10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[beardoc]

When did you lodge with FOS? I am still waiting for word from FOS following allocation of a case number.

It took me about 3 weeks from lodging the case until the FOS gave me a case number. If it's been about that time and you haven't heard anything, I would give them a call again.

I had a chat with a representative at the FOS (unfortunately not the person handling my case - they were not in yesterday). American Express has burned through two deadlines that the FOS has given them, with no response - in the first case, a week late, they asked for an extension of time to respond, which the FOS granted (and told me about in a letter), but it seems they've missed even the deadlines.

I wouldn't get your hopes up about this being resolved by any deadlines that are set. American Express are not communicating with either me or with the FOS in any timely fashion.

I tried to engage the FOS officer in a discussion about what's happening with this - he said that the fact that Amex hasn't responded does not matter, as they will always wait for Amex to respond - they do not do "default judgement" rulings at all. So Amex can keep on dragging this on as much as they like.

This HAS been identified as a systemic complaint at the FOS, though, so individual cases have been put together into a larger bucket, and the systemic issues that stem from the complaints we have lodged are now being discussed between American Express and the FOS. Unfortunately none of us are directly privy to these discussions - I would hope that our cases are being advocated very strongly by the FOS.

Anyway, I would doubt that anyone would get any further individual correspondence or resolution of their dispute with Amex prior to them resolving the systemic issues. The FOS officer seemed cagey about putting any period of time for when these would be resolved. I am going to call back in two weeks, but I don't suppose that there would be any resolution here quickly.

 

[NM]

It took me about 3 weeks from lodging the case until the FOS gave me a case number. If it's been about that time and you haven't heard anything, I would give them a call again.

I lodged back in early March and was issued a case number within 2 weeks. I had a call from Amex the day after the case number was issued asking what the dispute was in reference to and when I mentioned the promo I was asked to fax them all the doco (again) and it would be provided to the Amex dept looking after those disputes. I have not heard back from Amex or FOS since then.

So its been about six weeks since lodging with FOS and a month since the case number was allocated. I am happy to let it follow its natural course now that FOS are in the loop. If I was only dealing with Amex I would have no confidence that any further action would result.

 

[beardoc]

So its been about six weeks since lodging with FOS and a month since the case number was allocated. I am happy to let it follow its natural course now that FOS are in the loop. If I was only dealing with Amex I would have no confidence that any further action would result.

I would agree now that it's probably just a matter of sitting and waiting. I don't believe that this is going to be a short dispute - the systemic issues are going to take some time to resolve. The way American Express is acting now, it appears that they really do not want to pay up any more.

 

[SnowYeti]

NM, I posted to FOS early Feb but did not get a response from them until last week. AMEX Executive Office has called on 3 times with 3 different people, promising they'll get back to me, but nothing. It's an ongoing saga. All I can say is return the authorisation to FOS asap so they can disclose personal information to AMEX that you sent to FOS, even though it's the same.

 

[nlagalle]

When did you lodge with FOS? I am still waiting for word from FOS following allocation of a case number.

I lodged it online, but they wouldn't act until i send in my letters etc. I sent them in about 3 weeks ago after i returned from a job. The letter from them was dated the 20th April.

 

[Iza]

Well i received a letter from the FOS today, they have given Amex til the 21st May to reply back, so we'll see how it goes..

Is anyone else still waiting to hear back?

nlagelle, I lodged my complaint with FOS back on 5 March. It took them 2 weeks to allocate a case number (by email). On 15 April I received a letter from FOS stating that a case officer had been assigned. AMEX has been given until 15 May to respond to my complaint.

I will report back here if & when my remaining points are allocated!

 

[NM]

nlagelle, I lodged my complaint with FOS back on 5 March. It took them 2 weeks to allocate a case number (by email). On 15 April I received a letter from FOS stating that a case officer had been assigned. AMEX has been given until 15 May to respond to my complaint.

I will report back here if & when my remaining points are allocated!

You lodged a few days before me. My FOS case number arrived via email on 17th March. So hopefully I am not far behind you in having a case officer assigned an Amex issued a deadline (which they will likely ignore anyway).

 

[SnowYeti]

SUCCESS!! I got my points credited today to my Qantas Direct "account", so will have to wait for them to be transferred next month. 200k worth of points

No comment from FOS or AMEX yet.

 

[beardoc]

Well, seems like it's (almost) over. I've just checked my Amex account (incidentally just to check a transaction - I've long since gotten over checking my American Express account to see whether there were any more points.

Just today (25th April) there are a series of transactions adding up to a total of 1.89 million more MR Points. This will take me up to around the 2.4 million MR Points that are due to me under the promotion. I haven't got time to really work it out today whether they've correctly given me all the points - but I have kept detailed records, and I will be able to check. I'll also ask them to send out a points reconciliation to check their working.

Thank you again to all the people on this thread that have been of such help over the last six months, and to the people that alerted us all to the promotion in the first place. Special thanks go to lovetravellingoz (who really was the master of this promotion) and I'll look forward to that beer with you soon! Thanks also to vet, for his fantastic insights, and everyone else on the board that contributed in the last 5,248 posts.

