I posted this thread many months back, and have just revisited to view the responses.

As an update, my friend has finally received credit on most of her stays, both nights and points, after much discussion with various PC staff (maybe a dozen calls over many hours of conversation).

On seeing the answers, I feel that a careful reading of my original posts answers all the PC hack responses like "read the T and C." My issue was not, "can they legally deny you credit based upon excuses like 'you had a group rate,' 'you had a AAA rate,' and 'you had more than a 30% discount off of the rack rate,'" but rather, "why would you use PC when they exclude so many rates from the program, RATES THAT NO OTHER MAJOR CHAIN EXCLUDES." I emphasize that, since yes, I agree the program is better than NOTHING, but no, most responses don't explain why the program is any good compared with the variety of other major chain options that offer less exclusion of rates, less grief, and equal or better benefits. THAT argument goes basically unanswered, and was in fact the main point.

I continue to view this as a 'disloyalty program,' because when someone can book 100 or so roomnights and get no credit for any of those stays, with all of the stays being weekend rates, AAA discounts, or group rates, and frankly none of the rates being what I would consider 'great,' then loyalty is not only not being rewarded, but is being snubbed, which would cause many consumers to largely bail on the program and the company (which my friend is now doing, and she'll be switching to either Marriott or Starwood most likely).

For those early on in learning about these hotel programs and trying to decide where to commit, in my view, look elsewhere than PC for all the reasons listed in this chain.