Do you have any proof of this? Wouldn't that be 'activity'?

booked in august, when it was flown is not known, presumably it was after the expiry period. however the act of using points to book the award would count as activity afaik

 

[ozmille]

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

Do you have any proof of this? Wouldn't that be 'activity'?

It sounds like the flight was "booked in August", no mention of when travel is for so unfortunately I think there is no way around this and the points are lost

 

[bismarck]

The terms clearly state you will lose your points if you do not have any activity for 18 months. It's been discussed to death here but just going to woolworths for a $31 shop is all it would have take to renew your account for another 18 months. The points are gone and you won't see them again

Even simpler these days. Just download the Qantas toolbar to a browser you never use, make one search each 18 month period.

Couldn't be easier to keep points alive.

 

[get me outta here]

It sounds like the flight was "booked in August", no mention of when travel is for so unfortunately I think there is no way around this and the points are lost

Very sad for OP. A lesson to lurkers to note this experience carefully.

 

[BAM1748]

Dear Disgusted, yes a painful experience to loose 160K points.

But if you haven't flown for 18 months, or shopped at Woolworths for 18 months or one of a number of other ways to earn points then perhaps you need to be in another scheme other than the QFF program.

I take it you only realised the points were gone when you logged into book a ticket which means you could check the terms easy enough.

Hard lesson learned.

Matt

 

[fersea]

Sounds like this happens a bit. Don't think it would be too much of a stretch for Qantas to write to customers who have more than say 16k points (a return flight) that are about to disappear and let them know in writing.

 

[ashleyn]

Very sad for OP. A lesson to lurkers to note this experience carefully.

Very good point, there seems to be a number of first posters (and sometimes only posters) with this sort of gripe. FF programs, bank accounts, travel insurance, people read the information provided. These days its written in plain English and easy to understand if you just take the time to read it. Some activity in 18 months, how hard can that be ?

 

[Orca]

Very good point, there seems to be a number of first posters (and sometimes only posters) with this sort of gripe. FF programs, bank accounts, travel insurance, people read the information provided. These days its written in plain English and easy to understand if you just take the time to read it. Some activity in 18 months, how hard can that be ?

Well said. Overall I think 18 months to register activity (and keep your account alive!) is more than fair enough.

 

[froggerADL]

A fully paid flight Perth to Broome and return was booked in August. If I had been aware that there was a potential loss of points due to inactivity, I would have used them to take this flight.

For those that have responded to this part of the original post, it is quite clear from the words used that the flights were flown with another carrier, but had the OP been aware that the points were about to expire they would have used Qantas for the flights.

 

[ashleyn]

For those that have responded to this part of the original post, it is quite clear from the words used that the flights were flown with another carrier, but had the OP been aware that the points were about to expire they would have used Qantas for the flights.

How do you know that Frogger ? No input from the OP since their first post. I have expressed previously the need to verify members. There seem to be a lot of one time posters who drop a hand grenade and run. Are they genuine or spammers ? I don't know. I hope the OP can reply and assure us he/she is genuine. Smacks of spam to me, I hope I will be proven wrong.

 

[Orca]

How do you know that Frogger ? No input from the OP since their first post. I have expressed previously the need to verify members. There seem to be a lot of one time posters who drop a hand grenade and run. Are they genuine or spammers ? I don't know. I hope the OP can reply and assure us he/she is genuine. Smacks of spam to me, I hope I will be proven wrong.

Forgive my ignorance, but how would you verify a member and prevent these thread posts? I'd say that these first time posters/grenade throwers are genuine and genuinely peeved about losing their points. They do a quick google search about qantas cancelling memberships/taking back points and lo and behold, AFF comes up with similar gripes. So whilst they are peeved they come on here to vent their spleen whilst hoping someone can tell them how to get their points back!