10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[simongr]

I presume you signed up on all 3 then was put on 10t/5k, and your request was to go back on 5t/5k? Did you sign up prior to 20th September and did you try and cancel your other registrations for 20t/10k or 10t/5k? Just to save searchoing through all the posts

Signed up for all three pre 20 Sep. I did not try to cancel other registrations. I was then put on 10T/5K via a letter from Amex in Mid October. I called and was advised that I was stuck, called the exec group and was told to write to a specific address, sent letter, got no response and contacted the FSO.

Phew!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well done Simongr..

So far the track record seems to be that everyone who has disputed being knocked back in some way (apart from being too late to register that is) has been successful as long as they have "complained" in writing though official channels and not just by calling a CSR.

Lets hope the rest of us are successful too.

 

[nlagalle]

Boo yah!

Just had a call from [insert name here] from Amex from the Executive group as a response to the query from the Ombudsman. The facts:

- Confirmed thatthere was an online offer for 5/5
- Confirmed I am on 5/5
- I will be recveiving points fully (including reversal of adjustments) under 5/5
- Sep/Oct points to credit soon
- Nov/Dec points to credit by 31/1
- Reconciliation of points will be provided on request
- Letter advising this to be sent to me and the Ombudsman

This I would call a result

Note I am confident that this is genuine as the person is who I spoke to a long time ago and advised me to complain to them in writing - not a CSR and they called me

Looks like my parents are flying to SYD in J...

Well done Simongr! I haven't heard back from AMEX yet, i'll give them another week, then contact the FSO. I am in the same boat as you.

Nick

 

[mick]

Signed up for all three pre 20 Sep. I did not try to cancel other registrations. I was then put on 10T/5K via a letter from Amex in Mid October. I called and was advised that I was stuck

This is exactly what happened to me and I ain't wearing it, either. Looks like I'd better get the wheels in motion for a complaint, also. Thanks for the info.

 

[simongr]

And they said you cant fight city hall!

 

[snufl]

simongr, that is fantastic news! Congratulations, Mr snufl and I are really pleased for you.

 

[vet]

Getting 'the call' a relief, isn't it.

Congrats.

I'm waiting to see if they payout on another type of entrant.

Now to wait for the bonii to be allocated.

And wait to see if the next velocity promo is really worth waiting for.

 

[simongr]

Another 58,899 hit the account today which I assume is 50K plus the POC reversal. Just now to wait and see what else posts

 

[beardoc]

Boo yah!

Just had a call from [insert name here] from Amex from the Executive group as a response to the query from the Ombudsman. The facts:

- Confirmed thatthere was an online offer for 5/5
- Confirmed I am on 5/5
- I will be recveiving points fully (including reversal of adjustments) under 5/5
- Sep/Oct points to credit soon
- Nov/Dec points to credit by 31/1
- Reconciliation of points will be provided on request
- Letter advising this to be sent to me and the Ombudsman

This I would call a result

Note I am confident that this is genuine as the person is who I spoke to a long time ago and advised me to complain to them in writing - not a CSR and they called me

Looks like my parents are flying to SYD in J...

Well done Simon! Finally we are getting some positive news on this (the last really confirmed positive news from the Executive team I remember on this forum was from vet).

Is it possible to give a rundown of your transaction totals, average spend, etc. - and whether you had many transactions below thresholds like $3? I'm interested to test how much this "below $3 trigger" actually exists.

 

[Febs]

Well done Simon!

Sorry for the question which has no doubt already been answered...but which number did you call to kick things off with AMEX? Just Membership Rewards, or has the forum collectively found a better number to call now?

I haven't spoken to AMEX at all, but it looks like my points have dried up (at around 40k instead of ~160k) so it's time to call.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[vet]

Febs, try fax 02 9263 6084 tel 02 9271 9696.

or Luisa on 02 9271 2078 (and just say you're from "60 Minutes"

 

[straitman]

Amex is selling (a) commercial paper (which they pay interest on) or (b) securitised assets (at a deep discount) to the US government. There is no "free money". The US tax payer only pays if either (a) Amex goes bust and can't redeem its own paper or (b) the collateral behind the securities fails (i.e. someone fails to pay their Amex bill through bankruptcy or similar).

