Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I got an email the other day that I was issued a $5 GC. It also stated I had 247 points left. I went to the web site today and saw that I had 0 points! My 247 points were taken away! I read about this on the CAG forum and it seems to be happening to alot of people. Mother fuckers

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

mine was at 209 and dropped to 0. found this:

Reward Zone® Program Reminder
Please take a moment to review the important elements of
points annualization.

What is points annualization?
•In early February, Reward Zone program accounts with 250 or more points will be converted to the nearest $5 reward certificate level.



•Any remaining account balance below 250 points will be forfeited.



•The annualization of the program is based on your purchases as of December 31, 2009.

How will I know when my account has been affected?
•If you qualify for a reward certificate(s), you'll be alerted via email when they are issued.



•When you log on to MyRZ.com to view your points and purchases, deducted points will be identified as "Annual Points Expiration."

https://myrewardzone.bestbuy.com/off...rCode=REMINDER

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

02/05/2010 Annual Point Expiration. See Program Rules. Forfeited Pts. -233.50

WTF
I just lost 233.50.
I spent nearly $1000 2 weeks ago and that should have been added onto to it.

the last email from them to me was in august telling me about my $5 certificate, not one email since then about this.

This is a rip off.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

My points (386) are still there and my RZ cert preference is set at $10. Reading the above program reminder doesn't seem to indicate I'm safe though.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

@ Mike UFC ... are you a PREMIER Reward Zone Member? If so, you get to "bank" points (if you have that option turned on).

@ Others ... This happened to me, too. I knew about the forfeiture being a new term of the "updated" program that started November 01, 2009; but, I was under the belief it was a 12-month rolling basis, so that points earned in December would not expire until next December, and so on.

I emailed their customer service department ([email protected]) with my account number and account name (be sure to email from your account email address, too) and explained I must have been confused about the 12-month rolling basis thing. (I did not see the notice on the site that said points would expire February 05, 2010 that were earned through December 31, 2009).

They offered to do a one-time courtesy reinstatement of all of my points (229).

Might be worth a shot. (I've been a member since the program was a paid membership; not sure if that had any pull or not.)

Edited to Add: The program has gone nothing but down hill since it started. If I recall correctly, when it started, you only had to spend $150 to get a $5 certificate; then, they upped it to $200 and now $250. And, I was always a fan of getting my certificates in the mail. I like how they pawn the "your certificates will be emailed only!" program as being more environmentally friendly ... when I still have to print the certificates to use them. What they really mean is, "This is the EVEN CHEAPER FOR US TO RUN A PROGRAM THAT SUCKS!" policy change, because now they are saving on ink, paper, and postage.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

The points expiration only affected certain accounts that were "dormant." When they sent out the letters in october, some people were told about the points expiration and other (whom were not losing the benefit) did not have that in their letters.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I threw my card in the trash (shredder, actually) a long time ago.

This program became worthless a couple of years ago.

If I buy a big ticket item, then I might get a new card and cash it out, but almost everything can be found for significantly less than at Best Buy, so I rarely buy anything there.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

My email was the same way, too. If you look at the top of the email, it states "as of 02/01/2010" ... they deleted/forfeited points on 02/05.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I thought this only happened to me. I had 181 points and just had brought something for 30 bucks went on the site and it was 0. I was PISSED.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I used to go to Best Buy regularly, if only because they always had those "$5 off $20" coupons with the giftcards for videogames. Now I have Amazon Prime and wait a couple days for them to match BB prices, if there are any significant deals.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

One more reason not to shop at Best Buy.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

Best Buy has went soooooo downhill since circuit city closed its ridiculous. It went from being my favorite store to my most hated store.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I dont recall getting anything about canceling my points. I just spent $260 on a camera late december and now the points are gone. I sent them an email and they better give me a proper response. I hate BB.

They dont give a shit about you, the customer.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I spent fifty bucks in january, and about the same in December. I was not "dormant". Had the last purchase gone through, I would have had more than enough for a cert.

Expiring after rolling 12 months with no activity is one thing. Expiring every new calendar year is bullshit - especially when it takes them 35-60 days to process a purchase.

I wrote them an email about it, pointing out the closeness to the holiday shopping season and that how they handle this would help me decide where to spend future Christmas shopping dollars. Haven't heard anything yet.
But yeah, pretty much regardless what happens to it, once I spend my existing 10.00 cert, I think the only time i"ll go to BB is just when I want to window shop - and then buy online from Amazon. Maybe even from within the store.
And yes, none of their changes have been for the benefit of the customer.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

Hope you all can get your points reinstated ... if even just to use the points and move on.

