Choice Hotels Every excuse in the world to deny awards Phoenix Arizona

This is the fourth time this year I have qualified for benefits under the "Stay Two Nights, Get One Free" Choice Rewards program.  They have dug up technicalities to deny my rewards on three of those four occassions. 

But this last time, they denied benefits for a hotel stay which I paid for, but which my wife and son stayed at. This has cost promised points for that trip, and also an additional 5,000 to 8,000 points for having qualified for an additional stay under the "Stay Two Nights, Get One Free" program which they heavily advertise to me on the internet.

The relevant part of the program says: "After your second qualifying trip and ALL TRIPS THEREAFTER with arrival between September 5 and November 13, 2013, you will be awarded a minimum of 5,000 points... " [emphasis added]

To deny me these benefits, in an email reply to my complaint, Leo G. at the Email Resolution Desk made up this rule which is not found ANYWHERE in any of their terms and conditions: "Please note that Choice Privileges is an individual membership account. To earn points, you must personally stay at the hotel. "  With that made-up rule, they actually DEDUCTED points from my account.