Amex Hotel Collection US$100 not honoured

[Cynicor]

I’m sure you did the right thing and everything rational to book this correctly. The Amex travel website is terrible. I had a 3 month period where I couldn’t access it before I think I had to clear everything (cookies etc) and then it eventually worked

 

[Daver6]

The travel website seems to only recognise your plat benefits (FHR/THC/IAP) if you are logged in at the time of your initial search. If you log in later during the booking, the plat benefits don't appear unless you restart the entire search.

Given that the website times you out very quickly, maybe it logged you out before/during your search and quietly removed your THC benefits? I suspect this may be another case of the Amex website not behaving like a travel website should.

I was definitely still logged in when I completed the booking. It pre-populated a bunch of fields with my details. It couldn't have done that if I wasn't logged in.

Here, I've managed to get to the booking page while signed in as a plat member with no mention of the THC benefits:

View attachment 401909

 

[Daver6]

UPDATE....and just more annoyance.

Just received a call from Amex. To cut a long story short, it eventually comes to light during the call that the person I'm talking to has zero authority. The escalation to her was just to re-iterate the same story I heard a week ago. She will now escalate to some other team that will take up to 10 business days to respond.

I asked this lady on the phone to show me/run through how I could possibly book this hotel without receiving the benefits. She was not able to do so. It was just a constant robotic rehashing of the same rubbish. I'll give them 10 days to get back and then off to AFCA.

 

[DC3]

… It was just a constant robotic rehashing of the same rubbish …

My experience with Manila is that they read from a script, probably based on the input of key words from the caller.

 

[Daver6]

Amex called back. Same lady parroting the same garbage. She tells me that the customer relations team say if I contact them they can arrange a WebEx to show me how to book using the THC. I again said I want them to show me how not to. Anyway, I said sure, how do I arrange this. She paused for a minute or two and says oh, its an address. I said they obviously told you I need to contact them, provide that info.

Realising I was wasting my time, I requested a transcript and voice recording of these calls. She promised me an email which would have an address of how I can request this WebEx. The so called "customer relations" team doesn't actually seem to speak to customers.

Enough is enough. AFCA complaint filed. All this over $150.

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

Try a chargeback.

 

[Daver6]

Try a chargeback.

I think Amex might find in Amex's favour on that one.

 

[Daver6]

Amex called back. Same lady parroting the same garbage. She tells me that the customer relations team say if I contact them they can arrange a WebEx to show me how to book using the THC. I again said I want them to show me how not to. Anyway, I said sure, how do I arrange this. She paused for a minute or two and says oh, its an address. I said they obviously told you I need to contact them, provide that info.

Realising I was wasting my time, I requested a transcript and voice recording of these calls. She promised me an email which would have an address of how I can request this WebEx. The so called "customer relations" team doesn't actually seem to speak to customers.

Enough is enough. AFCA complaint filed. All this over $150.

Well that was quick. Email from Amex this morning to say they've received my complaint from AFCA and are investigating. They'll update me when their review is complete. I wonder how this review differs from the other reviews they've allegedly done?

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

It’s different because they will offer you a good will gesture of $100 to withdraw the complaint

 

[Cynicor]

Yep. What did you ask for as remediation? They’ll give you that, unless it’s crazy

 

[Daver6]

Yep. What did you ask for as remediation? They’ll give you that, unless it’s crazy

$150 AUD. I was tempted to throw in something more for all my time wasted so far, but decided to remove emotion from it.

It’s different because they will offer you a good will gesture of $100 to withdraw the complaint

The remediation I actually asked for what for them to honour what I booked, which was the $100 USD credit. I'll refuse to accept a gesture of goodwill on this, unless it exceeds what's owed.

Honestly, how difficult is it for them to just say, something went wrong, we're sorry and we'll make you whole.

 

[Daver6]

Two interesting things.

Firstly, finally received an actual email from Amex about the dispute. Mainly just a rehash of what they've previously told me, but they have some internal notes they forgot to delete before hitting send. Also some factually incorrect information. Suspect this email was just needed to appease the AFCA complaint. No follow up on what they actually promised to email me in the last call.

