New Altitude Black has landed...

[ProggerPete]

Ok all new Alt Black holders who took up card with 2 x pts offer? Has anybody received the bonus pts in a lump sum and did this sum correspond to total spend on card during 3mth window including ATO pmts?

I've received 2 double points installments, the 1st of which included ATO spend.

 

[kkl]

I've received 2 double points installments, the 1st of which included ATO spend.

How long did it take to post?

 

[ProggerPete]

How long did it take to post?

About 6 weeks.

 

[ukh]

My 3 month window has just concluded. No bonus double points yet.
As this card will be of no use to me after the 9th November devaluation, I am planning to make the most of it till then.
I have already twice paid ATO over 100K which they were not owed at all - no need to wait for a BAS statement. These posted the points a couple of days later. Then asked ATO for refund which took only 3 days - came into an unrelated account.
I checked with my accountant who assured me this is perfectly legal and ATO has no issue with positive balance in their account - there is no limit to this.
The credit card companies do not know how much I owe the ATO, and never see the refund.
It is simply a matter of how much liquid funds one has to cycle and how much we are prepared to "pay" for points. For me this has certainly been worth it, especially during the 3 month double point period ( assuming the double points come through...)
Only a couple of months to go and plenty of points to be accumulated using this technique.

 

[bigray73]

Hi UKH. How and who do you contact in the ATO to arrange the refund?

 

[albyd]

Your accountant should be able to arrange it for you. Mine took about 2 weeks.

 

[bigray73]

Thanks Albyd

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I checked with my accountant who assured me this is perfectly legal and ATO has no issue with positive balance in their account - there is no limit to this.
The credit card companies do not know how much I owe the ATO, and never see the refund.

ukh there is certainly merit in the scenarios you have described but it may or may not be quite as cut and dried as you have stated.

Everybody's circumstances will differ - some accountants / financial advisors will give differing views - paying non personal payments to ATO are not quite kosher as per card T & C's - so whatever you do good people with pmts to ATO pls be aware of your personal circumstances.

 

[kkl]

Any luck with double points anyone? Haven't received it, been a week since end of promo. Will be following it up on Monday

 

[quokka77]

Nothing here. All retail transactions here, no ATO or big ticket items (eg cars etc). Still, would like to get the 40000 odd points.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

My 3mth 2 x pts promo window finished Aug 8 - still no bonus pts posted but they do say can take up to 2mths from end of promo period for bonus pts to post.

 

[ukh]

My promo concluded a couple of weeks ago and still no sign of double points. I rang Westpac a week ago and asked if there was anything they could do to expedite my bonus points so I do not have to wait the 2 months. I told them I needed the points ASAP as I need to make a booking. They claimed this was not possible and I just have to wait i.e. computer says no !

 

[Cruiser Elite]

My 3mth 2 x pts promo window finished Aug 8 - still no bonus pts posted but they do say can take up to 2mths from end of promo period for bonus pts to post.

Which should mean bonus pts should post on or before Oct 8 - has anybody had their bonus pts lob into Altitude acc as yet?

 

[ukh]

Which should mean bonus pts should post on or before Oct 8 - has anybody had their bonus pts lob into Altitude acc as yet?

Not yet, but mine due by early November.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Not yet, but mine due by early November.

Yes I gathered that from your previous posts - but I was kinda hoping that somebody else may be past the 2 mth period post expiration of the 3mth window and indicated whether or not their bonus pts had actually posted within the 2mth period as per Westpac advice.

 

[albyd]

I've reached an outcome in my dispute with Westpac. I had been given what turned out to be a staff card by the guy at the branch trying to curry favor with me (with a free card) to give them my new home loan. Obviously I later found out they'd given me a staff card and was ineligible for double points.

Upon dispute, they've agreed to pay double points on the non ATO purchases I made in the first 3 months. However, unless I could prove the ATO spend (which was several times the value of my purchases) was tax owed in my name (rather than friends, family members, business, etc) they were not prepared to pay double points on this spend citing clause 4.4 of T&C personal spend only and interpreting it as MY personal spend not that on behalf of others (including immediate family) business or personal.

For obvious reasons, I wasn't planning to make a complaint but felt it was safe to do so now they're shutting it down in November.

I've posted this as a warning to others in a similar boat that Westpac are prepared to play hardball. Perhaps might explain why double points payments have been drawn out.

Interested to hear when double points start flowing through for others.

Next step is FOS should I wish to take it.

 

[ukh]

I've reached an outcome in my dispute with Westpac. I had been given what turned out to be a staff card by the guy at the branch trying to curry favor with me (with a free card) to give them my new home loan. Obviously I later found out they'd given me a staff card and was ineligible for double points....

Thanks for the detailed post. I think that this is actually encouraging news as it seems they will have to award us the double points for our ATO payments. All mine were for myself and my wife.
I certainly believe we should fight hard if they try to resist... There are a lot of flights here at risk.

From now till November I am planning to use the card as much as possible as ATO payments are crediting Altitude points automatically. It seems as though they are only scrutinising the double points manually - probably because they got a shock when they realised how big and clever the AFF community is!

 

[albyd]

I've gone back re my wife's as a significant portion although not the majority were her's. Hopefully another flight saved.

I agree they most likely got a shock when they realized some customers who signed up weren't planning to redeem for toasters and would cost them money.

I reckon they're going to get pounded until November 9 but caution they may be prepared to play dirty with clause 4.4. Threat of FOS didn't scare them even though it costs them substantial money if a complaint gets to FOS win or lose.

 

[kkl]

Have not received any bonus points yet. 90% of my spend was business oriented but not ATO.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Never a dull moment huh guys and gals?