The official login screen promo redirects you to this web page.

http://startrekonline.com/node/3058

Here is a copy/paste of that page: http://www.startrekonline.com/node/3058

"We are happy to announce a bonus ZEN and Cryptic Points promotion that will earn you an extra 15% on your purchase!

Between Friday, April 6 at 3:00 PM (PDT) and Sunday, April 8 at 11:55 PM (PDT), whenever you purchase ZEN or Cryptic Points, you will be credited with 15% additional ZEN or Cryptic Points!

Please note that this bonus sale does not combine with any other promotional coupons, and it is only available through the following payment options:

PayPal
Moneybookers
ClickandBuy
Google Checkout (*In US only. Not eligible for bonus 300 ZEN or CP on large purchases.)
Steam

Remember, this sale ends on Monday! Carpe diem - seize your chance before it's gone!
Link to the forum post "

NOWHERE on the "official redirect web page" does it state HOW you have to buy your C-points. It ONLY lists the PAYMENT OPTIONS that are directly related to this promotion. It does NOT say how you can, or cannot, buy your Cryptic Points. By this I mean it does not state that you HAVE TO/CAN ONLY buy Zen and convert to C-points, you have to ONLY buy from a Cryptic or Perfect World Account, or that it is ONLY through the purchase of a Cryptic Points card. Nowhere in the above quoted statement does it state HOW you have to, or how you can NOT, purchase your C-points.
The KICKER is this... ONLY if you click the link at the bottom does it finally "throw in a curve ball". The link takes you to the forums http://forums.startrekonline.com/sho...d.php?t=265075 where the first post is by Blue_Fire...

Nowhere in the "official redirect web page" does it state HOW you have to buy your C-points. Only that you must use one of the listed PAYMENT OPTIONS and "that this bonus sale does not combine with any other promotional coupons"

In my opinion, most people would not click the link at the bottom. They would be thinking that STO has been upfront with them by their already having posted the "legal terms" of the promotion on the official redirect web page.

In my honest and educated opinion, having worked in sales and for an advertising agency, this is a classic "Bait and Switch" tactic. Why do I say that? Two reasons:

Reason #1) NOWHERE on the "official redirect web page" is there a disclaimer, or Condition of Purchase, stating that certain PURCHASE options are excluded from this promotion.
I.E. it does NOT state **Virtual Cryptic Point Cards are excluded from promo. Nor does it state any other PURCHASE exclusions.

Reason #2) NOWHERE on the "official redirect web page" is there a DETAILS disclaimer stating " Please refer to the STO Website disclaimer at this LINK for further details regarding information concerning the promotion."

Anyone who has ever gotten an email concerning a contest or promotion, or who has gone to a web page to download a "free program/game" has seen some type of disclaimer in one form or another:
Click here for Terms of Use.
Click here to see our Privacy Policy.
The EULA when you start to install a program on your computer.
A fast food restaurant coupon has a disclaimer!
Even BEFORE you downloaded Star Trek Online, http://www.startrekonline.com/f2p , at the BOTTOM of the page is their TERMS OF USE disclaimer link http://www.perfectworld.com/about/terms

So for those that might say; " You weren't cheated." OR "They made the options fairly clear." I would say that in a legally binding contract, concerning the purchase of goods or services, "fairly clear" does not count and that they are wrong. Because I call foul over this complete disregard of sales ethics against the STO community.

For those that want to do more than just "gripe" in the forums...

If you feel that you have been cheated by this particular promotion, I would refer you to the
Complaints Section of the Better Business Bureau: https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complai...-of-complaint/

Contact Information:
Perfect World Entertainment
101 Redwood Shores Pkwy #400
Redwood City, CA 94065
(650) 590-7700

Some of you may be wondering why this might be a "big deal" to some people. Hopefully the information
below will help you to see where we are coming from...

As posted before in the forums...
Now as to why this is a big deal for some of us...
As stated in the quotes above, and other forum posts, all new accounts are PWE - Perfect World Entertainment accounts. "So what?" you might ask. Well I'll tell you why. Since all new accounts are PWE accounts we cannot buy "cryptic points". Instead we have to buy ZEN points and CONVERT them over to Cryptic points.

"So what's the big deal?" you say Well the big deal is this. Converting Zen points to Cryptic points is NOT a 1 to 1 ratio. It is a 5/4 ratio. In other words
*The exchange rate for ZEN to Cryptic Points is 100 ZEN = 80 Cryptic Points*

"Well that BLOWS!" you say... Well I have to agree with you on that. The only way so far around this "conversion" for us with PWE accounts is to buy Cryptic Points Cards so that we get a FAIR 1 to 1 ratio.

"Well that sort of stinks, but I still don't see what the big deal is?" you say... Well the "deal" is simple math. Follow along with me here. If you buy a 1000 C-points, then with the bonus you would get 1,150 ( 1000 + 15%= 1,150 ) So basically you get an extra 15 C-points for every 100 C-points you purchase. ( That I know of that is only if you have a legacy CRYPTIC account or CRYPTIC LIFETIME account]. )

"Yeah, well so what?" you say... Well the KICKER is this- the exchange rate! *The exchange rate for ZEN to Cryptic Points is 100 ZEN = 80 Cryptic Points* or a ratio of 5/4. So when you buy points and get the bonus you are getting 115 C-points. After the exchange rate those with a PWE account ONLY get 92 C-points! ( 115/5= 23, 23 X 4= 92 ) So even with this "supposed" promotion, those with PWE accounts get 23 C-points less!

"Well that REALLY BLOWS!!!" you say... I couldn't agree with you more. And since Perfect World did a "Bait and Switch" on us with their hidden promo statement/link concerning the Cryptic Points Cards, it has a few of us hot under the collar.

So now I hope that some of you can understand why some of us are a bit upset concerning this "Bonus 15% Promotion" , which wasn't, because we feel that we have been bamboozled, beaten, beguiled, bilked, bled, buncoed, burned, chiseled, conned, double crossed, deceived, defrauded, deluded, double-dealt, duped, fast talked, finagled, fleeced, flim flammed, fudged, given a bum steer, gouged, gypped, hoodwinked, hosed, jerked around, milked, mislead, reamed, ripped off, rooked, roped in, sand bagged, scammed, screwed, shafted, shorted, shucked, skinned, snowed, stiffed, suckered, swindled, taken, tricked, trimmed, two-timed, victimized or feel just plain cheated.

( Side Note: I honestly have to say that I do NOT know about Legacy Cryptic Accounts or Legacy Cryptic Lifetime accounts as I do not have one. I do not know if these accounts have the same exchange rates as those of us with PWE accounts do. But even though I do not know these specifics, the disinformation and misleading by STO and PWE should have more than just a few people upset. After all, no one wants to be taken advantage of. And as I stated in my above post, I feel STO / PWE has done exactly this to many people with the tactics they used concerning this promotion. If you disagree with me, then please feel free to do so. But please, "state your case" as I have stated mine. )

There is no loss in the conversion from ZEN to C-Points. 500 ZEN is $5 and 400 C-Points is $5.

So even though it is a 100 ZEN = 80 C-points that is still $1 = $1 or a 1 to 1 ratio.

You used PayPal to buy a point card. It only counts if you're buying the points directly from the website. PWE/Cryptic has no idea what system you used when you buy cards.