I don't shop there as much as I used to; but, for business and another reasons, I made purchases in Oct, Nov, and Dec. of 09.

Even expiring on a 12-month rolling basis, with no activity, would have been upsetting - but at least more reasonable. I am all for them converting back to what the program was when it first started (point levels and all) ... I would gladly cough up the $9.99/yr membership fee again ... especially because at that point, if you were a "good" member, they renewed your membership for free (happened to me).

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

I don't think I'm going to even check on mine...I recall having somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 points, but I'd bet almost anything they're gone now. I haven't bought anything from Best Buy in a while.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

just a couple of notes...

the old program did require considerable less points for a $5 rewardzone cert. however, that program had a membership fee of $25 a year or something like that? i forgot.

also, silver members do indeed bank points.

im not defending the new changes at all. i think bestbuy should make serious efforts to make the membership program attractive and simple. sucks, but imho it is still better than having absolutely nothing yesh?

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

This is certainly not the case.

I bought about $220 worth of merchandise just before Christmas (12-20-09). The points were posted to my account by 1-30-10. Less than 5 days later they were gone.

Fuckers. Why do I even bother shopping at that hole?

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

^ Yes, better than nothing ... But, here is how much the program went downhill .. yes, I am a packrat and I still have my original enrollment information ... including the letter I had received giving me my first year free and then a letter they sent me saying they renewed my membership for free the second year because I was "a good customer".

Anyway .. original program terms ...

--> $9.99 / year annual fee
--> 100 pts earned per dollar
--> 12,500 points (or $125) needed for a $5 certificate
--> 5,000 bonus points for your first purchase

And, while I do not keep them anymore (I am trying terribly to get rid of my packrat disease), I have all of my original certificate letters ... and going through it, they used to have tons of double-point offers (like buy movies and get double points) ... and coupons for "double points on the highest priced item in your transaction" .... but then it all went downhill ...

The whole intent of the Reward Zone program was meant to get people to spend more money in the stores, because of being able to get something back ... but, right now, a 2% reward isn't that attractive (unless you are making a significant purchase) - at least in my instance where the nearest Best Buy is 30 minutes away ...

Best reward I ever got with the reward zone was some mistake they made ... and they ended up putting 300,000 pts into my account by accident! (Yes, you read that correctly ... 300,000 pts just appeared out of nowhere on my account ...) ...at that time, a $5 certificate was 15,000 pts .. so I got $100 in certificates for absolutely free. I let the points sit there for the full 30 days ... they never disappeared ... waited for them to issue the certificates .. they came and I even waited till they were about a week from expiration to use them ... used them all no problem ... it was great!

Anyway .. also found a letter that shows the 1 point per dollar and $5 certificate per 250 pts ($250) started on September 18, 2006. See, packrat.

Oh, letter says I have been a member since 08/19/2003. ;-)

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

The 15,000 pt requirement went into effect on October 3, 2004 (if anyone cares) ... LOL.

Amazingly, the required number of points needed for a certificate was "based on member feedback" according the letter announcing the change.

Oh, and FYI .. looking at all of these statements I kept, I really wish over the past few years I woud have kept all of the letters attached to certificates mailed to me ... I feel incomplete now having everything but one or two years worth! LOL!!

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

What is the point of this program anymore?

I have to spend more to get less, and now I don't get to keep the points I just got from x-mas.

I think the Rewards card needs to be run through the shredder.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

Yep my point are gone too. Its a shame I used to shop at BB almost all the time. If something was cheaper somewhere else I would get it price matched at BB just for the reward points. But with this program going down the shitter even more than it has been, I'm not even going to bother price matching anymore. I'll just purchase my items from the store that has them for the best price (usually Walmart or Target).

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

^ qft

Amazon is pretty much my one-stop DVD/BD shop these days, especially with Prime.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

My points are still in there, sitting at 230 at the moment, although I wonder how long they'll stay there.

I'm almost ready to give up on Best Buy, to be honest. Outside of a decent store exclusive, or even Black Friday pricing, they rarely have anything good to offer, and their sale prices have been pretty poor lately. Just last night I debated stopping in and browsing some of their DVDs, until I realized that there probably isn't anything I couldn't get for a cheaper price elsewhere.

Re: Best Buy taking away Reward Zone points!
 

Mine are gone too.

Eh, not really a big deal to me. I never shopped at Best Buy purposely to get points, and honestly they were just a free thing that were nice when I got them.