10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[NM]

Now now! There is nothing wrong with a bit of wishful thinking

But only when there is the slightest hope that it may eventuate. There is more chance of me getting 10 First Class awards on a QF A380 flight than him reducing his mobile phone use .

 

[MelUser]

For a laugh I just tried to sign up to this offer and received the following response!:

"We're sorry...

This offer has been temporarily suspended due to operational issues. Please try again later."

So does that mean it is coming back?

Words "temporarily suspended" coupled with the Trade Practices Act (not engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct) seem to indicate that this offer will be back.

 

[oz_mark]

Words "temporarily suspended" coupled with the Trade Practices Act (not engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct) seem to indicate that this offer will be back.

Interestingly when I just tried, I got the "sorry, our server did not respond" message. Perhaps the opt-in server can't cope!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I am waiting for information from Amex as to why they have done what they did, and may take further action based on that information. Amex are on shaky ground with this promotion due to the way it was set up, the allowed base of opt-in members, the lack of T&C's, and the way they specially set up mini websites to advertise the promotion.

PS, I do not feel I have abused the spirit of the promotion (but some transactions have been pretty low value), nor have I earnt an excessive number of points. I would be interested to know if anyone else has had points deducted...

Yes it is interesting that Amex have removed points without issuing revised T&C's that would seem to put them on shakey ground...for without revised T&C what basis do they have to remove points?


I have not had any points deducted. I did geta postcard though.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

For a laugh I just tried to sign up to this offer and received the following response!:

"We're sorry...

This offer has been temporarily suspended due to operational issues. Please try again later."

So does that mean it is coming back?

Words "temporarily suspended" coupled with the Trade Practices Act (not engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct) seem to indicate that this offer will be back.

Along these lines AMEX may be digging themselves a deeper hole here as I would note that some people have posted that they rung up and were told that the system could not cope, but they would be able register later.

Now if this is not the truth and Amex are instead actively lying to people to stall for time in order to develop new T&C then that could open a large can of worms.

It would seem that something fishy is going on.

 

[Soundguy]

Along these lines AMEX may be digging themselves a deeper hole here as I would note that some people have posted that they rung up and were told that the system could not cope, but they would be able register later.

Nah, I don't think so:

1. If you received the promotional postcard you can register by phone no probs. Website entry is dead.
2. If you don't have the postcard you are ineligible and can't register at all.

Registering is that simple really. No idea of how they selected their intended promotion targets (if they had a criteria?) or how many postcards they sent out, this part is vague.

 

[warrenkole]

I am waiting for information from Amex as to why they have done what they did, and may take further action based on that information. Amex are on shaky ground with this promotion due to the way it was set up, the allowed base of opt-in members, the lack of T&C's, and the way they specially set up mini websites to advertise the promotion.

Mal, if you have an email address for membership inquiries, could you please let me know? I too have had some, but not all points removed by Amex.

Amex should have put more thought into this promotion. Their website is still advertising this promotion which clearly state the T&C's of the offer.

I will be interested to see what Amex's response is, and I too will look at avenues for appeal via the ACCC or the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman

 

[xxxpenguin]

Without Prejudice

For All AFF’s Information

I just got off the telephone from my mate at Gordon and Slater.

He advises me that they have been informed by AMEX of the change to the terms and condition to the promotions IE 40,000 cap for the promotion period.

They are now awaiting written confirmation of this.

In the interim they are putting together a list of aggrieved card holders to analyses the possibility of putting forth a Class Action against AMEX for breaches under the Trade Practices Act (Cth) in addition they would also look to represent card holders in relation to complaints lodged with the Local Regulators IE ASIC ACCC and Dept of Fair Trading in each state and territory.

I will let you know the website once they have loaded onto the web.

This email is just to keep you informed of events and options that you may wish to take. No Legal Advice is provided nor promises of a compensation payout.

 

[skeltonl]

I too have had some, but not all points removed by Amex.

WOW did that just send you racing to check your reward point balance - cause it did for me.

 

[skeltonl]

What a terrific find!

I just paid my quarterly council rates in $10 increments using my Amex card

While I am not making any judgements (thats for AMEX not me) did people notice that the member who just posted about losing points also posted the item above

 

[file51]

Mal, if you have an email address for membership inquiries, could you please let me know? I too have had some, but not all points removed by Amex.

Amex should have put more thought into this promotion. Their website is still advertising this promotion which clearly state the T&C's of the offer.

I will be interested to see what Amex's response is, and I too will look at avenues for appeal via the ACCC or the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman

Originally Posted by warrenkole
What a terrific find!

