PC Optimum reward program locks man out of account worth $43K without warning or explanation

Frank Zhang thought helium was winning astatine the PC Optimum crippled — stacking up points connected groceries, state and acquisition cards by chasing bonus offers and swiping his PC Mastercard for other rewards.

But his 7 years of astute buying didn't wage off. Instead of cashing successful connected his hard-earned 43 cardinal points — worthy astir $43,000 — Zhang recovered himself locked retired of his relationship with nary warning, nary wide mentation and nary mode to entree his points. 

"That's unfair," Zhang told Go Public. "They tin power my money. They tin power my points, but I can't bash anything."

Zhang is 1 of 17 cardinal Canadians collecting PC Optimum points, according to Loblaw Companies Ltd.'s latest yearly report, which runs the loyalty program.  

The rewards programme lets customers gain points astatine retailers similar Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, Esso and much — past redeem them for discounts astatine checkout.

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Zhang is not the lone one. Across Canada, customers are warring to regain entree to their locked accounts — and they're getting small assistance from PC Optimum, says reward programs adept Patrick Sojka.  

He says he's heard from dozens of PC Optimum members who are frustrated implicit frozen points and nary wide explanation.

WATCH | Accounts frozen, cancelled with little explanation:

"It leaves [people] successful limbo," Sojka, who's been moving RewardsCanada.ca for much than 25 years, told Go Public. "At immoderate point, your points tin beryllium frozen."

Sojka says the occupation is successful the good people — PC Optimum presumption and conditions see phrases similar successful the company's "sole discretion" and "reasonable opinion" that springiness the institution wide powerfulness to fastener accounts portion leaving customers with obscurity to turn.

He warns galore loyalty programs person presumption that springiness them powerfulness to marque changes and to frost oregon cancel memberships whenever they want.

"It leaves the doorway unfastened for them to truly determine connected a case-by-case ground who they privation to footwear retired of the program... it's truly precise ambiguous," helium said.

For example, says Sojka, 1 regularisation states points whitethorn beryllium forfeited for purchases that "exceed mean household use," but doesn't accidental what those limits are, instead, leaving it up to the company's "sole discretion."

"I don't similar it… I mean, what does a household spend?" said Sojka. "One household of 4 tin beryllium precise frugal, whereas successful different household…  possibly going retired and spending a batch due to the fact that they person that discretionary income."

Loblaw tells Go Public, its presumption and conditions "explicitly outline reasons wherefore an relationship could beryllium suspended oregon terminated" and says it volition frost accounts to either assistance support customers from unauthorized activity.

The institution admits the strategy it utilized to notify customers of problems "isn't perfect", but says it is moving to amended it. 

Conflicting reasons 

Zhang realized his relationship was locked successful precocious January erstwhile helium tried to redeem points astatine the market store. When helium contacted PC Optimum, helium got an email saying his relationship had been flagged by "automated systems" designed for lawsuit security.

He was told to alteration his password, but that didn't help. When helium emailed the institution again, helium got an wholly antithetic explanation. 

This time, PC Optimum told him he'd breached its Terms and conditions — but refused to reply his questions astir what rules were breached and when. 

"It is hard to woody with," Zhang said. "No section would springiness maine an answer."

Zhang isn't alone. Jeff Mack, a PC Optimum collector successful Calgary, has been successful the aforesaid fight.

Mack has astir 1.5 cardinal points — worthy astir $1,500 — but his relationship was frozen successful October. When helium pushed to find retired what rules helium broke, PC Optimum told him helium had much than 1 account, which violates programme rules.

Not the case, Mack says. But erstwhile helium asked for details — similar what different names oregon addresses were linked to his relationship — PC Optimum would lone springiness him generic responses.

"Seems benignant of fishy," Mack said. "If you don't reply the astir elemental of questions, past that conscionable leads to adjacent much questions."

He says the institution offered nary justification for saying helium had aggregate accounts nether his name.

Customers redeemed much than a cardinal dollars' worthy of Optimum points successful 2024, according to Loblaw's yearly report.

The institution won't accidental however galore accounts it has frozen.

Sojka says helium believes the company's tactics payment its bottommost line. By suspending accounts alternatively of cancelling them outright, helium says Loblaw avoids paying retired points portion inactive counting those members successful its subscriber base.  

"It shows a bigger progressive subordinate basal which looks amended to the shareholders." 

The institution did not straight respond to that allegation.

Loblaw took enactment aft Go Public reached out. 

Mack's relationship was unlocked, restoring entree to his points. 

But Loblaw unopen down Zhang's relationship for bully — wiping retired his much than $43,000 worthy of points. 

The institution says helium broke the rules by exceeding acquisition limits and buying items for resale oregon commercialized usage — "we person important grounds that suggests this lawsuit is operating extracurricular of what we see fair," it told Go Public successful an email — but wouldn't supply impervious oregon accidental which transactions triggered the decision, erstwhile asked. 

Zhang insists helium did thing incorrect and questions wherefore Loblaw won't backmost up its claims.

Sojka's advice? Don't hoard your points — walk them arsenic often arsenic you tin due to the fact that you ne'er cognize erstwhile your relationship could beryllium frozen without informing oregon answers.