free gradient tool bug

I have all sorts of bugs with the Freeform Gradient Tool. It WOULD be the most awesome tool if it was reliable. Points disappearing is the least problem. I just got a gradient where I wanted it (it used black control points set to either 100% or 0% opacity). After I'm done editing when I select then shape ALL the points disappear and the shape reverts to completely empty!  Adobe needs to do some serious work on this tool. I'm losing so much productivity with this crap.

Bit late to this one, but just thought I add that I also had the same issue after reflecting an object. Any new points I added would disappear after I clicked off the shape. BUT another workaround I found was to reset the bounding box of the object. This essentially clears any stored info of transformations on the object. After that the gradient worked fine!

It looks like you can reflect it if you first duplicate your object and go to Object > Expand Appearance. But after it's expanded, you won't be able to edit the gradient.

(Note:  I also tried making it a symbol without expanding appearance, which did not successfully reflect the gradient.)

It probably would be helpful to say how i got the shape in the first place.

Draw the right shape and make it fill with live paint with and filled with free gradient. Then reflected that shape to create the opposite sides. The gradient doesn't translate with the shape(it does, yet its the same as rotating the shape 180 degrees). So i move the gradient points around to make the image look like the way i wanted. Then i would try to select both shapes at the same time, and a gradient point disappears.

*redraw the second shape, rather than reflect the first shape, and remake the gradient entirely, fixes the issue.*

Although that points the bug with reflection transform.

Just to make sure I understand, you select the objects filled with the Gradients, then you deselect the objects and one of the Stops in a line of your Freeform Gradient disappears when you reselect the object.

Are you doing anything other than selecting the objects and deselecting them?