Points.com buyer beware
Apr 5, 2014 | 3:26 pm
#31
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,789
At the time of Cloudeleven's link I bought Amtrak points on a site powered by points.com for Amtrak to enjoy one of the offers I've reported in Post #24 above. A few weeks later, points.com snatched a similar number of points from my Amtrak account, claiming a mistaken/ erroneous exchange rate. So I disputed the purchase transaction with Amex, asserting that I had not (permanently) received the Amtrak points I had paid for. Amex took the purchase off the bill without investigation with a "Yes Sir!" attitude. I never heard from AGR nor points.com re: this matter again 
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Apr 8, 2014 | 2:20 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: PHL/EWR
Programs: AA, US, WN, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 1,530
Apr 12, 2014 | 10:21 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 526
Points.com is used as the backbone for the major airline FF programs, so of course they have that power. The fact that the airline refuses to help the customer out is a bad reflection on the airline, not points.com.
Apr 13, 2014 | 7:48 am
#36
Original Member, Moderator: Hotel Deals and MilesBuzz
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 14,291
I use Points.com for one purpose. Best Buy Reward points. I do very little shopping at Best Buy and when I do, it's usually for something under $50. The Best Buy points have no minimum for exchange into other programs so I usually move them via Points.com from Best Buy to one of my inactive programs that requires activity every 18 months so I don't forfeit the miles. Typically, I will trade 50 Best Buy miles for a pitiful handful of Hawaiian Miles. As it counts as activity, I'm good with that exchange.
Apr 21, 2014 | 7:25 am
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 102,617
This sounds like DL's fee to transfer miles from one DL FF account to another DL FF account: $30 plus one cent per mile, IIRC plus tax.
Apr 22, 2014 | 3:51 pm
#38
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,863
It is. Points.com just matches strangers to make the same trades which they could make if they knew one another. Points International operates the backend of many frequent traveler programs, points.com is simply their retail site.
Apr 22, 2014 | 10:35 pm
#39
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,789
Given that airlines sponsor/ work with points.com to allow FFers to trade miles with each other, that makes them hypocrites for objecting to doing it ourselves or on the deceased Coupon Connection! It's a money grab--they're greedy for outrageous transfer fees 
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Apr 23, 2014 | 10:52 am
#40
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,863
The airlines allow members to transfer a capped amount of miles for a fee. Trading privately is different because it evades the caps and the fees. This isn't hypocrisy, it's just a business.
May 7, 2014 | 12:04 pm
#42
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Upstate
Programs: HH Diamond-IHG Plat-AA Gold
Posts: 216
but you still have to pay the cost of the miles, plus the airline's fee for transferring miles. you avoid points.com, but it doesn't seem to 'save' one any money.
May 7, 2014 | 2:19 pm
#43
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,789
Only if you need the miles transferred into your account do you pay the airline's fee for transferring miles! Say if you have 135K miles of your own & need another 15K into there to redeem a 150K award.
In most cases, the FlightNuts traders operate like our late great Coupon Connection: you book a 25K ticket from your account in your Trading Partner's (TP) name for him/ her to fly & s/he books a 25K ticket from theirs in your name, so no transfer fee to points.com nor anyone else.
Main downside is that it's probably (pa)trolled by the same mileage police who raided Coupon Connection last month!
In most cases, the FlightNuts traders operate like our late great Coupon Connection: you book a 25K ticket from your account in your Trading Partner's (TP) name for him/ her to fly & s/he books a 25K ticket from theirs in your name, so no transfer fee to points.com nor anyone else.
Main downside is that it's probably (pa)trolled by the same mileage police who raided Coupon Connection last month!