Email from QFF [FF Account suspended]

[andye]

I don't understand the "I've overpaid for Qantas in the past" reasoning.
Either you are gaining something by over paying (whether its points, status credits, perception of safety, crew with an Aussie accent, patriotic wish to contribute to the Australian economy) or you've been wasting your money.
There is no reason to expect such 'overpaying' to void T&Cs which is what some seem to want it to.

(This is a slightly separate thing to a skewed concept of "loyalty" where people seem to think an airline is a life-partner who must be grateful it hasn't been left emotionally distraught by them having an 'affair' with another airline. This is particularly common with people who only take that life-partner on a date every couple of years)

 

[Kerrodt]

i just call QFF Platinum center and the guy over the phone didn't know anything until he reached someone else. I told him some on the list are not from my family and he said QFF is still investigating until mid january.

i asked him why investigating as i said some people involved in the list are not my family and i bought some points... he doesn't know.

I made a mistake as i didn't know the policies of QFF and i have seen many people transferring points for friend when they needed some.

Telling me my account can be terminated is rude and if so i would never fly QANTAS anymore for sure.

I travel on QANTAS since 17 years and i always chosen QANTAS even if the airfare was more expensive and it was the case many many times as my wife asked why i choose the more expensive...

A destination called cough Creek (coincidentally not serviced by any scheduled QF flights), barbed wire canoes and a lack of propulsion devices come to mind here if this is the approach being taken with QFF.

Have you spoken to the people on your list of names in the letter from QFF to find out what letters they have received, what they have said to QFF, and what action has been taken on them? Your letter is unlikely to be isolated. At the very least, get your stories aligned. Someone who you call your “cousin” better not be telling QF that they are not related to you.

 

[Beasley]

Christopherc ........ can i suggest that you communicate openly and honestly with the investigation. You've bent the rules and been caught out, so best to come clean.

Also, probably best not to keep coming onto this forum because you definitely wont win here with some of the respondents, and the discussion will continue down the negative path that it has developed into.

All the best.

 

[mrsterryn]

I thought the email was stock standard.
Provide proof if family if not you have lost the points
If you weren't aware of those rules as other a have said just advise Qantas you didn't realise it was an issue.
For me I would be aware as I have transferred points to my son and know you have to identify the type of family member
If.you have never transferred points to any one I would be telling Qantas
That would be a bit of a problem if you have transferred points and are aware of the need for family connection

 

[mrsterryn]

Also, probably best not to keep coming onto this forum because you definitely wont win here with some of the respondents, and the discussion will continue down the negative path that it has developed into.

All the best.

Ahh but that is the nature of forums
Posts garner helpful and not helpful...inflammatory and not

 

[get me outta here]

OP, I doubt you will get much help by phoning Qantas until the investigations team have something to report. So if I were you, I would be ready with script my mea culpa and abject apologies and reasons for not doing what they expected you to do and hope for the best. Best to put it aside for now as it’s holiday season and they’re probably not doing much on this at the moment. If it’s only 150K to 250k or whatever points, it is a learning experience.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Funnily enough just come off the phone from a friend. He has been a QFF member for many years and has booked award flights (and I booked many for him in the early days, before he became more competent). Anyway he is newly married and was booking an award flight for his wife and making a real hash of it, so phoned for help. As I guided him through, we came to the bit where you select relationship and he picked wife but then made the comment, “but they don’t care about this do they”. I kind of bit his head off and gave him a lecture using this thread as an example of what can happen.

Clearly there is an attitude out there that you can do what you like. I don’t believe he has ever booked an award for anyone except himself or an allowed relative (he would never waste points on a friend), but it does show that people are fairly casual about it.

 

[Quickstatus]

Some people think they can get away with it until they get caught.
The only way to transfer points is to nominate the relationship between transferor and transferee from the menu selection. So when you buy points and then by selecting a false relationship you are telling porkies. Sure some get away with it but some don't and here we are.

Sorry to say but a mea culpa is in order.