So, losses that Amex makes on a promotion are not paid for by the US government.

Whilst I appreciate that Amex can juggle a few things around, from what I can see here and on other places, this promotion has been a huge mistake. Capping late entrants limited their liability to around $100-200 or so, but even recouping $100 or so requires ~$10k in spending to pay for these additional benefits.

Even a $10m extra cost probably wipes out the entire non-core marketing budget for a medium sized financial institution.

AnonymousCoward,

We will have to agree to disagree on this.

Big business has a huge ability to shuffle paper and money to make it untraceable and this is what they'll do.

 

[sydney_kings]

it'll be interesting to hear whether amex will now start posting the points for everyone.

As much as I love amex for all the customer service up until the decisions during this promotion, this is possibly the last opportunity they can make up for their "members", rather than having possibly 1,000's going to the financial services ombudsman.

I really hope some decency gets placed back into action by amex and they rightfully credit everyone's accounts.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

As a discussion point:

One of Amexes main defences to not pay out large point balances would seem to be it's argument that maximising tx is abuse.

However how can one run a promo...and not expect many people eligible for that promo to maximise the benefit to them?

Amex's argument would therefore seem to me to fundamentally flawed and not defensible. More so when it advises one on registering that their is no minimum spend and no limit to the bonuses you can earn.

I think however that it's bill-splitting argument is though a reasonable one as it can reasonably argue that one bill split should have been one tx.

If an item though s a separate purchase then it should be considered one tx.
If it is not acceptable then clear guidelines or limitations should have been imposed in the T&C.

T&C are not meant to be guessing games. They should be clear and cover all the concerns of the organisation running the promo.

It should not be that registrants have to guess and if the T&C s imprecise or unclear then Amex should have to wear it.
After all in this case it did amend the T&C...and was free and clear to amend them again.

It as an organisation chose not to.

Now Amex seems to be resorting to bluff before it awards all owed points.,,,where a Card-member has to push back to gain what is rightfully theirs.

I suspect that more will have to push...before Amex unilaterally caves in and just awards everyone what is owed (except those mythical cases who paid their phone bills in $1 increments).

 

[simongr]

Well done Simon! Finally we are getting some positive news on this (the last really confirmed positive news from the Executive team I remember on this forum was from vet).

Is it possible to give a rundown of your transaction totals, average spend, etc. - and whether you had many transactions below thresholds like $3? I'm interested to test how much this "below $3 trigger" actually exists.

I will do a summary today - I have some free time as it is my last day of employment today

There would not be many <$3 T (maybe 1 or 2 iTunes purchases) but there would be a few $3 T which is the parking fee at the Hospital. Also there are lots of T at DJ on the same day - maybe as many as 13 just before Xmas...

@Febs - vet has given you the numbers. I will say tho that when I phoned that number they told me to write to the PO box which I did straightaway.

 

[simongr]

Total T = 386
Average = $79 (standard deviation of 127)
Min = $1.09

Range of spend:

<5	      11
 5 - 9 	      13
10 - 49	     191
50 - 99	      93
100-299	      58
300-499	       6
> 500	       9

Total spend - $30,300 :shock:

 

[vet]

I thought you'd have more.

How many txs does it take to get in 72 hours 108k qff points and 104k dj points? I can see why Amex was upset but I heard they graciously accepted valid legal and factual reasons.

 

[vet]

Just heard from a lawyer that Amex is still mailing out the 'you weren't invited' arguments. I wonder how many people don't know about the apology letters etc so they merely 'cop it sweet'. Seems Amex also doesn't like the 'promo offered 5/5 from (ie backdated to) 1 Sept if you enrol before 31 December' argument.

 

[glass]

Total T = 386
Average = $79 (standard deviation of 127)
Min = $1.09
...
Total spend - $30,300 :shock:

Yikes and this in personal (non business) spend?:arrow:

 

[simongr]

Yikes and this in personal (non business) spend?:arrow:

Yeah :shock: