10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[skeltonl]

Re: What ?

Just to take a tad of hyperbole out - why is this going to court? Promotion announced, evidence of no cap in this thread and points posting.

Hopefully this wont turn out like the Hoover free flights promo

And at the moment I honesty believe that it wont

Now simongr don't go and ruin it for me . I am thoroughly enjoying this robust discussion.

But seriously a number of us have now been told by CS reps (me twice cause didn't want to believe it the first time) that they plan to cap this promotion at 40,000. Now I know you have read all of these recent posts and I know that there are at least a couple of members who have stated they will taking further action if AMEX do this. While I accept that AMEX are going to cap this promotion if they do so at such a level I too will be calling everyone I know in the relevant government agencies to complain.

 

[holo]

Re: Spending Pattern

Ummm, I am not even going to try to explain it again to you!

The promo was made quite clear in that "THERE IS NO LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF BONUS POINTS YOU CAN EARN"

you got it, a contract was formed, is there anything in the T&C's to renege on the contract by Amex ? Not that anyone has posted so far. (caveat, I haven't read them)

In any event, contra proferentem applies in the event of a dispute. (Any shades of gray go against the party creating the T&C's of the contract.) ie in our favour.

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: Spending Pattern

you got it, a contract was formed, is there anything in the T&C's to renege on the contract by Amex ? Not that anyone has posted so far.

In any event, contra proferentem applies in the event of a dispute. (Any shades of gray go against the party creating the T&C's of the contract.) ie in our favour.

Correct, the T&C's were very limited in the postcard offer.

It's fairly certain AMEX are going to put a 40,000 point cap on this offer, we'll see what comes in the mail this week.

 

[beardoc]

Re: What ?

I think you have made a really good point about the retrospective element. Most legislation nowadays requires a change in conditions to take effect two days (to allow for postage) after notification.

I vaguely remember that it was 4-5 working days after sending before it could be deemed to have been received. The question on top of that is how much notice that would be required given it is a major loss of benefit for the cardholder.

 

[Tiki]

I think Amex is fully aware of the potential costs and it is all built into their advertising budget. I am no financial analyst but they seem to have a pretty high budget for marketing and promotions if you look on page 40 of this pdf http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/64/644/64467/items/281824/AMEX_2007_AR.pdf

In the past, they have used celebrities to promote their services.
American Express to use DeGeneres, DeNiro in new ad campaign - Nov. 5, 2004

I think they have decided instead of spending their advertising budget using celebrities (as if anyone really CARES what card a celebrity carries) and decided to use US, the consumer public to promote their product, walk out of stores that don't accept Amex and throw all our business to stores that DO accept Amex. This will, in effect seriously affect small businesses who DON'T accept Amex and I think some of the panic-mongers here are in fact small business owners who don't accept Amex.

What they pay to us in terms of bonus points, they will more than make up for in terms of increased business during the pre-Christmas and Boxing day seasons, plus they will force LOTS more small business to sign up for Amex rather than see all their customers walk out the door.

I am waiting for Luisa and the Admin to further update us.

 

[JohnK]

A different case would be those that applied online only.

Why? I have been in New Zealand for 4 days and have not had a chance to call Amex. I don't even know if I have received the postcard or not. I am entitled to this promotion as much as anyone else. I have been a loyal Amex for 9 years now which is more than I can say for some of the vultures that have appeared in this thread.

That's right it is not an official AMEX forum -- yet they choose to post officially on this forum via the ADMIN on this issue so they have set that precedent.

Posting on a frequent flyer forum via an email is not official by any stretch of the imagination. See how you get that one to stand up in a court of law or in this case ACCC or any other acronym you can think of adding to the equation.

This thread is still out of control and the longer it continues the greater the chance that the promotion will be altered. Some people who have contributed very little to AFF now have an enormous post counts due to this thread.

Has anyone noticed that all the people stirring up the panic over the capping are people who only JUST joined AFF?

Sure.

Every single post you have made you have defended AMEX.

So what? I find it amazing that you have been on this site for less than 3 days and are averaging over 20 posts a day with 55 posts in this thread alone.

 

[diesmile]

If you read the membership rewards T&C (the full version) there are no less than 5 points which deem this against there "fair card use policy",

can someone help me to locate this message in T&C please? i re-opened my amex mail and check all the documents from them and fail to find such a message.

 

[skeltonl]

Some people who have contributed very little to AFF now have an enormous post counts due to this thread.

With all due respect to a senior member of a forum I have only lurked in and not previously posted my response is also so what.

What does it matter if someone is passionate about an issue and wants to discuss it with others. I suspect your response to this is coloured by your not being enrolled in the promotion and that lovetravellingoz stated that


"A different case would be those that applied online only." which would impact on you

I am not going to claim a high moral ground - I am just as venal as most people posting in this thread with the exception of rodgerbranch.

As to your concern that this thread will result in "the chance that the promotion will be altered" well you need to catch up it already has.

Oh and for the record my AMEX card says member since 1997. On that note I will just flap away like the vulture I am.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Re: Keep Dreaming... But dont Go crazy

I agree that AMEX was always going to have to cap this promotion from the moment they didn't limit it to those who actually got the postcards. My problem is that 40,000 points just doesn't cut it. Hence my belief that it should be limited to the number of transactions you did in the previous 3 months.

Accordingly I am going to direct my spending to other cards during this period and only do 40 instead of my usual 135 to 150.

How can a promotion designed increase the number of transactions, and acknowledged by Luisa as wanting you to get out there and spend, be limited to the number of your past transactions.?

This would just be the original status quo....not an increase which would equal the promotion you are having when you are not having a promotion.

 

[pomjim]

"Why? I have been in New Zealand for 4 days and have not had a chance to call Amex. I don't even know if I have received the postcard or not. I am entitled to this promotion as much as anyone else. I have been a loyal Amex for 9 years now which is more than I can say for some of the vultures that have appeared in this thread."

Sorry, but I belive that this attitude is very wrong. You entitled to NOTHING, unless you have received a card from Amex. In fact, I would suggest that if only the people who received cards had signed up, then there would have been no problem, it is the people who have gone onto the website and signed up without a card that are/have caused the problem to arise.

Greed is a debilitating disease.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Keep Dreaming... But dont Go crazy

How can a promotion designed increase the number of transactions, and acknowledged by Luisa as wanting you to get out there and spend, be limited to the number of your past transactions.?

This would just be the original status quo....not an increase which would equal the promotion you are having when you are not having a promotion.

Agreed, hence my doubts about there being a hard and fast cap.

 

[file51]

can someone help me to locate this message in T&C please? i re-opened my amex mail and check all the documents from them and fail to find such a message.

American Express

It is the main T&C for the program itself (when you first joined you would have received a small booklet containing the appropriate information)

In regards to the newbies who claim there isnt a minimum charge for cards such as Amex at stores such as Woolworths, I would like to see the look on your face if you went to one of the 14 Woolworths (NSW) stores or 8 co-branded Caltex outlets in the area that I did work in and tried to charge $2.50 to your Amex, they would say no, and ask for a different form of payment (Visa, MC, EFTPOS etc etc all fine).

Yes, there is a level of discretion available to stores, and I am simply commenting on factual knowledge of the stores and region that I worked in, never did I say Safeway etc etc.

As per previous threads it is amusing seeing all these newbies who have their knickers in a knot over this, especially when they havent contributed anything else in regards to what this community is about, flying etc etc.

 

[skeltonl]

Re: Keep Dreaming... But dont Go crazy

How can a promotion designed increase the number of transactions, and acknowledged by Luisa as wanting you to get out there and spend, be limited to the number of your past transactions.?

This would just be the original status quo....not an increase which would equal the promotion you are having when you are not having a promotion.

