Windsor Man Questions His Lost Petro-Points

Do you keep track of how many Petro-Points you have?

Windsor local Harvey Lemire does – and that’s why he’s noticed that $140 worth of his Petro-Points have mysteriously vanished.

Now, he’s encouraging anyone with a Petro-Canada card – or a membership in any similar loyalty program – to take a look at their point totals.

Harvey Lemire of Windsor shows receipts from his membership in the Petro-Points loyalty program. (Dalson Chen/CBC)

“I don’t want to see other people get taken advantage of,” Lemire told CBC Windsor. “Just so everybody is aware of what’s happening with your points. Whether it be Tim Hortons, Petro-Points, or any other redeemable points.”

Lemire has been accumulating Petro-Points for years. He saves them for car washes and tracks how many he’s earned on the Petro-Canada website.

In late December, he realized that his point balance had unexpectedly dropped. Further checking on the Petro-Canada site showed that $70 worth of his points had been redeemed at two different locations he wasn’t familiar with.

“Petro-Canada provides a location number next to where you redeemed (the points). You can identify common numbers in the Windsor area here. There were two numbers that didn’t match up,” Lemire said.

“I knew that I didn’t redeem those $70, or $140 total. Unfortunately, Petro-Canada couldn’t provide me with that information. They said they were unable to tell me where those store locations were based on those numbers.”

A Petro-Canada location in Windsor, Ontario. (Dalson Chen/CBC)

As of Jan. 27, Lemire still hasn’t seen his points restored after weeks of trying to resolve the issue with Petro-Canada. But he’s hopeful that his latest communication with Suncor, which owns Petro-Canada, will lead to a resolution.

“Well, when dealing with large companies like Petro-Canada, you’d think you’d feel secure banking these points and redeeming them whenever you want,” Lemire said.

Suncor did not respond to CBC Windsor’s request for comment.

Jennifer Matthews, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario. (Dalson Chen/CBC)

Jennifer Matthews, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario, says stories like Lemire’s are ones her organization has been hearing for years – not just concerning Petro-Points but various other loyalty programs as well.

In 2023 alone, thieves took $1,000 worth of PC Optimum points from a woman in Vancouver who used Loblaw stores like Shoppers Drug Mart; then in 2024 scammers stole 100,000 Aeroplan points from another woman in Montreal.

According to Matthews, these issues often stem from cybersecurity breaches.

“Our loyalty points are digital and linked to our email or cellphones. That’s how scammers and fraudsters typically gain access to information and assets such as loyalty points,” she explained.

Signs at a Petro-Canada location in Windsor, Ontario. (Dalson Chen/CBC)

For effective use of loyalty cards, Matthews suggests everyone practice good “cyber hygiene” – using two-factor authentication whenever possible , changing passwords regularly , and steering clear of suspicious links or files in messages.

If asked whether people should refrain from “banking” loyalty points – accumulating lots for future redemptions-Matthews responded: “You do expose yourself to greater loss if you’ve banked hundreds of dollars’ worth of points. And I know folks who’ve banked thousands.”

“I’m definitely a user myself across multiple platforms,” Matthews noted.

A sign at a Petro – Canada location in Windsor promoting the Petro – Points program. ( Dalson Chen / CBC )

Lemire states he’ll keep collecting his Petrol Points despite everything that’s happened as well as sharing this warning with others.

“Yeah , I’ll probably continue banking as many as I can ,” Lemire said. “Hopefully , people become more aware , and maybe systems will be implemented to help fix these problems.”

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