AMEX - SPG Transfer option after August 2018

[lilkid28]

Just been told by a customer representative that we can no longer transfer to SPG.

I asked when this was communicated with customers and she said that SPG had been communicating this, ah no they have detailed when the merge will happen but have not said partner transfers can not take place during this time, AMEX should have advised of a date when they received. Oh well I'm sorry about that, bit late now isn't it .

Very poor from Amex. I would escalate it to the point that they either allow the transfer to happen or provide some form of compensation, i.e. bonus MR points.

 

[rock86]

Very poor from Amex. I would escalate it to the point that they either allow the transfer to happen or provide some form of compensation, i.e. bonus MR points.

At work at present, but will certainly be doing this tonight. I'll be suggesting bonus DJ MR points to be equivalent to that in the new Marriott reward program that I would have received under the current SPG transfer rate - we'll see what happens.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Not sure why people have waited so late to transfer. I think that you can't blame AMEX as the forthcoming change was notified some time ago and it would always have had some risk in waiting until the very end. You have to accept some responsibility for failing to act sooner.

 

[HTG2016]

At work at present, but will certainly be doing this tonight. I'll be suggesting bonus DJ MR points to be equivalent to that in the new Marriott reward program that I would have received under the current SPG transfer rate - we'll see what happens.

Call up and explain your frustration , got transfer through a team leader who willing to offer me some bonus points

 

[rock86]

Not sure why people have waited so late to transfer. I think that you can't blame AMEX as the forthcoming change was notified some time ago and it would always have had some risk in waiting until the very end.

I did transfer my points, but earned a referral bonus and wanted to transfer the points to my SPG accounts however there was maintenance being done on the AMEX MR portal.

It still isn't the point (pun intended), AMEX should be clearly communicating when a transfer partner is being discontinued, at what date that will happen. All they have done is published through various marketing channels, not even within an email to customers, what the new Marriott conversion will be, there has been no dates provided by AMEX and IMO is very poor form.

Call up and explain your frustration , got transfer through a team leader who willing to offer me some bonus points

Thanks for that @Billt I'll do that now, the customer rep before was really not interested at all, but I may be a little more assertive in this phone call asking for the transfer to be initiated.

 

[albyd]

Just got off the phone with AMEX. They've paused transfers to SPG from 27 July for a month.

Confirmed that the Gold status will flow through to the new program.

However, they reckon that the transfer rate to SPG/Marriott for the Australian MR program has not yet been determined and this is why they've gone with the 1 month hiatus (might also explain why I don't have any recollection of notification to me from AMEX of a change to the transfer rate).

I was quite certain that the widely reported changes - particularly by many of the blogs we're all likely to be members of, that it's changing to 4:3 which is less attractive than Hilton transfers are currently and much less than the 1:1.5 ratio which would have maintained the current equivalent SPG transfer rate. Interested if anyone has heard otherwise.

 

[rock86]

Just got off the phone with AMEX. They've paused transfers to SPG from 27 July for a month.

Confirmed that the Gold status will flow through to the new program.

However, they reckon that the transfer rate to SPG/Marriott for the Australian MR program has not yet been determined and this is why they've gone with the 1 month hiatus (might also explain why I don't have any recollection of notification to me from AMEX of a change to the transfer rate).

I was quite certain that the widely reported changes - particularly by many of the blogs we're all likely to be members of, that it's changing to 4:3 which is less attractive than Hilton transfers are currently and much less than the 1:1.5 ratio which would have maintained the current equivalent SPG transfer rate. Interested if anyone has heard otherwise.

Got the same story.

I rang back and got a much more helpful customer representative, she was apologetic and I asked her if she could manually process the transfer. She said that SPG have blocked partner transfers until the new program is active, and that AMEX AU are still working on what their new transfer partnership will look like - which was very surprising seeing as AUSBt ran with that story (that everyone else picked up on).

 

[albyd]

Got the same story.

I rang back and got a much more helpful customer representative, she was apologetic and I asked her if she could manually process the transfer. She said that SPG have blocked partner transfers until the new program is active, and that AMEX AU are still working on what their new transfer partnership will look like - which was very surprising seeing as AUSBt ran with that story (that everyone else picked up on).

Good to hear I've not been misinformed. I'm glad I got my transfer through in time (27th) - currently waiting for my points to show on the other end. I wouldn't have transferred had there been the prospect of no devaluation. Personally, I think there will be - now just a matter of whether it's as bad as what's been publicised online (55%) or 1:1 like Hilton.

