10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[jeejija]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all posting. They are very helpful!
However, I'm wondering what is your view on my case.

Basically, I have been to many supermarket and department store and I have bought things which is small amount of money. Amex argue that they will no longer give me the remaining points as they concern that the transactions were too small amount of money.

Consider that each transaction is still legitimate as it involved grocery shopping.I have forwarded to FOS last week and still waiting as nothing comes up yet.

 

[beardoc]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all posting. They are very helpful!
However, I'm wondering what is your view on my case.

Basically, I have been to many supermarket and department store and I have bought things which is small amount of money each time and then I go back to queue and pay for other things again and again. So each day would have about 4 transactions from each place.

Amex argue that they will no longer give me the remaining points as they concern that the transactions were too small amount of money.

Consider that each transaction is still legitimate as it involved grocery shopping.I have forwarded to FOS last week and still waiting as nothing comes up yet.

There are several cases before the FOS with similar situations. There are a number of ways to argue it and several have done so successfully (earlier in the thread). The only thing about the FOS is that the resolution is not necessarily quick - they'll decide in a few weeks if there is a case, then they will give Amex 30 days to resolve it - so it might not be happening soon.

Stick with it, and report back what happens!

 

[kamchatsky]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all posting. They are very helpful!
However, I'm wondering what is your view on my case.

Basically, I have been to many supermarket and department store and I have bought things which is small amount of money each time and then I go back to queue and pay for other things again and again. So each day would have about 4 transactions from each place.

Amex argue that they will no longer give me the remaining points as they concern that the transactions were too small amount of money.

Consider that each transaction is still legitimate as it involved grocery shopping.I have forwarded to FOS last week and still waiting as nothing comes up yet.

How small the amounts are? Are they related to bill splitting?
From the T & Cs they definitely not talk about small amount of transaction, but does talk about bill splitting. So if the transactions happens to be all from exactly the same shops (unless it is department stores etc) they might question it .......

 

[beardoc]

How small the amounts are? Are they related to bill splitting?
From the T & Cs they definitely not talk about small amount of transaction, but does talk about bill splitting. So if the transactions happens to be all from exactly the same shops (unless it is department stores etc) they might question it .......

The thing is, the Terms and Conditions of the promotion, as they stood when signed up, never said anything about bill splitting. It was something that Amex put up on a website - they didn't notify anyone about any change. The discussions on "bill splitting" are vague so as to be unuseful, and seem to rely heavily on a concept of "fraud" in order to remain valid. There's nothing concrete at all.

Multiple people in this thread have been able to successfully argue that there are reasons for multiple transactions in the same day at the same establishment (e.g. buying drinks at a pub, going to a supermarkets before and after work, going to David Jones/Myer where the setup is such that multiple transactions are required if you are buying different items from different departments).

Make your case to the FOS. Explain why you were doing what you were doing. Under the T&Cs, it's Amex that should be proving that you were fraudulent rather than the onus of proof being on you to demonstrate that what you were doing was legitimate. If they can't prove fraudulent activity (and what is fraudulent about going to Woolworths for the morning paper, then back for lunch, then back for milk/bread on the way home? That's what express lanes in supermarkets are for!), then you should be paid your points in full.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hi guys,


Basically, I have been to many supermarket and department store and I have bought things which is small amount of money each time and then I go back to queue and pay for other things again and again. So each day would have about 4 transactions from each place.

.

IMO I do not think that it is the amount of the tx that that is the problem, but rather if I have understood you correctly that on the one register that you have in a very small space of time 4 tx...and not just occassionally....but at many stores over many days.

That is that you have 4tx regularly per visit to a store that do not have departmental regsiters (unlike Myers and DJ's that do)

So you would need to come up with a "reasonable" argument as to why you did so. This will be I think your problem as I cannot think of sucha reasonable argument..

You might be able argue a once off that you "forgot"...or that there was a Limit per tx of a special. But doing so at different stores each day, and then every day.

