This one is a key interest to me... Those who know me well or who know of the long since done deal involving AA miles, Ebay Anything points and the ways of Points.com will certainly agree.

In my opinion, this is the Microsoft of points--the evil version of MS, that is. Draw your own conclusions here, but consider that we REALLY need a better way and yet as long as everyone still plays their game, it may not ever end for a long long time. Kinda like paying high gas prices because, well, it's only gone up to $1.50/gal... it's only gone up to $1.75/gal... it's only gone up to $1.95/gal... it's only gone up to $2.50/gal...

Get the idea? We feed the fire here and we should not! People's continued use of Points.com are helping them gain their increased power. The company, in the opinions of many, has vastly ABUSED that power!

MY ADVICE: DO NOT PLAY.

Now, I have had some "wow, it worked!" success with them in the past--I have transferred miles between members in Northwest and Delta, and I had even gotten my points in the aforementioned AA thread, but I don't trust them in business whatsoever and neither should you. You see, the big issue is this:

WHEN (not if, but when) you have a problem with that company, YOU ARE IN FREAKIN' TROUBLE!!!!!!!!!

They so badly suck at fixing issues or glitches that they should basically be avoided for all future business any half way decent, mile transfer pondering soul should ever know about! DO you feel the passion I have on this subject here, or what?

If something goes amiss with your transfer, or there are computer or email problems, or your missed something in the fine fine print, or you misread the rules and made and honest mistake, or your are waiting for points that have yet to post for whatever reason, GOOD LUCK getting solid results from these guys! They have yet to show they can fix problems or really care about the customer! They rely too much on automation that often fails, and have no way to manually intervene. Sure, they have a "Customer Service" dept and it's called "Customer Delight" of all things, but the personnel only sound professional. Can they actually DO the job? No! Well, I really have come to demand services that are almost better at doing the job than merely sounding all professional during today's all too common phone voice. Ya know what I mean? (I so hate the phrases and so common CS garble: "We are working to serve you better... our computer is down and our options have changed. Please press 1-2-4-6-*# Para Englese, numero Dos!--Playin' with the Queen of Hearts..." These guys at Points.com are the Kings! )

And speaking of phones, I happen to know the email and phone numbers and fax numbers and addresses of a few execs up there and lemme tell ya, they are the EXPERTS at the slimy spin! I have come up against these slippery Pete's a few times too many and they are crafty souls, lemme tell ya!

Ohh, I shouldn't have even gotten started here!

A bit back to earth here:
United Airlines lets you transfer miles between accounts using some other marketing firm I have yet to have problems with. Many here know of Amtrak and I know for a while there, CO was letting people do a transfer with no third party partner. But partnerships have their all too common downside that the customer remains widely uninformed about and thus, having no control over as well. Miles in general get a bit sticky when there are problems. Anyone who doesn’t know that is either new, or has been extremely lucky. My beef in the world of miles and points--and promotions or rebates or deals all over--has been with accountability and systematic customer service. You need to keep all records on everything all the time because, well, the onus IS on YOU!. Ever had a partner of some promotion tell you to contact the other partner? Ever had a computer tech help line tell you, "sorry sir, that's user error. It must be YOUR computer, not our product!" Same thing. Points.com, like much of what pisses a lot of techies off about Microsoft, is too big to handle the “what if’s” or the one-off issues. They have neglected the common man and the very people who were or are the base of what they are all about or started out as! Points.com fails you when something does not work out as planned and you are left out in the cold.

When something goes wrong with your intended miles or it just does not post, you should have a place to get answers. There should be independently commissioned entities who help get us our missing miles & points, or rebates and promos and there needs to be more accountability in the world of airline and hotel pricing and bonus promotions or coupons. Standards help us all but these large companies teetering on bankruptcies do not listen and Points.com reaps the benefits on both sides--ours being the hardest hit today! Kinda like how there should be a way to find out WHY 911 happened. (yeah right--I forgot whose running the show these days--and yet, maybe that bullish and negative style of doing world business without feeling the need to show accountability is an attitude that has somehow trickled down into business and the arena of customer service and people's general good will. It is eroding fast.)

Anyway, there should be a way to still get your miles or points without having to wait 4-6, 6-8, 8-10, etc weeks and then have to dig up old files they know you don’t have copies of and fax them in only to have to wait 8-100 weeks MORE for any sort of results! (if those even materialize)

I even devoted a Web site to the above problem and I did not finish updating results on it because Points.com never really finished what they promised.

Check it out:
www.theothersideoftraveling.com

…and you shall see the horrors of doing business with groups like Points.com

However, if you feel like taking a risk and being extremely careful in the world of trading miles between accounts (say, NWA or DL where you need 5,000 miles and are willing to fork over $75 to do this and you have memorized every fine detail) and you are cool with balancing on I-beams of shaky high-rise buildings in foreign cities while holding two cups of boiling water and balancing a washing machine on your nose, go ahead and use them! I had used my inner mile-wanting soul to be this person and like I said, I had some success, but every stunt man takes his fall. I am so reluctant to try again! I mean, they HAVE come thru with a few of their most highly advertized things because, well, that obviously seems to be all they concentrate on while leaving the rest up to some supposed automation process that doesn't always work. But no one's watching all the internal processes up there, so whatever... They'll spend more time on grabbing new business rather than servicing old customers even if they are only as old as last month. Again, if it works for you, you are probably lucky or desperate. I have been both, and I have been duped by them too, as have many others in here and beyond.

Trust me here--and spread the word until such time as they get their act together in all areas: Whatever you political views may be or who your favorite baseball team is, do whatever it takes to AVOID POINTS.COM.

MM

PS: Someone/some company should take the hint and start a viable competitor up NOW. We should not have to be held hostage just because there seems to be no other way right now. I show some pride on the issue: I would rather not do certain things with my points & miles than to have to bow to these jokers all the time. Seemingly unthinkable things CAN be done if you/we work hard at it, I mean, the Red Sox won the World Series after all, right? Why can't FlyerTalk become or have within its vastness a better version of Points.com? I put that to those who run this entire site! I'd pay into it, that's for sure!