AMEX 17,500 points offer

[Febs]

Not necassarily. I sometimes see Unavailable as my balance on my cards whereas other cards will be displaying amounts. In fact one of them is Unavailable now, and I am not expecting them to be removing any fees!

You were right.
I rang back and was told the charge would be credited on my next statement, and that "it would be really helpful if you could pay the $195 now".

I completely 100% disagree with doing that, but I paid it because I'm SURE it'd cause problems next month if I didn't. If I don't get that $195 credit next month though, I'll be livid.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[BJReplay]

My 10K + 5K bonus was posted today, after my first spend on 6 Sept. Woohoo!

Cool - about two weeks. My first spend was on QF flights on the 22nd, so hopefully I'll get a birthday present of 17,500 points

 

[Mal]

Had my first snafu with my new card today.

Amex went and cancelled my previous Amex Plat card, and sent me a letter that said "Thank you for your recent transfer to the Qantas American Express Card".

I did not ask them to cancel my previous card, and left that authorisation box unticked.

A call to their call centre had it sorted within minutes and both cards are now (hopefully) active. Was fun convincing them that I could have 2 cards, and wanted 2 cards.

Now I'm waiting for the Qantas Card fee to turn up on my account and having to call them back and get it removed!

All's fun!

Did anyone else who already have an Amex have the same fun, or was it just my luck?

 

[ColinP]

Good news today.
The $195 membership fee has been reversed and my account has been credited.
Just waiting for the 2,500 bonus points and QP invitations from the award flight I booked a week ago.
Those 15,000 bonus points didn't last long. They're spent already. They and 9,000 more were spent on a J redemption SYD>ADL on QF81.
Mrs P will be winging her way home from our holiday at Pt Stephens next week, sipping G+Ts at 37,000 ft while us boys drive home across the Hay plain.

---------------------

 

[SeatBackForward]

Yep got my bonus points today too, I was told over the phone it depends on your billing date as to when they get creditted..

 

[BJReplay]

First Spend 22nd September. Total Spend (all on QF flights) $1259. 20,333 points in my QF FF A/C today. 10,000 + 5,000 + 2,500 + $1259 * 1.25 + $1259 * 1 bonus point.

Very happy.

Over the next six months, I'll be paying around $114 in credit card surcharges - in exchange for 38610 points on QF flights. Add that to the initial 17500, and 52000 points for the actual trips, and by purchasing the tickets on this card, I'm basically doubling the points I'd earn if I paid by direct credit from around 52000 to more than 108,000.

Then I'll cancel the card (unless they offer to waive the annual fee when I get to the AU cancellation person).

 

[Mal]

Well my Amex Plat credit card has been cancelled again! Grrr! Not happy at all.

Looks like another call to the Plat Help desk tomorrow to see what is going on and why I am having this issue.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Checked my statement and the $195 had been charged. Phoend up and was told that they now acknowledge that its happening to "several" applicants.

 

[Jenelle]

Still haven't had a statement yet so cannot confirm if I have been charged the $195. I am sure I will have been though. Grrr.

BUT points have appeared.

I logged into my QFF account and 8050 pts were put in there last night. I purchased a MEL-ADE flight for $244 on 19/9. So I am assuming it is the 5,000 + 2,500 + points for the purchase.

So all that is left is the 10,000 points.

I'll keep y'all posted!

 

[serfty]

Still haven't had a statement yet so cannot confirm if I have been charged the $195. I am sure I will have been though. Grrr. ...

If you are no issues with using the internet to view your AMEX transcations you should be able to get the info without waiting far a statement.

Register here: Register for American Express Online Services in Australia using the "CARDMEMBERS" link.

 

[kelpie]

Once you get past the admin issues with the points credit and the $195 fee (neither of which were copped by yours truly) it has to be one of the greatest FF offers going around.

And the best bit is that I've completely stopped using my Diners QFF card, thus starving them of merchant fees after putting at least $20,000 p.a. through that card over the past 2 years.

I rang their call centre, let them know that I now had an Amex card that gave me 1.25 points per $ spent and that I would not be using the Diners again unless they bumped up my earning ratio on the Diners card beyond that ratio.

I expect to get a call back from Diners sometime between now and 11 months away, when the $195 annual fee falls due on the Amex... ha ha ha.

 

[Sheriff]

Received my first Qantas American Express Premium Statement of Account today.The good news is I have received my 5000 card activation bonus and 10000 membership rewards points. I also haven't been accidentally charged the $195 annual fee. All this without having to make a phone call. Maybe they've finally got their act together.

Cheers
Sheriff

 

[Ray Carty]

AMEX...What a bunch of scammers.

Got my statement today, and bugger me... there in big bold print was $195 membership fee. It was snuck in on 01 October, the last day of the cycle.
Luckily I kept a copy of the promotion to fax so they can reverse the charge
Ray

 

[Sheriff]

AMEX...What a bunch of scammers.

Got my statement today, and bugger me... there in big bold print was $195 membership fee. It was snuck in on 01 October, the last day of the cycle.
Luckily I kept a copy of the promotion to fax so they can reverse the charge
Ray

In the past, Amex have taken scamming to heights never seen before. Remember the time they were promoting "no annual fee" on the Rewards Maximser Card then charged a "monthly fee" by dividing the "$144 annual fee" equally over 12 months to get the "$12 monthly fee". Many believe this was a scam that, unfortunately for Amex, never paid off.


Cheers
Sheriff

 

[Jenelle]

If you are no issues with using the internet to view your AMEX transcations you should be able to get the info without waiting far a statement.

Register here: Register for American Express Online Services in Australia using the "CARDMEMBERS" link.

I only use internet banking - I should've worded it as in when they issue the statement because I still haven't had the first statement issued which is when they charge the fee.

 

[BJReplay]

Checked my statement and the $195 had been charged. Phoend up and was told that they now acknowledge that its happening to "several" applicants.

Same just now - it was added on the last day of the statement cycle.

Interestingly the points transferred to QF a few days ahead of the last day of the statement cycle.

Only 2 minutes on the phone - they knew what was happening, and said it would be reversed ASAP, but to pay the full amount if the reversal hadn't appeared online before the due date.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Same just now - it was added on the last day of the statement cycle.

Interestingly the points transferred to QF a few days ahead of the last day of the statement cycle.

Only 2 minutes on the phone - they knew what was happening, and said it would be reversed ASAP, but to pay the full amount if the reversal hadn't appeared online before the due date.

Yeah I was told to pay and that it would be creditted soon. Same deal as you, the points were posted onto QF about a week before the statement date.

 

[Jenelle]

I got charged the $195! GRRRR!

So on the phone to them tonight. *sigh*

 

[ksthommo]

Another little rort, Bpay'd a payment to my old Amex card prior to activating
the Qantas card. The payment did not show up on the new statement, rang Amex who now state that it will take 5 days to show up on the new card. That will mean it's been sitting in limbo for 2 weeks. You would reckon it would have automatically gone across to the new account.

 

[serfty]

Strange ... if I BPay an Amex payment before 6pm Mon-Thu it normally shows up the next Day. (public holidays excluded)