I just paid my quarterly council rates in $10 increments using my Amex card

While I am not making any judgements (thats for AMEX not me) did people notice that the member who just posted about losing points also posted the item above

Pretty simple IMO as to what Amex's response will be, a breach of the MR T&C as posted in this thread previously. Your $10 increment payments are an abuse of the program, pretty simple. That means that not only can they remove points, but they can cancel your membership in MR as well.

It sucks, but the rules/T&C are very clear in regards to fraud and abuse, bearing in mind that aside from the minimal promotional T&C, use of the MR program does have a much larger T&C which will by law encompass any promotion run under the MR program.

Sucks, but thats the way it is.

 

[kamchatsky]

WOW did that just send you racing to check your reward point balance - cause it did for me.

That's probably why I am now transferring points across to QF daily for now ...... Just in case they are backtracking their bonus promotion ..... I still have my target to aim for now (mentioned in another thread).

 

[lovetravellingoz]

While I am not making any judgements (thats for AMEX not me) did people notice that the member who just posted about losing points also posted the item above

When he oroginally posted it I thought that as AMEX already has programs to detect multiple small transactions (and indeed they warn shopkeepers about it as suspicious bevaviour) that one of the Amex lurkers would set it to look for $10 multiples when they had a mind to.

As the number of opt-in registrants would be small in database terms, it would soon turn up.

They probably have run a filter over all registrants to remove such points for transactions that look to be split.

 

[skeltonl]

When he oroginally posted it I thought that as AMEX already has programs to detect multiple small transactions (and indeed they warn shopkeepers about it as suspicious bevaviour) that one of the Amex lurkers would set it to look for $10 multiples when they had a mind to.

As the number of opt-in registrants would be small in database terms, it would soon turn up.

They probably have run a filter over all registrants to remove such points for transactions that look to be split.

I wonder what the trigger point would be - 5 transactions from the same merchant in the same day would be my guess.

 

[warrenkole]

While I am not making any judgements (thats for AMEX not me) did people notice that the member who just posted about losing points also posted the item above

To set the record straight, my council rates payment actually happened before I was accepted into the promotion, so I got zero for it.

I am amazed at the level of one-upmanship on this forum. I join and provide useful information for the benefit of others, and all I get is abuse.

If there's a class action run by Slater & Gordon or any other law firm, I will most likely join it.

 

[oz_mark]

It is, of course, speculation at the moment as to why the reported reversal of points has occurred.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I wonder what the trigger point would be - 5 transactions from the same merchant in the same day would be my guess.

You would want some tolerance.

For example I went to Myers over the weekend. They actually prefer you to buy from the register in each department.

And indeed if you are buying items on special it is often a pain if you don't as the staff in another area may not be briefed on it.

AMEX may also treat multiple on-line payments differently than several purchases from the one store.

However I am sure that someone of the weekend probably bought say 300 cans of $1 tuna from Coles or whomever by just going around and around. If so i dare say the same filter would pick them up....even if they bought 300 differently priced items.


Apart from Myers and David Jones (who as the same Department Register set-up that Myers does as opposed to what most larger stores have with a bank of registers on exiting)I made a point of going to different shops for each purchase.

 

[file51]

It is, of course, speculation at the moment as to why the reported reversal of points has occurred.

That is very true, however some people here need to realise that aside from the very small amount of T&C for any of the promotions, that we still must abide by the main T&C of the MR program.

I dont see stating that as some sort of one-upmanship, rather stating what some poeple may not have realised or thought of.

It will be interesting to read some feedback once these members that have had points reversed get an explanation or reason from Amex, assuming that will happen soon enough .

 

[lovetravellingoz]

To set the record straight, my council rates payment actually happened before I was accepted into the promotion, so I got zero for it.

.

At the risk of a Class Action may I ask why you went to all that extra effort then to pay your rates in $10 increments?

 

[skeltonl]

To set the record straight, my council rates payment actually happened before I was accepted into the promotion, so I got zero for it.

I am amazed at the level of one-upmanship on this forum. I join and provide useful information for the benefit of others, and all I get is abuse.

If there's a class action run by Slater & Gordon or any other law firm, I will most likely join it.

Oh sorry my mistake - I foolishly thought
A. that someone would only pay their rates bill on their AMEX bill in $10 increments in order to maximise their return from a promotion like this NOT because they like paying bills that way,
B. anyone who wanted to benefit from earning bonus points in a promotion would be smart enough to sign up before starting to make transactions.

I am sure that all your transactions were done in a legitimate manner and that AMEX will return your points.