10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[lovetravellingoz]

Well my letter arrived yesterday (Oct 27) and so Amex is obviously taking a while to post them all out.

Confirmed that I was on my postcard deal only...5K/5 deal...and that I was taken off my enrolements in the other two bonuses.

Also mentioned that other points outside the bonus would be taken....

However by the time the 8/10 weeks is up I will have earnt more points from 5K/5 deal than what I earnt from all 3 pre-Sep 20..and so I should get a nice positive award when they eventually start posting bonus points again.

 

[QF WP]

simongr, trust Amex resolve your issue to your satisfaction. Of course if they don't, you have clearly articulated the only recourse subsequently available.

I'm sure that the people working on this "project" will have employment for months whilst they sort out all aggrieved parties.

I noticed that my membership fee has been put through as a transaction - I'll bet that it isn't an eligible transaction

Now off to fill up the car at BP - at least my bonus points from my that promo are crediting straight away

P.S. Still not POCked, no letter, no worries

 

[nlagalle]

OK - fax sent to [insert name of staff here]. Very clear as follows:

I expect to get a call this afternoon

Simongr I'll be very interested to see how you go. Although I was promised a call back nearly 3 weeks ago now and it still hasn't surfaced. Might be time to call yet again.....

nick

 

[AussieMark]

Yeah I am interested to hear about Simon and also File51, how they go.

I have been told to wait until tomorrow for mail from AMEX otherwise to call the executive team.

 

[simongr]

Just an interesting reference point (yet another).

Just considering the "guilt" I feel for exploiting this promo. Going over in my mind the accusations of wrong doing for people buying a coffee.

I just reviewed my transactions since the promo started:

Total number: 122
Average $ value: $80.22

The points earned on average per $ spent would be:

5K/5T - 12.2
5K/10T - 6.1
10K/20T - 3.05

Now some people have talked about this as a ridiculously priced promo. But based on my spend this is at worst a similar ratio of points earning as the DSE/Bing Lee promo last Christmas and at best stingy by comparison to that.

And before you critique that the DSE/Bing Lee was only for spend in certain stores - if you shopped at Woolworths and related stores you were able to push a large portion of spend through your Amex card.

Interesting thoughts?

 

[oz_mark]

Total number: 122
Average $ value: $80.22

The points earned on average per $ spent would be:

5K/5T - 12.2
5K/10T - 6.1
10K/20T - 3.05

Bzzt. Arithmetic error. 5K/10T and 10K/20T will give the same number of points.

 

[simongr]

True - I had applied only 5K to the 20T promo in my spreadsheet. However you have fewer chances to earn based on the total spend unless you have multiples of 20 transactions...

If I had been enrolled for all three, I would be up for 240K points at this point...

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Now some people have talked about this as a ridiculously priced promo. But based on my spend this is at worst a similar ratio of points earning as the DSE/Bing Lee promo last Christmas and at best stingy by comparison to that.

Interesting thoughts?

My thoughts are quite simple....

1/ I know what I earnt out of last years promo.....and from this years promo if I spend the same dollars I will expect to earn a lot more points...if the T&C had not been amended then by still making legitimate spend only I would have earnt double again!!

2/ This years promo is a lot more flexible as I get points from any business that accepts Amex..not just a narrow band.

3/ That the original T&C have now been altered which tighten up on spend...and eliminate the ultra -ridiculous earn oppotunities....and which also chop you back to only one bonus rate and not three. However one can still aquire points at a goodly rate on legitmate spend if one has a mind too.

4/ That someone in last years promo..if they did not go out of their way to "maximise" their earn most likely would have only earnt a moderate amount of bonus points.....unless they were about to buy a household full of electrical gear. So comparing "optimised" earn this year...with "optimised' earn last year you have the opportunity to earn a lot more points this year than last. However the trade off for this is that it takes more of your time as transactions take time.

Now the Art & Skill of being a Frequent Flyer is making the most of opportunities. This forum is full of opportunities:
*minimising or avoiding CC fees
*earn rate of CC, Flights or Hotel Programs etc
*sign-on bonuses
*optimisng routes for points of SC
*cheap flights
*optimisng flight redemptions
*optimising choice of FF (before this forum I would never of thought of for example flying QF but awarding to AA, or paying on SQ, but awrding to BMI or another *A airline)
*using SPG to transfer points toAA
* etc etc

and opportunity may be just about increasing one's comfort....such as lounge access, or better seats on a flight....

So the FF life is full of opportunity!!!! and I feel no guilt at all for maximising opportunities by making the most of the various rules ot T&C of flights, hotels or bonuses such as the current Everday MR Bonus.

If it is legit...I go for it...if a company is willing to offer me things then I am willing to pick them up.

If it is not (ie $1200 phone bil in $1 increments) then I do not.

This particular promo is for me a particularly generous promo, ridiculously so in my eyes...but I fully understand that for others it may not be. Opportunity is after all different for each of us...ie AA for me is not currently an opportunity that I can really optimise...but for others it is stealing candy!!!

For me the Everday Bonus....is lots and lots of Candy.

