Best Buy Reward Zone points via online purchases

You can. I can't find it right now (they've rearranged things since I did it) but there's an option on bestbuy.ca to link your RZ account to your bestbuy.ca account. Fish around My Account and you should find it after awhile.

About the pre-order points, they're supposed to be credited to your account automatically when you make the final purchase. If it's an online order, they won't be credited until the game ships (since you can still cancel). If it's in-store, they won't be credited until you pick up.

I got my DA 2 SE points last week I think, they categorize it as goodwill. The DA 2 purchase never showed up on my account. I think after 6 messages sent you will get your points, like me. Getting missing points seems to only work for in-store purchase.

Thanks for reminding me because I totally forgot I preordered Pokemon White and SSFIV3D. It is super annoying because the order is already linked to my Reward Zone number when I made the purchase and it even shows up in the pdf receipt. I'm still in the process of trying to get my proper points for Killzone 3. It was supposed to be 800 pts for pre-ordering and an additional 400 pts for buying on the first two days of release, but I only got two 400 pts. I sent three emails already. The first reply was it was still within 36 days so they couldn't adjust it. The second time it was that 800 pts was added to Killzone 3 already, but then I had to clarify that it's supposed to be 1200 pts in total.

ya their system is messed...I just contacted them again seeing as they added the 59 points from the purchase of the game but never added the 800 from pre-ordering and the 400 from buying it day 1. They told me that it would appear in my "pending point" status for 36 days upon receipt of the product where it'll then be moved to my "posted points" status. I told them I had the product on March 8th (release date) so its been a month that it hasn't appeared to which they said now that it'll now appear after 36 days

...I think they make this crap up...

my Reward Zone number is already linked to my account on Best Buy but time and time again EVERY online purchase fails to add the points in. I wonder how many people just forget about the points they're owed (I'm guessing a lot do). I'm going to go through this all over again as well when Mortal Kombat comes out

I finally got my additional 400 bonus pts as "Goodwill" but my pending points for Pokemon White and SSFIV3D have been rejected because "Transaction not found. Try again above." I copied the Global Contact ID from the pdf receipts. It doesn't make any sense.

I have always had the same problems that you guys are experiencing with bestbuy.ca. My accounts are linked and I never get the points. When I ask to get them they always complain that I need to add in the contract ID. They then "Scold" me in a sense telling me that they can help me once I do go through the online process of adding in the id's (even when I have already tried to add in the contract ID) When I add in the contract ID from the PDF files they are always rejected. I also get the "you have to wait 36 days for points to be added". The only problem is after 36 days they never get added automatically as they suggest they will. It's a frustrating process... In a way I am glad to see everyone is experiencing this as I thought it was something wrong with my account. I don't know why they make it so difficult for the end user.

It reminds me.. I need to get on them for the killzone 3 1200 point promotion. le sigh.

ya its a huge scam ive had all the problems mentioned. sometimes il go to get missing points and il type in the receipt code and it will tell me that the purchase was made over 30 days ago and is invalid when it was something i had bought yesterday. as for getting the bonus points, it almost never happens the way its supposed to. its such a hassle to get it fixed too...definitely someone should report this crap to the BBB and olsen on your side.

The points never work on line for me either

only works in store

[quote name='slyn69']ya its a huge scam ive had all the problems mentioned. sometimes il go to get missing points and il type in the receipt code and it will tell me that the purchase was made over 30 days ago and is invalid when it was something i had bought yesterday. as for getting the bonus points, it almost never happens the way its supposed to. its such a hassle to get it fixed too...definitely someone should report this crap to the BBB and olsen on your side.[/QUOTE]Hassle? I sent them an email yesterday through the site because my 3DS preorder points and the points for the 3DS didn't show up on my pending points balance. Today all of those points were put straight into my posted points balance.

https://www.bestbuyrewardzone.ca/en/contactus.jspx

But why do we have to email them every single time we order online? I thought that's why we enter in our RZ member number during the order process.

