10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[Keith009]

Thanks for that. Drats! Well I hope for some "welcome to AMEX -- now hurry up and use your card" style promo.

 

[oz_mark]

Thanks for that. Drats! Well I hope for some "welcome to AMEX -- now hurry up and use your card" style promo.

Spot the proud new Amex cardholder

 

[Keith009]

Spot the proud new Amex cardholder

More like, the compulsive new MR points junkie. :shock: Been obsessing over ways and means to shift all my spending to AMEX. I've even volunteered to do grocery shopping (usually the other half does it). Rent and utilities might be problematic, but apparently it might just go through if i paid in person at Austpost.

Now if only there's a way to link credit card spend with my bmi account, and all would be perfect.............

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Just wondering, are promos regularly 'open to all' or only targetted? From reading this thread I'd assume that they wouldn't be interested in doing this sort of promos anymore?

1/ This sort as in the Everday? No in size of bonus per spend as that was clearly a mistake (or at least with the T&C issued). But yes in terms of concept..just with better T&C and procedures.

2/ Since the Everday Promo there ahas been at least 4 other promos announced: BP, Colorado, 8 store Gift Card and the 0.5 bonus point starting on 1 April. All have been targetted with tight T&C and registration procedures.

3/ Will Amex have more "open promos"? Well a/ Everday was not meant to be open. b/ However in Xmas 2007 you had the "open" electical stores 10 bonus points per dollar promo.

Amex now has the tools in place to easily run targetted promos and so yes I agree that closed promos will dominate.

However as to whether they are "open" or "targetted" will depend on what the various industry partners are trying to achieve, as well as Amex.

Targetted offers allows the partners to focus on partivualr goals. But sometimes these goals might be acroos the whole card-base.

For example it would not surprise that at about the time that the new QF/Woolworths Alliance is launched that say an "open" Amex/Coles promo is launched so that Coles can try and prevent losing business to Woolworths.

 

[beardoc]

More like, the compulsive new MR points junkie. :shock: Been obsessing over ways and means to shift all my spending to AMEX. I've even volunteered to do grocery shopping (usually the other half does it). Rent and utilities might be problematic, but apparently it might just go through if i paid in person at Austpost.

The grocery shopping can be solved by giving the other half a supplementary card, I would think, if you think that's safe enough!

For rent, there's Rental Rewards - Pay your Rent the easy and rewarding way - there's a 1.76% fee for charging to your Amex, but you might fee that this is worth it if you're getting 1.5 points per dollar!

 

[nlagalle]

Amex just keep on doing it better!!

I rang them on the 24th Feb about my letter which I posted in December - they said no record of it arriving. So I then said i'd give them a week to reply before giving it to the FOS. Nothing came before i went away so I lodge a complaint with the FOS.

I came home on the weekend to find a letter from Amex, re-spinning the usual about targetted promo etc. totally missing my point on the website offer.

Anyway then i checked the date - 20th Feb it was dated, and to top it off it was postmarked on the 2nd March! So much for not receiving a letter!

Just some more points in my favour!

 

[holo]

I had the same experience mate, their letter, when finally sent, was a standard letter and made no real mention of my circumstances. I just went to FOS.

 

[codash1099]

Just had my bonus points posted. 6 phones calls and finally a letter but I'm not sure what actually did the trick. I have no complaint about any of the CSR's I spoke to - all were polite, understanding and even embarrassed.

Now i need to find something else to do with my time

 

[beardoc]

Amex just keep on doing it better!!

I rang them on the 24th Feb about my letter which I posted in December - they said no record of it arriving. So I then said i'd give them a week to reply before giving it to the FOS. Nothing came before i went away so I lodge a complaint with the FOS.

I came home on the weekend to find a letter from Amex, re-spinning the usual about targetted promo etc. totally missing my point on the website offer.

Anyway then i checked the date - 20th Feb it was dated, and to top it off it was postmarked on the 2nd March! So much for not receiving a letter!

Just some more points in my favour!

Amex have a history of backdating letters in this thread. The first bunch of "suspended" letters were received on 18th December but were "dated" 4th December. In my case they backdated it to a time before I was having discussions with a CSR at Executive Relations, who had confirmed that "the letter isn't approved or printed yet - I'll arrange to have it sent by Express Post. It was almost a week later that it ACTUALLY arrived by Express post - but interestingly dated way before the initial discussions I was having with American Express. Therefore I have evidence that American Express ARE backdating.

I don't consider backdating of letters to be very professional, or even legal. It's a practice that leaves me with the thought that Amex are a much less professional organisation than I thought they were. Which is a pity, because before this promotion, my thoughts on them were very positive. No longer.

 

[beardoc]

I had the same experience mate, their letter, when finally sent, was a standard letter and made no real mention of my circumstances. I just went to FOS.

