10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[benbegg]

Agreed, I understood what lovetravellingoz has said multiple times . They remind me of ozstamps replies - bolding, colour, multiple apostrophe's

At least now I'm sure that there have been many meetings at Amex HQ between Marketing/Legal/Customer Service to iron out their position and ongoing response. That will flow through to CS contact with cardholders by telephone/email/mail/face to face contact - as it appears to have each time somebody has reported here their contact with CS.

But now to buy that take-away Indian meal, serve it with a nice red wine and to pick up those essential weekend items at IGA. A happy wife is a happy life :mrgreen:

So if I registered on the 19th (Friday) I believe I am not limited to the 10,000 points per month right?

I have received 15,000 points so far but these were allocated on the 20th 22nd and 23rd of September. I have had 15 transactions on the cards since ( i have 2) but no further bonus points. Will I receive these in October or do we all need to wait 8 weeks now to see what the outcome is?

 

[LordGarlic]

I have just got off the phone with the CSO from AMEX. I can see why there are conflicting info coming from the CSO.

Finding #1
The CSO explained to me that they are getting lots of updates coming through their email updating the current situation. Eg: almost 1 update every 1/2 hr. That probably is why we are getting different info from the CSO.

Finding #2

All those who have registered prior to 19 Sept will be on the Old promotion eg: if u r signed up for MYREWARD, u will be entitled to continue earning the bonus pts without any caps as advertised until Dec. However, if you registered after 19 Sep, u will be subjected to a cap of 10K per month. bad luck to those who have applied after 19 Sept.

Finding #3

The reasons for a number of us who have failed to receive any bonus points posted during the last two days. Dont dispair. We are still signed up with the MYREWARDS promotion except that any transactions from now til Mon wont earned any MYREWARDS points due to technical problems. Well...Looks like I am not using my AMEX at places where a surchage will be applied. I will still continue using my amex at places where they will accept it despite not earning any MYREWARDS points til Mon.



My 2 Cents worth of GARLIC

 

[JohnK]

Not happy based on what the original offer was on the card received, but hey, looks like the Amex card wont be used going forward... (grumble grumble)

Did you use Amex extensively before this promotion? So you will not use the Amex card now they have altered the terms and conditions.

If any people have jumped on this promotion for the bonus points only then I am glad the promotion has been changed and temporarily suspended.

 

[Tiki]

Finding #3

The reasons for a number of us who have failed to receive any bonus points posted during the last two days. Dont dispair. We are still signed up with the MYREWARDS promotion except that any transactions from now til Mon wont earned any MYREWARDS points due to technical problems. Well...Looks like I am not using my AMEX at places where a surchage will be applied. I will still continue using my amex at places where they will accept it despite not earning any MYREWARDS points til Mon.



My 2 Cents worth of GARLIC

LordGarlic, do you mean that ALL those transactions will NEVER get the bonus points or we have to wait until Monday to get them?

Does anyone know where the call centre is located? It's in Asia somewhere, right?

This is getting very frustrating and I wish Amex would put the real deal on the website. I can alter my shopping behaviour to comply with any rules they wish to make.............I just want to know what the rules are BEFORE I go to the mall!

I think I am safe, I signed up online on the 18th and called the morning of the 19th to delete the first two codes and keep Myreward, was given the same spiel-no limit, no minimum spend, transactions reset the first of the month, etc. and have been earning at the 5:5000 rate until the 23rd like everyone else.

 

[ColinP]

If any people have jumped on this promotion for the bonus points only then I am glad the promotion has been changed and temporarily suspended.

UMMM What exactly do you consider the aim of the promotion was John, if not to get people to use their Amex cards more often


Those of us who signed up ON the 19th are still no wiser as to whether we're capped or not. I'm assuming that because Luisa's re-assurance that the promotion was valid, was posted at about 3 pm on the 19th, that those signed up on the 19th will have the original terms honoured.

 

[LordGarlic]

LordGarlic, do you mean that ALL those transactions will NEVER get the bonus points or we have to wait until Monday to get them?

All transactions after the suspension that were in place will not be credited the MYREWARD points. My advice: Continue your spend on Mon with AMEX if u wish to maximise the points earned. However I will not alter my spending behaviour over the weekend and will continue using my amex where accepted.

Does anyone know where the call centre is located? It's in Asia somewhere, right?

No, They have closed down the call centre in India. The call centre is now based in syd. I did have an asian accent cso when I called.