I don't believe that AMEX think of this as a promotion any more - they are no longer trying to improve their image just get out with the minimum damage - think other classic exit strategies like the US out of Vietnam as a suitable comparison.

 

[beardoc]

Sorry, but I belive that this attitude is very wrong. You entitled to NOTHING, unless you have received a card from Amex. In fact, I would suggest that if only the people who received cards had signed up, then there would have been no problem, it is the people who have gone onto the website and signed up without a card that are/have caused the problem to arise.

We've been through this earlier in the thread. Amex advertised this on the main page of their website (link here) and it linked to a publicly available webpage (link here).

This was not an offer that was limited only to those that received the postcard.

Can we be clear that it was not a limited promotion but instead a general promotion?

 

[rodgerbranch]

Contract?

you got it, a contract was formed, is there anything in the T&C's to renege on the contract by Amex ? Not that anyone has posted so far. (caveat, I haven't read them)

In any event, contra proferentem applies in the event of a dispute. (Any shades of gray go against the party creating the T&C's of the contract.) ie in our favour.

Contract? What Contract? Contract was the application that was singind and sent to Amex to Get a Credit Crad... A Promotion is Far from a Contract....


Qantas takes seriously their FF program... Money is not an issue... Qantas may get some Money for those FF seat ... for sure that money is not even near the full cost of a ticket... The FF program is for more than a way to sell unsold seats on a plain.... It make a loyalty group and create a way for other Business to atract customers by offering some sort of POINTS reward...

Think about all the other Banks, lenders, Car rentals that offer Points to atract Customers.... Qantas cant aford to loose all of them just to please Amex.. and Dont tell me AMEX is the Bigest player here COS... Amex is not silly... something like this could cost them Millions of dollars in just 4 Months.....

 

[pomjim]

We've been through this earlier in the thread. Amex advertised this on the main page of their website (link here) and it linked to a publicly available webpage (link here).

This was not an offer that was limited only to those that received the postcard.

Can we be clear that it was not a limited promotion but instead a general promotion?

In that case, my sincere apologies

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Re: Terms and Conditions

By the way... I had another read to the Offer and the example purchases shown relate to transactions that cost over $50

In the section named SEE HOW YOUR MONTHLY SPENDING CAN BRING YOU BONUS POINTS

Eg 4 x Shopping (1 per week) 4 x Petrol (1 per week) Monthly Phone Bill etc

Keep an eye on that example Cos I think the final Fix will come from that Example... :mrgreen::mrgreen:

Yes monthly spend...BECAUSE the T&C say the points are re-set each month...and I talked with the operator on this who cautioned me that any unused transaction credits are lost at the end of each month.

Therefore it makes sense that the example is over what you can earn in a month.

So if that is their loophole...it will not cut it.

 

[diesmile]

American Express

It is the main T&C for the program itself (when you first joined you would have received a small booklet containing the appropriate information)

yes i do have that small booklet in front of me, however i still can't find anything mentioning you have to spend minimum 5 dollars or earn at least 5 points.

i also opened your link and went through the term and condition before 31th of july, and i am sorry if i am blind, but i fail to see such a statement. i searched term: "fair", "five/5", "points" and they return nothing indicating your statement.

for your information, you can use amex card in SA in all major supermarkets regardless how small the purchase is. there are many times, i have spent about 50 cents on a single sweet in woolworth, coles and IGA etc.

 

[diesmile]

Re: Terms and Conditions

I talked with the operator on this who cautioned me that any unused transaction credits are lost at the end of each month.

Therefore it makes sense that the example is over what you can earn in a month.

So if that is their loophole...it will not cut it.

sorry, i am not that clever, and english is my second language, but can you explain a bit more about " that any unused transaction credits are lost at the end of each month."?

i am not really following. what do you mean by transaction credits?

 

[holo]

Re: Contract?

Contract? What Contract? Contract was the application that was singind and sent to Amex to Get a Credit Crad... A Promotion is Far from a Contract....

I agree with some of your other points however please remember a contract can be made in many forms