That's what annoyed me - after two long and detailed letters to American Express, all I have formally got is a "form letter" in response. That's why I elevated it with the FOS. Amex only has a few days in my case to write a formal submission to the FOS about my case. Seems like they're taking their time.

 

[lovestotravel]

That's what annoyed me - after two long and detailed letters to American Express, all I have formally got is a "form letter" in response. That's why I elevated it with the FOS. Amex only has a few days in my case to write a formal submission to the FOS about my case. Seems like they're taking their time.

My long and detailed letter to AMEX after I was suspended in late December was replied with a form letter

Amex are pathetic and actually worse than the banks when it comes to customer service.

If it wasn't for their excellent rewards program I wouldn't bother with them.

 

[acircle123]

Hi.

I split 1 bill into 10 transactions just before amex stopped crediting points at the end of September, not knowing it was against the program. Any suggestions as to what I can do to recoupe some of the bonus points for my spending after that? Does anyone know of any success stories for someone who has split 1 and just 1 bill?

Thanks.

 

[kort]

Hi.

I split 1 bill into 10 transactions just before amex stopped crediting points at the end of September, not knowing it was against the program. Any suggestions as to what I can do to recoupe some of the bonus points for my spending after that? Does anyone know of any success stories for someone who has split 1 and just 1 bill?

Thanks.

Potentially you could argue that when you signed up you were bound to the T&C's "at the time". Given Amex's failure to contact you about the new T&C's you "could" argue that those new T&C's only applied to people who signed AFTER the T&C changed (you are hardly going to go back to the site again)......thats about the best I could suggest. I have no legal backgroun so who knows........

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Potentially you could argue that when you signed up you were bound to the T&C's "at the time". Given Amex's failure to contact you about the new T&C's you "could" argue that those new T&C's only applied to people who signed AFTER the T&C changed (you are hardly going to go back to the site again)......thats about the best I could suggest. I have no legal backgroun so who knows........

I have no legal background.

However I suspect that Amex would argue that the general T&C of the MR would cover bill-splitting where there was not a reasonable explanation for having paid a bill in 10 tx when 1 would "normally" have been done.

ie paying a yearly bill in monthly increments would seem ok (and indeed there is normally an option to do this)...

But paying say a phone bill on one day in 10 amounts would be unlikely to have a reasonable explanation as to why.


If on the other hand you have past history of paying 1 bill in 10 payments then you could use that to justify it occurring (that is in the period before the new T&C were posted).

 

[kort]

I have no legal background.

However I suspect that Amex would argue that the general T&C of the MR would cover bill-splitting where there was not a reasonable explanation for having paid a bill in 10 tx when 1 would "normally" have been done.

The T&C of MR does talk about "abuse" - given they haven't really defined what abuse is, you might be able to argue there were no guidelines?

Once again I have no legal background, so take with a grain of salt.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hi.

I split 1 bill into 10 transactions just before amex stopped crediting points at .

If the "myth" about the person who paid a $1000 phone bill in $1 increments is true Amex would have strong incentive to get out of paying early examples of bills split into many multiples.

 

[acircle123]

Thank you both. I don't remember anything about everyday spending when I signed up, but then again, I wasn't really paying attention to the T&C. Do you know whether there were any specific clause about 'everyday' spending around at the start of the promo?

I have seen subsequently (when they suspended crediting points to everyone) that amex keeps referring to bill spliting as an example of abuse.

Trying to weigh up if I should try to write to them or am I wasting my time, or even risking losing my points.

 

[beardoc]

Thank you both. I don't remember anything about everyday spending when I signed up, but then again, I wasn't really paying attention to the T&C. Do you know whether there were any specific clause about 'everyday' spending around at the start of the promo?

I have seen subsequently (when they suspended crediting points to everyone) that amex keeps referring to bill spliting as an example of abuse.

Trying to weigh up if I should try to write to them or am I wasting my time, or even risking losing my points.

Most people on this thread that have been suspended have either followed up with Amex and got all of the points that they should have, or they're still involved in disputes with the FOS. There are lots of people on the board that can explain what they've (successfully) done - and they've detailed things earlier in the thread, too.

 

[lovestotravel]

During the promo I loved eating at restaurants with a bar area, but of course I didn't want to run a tab so paid each drink as I had it

Transactions:
3 drinks before dinner
Dinner
Tip

So 5 transactions from one dinner

:mrgreen:

 

[oz_mark]

Thank you both. I don't remember anything about everyday spending when I signed up, but then again, I wasn't really paying attention to the T&C. Do you know whether there were any specific clause about 'everyday' spending around at the start of the promo?

I have seen subsequently (when they suspended crediting points to everyone) that amex keeps referring to bill spliting as an example of abuse.

Trying to weigh up if I should try to write to them or am I wasting my time, or even risking losing my points.

I assume that you got some initial points and then no more.

Were you ever advised of being suspended by Amex, and if so what action did you take?