This is getting very frustrating and I wish Amex would put the real deal on the website. I can alter my shopping behaviour to comply with any rules they wish to make.............I just want to know what the rules are BEFORE I go to the mall!

I think I am safe, I signed up online on the 18th and called the morning of the 19th to delete the first two codes and keep Myreward, was given the same spiel-no limit, no minimum spend, transactions reset the first of the month, etc. and have been earning at the 5:5000 rate until the 23rd like everyone else.

I think u r safe.

hope that helps

 

[cardiology]

Clarification of the present situation:

Just to clarify and summarise for all of us here:

Condition 1:

You sign up online/phone on or before 19 Sept (with or without receiving the postcard)
---> Old T&C, no cap, no minimum spend

The reason that you have not received any points from 24 Sept onward is because of the system fault and you would not get them!

From next Monday onward, you would start to receive 5,000pt lots until Dec, no cap whatsoever.

Condition 2:

You sign up by phone after 19 Sept (that is on or after Sept 20)
---> New T&C. 40,000 cap and 10,000/month cap
No matter whether you have the postcard or not.


Am I right????:?:

 

[LordGarlic]

Re: Clarification of the present situation:

Just to clarify and summarise for all of us here:

Condition 1:

You sign up online/phone on or before 19 Sept (with or without receiving the postcard)
---> Old T&C, no cap, no minimum spend

The reason that you have not received any points from 24 Sept onward is because of the system fault and you would not get them!

From next Monday onward, you would start to receive 5,000pt lots until Dec, no cap whatsoever.

Condition 2:

You sign up by phone after 19 Sept (that is on or after Sept 20)
---> New T&C. 40,000 cap and 10,000/month cap
No matter whether you have the postcard or not.


Am I right????:?:

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cardiology]

Thanks Lordgarlic.
That is clear to me.

I am lucky that I signed up on the 17 Sept and changed to MYREWARD on 18 Sept via phone. (without the postcard)

I have got 15,000 pt now. Missed those extra 10,000 pts for 23-26 Sept (I have made 10+ transactions over this period).

Keeping my finger crossed, hope that I could start earning those extra points again from next Monday onward without any capping!

 

[snufl]

If any people have jumped on this promotion for the bonus points only then I am glad the promotion has been changed and temporarily suspended.

What other reason to join the promo than bonus points can there be?
Also, if bonus points don't motivate people to change/increase their spending habits, why would Amex ever run a promo?

I don't think it was ever just to say thank you for using your card so much over the past 12 months. We have used ours, but during this promo have found 3 local merchants we didn't know took Amex. Also we have been paying more $10-$15 transactions by Amex instead of cash. Will we continue to do that? Yes. It will partly offset the .25 of a point we will lose on the maximiser.

We all have different habits JohnK. You have obviously always been diligent about using your card, we haven't.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

* when pressed for examples CSR cited: small purchases, buying then returning item straight away, paying bills in increments (NOT monthly installment types). (Do not flame me over that response or question me about what constitutes a small purchase etc)

Well Happy Dude thanks for that. Most informative....and following your closing remark this is NOT a question for you...but just a comment to the forum at large and Amex if lurking.

Well I hope Amex actually means repeated small purchases in a small space of time from the one supplier.

For I )like many if not all) took Amex on their word that there was no mimimum spend and have for example bought my morning paper each day on Amex...and my lunch ( a pie or simlar) from 7/11 (as they take Amex and the Cake Shop does not even though it;s home made Pastie was my previous favourite) on many.

It would probably just be a lot cleaner if Amex brought in a minimum spend provision of $10 for al future spend etc


If and when new more detailed T&C come out I would also believe that they should be for purchases from that time on rather than respective...except for obvious abuses.

 

[JohnK]

UMMM What exactly do you consider the aim of the promotion was John, if not to get people to use their Amex cards more often

To get us to use the Amex cards more. Not to use them for the promotion or at the first sign of trouble threaten to cancel and never use Amex again. I believe in rewarding loyalty. If you are only going to use your card during this promotion then Amex have not achieved not very much.

 

[cardiology]

Wow !! I am on post #1234

Let's wait until Tuesday to see if the 5,000pt hunt will carry on!

 

[Tiki]

I have at least 17 transactions over the last few days that I put in a HUGE effort to do even after a full 8 hour work day just because of this promo. I normally would NOT be going to the mall after a work day and I don't think it is fair that I (and anyone else who made the effort) should lose those bonus points. Some of those purchases were food items that can't be returned.