If you had spread them well over a day (and particularly from bisinesses selling food and drink) then you would have some grounds to mount a resonable argument....but from many different stores such apractice every day will run into troble as it would be difficult to justify say buting 4 luncjes, and 4 morning teas each and every day.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Multiple people in this thread have been able to successfully argue that there are reasons for multiple transactions in the same day at the same establishment (e.g. buying drinks at a pub, going to a supermarkets before and after work, going to David Jones/Myer where the setup is such that multiple transactions are required if you are buying different items from different departments).

.

I think the key is whether one can mount a reasonable and plausible argument for multiple tx.

However the recent poster has indicated, if I have understood him correctly that he had a pattern of 4 very rapid tx each day from a number of businesses (by just returning to the back of the queue)....at I am assuming bisinesses that did not have departmental regsiters.

Being able to make a reasonable argument for doing so, will be what the forumite will need to be able to achieve IMO.

 

[jeejija]

Thanks for all answer.
I did not involve any bill splitting but lovetravel has understood correctly.
It involved many small tx from the supermarket and dept store..
I still believe that there is no where in T&C specify the small amount of tx!
Thanks.

 

[beardoc]

That is that you have 4tx regularly per visit to a store that do not have departmental regsiters (unlike Myers and DJ's that do)

In food supermarkets, I can think of two exceptions to this:

• Woolworths Town Hall, Sydney. You have to buy hot food at one counter, bakery items at another counter, and you can't buy other things, like tomatoes, at either of those counters, so you will have to visit another checkout for that too.
• David Jones Food Hall. You can hardly buy anything without going to a different register for each item!

I shop regularly at both (or used to, before I changed where I was studying on my days off).

 

[simongr]

In food supermarkets, I can think of two exceptions to this:

• David Jones Food Hall. You can hardly buy anything without going to a different register for each item!

This is not quite correct. If you grab a basket you can then shop wherever you want in the food hall and pay at a single location. They distinguish unpaid items from paid items with paid items being in paper bags. The tricky part is getting vegetables weighed. I regularly buy food there and do all the meat/cheese/sausages first then get the fruit/veg and pay for everything at the F&V counter.

 

[JohnK]

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.

I would not judge an organisation like Amex on one promotion. Yes I know it does not help you to get your points quicker, and I do hope you get all the points you are owed, but in my opinion I think it is a decent credit card company with an excellent rewards program. I would far rather deal with Amex than some of the banks offering credit cards and reward programs.

Somebody at Amex stuffed up big time with the release of this promotion. Since then Amex has been in damage control trying to minimise their liability and to their credit have paid the majority of people what they are owed. Maybe it was not done properly but then again most of the decisions made by Amex since the start of the promotion resemble someone in panic mode, probably threatened with loss of job, trying to work out a way to reverse the financial effects of the promotion.

This is not the first time and definitely not the last time we will see a botched promotion. Maybe Amex have learned their lesson and it will not happen to them again. But then again maybe not....

 

[kort]

Whilst I doubt Amex will have the same promotion in the future, one can always hope!
Next time I will have take my cues from lovetravellingoz and have a real strategy to earn more points

 

[lovetravellingoz]

In food supermarkets, I can think of two exceptions to this:

• Woolworths Town Hall, Sydney. You have to buy hot food at one counter, bakery items at another counter, and you can't buy other things, like tomatoes, at either of those counters, so you will have to visit another checkout for that too.
• David Jones Food Hall. You can hardly buy anything without going to a different register for each item!

I shop regularly at both (or used to, before I changed where I was studying on my days off).

We are in agreeance then, as your examples are of stores with Departmental Registers....and your receipts will show items from different counters.

As mentioned way way back at the start of this thread some supermarkets also have liquor departments.

So to me it gets back to can one's purchases said to be reasonably requiring multiple tx?

My local Safeway has it's liquor department completely separate from the grocery area. So a bottle of beer and a packet of Weeties are two legitmate separate tx. Of I want the items it has to be two tx.