[quote name='Fuzzy']Hassle? I sent them an email yesterday through the site because my 3DS preorder points and the points for the 3DS didn't show up on my pending points balance. Today all of those points were put straight into my posted points balance.

https://www.bestbuyrewardzone.ca/en/contactus.jspx[/QUOTE]

They don't put the points as pending all the time either... sometimes they tell you "Wait 36 days" and the points will be added automatically...if not then contact us again.

I've only made one bestbuy.ca order recently, and I had the exact same problems as everyone else. It took 3 months of back and forth e-mails to get the points, and I'm fairly sure I still lost some pre-order points.

Every e-mail after the first month was, "Can I get my points?", "Okay I'll add them, wait 48 hours". Then nothing. I'd wait about a week, then repeat.

It's sad how big of a scam it is. BB heavily advertises bonus points, but you have to fight tooth and nail to get them

Well... I don't know if I'd call that a scam. You could say that their points awarding system is dysfunctional and inefficient, but I wouldn't say it's a scam.

Here's what I'd say is a bit of a scam:

-Reward certificates expire. The hope is that, in 6 months, beneficiaries forget about the points and they go unspent.

-Rewards have no cash value. Unlike gift cards, they have no obligation to honour them besides company policy. You can not hold a "balance". If you have a $50 reward certificate, you need to spend $50 or more in one visit or you forfeit the remainder.

-Reward certificates can't be used for pre-orders; the system simply refuses to accept them for "layaway" purchases. They often offer 800 points ($10) for popular game pre-orders, but those points are held ransom behind a cash purchase of $10 to process the pre-order in the first place.

-Certificates can't be spent online. If you happen to live in a city that doesn't have a brick-and-mortar Best Buy location, your "rewards" go straight to the trash. They don't make this point abundantly clear except for a small mention on the FAQ. Online-only buyers can be drawn in by the rewards program then only realize they're unable to spend the certificates online once they've earned one.

They could easily solve all of these problems by awarding customers with gift cards or gift card balances, but they choose not to.

Do those certificates come out randomly? They just seem to come out at different times and not right when you earn them.

You get to pick what your certificate amount will be; you can have 400, 800, 1600 points. So when ever you reach your desire amount a certificate is created.

[quote name='WillGabriel']Well... I don't know if I'd call that a scam. You could say that their points awarding system is dysfunctional and inefficient, but I wouldn't say it's a scam.

Here's what I'd say is a bit of a scam:

-Reward certificates expire. The hope is that, in 6 months, beneficiaries forget about the points and they go unspent.

-Rewards have no cash value. Unlike gift cards, they have no obligation to honour them besides company policy. You can not hold a "balance". If you have a $50 reward certificate, you need to spend $50 or more in one visit or you forfeit the remainder.

-Reward certificates can't be used for pre-orders; the system simply refuses to accept them for "layaway" purchases. They often offer 800 points ($10) for popular game pre-orders, but those points are held ransom behind a cash purchase of $10 to process the pre-order in the first place.

-Certificates can't be spent online. If you happen to live in a city that doesn't have a brick-and-mortar Best Buy location, your "rewards" go straight to the trash. They don't make this point abundantly clear except for a small mention on the FAQ. Online-only buyers can be drawn in by the rewards program then only realize they're unable to spend the certificates online once they've earned one.

They could easily solve all of these problems by awarding customers with gift cards or gift card balances, but they choose not to.[/QUOTE]

It's been mentioned on CAG before, but the only way to get your RZ turned into "real" BestBuy credit is:
a) purchase something using RZ points (obviously spending more than the RZ points value before taxes and discounts)
b) return your purchases so that you are reimbursed your amount via a giftcard.

This doesn't solve all of the problems you mention but does address some of them, although in a very roundabout and inefficient way. But these are rewards, not gifts, and if you look at many other retailer reward systems, BestBuy's is about in line with most of the others out there: expiry dates/time limits, empty promises, inefficiency towards using them, and often frustrating.
My cardinal rule is try not to make purchases based on getting RewardZone points unless there's more advantage to it (BestBuy exclusives, cheaper or at least the same price everywhere, convenience). Mind you I also have a BestBuy RewardZone Visa, so I think I collect the points faster than most people here. I'm not sure if that's always a good thing k

[quote name='Mr.']Do those certificates come out randomly? They just seem to come out at different times and not right when you earn them.[/QUOTE]

If you have enough points to hit your reward threshold, they're removed from your account on Monday and credited as certificates on Tuesday. Usually just in time for game releases, but sometimes they're not credited until late in the day.

Do you guys recommend staying away from BB's Reward Zone program, then?

[quote name='KnuxSonic8']Do you guys recommend staying away from BB's Reward Zone program, then?[/QUOTE]

theres no reason to stay away from the program...you just have to be persistent in making sure they're added properly when the 36 days are up. Write down what you pre-order and how many points are owed so you can keep track of them

Sorry, I don't know the whole story behind it but I take it any points you get for a purchase must be used within 36 days? Is that it?

And do you find the program itself rewarding/beneficial? If so, in what ways?

[quote name='KnuxSonic8']Do you guys recommend staying away from BB's Reward Zone program, then?[/QUOTE]

No, it's free. You just have to jump through one or two hoops.

What exactly would those be?

[quote name='KnuxSonic8']Sorry, I don't know the whole story behind it but I take it any points you get for a purchase must be used within 36 days? Is that it?

And do you find the program itself rewarding/beneficial? If so, in what ways?[/QUOTE]

just go here:

https://www.bestbuyrewardzone.ca/progdetails.jspx

I'm too lazy to type it out...

its a decent program...at least you get something back (although small amounts) for shopping there as opposed to EB and Future Shop

[quote name='KnuxSonic8']Sorry, I don't know the whole story behind it but I take it any points you get for a purchase must be used within 36 days? Is that it?

And do you find the program itself rewarding/beneficial? If so, in what ways?[/QUOTE]

nope, the points just don't apply for 36 days, to make sure you don't preorder something and then return it. It's rewarding/beneficial because it's free money.

[quote name='kyle071785']just go here:

https://www.bestbuyrewardzone.ca/progdetails.jspx

I'm too lazy to type it out...

its a decent program...at least you get something back (although small amounts) for shopping there as opposed to EB and Future Shop[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info. Are there any big... catches that I should be aware of? Honestly, I've been thinking about enrolling for a while now but have been hesitating for one reason or another. And when I saw this thread, I thought I'd use this opportunity to get some opinions on this program.

[quote name='KnuxSonic8']Thanks for the info. Are there any big... catches that I should be aware of? Honestly, I've been thinking about enrolling for a while now but have been hesitating for one reason or another. And when I saw this thread, I thought I'd use this opportunity to get some opinions on this program. [/QUOTE]

only "catch" is that when the certificate clears in whatever denomination you have 90 days to use it. You also have to occasionally contact them repeatedly to get some points from purchases properly added but it takes seconds to type out the emails to them so its not really a catch.

theres no real negative to it...basically if you shop at Best Buy its a great incentive and if you (for whatever reason) want to sign up for their BB Rewards Credit Card you'll accumulate points even quicker

Good to know, thanks for the info!

[quote name='kyle071785']if you (for whatever reason) want to sign up for their BB Rewards Credit Card you'll accumulate points even quicker[/QUOTE]

The interest rate isn't great but as long as you're paying your bill every month it's well worth it. If you buy games often you're going to be spending the money anyway and the program has a very good dollar-to-reward ratio ($800 spent on your credit card = $1 in Best Buy fun bucks.)

Plus, they usually have special rewards for new game releases. With 800 bonus points for pre-ordering Portal 2 and an additional 800 bonus for picking it up at launch, I'm getting the game at $20 off. Through a similar offer, I got Pokemon White for $20.

[quote name='WillGabriel']The interest rate isn't great but as long as you're paying your bill every month it's well worth it. If you buy games often you're going to be spending the money anyway and the program has a very good dollar-to-reward ratio ($800 spent on your credit card = $1 in Best Buy fun bucks.)
[/QUOTE]


That's actually a terrible rate of return. Even the most basic cash back card will net you 1%, which is $8 on your $800. Get the free points, but forget about the credit card.

