Ontario man frustrated after 500,000 in credit card points disappears
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many airline trips, resort vacations and cruises were cancelled and getting refunds from travel companies wasn't always easy.
It can be even harder to get your money back if you booked a trip using travel rewards points with a credit card.
“These 500,000 travel rewards points are worth $5,000," said James Carr of Courtice, Ont.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Carr said he booked a trip to Puerto Rico to take a Caribbean cruise with his partner for May of 2020, but it was cancelled because of COVID.
Carr had saved 493,484 points using his Scotiabank American Express credit card. By using the points and paying an additional $145, he was able to pay for the cruise package which had a total cost of $5,080.
James Carr and his partner are seen in this image. (Supplied)
“We decided not to go on the cruise and it got cancelled and the points went back onto my credit card," Carr said.
With the points back on his credit card and nowhere to go during the pandemic, Carr said he never gave them another thought.
However, when he checked his card at a later date, he said the points were gone.
"There was a $50 annual charge on the credit card which I didn't pay because I didn't know about it and they cancelled the card,” said Carr.
Carr said when he called Scotiabank to complain he was told to open up a new credit card and the points would be transferred to the new card, but he said despite many phone calls, hours on hold and being directed to different departments, the points were never returned.
"It's been going on for two years now and I’ve been back and forth with them," said Carr.
CTV News Toronto reached out to Scotiabank and Andrew Garas, the director of Canadian banking communications with Scotiabank, said in a statement, “Scotiabank cannot comment on specific customer matters for privacy reasons but in this instance, we worked directly with the customer and have resolved the complaint to their satisfaction.”
Carr said after CTV News Toronto called the bank he got his points back within days, which was good news for him as he will have $5,000 in rewards points now to use towards a future trip.
"I feel great, very happy to have this sorted out,” said Carr.
If you have a travel rewards card, you may have to make a transaction at least once a year or pay an annual fee. If you don't, you could lose your points but with some other cards your points will never expire as long as your account is in good standing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.