On the bright side, now my MR balance is greatly reduced, I might have a better shot at a retention offer. I've not been offered anything for some time. May trigger the offers algorithm

 

[BriarFlyer]

&^%#@. I knew I'd be pushing the deadline with my new DJs card bonus. Completed the spend Tues and my points didn't post until today. I know this because I've been checking several times daily.

 

[rock86]

Good to hear I've not been misinformed. I'm glad I got my transfer through in time (27th) - currently waiting for my points to show on the other end. I wouldn't have transferred had there been the prospect of no devaluation. Personally, I think there will be - now just a matter of whether it's as bad as what's been publicised online (55%) or 1:1 like Hilton.

On the bright side, now my MR balance is greatly reduced, I might have a better shot at a retention offer. I've not been offered anything for some time. May trigger the offers algorithm

I suppose I shouldn't be too annoyed, my excess points was an unexpected referral bonus - still is mighty annoying though that the transfers are stopped no actual date notice.

 

[rock86]

&^%#@. I knew I'd be pushing the deadline with my new DJs card bonus. Completed the spend Tues and my points didn't post until today. I know this because I've been checking several times daily.

Ahh that is cough Briar, I'm sorry to hear that!!

 

[opusman]

Very poor form to do this with no notice at all.

 

[Haplo]

I had a batch points that i wanted to transfer across but looks like I missed the deadline. However 90% have gone across already so not a total loss.

 

[adamonline]

I think the lack of notice here from AMEX is terribly disappointing to say the least. The SPG program is still running right now and I can't believe SPG gave AMEX no notice about transfers no longer being accepted. If AMEX were told that the 27th was the last day SPG would accept transfers then that information could have been communicated to members so they could take action before then.

Yes, I'm annoyed as I had put off making a transfer until the weekend but the "one" program Marriott is talking about doesn't take affect until August 18 so I would hardly call waiting until now as late.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Ahh that is cough Briar, I'm sorry to hear that!!

Ah well, one less hotel night is a first world problem. Which doesn't diminish my annoyance at the lack of notice. I'd have signed up for the QFF version if I'd thought I would miss the SPG deadline...or if I'd known that deadline was July 27.

 

[rock86]

Ah well, one less hotel night is a first world problem. Which doesn't diminish my annoyance at the lack of notice. I'd have signed up for the QFF version if I'd thought I would miss the SPG deadline...or if I'd known that deadline was July 27.

I agree, I had transferred the majority of my DJ MR points, but could have got another night as well - yet they also decided to perform 'maintenance' the day before they stopped allowing transfers

I think the lack of notice here from AMEX is terribly disappointing to say the least. The SPG program is still running right now and I can't believe SPG gave AMEX no notice about transfers no longer being accepted. If AMEX were told that the 27th was the last day SPG would accept transfers then that information could have been communicated to members so they could take action before then.

Yes, I'm annoyed as I had put off making a transfer until the weekend but the "one" program Marriott is talking about doesn't take affect until August 18 so I would hardly call waiting until now as late.

Again I agree, it defies belief that AMEX were given little notice, but as I said above the customer rep used the excuse that the whole SPG changeover hasn't been handled well and that they received minimal communication before transfers were frozen - not sure this is the truth, but that is the line AMEX seem to be going with.

What I do find suspicious is that AMEX scheduled 'maintenance' on the MR portal the same time that they removed all SPG transfer ability - coincidence I'm sure

 

[foggy]

I feel as though I won the lottery then, if 27th was the last day.

 

[blueythecat]

The lack of notice directly from Amex is poor form in my mind.

Interesting that the customer service reps are suggesting the transfer rate to the new program is yet to be finalised

 

[andye]

..Interesting that the customer service reps are suggesting the transfer rate to the new program is yet to be finalised

Hoping my new-found optimism is not misplaced

 

[glasszon]

Hoping my new-found optimism is not misplaced

Given the widespread coverage about the new transfer rate (by both ausbt and pointhacks), I would say it might be a case where Amex haven't informed their agents about the new point transfer rate yet.

Even if in the off chance the rate is changing again, I don't see them going to offer anything remotely close to the old transfer rate, it was really good while it lasted.

(To give a quick example, 180k Amex points was enough to give you 7 nights at a Category 5 Marriott Hotel + 2 return ticket to HKG in J with CX if you transfer to Alaska, that's just way too good in so many levels.)