I have been a Hilton Honors cardholder since 2000. After retiring from being a road warrior in I still had 358,169 loyalty points to use. I last logged on in April or May to try and plan a trip and looked at my options. However, due to the economy and having a struggling small business, I could not financially afford the airfare to travel and planned to use them later. On 8/11/10, I tried to log in again to use my points to stay at a hotel so I could attend a business meeting. My account was deactivated. I called the Hilton Honors desk to explain I could not get into my account. Reading from a script, I was advised from the customer service rep that my account had been deactivated from non-use and began asking why I was not staying at their hotels. I asked to speak with a supervisor and she told me she had to finish reading the script before she could do so. She finished reading the script and transferred me to a supervisor who then read his script.
He offered to give me half of my points back but I would have to stay at a Hilton property three paid times to have my other 50% of points reinstated.in order to keep it active I would have to spend $12.50 per year. I was advised this information was in my terms and conditions when I signed up over 10 years ago. Right.
I asked who I could write to at Hilton and was given the Hilton Corporate address in Carrollton, Texas. I sent a letter and I also contacted a consumer complaint help desk at a local TV station. I received an email a week later from a Hilton customer service rep telling me I would have to contact Hilton Honors to handle the issue. The TV station contact Hilton on my behalf and the issue was escalated to a "Guest Assistance Specialist" at Hilton. He said he would reinstate 50% of my points and then I could "buy" my remaining points back for $25, $12.50 for each year I had not been active. My last activity was November. He was rude, condescending and arrogant. I said I had no choice, I would buy my remaining points back but knew I would follow through with a consumer complaint as possible. The last rep said he was disappointed the previous Hilton rep did not offer the same deal for me to get my points reinstated. Had it not been for the intervention of the TV Station consumer help desk, I would still be fighting this battle.
This is not right to take away points from a loyal customer. I calculate the value of these earned points to be worth over $30,000. I am hoping all road warriors voice their frustration and anger with the appropriate authorities to hold Hilton accountable.
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