I have been following the T&C since the beginning and out of almost 50 transactions, less than 10 are less than $10.

Now I don't know what to do, at least return the clothes and books, ask the store to hold them until Monday or what? I would not have bought them if not for the promotion and I don't see why we should be penalized when we follow their rules to earn the bonus points. I can't afford to keep buying clothes and books indefintely like this and I wouldn't have ordered pizzas for dinner if not for the promo.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It will partly offset the .25 of a point we will lose on the maximiser.

.

Interesting.

What other card do you have.

My Maximiser earns at 1.5.
Do you have a card that earns at 1.75?

 

[file51]

Did you use Amex extensively before this promotion? So you will not use the Amex card now they have altered the terms and conditions.

If any people have jumped on this promotion for the bonus points only then I am glad the promotion has been changed and temporarily suspended.

Although it is none of your business, my spend will go back to the usual $5-8k per month on the Amex (3-4 year monthly average) whereas this promotion would have had it at $10-12k per month by not using other cards such as MC, Visa & Diners.

The Amex card, and 2 merchant accounts may also be cancelled, not as a threat, moreso as a moral stance, if I promise something to my customers I deliver it, not change my mind several weeks later and try and reneg on the original deal, no matter what T&C I can fall back on. This is more about accepting an offer, having that offer thrown in your face, then expecting us to be all ok and fine about it... c'mon, wake up. Amex wanted to generate business via this promotion, what they may have done is turned a lot of people away from using them.

Honesty and integrity do actually have a place in business, My opinion of Amex has somewhat darkened in the past few days over the way this has been handled.

btw, all the links online for the fivetimes & tentimes promotions have been removed, all giving 404 errors

 

[simongr]

To get us to use the Amex cards more. Not to use them for the promotion or at the first sign of trouble threaten to cancel and never use Amex again. I believe in rewarding loyalty. If you are only going to use your card during this promotion then Amex have not achieved not very much.

Actually this promo was about changing behaviour rather than rewarding loyalty.

Your approach to this promo seems to be "If I do nothing I will get 40K extra points for free" which is contrary to a number of other who think "if I make some changes and earn amex more $ I can earn a 40k points or more".

Who do you think Amex are targetting with this specific promo?

 

[sash213]

I dont think amex woud suspend bonus points accrual from 24th - 30th. I think they are just playing catch up.

So on the 1st of Oct, they will allocate all the bonus points achieved from 24th.

Thats my theory unless someone who spoke to them can say 100% that the CSO confirmed they really are not going to honour this promo for 6 days in the middle of it.

 

[snufl]

Interesting.

What other card do you have.

My Maximiser earns at 1.5.
Do you have a card that earns at 1.75?

No, 1.5 pts now but was notified by Amex that is changing to 1.25pts.
Can't remember the date it will come into effect, but I think it is around the end of March 2009. If you haven't got something in the mail about it, you will.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

GENERAL COMMENT

I must admit that I find all the angst against people trying to legitimately maximise points rather odd.

If you read this forum a lot, and I do...you will see terms such as Mileage Runs and Status Runs mentioned all the time, and more than that lauded by many (for different reasons) as be a great and worthwhile thing to do.


Yet in this thread those doing a Reward Point Run (am I the first to use such a term?? ) are somehow meant to be greedy etc.

Why are Mileage Runs and Status Runs so worthy....but Point Runs not?

Why as long as one follows the rules is maximising the reward from a bonus promotion a bad thing????

Personally the game for me is all about aquiring maximum numbers of points at mimal cost so that I can build enough points to redeem airfares for my family to take International Holidays.

This why I have the Amex Maximiser (earns at 1.5)..and the Citibank Free for life Card (earns at 1.0).

We all have different goals....and I have no problem with those that gain a buzz from putting together a Mileage run for the sake of the challenge rather than necessarily an economic point earn.

This whole Bonus Promotion was designed to alter spending behaviour. For me what was offered was sufficient to do exactly that.

The Promotion had 3 different levels...all clearly designed to increased the number of transactions for the targetted groups of which I was one. This it has done in my case.

As mentioned by a poster earlier the problem that Amex really have is not abuse of the promotion, but rather use of it simply because Amex did not do their numbers correctly.

I new as soon as I read the deal that it was way too generous, and at the start of this thread a number mentioned that the offer was too good to be true.

It would seem to be that Amex needs to run a few of its Marketing Department through Accountancy 101.

Still they offered the deal and I accepted it.