I already have enough points for an AA 35,000 mile RTW J fare with AAdvantage through the pre-30th September points redemption, and now I have enough points in my Amex account for either 10 Star Alliance 7-stop RTW 35,000 mile trips in J via SQ Krisflyer, or 9 OneWorld Alliance 5-stop RTW 35,000 mile trips in J via CX Asia Miles. I intend to pay for my next DONE3 or DONE4, though, and get myself to WP easily on a mileage run, and then take myself and my partner on reward flights after that (taking advantage of being OWE through my WP membership).

This is a big thing for me, who has been Bronze in QFF for my entire life, and always wanting to attain much higher. I'm finally at a stage in my life when I can afford self-funded premium travel, and I'm going to be making as much time to take advantage of it as possible. I suspect the next ten years are finally going to be the time of my life when I branch out and stop going to only English-speaking countries, and actually exploring the globe.

Anyway, I'll wait for the official confirmation from American Express that they're paying me out and put the case with the FOS to rest when they have, and that we're sure that it's all paid.

I'm still a little mixed about American Express at the moment. It seems at the moment that they've finally paid up, but they seem to have been dragged kicking and screaming to this point. I will continue to use them, but I think I'll always remember how this was a great example in how a really big promotion can go horribly wrong for them.

In relation to this promotion, I took a different tack to lovetravellingoz and I'll talk about it some other time when I finally have resolution with American Express.

I hope that everyone else that has an FOS case got paid out today too!

 

[vet]

Congrats Yeti & Beardoc.

 

[bambbbam2]

I get the feeling that these amex clowns are simply stalling on the bigger items, hoping that people will give up waiting for these points.

I have absolutely no sympathy for amex - these idiots couldn't run a chook raffle.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Just today (25th April) there are a series of transactions adding up to a total of 1.89 million more MR Points. This will take me up to around the 2.4 million MR Points that are due to me under the promotion. !

Well done Beardoc...

Glad it all worked out for you.

And thank you for all our discussions by email and PM. I am sure it was equally valuable for both us.

...........and yes that beer will taste good in July in Sydney.....and will now be extra sweet for both of us

I have made my first use of the points with 4 J Return Awards to Vietnam for 306K combined.

Like you these points will make my travel sweeter and more comfortable fora number of years.

 

[QF WP]

Wow, nice collection of points there beardoc. It's great to see members taking Amex to task and waiting them out to collect the points. I'm sure the current Amex promo is more like what they wanted to put in place...but they failed dismally to our benefit.

 

[SnowYeti]

Yep, don't give up everyone who's still waiting... Nothing in mail from AMEX or FOS today. Waiting to read response!!

 

[beardoc]

Wow, nice collection of points there beardoc. It's great to see members taking Amex to task and waiting them out to collect the points. I'm sure the current Amex promo is more like what they wanted to put in place...but they failed dismally to our benefit.

Thank you, Lindsay! I know there are quite a few more out there. It's pleasing to see that the FOS system seems to have worked. There was an initial flurry of activity around January/February as some people were paid out, but it's been some months since there was good news. If I have been paid out, then I really am confident that everyone should be paid out providing they made a cogent argument as to their spending patterns during the promotion.

 

[lovestotravel]

Yep, don't give up everyone who's still waiting... Nothing in mail from AMEX or FOS today. Waiting to read response!!

Just like patiently waiting for snow... You are patiently waiting for mail (FOS reply)

 

[holo]

I am waiting for Amex or FOS. I sent complaint to FOS, Amex exec services finally got interested, asked for copy of complaint, I sent that last week, now I wait for either them or FOS to reply. I'm betting it won't be Amex to reply !

I am 400,000 odd points short.

 

[lovestotravel]

I am waiting for Amex or FOS. I sent complaint to FOS, Amex exec services finally got interested, asked for copy of complaint, I sent that last week, now I wait for either them or FOS to reply. I'm betting it won't be Amex to reply !

I am 400,000 odd points short.

We are now basically into May! :shock:

 

[SnowYeti]

I got my letter from AMEX. It basically says they are writing in response to FOS complaint, and here is the breakdown of eligibility and breakdown of paid out points.

They NEVER responded to any of my direct complaints to Executive Office.

DO NOT even bother wasting your time faxing them after the first time or posting. Just deal with FOS and you will get somewhere.

Interestingly, I lodged my complaint to FOS in Feb. I never got a response until early April (which was to say they got my letter and a case would be opened). But the AMEX letter says FOS wrote to them in March. So I'm confused with the dates.

Please, please, anyone still waiting, make sure you raise a FOS case if you haven't !!!

AMEX :evil: me. I am considering cancelling all my AMEX cards after this cough!

 

[beardoc]

I got my letter from AMEX. It basically says they are writing in response to FOS complaint, and here is the breakdown of eligibility and breakdown of paid out points.

They NEVER responded to any of my direct complaints to Executive Office.

I suspect that they do this in a matter of fact way because they're not admitting that they did anything wrong - they're just saying that you're getting paid out. I suspect they don't want to admit any liability as it might affect other disputes!

AMEX :evil: me. I am considering cancelling all my AMEX cards after this cough!

I don't think I will now that they've paid out. I plan to keep the points in MR and disburse them to FF plans as needed, so need to keep an account open with them. Of course, I could move down to one of the free affinity Gold cards that still come with Ascent, but if I'm going to be travelling more in future years, I might upgrade to the Platinum Charge Card (for the insurance, the SPG Gold, etc.)