 

[christopherc]

I'm prepared to cut OP some slack. Not all of us zealously pore over Qantas rules, especially those based abroad like him. I'm prepared to accept that he believed his actions were within the rules at the time he did it.

I'm not condoning what was done but I do feel sympathy for his plight and wish him success in clawing back his points. I'm not confident though that he has much prospect.

Thank you

 

[Quickstatus]

Also, probably best not to keep coming onto this forum because you definitely wont win here with some of the respondents, and the discussion will continue down the negative path that it has developed into.

All the best.

All welcome here

It must be said that the transferee may not have any inkling of the relationship selected by the transferor in the transaction.

 

[opusman]

Interestingly, if you have a squizz at the QFF T&Cs, the prohibition is on selling points and on only transferring points to eligible family members. There doesn't seem to be anything in there that actually prohibits receiving points from non-family members or buying points.

 

[andye]

So assuming the OP was unaware of the rules, its like driving the wrong way down a one-way street having not seen the signs.
Even if an understandable error, it is still against the rules. Any reduction of the 'fine' is a favour from the authorities and should be approached as such.
Perhaps any upset should be directed at the seller of the points (who 'covered up the signs') rather than QF

 

[christopherc]

Some people think they can get away with it until they get caught.
The only way to transfer points is to nominate the relationship between transferor and transferee from the menu selection. So when you buy points and then by selecting a false relationship you are telling porkies. Sure some get away with it but some don't and here we are.

Sorry to say but a mea culpa is in order.

i didn't you were a perfect person in a perfect world.


I explained that to QANTAS over the phone and said i was sorry about that.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes thats correct, so the one who explicitly broke the rules would be the one selling the points and transferring to a non family member.
However, the transferee would at best lose the points. But QF has put themselves in a very powerful position by suspending the account.
Hence the necessary mea culpa.

No not perfect, we all knowingly and unknowingly bend the rules as much as we can and sometimes fall foul.
Thats all you can do unfortunately @christopherc. Hopefully you will get your own points back again less the dodgy ones. Live and learn. I dont think the airline will tell you anything in the meantime, their investigation will just have to finish and then see what happens.

Can you warehouse current points earn into another FF account with another airline?

 

[christopherc]

Yes thats correct, so the one who explicitly broke the rules would be the one selling the points and transferring to a non family member.
However, the transferee would at best lose the points. But QF has put themselves in a very powerful position by suspending the account.
Hence the mea culpa.

yes, that's what i did

 

[andye]

Interestingly, if you have a squizz at the QFF T&Cs, the prohibition is on selling points and on only transferring points to eligible family members. There doesn't seem to be anything in there that actually prohibits receiving points from non-family members or buying points.

7.1 (iii) mentions :.".acquiring.. points" in the "Members must not" clauses

 

[Pushka]

Interestingly, if you have a squizz at the QFF T&Cs, the prohibition is on selling points and on only transferring points to eligible family members. There doesn't seem to be anything in there that actually prohibits receiving points from non-family members or buying points.

I guess that’s because you can buy points on Qantas website.

 

[christopherc]

I don't understand the "I've overpaid for Qantas in the past" reasoning.
Either you are gaining something by over paying (whether its points, status credits, perception of safety, crew with an Aussie accent, patriotic wish to contribute to the Australian economy) or you've been wasting your money.
There is no reason to expect such 'overpaying' to void T&Cs which is what some seem to want it to.

(This is a slightly separate thing to a skewed concept of "loyalty" where people seem to think an airline is a life-partner who must be grateful it hasn't been left emotionally distraught by them having an 'affair' with another airline. This is particularly common with people who only take that life-partner on a date every couple of years)

when you have the choice of travelling on the same aircraft and you pay more to help QANTAS with your loyalty even if you have the same advantages on buying the ticket from another airline IT IS PAYING MORE

 

[mannej]

i didn't you were a perfect person in a perfect world.

Personal attacks such as this aren’t really necessary

 

[Quickstatus]

Personal attacks such as this aren’t really necessary

Thats Ok, not taken as an attack. I can understand the frustration of it all.

But welcome @christopherc, hopefully we can see you around these parts some more.