 

[edman]

Purely for information purposes only, who knows what will come out of it, I may have been given completely wrong information, but...

Had to ring Amex today re 2 issues, so I took the opportunity to enquire what rewards bonus I was on considering I've resisted the urge so far. Story is - enrolled in 10/20, cancelled that and enrolled in 5/5 pre 20/9, poc'd, no postcard no letter.

Apparently I'm on 5k/10t, even though I never signed up for that. Reason being, I was never targetted to start with. Nothing new there based on other members comments, but when I asked why I would be on that considering the 2 offers I did sign up for were different, I was told by the CSR that it didn't matter whether I was on 5k/10t or 5k/5t because due to my number of transactions, I would be getting same number of points either way. I asked about the FAQs on the website where it points out that there is no cap for the early enrollers, but he tells me there is a new set coming out this week (he offered to fax them to me but I was late for a client and declined) which will limit ALL participants to a 10k points cap each month regardless of which of the 3 variations they enrolled in. This is why I would not be better off on one program or another due to my high level of transactions.

Perhaps if any other members are talking to Amex they might like to ask about new T&C's to see whether or not there is any substance behind this. I got passed up the line 3 times when they found out what my query related to, so I'm guessing there was some seniority with the CSR who gave me the above info.

I stress - I am only reporting on my conversation, and cast no opinions as to whether the comments of the CSR are accurate or will be enforced.

 

[holo]

the cough will hit the fan if that is true !!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

(he offered to fax them to me but I was late for a client and declined) which will limit ALL participants to a 10k points cap each month regardless of which of the 3 variations they enrolled in. This is why I would not be better off on one program or another due to my high level of transactions.
.

1/ Pity ..as the fax could have been waiting for you on your return...


2/ If confirmed.....then the various regulatory bodies would get a huge work over...as the no cap amended T&C have been up fora while...and while Amex can probably argue for example that the 3 bonuses where really onlya choice of one...I cannot see how they could argue that the T&C were not clear on the points being unlimited for the pre-Sep 20 group.

 

[snufl]

I asked about the FAQs on the website where it points out that there is no cap for the early enrollers, but he tells me there is a new set coming out this week (he offered to fax them to me but I was late for a client and declined) which will limit ALL participants to a 10k points cap each month regardless of which of the 3 variations they enrolled in.

I stress - I am only reporting on my conversation, and cast no opinions as to whether the comments of the CSR are accurate or will be enforced

Oh boy...here we go again.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

the cough will hit the fan if that is true !!

Well one thing you can say about this promo...life is not dull

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I asked about the FAQs on the website where it points out that there is no cap for the early enrollers, but he tells me there is a new set coming out this week (he offered to fax them to me but I was late for a client and declined) which will limit ALL participants to a 10k points cap each month regardless of which of the 3 variations they enrolled in. .

I trust everyone has this copied?

SECTION 2: CONDITIONS OF PROMOTION
How do the amended terms and conditions affect me?
For Cardmembers who enrolled in the Promotion prior to 20 September, the original bonus points offer remains unchanged and there is no limit to the amount of bonus points you can earn during the Promotion period as long as your transactions are for legitimate everyday spend*. This was communicated to these Cardmembers via our call centre teams or the enrolment website page.

For all people who enrolled on or after the 20 September, a maximum of 10,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points will be awarded to eligible Cardmembers each month during the promotion period, up to a maximum of 40,000 bonus points for the entire Promotion.

 

[edman]

1/ Pity ..as the fax could have been waiting for you on your return...

Yes I know and in hindsight I should have, as it would have made interesting reading, but I had been bounced to 3 different people and needed to get off the phone...

Perhaps a forum member who has cause to speak to Amex might enquire about this?

 

[snufl]

Well one thing you can say about this promo...life is not dull

LOL, very true, but I can do without this kind of excitement.

Regardless of how this all pans out, it has drastically changed my perception of Amex. I'm sure edman has accurately reported the conversation. So, either the T&Cs are going to be changed again or at least one CSR is still relaying incorrect information. Either way I now regard Amex as a completely unprofessional company.

I remember when my husband got his first Amex (many years ago) it carried some prestige ... those days are obviously gone

 

[beardoc]

I trust everyone has this copied?

SECTION 2: CONDITIONS OF PROMOTION

I'm trying to find the original page that this is on - does anyone have the URL?

 

[vet]

I'm buying some french wine, croissants, baguettes, brie and camembert for the lawyer's picnic.

 

[Masonic Phantom]

LOL, very true, but I can do without this kind of excitement.

Regardless of how this all pans out, it has drastically changed my perception of Amex. I'm sure edman has accurately reported the conversation. So, either the T&Cs are going to be changed again or at least one CSR is still relaying incorrect information. Either way I now regard Amex as a completely unprofessional company.

I remember when my husband got his first Amex (many years ago) it carried some prestige ... those days are obviously gone

Lets all wait till the verdict is in A!!!, then panic if need be:shock:

 

[oz_mark]

I'm trying to find the original page that this is on - does anyone have the URL?

If you mean the FAQ it is here: American Express, Bonuspoints FAQ