Earlier this month we asked our readers and viewers of Global News BC to reach out to us if they have had their PC Optimum accounts frozen. We’ve heard from a lot of you who have had this happen where you don’t even know your account has been suspended as you can continue to earn points but when you go to redeem points, the program doesn’t let you.
Some of you have let us know PC Optimum did so for security concerns (which is what they should do in case your account be hacked) However many of you have been told you breached the program’s terms but they won’t tell what you did or what terms you breached.
July 24 update:
“(PC Optimum) are aware of and actively rectifying the frozen account situation. (PC Optimum) are exploring ways to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen to accounts in good standing and how to best communicate to members if their account is at risk.”
How to find out why your account is frozen/suspended
If you are one of the many who have had your account frozen and aren’t getting anywhere with PC Optimum customer service in resolving the issue, here is what you can do. This comes to us from one of the PC Optimum members that contacted us due to there account being frozen due to a breach of terms. Like all of those people who have contacted us, this member got no where with PC Optimum customer service – either by phone or email.
So in the end they went a step above PCO customer service and went to Loblaw’s Privacy Commissioner with a freedom of information request. The member requested all the information PC Optimum had on them and more importantly the reason why their account was suspended. This department of Loblaw’s then provided all of the requested information to the member and they now know why the account was suspended.
I will leave the details of why they were suspended for another post as I am still compiling all the information from everyone who has reached out to us but I will say it does not appear this member actually broke any terms.
So that’s how you do it. All you have to do is email Loblaw’s Privacy Commissioner. You can email them at loblawprivacy@loblaw.ca and make a freedom of information request as to why your account has been suspended. I would title the subject of your email with “Freedom of Information Request – PC Optimum account details & reason for suspension”