[quote name='mabba18']That's actually a terrible rate of return. Even the most basic cash back card will net you 1%, which is $8 on your $800. Get the free points, but forget about the credit card.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps, but then you have to worry about annual fees. For a rate-free card, it *is* good. I've had a rate-free rewards credit card from my bank for six years that didn't provide me with as much reward value in that entire time as my Best Buy Visa does in three months.

I'm not going to argue the merits of a no-annual-fee credit card vs. a paid one. All I'm saying is that in its category, the Reward Zone card has a good reward value.

[quote name='WillGabriel']Perhaps, but then you have to worry about annual fees. For a rate-free card, it *is* good. I've had a rate-free rewards credit card from my bank for six years that didn't provide me with as much reward value in that entire time as my Best Buy Visa does in three months.

I'm not going to argue the merits of a no-annual-fee credit card vs. a paid one. All I'm saying is that in its category, the Reward Zone card has a good reward value.[/QUOTE]

My cash back Visa is no-fee, and I get 1% on everything after $3000, which is nothing when you try and put as much as you can on the card (our yearly transit passes eat up $2000 alone). I have looked at cards with even better rewards+fees, but we wouldn't come ahead at all (mostly because we don't buy gas or fly a lot).

I suggest you shop around some more for rewards cards. There are more then a few no-fee cards that offer a much better rate of return the BB's 0.125%

[quote name='mabba18']My cash back Visa is no-fee, and I get 1% on everything after $3000, which is nothing when you try and put as much as you can on the card (our yearly transit passes eat up $2000 alone). I have looked at cards with even better rewards+fees, but we wouldn't come ahead at all (mostly because we don't buy gas or fly a lot).

I suggest you shop around some more for rewards cards. There are more then a few no-fee cards that offer a much better rate of return the BB's 0.125%[/QUOTE]

I had a Visa cash-back and it never felt like I was getting much in return. BB's Visa is a bit more Pavlovian in nature, I see actual credit coming my way, usually from my non-BB purchases. Eventually I always end up buying something at BB, usually some Disney movie, so it makes sense to me despite the low return.

[quote name='mabba18']That's actually a terrible rate of return. Even the most basic cash back card will net you 1%, which is $8 on your $800. Get the free points, but forget about the credit card.[/QUOTE]

it works out to be 1.25% rate of return.

DOUBLE that on BB Purchases.

800 spent= 800 points = $10 VALUE

[quote name='gamer602']it works out to be 1.25% rate of return.

DOUBLE that on BB Purchases.

800 spent= 800 points = $10 VALUE[/QUOTE]

That is quite a bit better, and very different then what WillGabriel said the rate was.

Whoops, yes. My mistake. 80:1.

Another good thing about the BB RZ points is that I have a couple of friends who are too lazy to sign up so they give BB my phone number when they buy something so I get the points.

I use to have it set up for $5 certificates but I much prefer $20 certificates. It takes longer to get them but it's much nicer getting a bigger discount when I buy something. Too bad there isn't a bit of a discount for getting the higher certificates.

anyone else having the Reward Zone site screw up all the time lately??

When I go to punch in an order under the "Get Missing Points" option when it goes to the "order being verified" section it changes my order number from what i entered.

For example on order 900110513913743 when I punch it into the Bets Buy site it spits out the order 900439137101391 for some reason and submits that order number to be verified which of course gets rejected since it doesn't match up.

I'm so damn confused as to why its changing my order number when I submit it. I always have to email them personally now in order to get the points added as every purchase seems to make up its own order number when I try to submit it...so confused :???:

"Get missing points" NEVER EVER work for me. I ALWAYS have to e-mail them to add the points. I never even bother with it anymore. I usually wait a week to see if it gets added but it never does. It is kind of ridiculous.

For some reason whenever I e-mail them to add the points it seems 90% of the time it gets added right away to my posted balance.