What we found

On July 27, you called American Express Travel Online as you were interested in knowing why the hotel was not honouring the USD 100 Hotel Credit, one of the benefits of our Hotel Collection program. Our consultant contacted the property and they were advised that the reservation was ineligible for the credit as it was not correctly booked on the Hotel Collection rate. The hotel offered to remove the free breakfast in exchange for the USD 100 credit, however, you declined (please double check that I am correct in saying he declined this offer) and you requested that we investigate further as you were sure the booking was made under the Hotel Collection rate.



We have contacted our Tech Team who have reviewed the booking journey. They have advised that there has been no modification to the booking after the reservation was made and there has been no website error detected. Hotels will have a range of rates which will offer different inclusions and cancellation restrictions. The Hotel Collection Rate is, in the majority of cases, attached to a rate that is flexible and allows free cancellation within window of time while the restrictive, non-refundable rates are often better priced and unfortunately non combinable with the Hotel Collection Benefits. The rate inclusions will always be made available to view at the time of booking. If you are booking a hotel that participates in the Hotel Collection program, you must be logged in at the time of booking and select that rate. You will be able to tell it's the Hotel Collection rate by the Banner at time of selection and under the Inclusions of the room rate. After your booking is made and upon receipt of your booking confirmation, we strongly encourage our customers to review the itinerary to ensure that all is correct and to call us immediately if you have any concerns. The booking confirmation is a mirror image of what has been booked and will always show the benefits attached to a reservation where the rate has been selected (booking confirmation attached).



We thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns with us. Under the guidance of my Customer Relations Team, we remain aligned that the reservation was not booked under The Hotel Collection rate deeming it ineligible for the benefits. For any future reservations, we encourage you to call our team should you have any questions.



Something Important You Should Know: If you’re not satisfied with this outcome, you have the option to contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA is an independent complaints scheme that’s free for consumers. It provides a fair and accessible way of resolving disputes and can be contacted at 1800 931 678 or by visiting afca.org.au.



Have Questions? Feel free to give us a call at 1300 303 877.

Now the more interesting bit. I needed to call the platinum travel team to get a frequent flyer number added to an existing booking I made through them. When I call and select travel and for an existing booking, it says it will put me through. It then rings for a second and went silent. I hung on for a bit and eventually someone answer. It seems my calls are now automatically being redirected to a customer remediation team. They didn't answer as such but I just stayed why I called and she mentioned that I'm through to that team. She put me through to the travel team.

I guess I'm now on a naughty list :/

 

[Daver6]

Update: Had a call from AFCA today. They just wanted to clarify a couple of points. Additionally, they had spoken to the Amex rep who said they were happy to credit me with $150 AUD and were working on that. AFCA wanted to confirm what I was after.

Joke truly is on Amex. I asked the AFCA rep about costs to Amex. He said as soon as the complaint is lodged it would be about $100 cost. Since it's gone to a mediator, it's not just north of $1k!

 

[Daver6]

For anyone who is interested in what AFCA charge financial institutions who have complaints lodged against them. You'd thing those fees would really motivate them to not mess customers around in cases like mine.

Fee structure | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)

www.afca.org.au

 

[Daver6]

To close this one out. Amex have reached out to me and offered me $150 to call the matter closed. Initially the wording said that it was a gesture of goodwill and did not infer a precedence. I told them that needs to be removed as they were paying me exactly what I was entitled to. They agreed.

They still are a bit clueless saying it's because I booked a non-refundable booking blah blah. I told them it's the only kind of booking on offer right now and the website implies the benefit.

Matter closed now.

 

[Haplo]

By my experience a FHR / HC booking is always cancellable (and I have booked a lot of these over the years), however each hotel will have different cancellation windows based on days prior to arrival i.e. one day before, seven days before , etc, and not uncancellable upon booking.

 

[Daver6]

By my experience a FHR / HC booking is always cancellable (and I have booked a lot of these over the years), however each hotel will have different cancellation windows based on days prior to arrival i.e. one day before, seven days before , etc, and not uncancellable upon booking.

If you follow the example for the hotel I stayed in, you'll see that's not the case.