However going to the main register and buy say a Crunchie, Mars Bar, Flake and and some Chips one after the other may well not be able to pass a "reasonable" test.

 

[acircle123]

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?

My bonus points stopped at the end of Sep just like everyone else. I then got a letter from amex at the end of Dec saying my points were suspended as they suspected abuse or something along those lines. I was to write to them to, and with bills showing amounts charged to the card if I want the points reinstated.

I haven't as yet responded to them to date as I had been overseas and flat out when I returned.

 

[lovestotravel]

We are in agreeance then, as your examples are of stores with Departmental Registers....and your receipts will show items from different counters.

As mentioned way way back at the start of this thread some supermarkets also have liquor departments.

So to me it gets back to can one's purchases said to be reasonably requiring multiple tx?

My local Safeway has it's liquor department completely separate from the grocery area. So a bottle of beer and a packet of Weeties are two legitmate separate tx. Of I want the items it has to be two tx.

However going to the main register and buy say a Crunchie, Mars Bar, Flake and and some Chips one after the other may well not be able to pass a "reasonable" test.

Correct my minimum daily routine:

1. Coles Express - Morning Coffee
2. Coles - Bottle of water
3. Safeway - Lunch
4. Coles Express - Drink/Snack
5. Bookshop - I had a sudden interest in reading and Xmas presents to purchase
6. Coles - Dinner Items
7. Fruit & Veg Shop - Dinner Items
8. Coles Liquor - Alcohol
9. Mobil - Petrol

So pretty much 10 transactions per day EVERY day which are legitimate sometimes 5. Bookshop was replaced with Jb Hi Fi to mix it up a little and different bookshops.

Then I added on
Bunnings 5 times a week
Charity Donations - 100+ of these

ETC ETC

My next mission which is pretty much agreed on by the dealer, is purchasing a new Audi for around $100,000 on Amex I have to split it up into $30,000 lots over a few weeks as that's the limit of my charge card spending and I have a surcharge to pay....

However:
150,000 points for a $2000 surcharge = Nearly 1 business class flight Australia - USA which is worth around $14,000.

I'll take that :mrgreen:

 

[lovetravellingoz]

150,000 points = Nearly 2 business class flights Australia - USA

Out of curiosity, which Airline Program offers that rate ?

 

[lovestotravel]

Out of curiosity, which Airline Program offers that rate ?

** must proof read before hitting post**

Sorry, as you have pretty much assumed - No airlines

Was going to originally say 2 business class seats Australia-USA but then was meant to change it to a 1 return business class seat.

192,000 points for J SYD-LAX-SYD

Will be a nice boost to my MR points total again once I have this car :mrgreen:

For anyone that cares, it is an Audi Q5 fully loaded.

 

[SnowYeti]

Sigh. Still waiting for executive office. Third promise from them to get back to me. Hopeless.

 

[jeejija]

I'm not sure if everyone got a call from Amex asking to fax the document and the complaint letter which I sent to FOS.
Can anybody confirm if you also fax all docs to Amex?
They seem silent after I faxed though. Dont know what should i do.. or just wait? thanks.

 

[futaris]

American Express 5000 bonus points for every 5 transactions (Membership Rewards) - OzBargain

I finally received the rest of my points, taking me up to roughly 800,000. I had to make a complaint to the financial ombudsman before Amex finally paid out. If others are having trouble getting their points out of Amex, I’d suggest using the FOS

 

[NM]

I'm not sure if everyone got a call from Amex asking to fax the document and the complaint letter which I sent to FOS.
Can anybody confirm if you also fax all docs to Amex?
They seem silent after I faxed though. Dont know what should i do.. or just wait? thanks.

Sounds exactly the same as me. Got a call from Amex Exec Services a few days after lodging with FOS. Asked to fax them the details, which I did. Was told there is a special group handling complaints with this promo. Have not heard anything back since faxing the docs I sent to FOS. So now they have 4 copies of my initial letter, two posted registered post with delivery confirmation, one faxed to MR customer service and now faxed to Exec Services.