10,000 bonus points per 20 transactions

[StevePER]

But is it the aim of AMEX to change my behaviour and look for additional opportunities to use the card at places I haven't before and for different amounts = i.e I have changed where I buy lunch (usually around $10) to a place that takes AMEX because the other place only lets me use Visa or MC. If so capping at too high a level would be self defeating for them.

I agree with skeltonl. I have increased the use of my Amex by

• Seeking out places that accept Amex for everyday purchases like lunches (the amexnetwork website is good for this)
• Paying with Amex where I would normally pay with another card or pay cash - either due to a surcharge or for convenience on small transactions.

Placing a minimum value on the transaction amount would be self defeating.

 

[PaulZ]

If the end of the week is Sunday... I reckon it is an Absolute Certainty...

Especially with the current discussion on points being removed from people's accounts....

I estimate 1102 by Monday 0000

What a Silly and Disgraceful Under-estimation...

It will be more like 1321 by Monday 00:00 CT (!)

 

[skeltonl]

I still find this hard to believe. If AMEX were changing it, why is there still nothing on their website?

Possibly because they want get it right this time and minimise their exposure to legal claims etc.

I am pretty sure that whoever designed this promotion didn't take the time to think it through and they dont want to make the same mistake. No offence if you are the creator and are one of those "guests" lurking in this thread at the moment LOL.

 

[snufl]

I am pretty sure that whoever designed this promotion didn't take the time to think it through...

LOL Talk about an understatement! What a mess.

I'm waiting to hear something official. In the meantime I'll continue to log in about 20 times a day so I can keep up with all the posts. Damn addictive thread.

 

[Soundguy]

I am pretty sure that whoever designed this promotion didn't take the time to think it through

It was put together by a work experience kid from high school.

He'll go far on Wall Street.... or would have.

 

[nlagalle]

Possibly because they want get it right this time and minimise their exposure to legal claims etc.

I am pretty sure that whoever designed this promotion didn't take the time to think it through and they dont want to make the same mistake. No offence if you are the creator and are one of those "guests" lurking in this thread at the moment LOL.

Seriously doubt it. I still got points today and i'll bet now i still get points tomorrow too. If they were "capping" it or whatever, surely the points wouldn't be coming every day? Also why is the page still on their site? I would have thought that would have been the first to go.

 

[skeltonl]

Quote:
Originally Posted by skeltonl
I am pretty sure that whoever designed this promotion didn't take the time to think it through...

LOL Talk about an understatement! What a mess.

I'm waiting to hear something official. In the meantime I'll continue to log in about 20 times a day so I can keep up with all the posts. Damn addictive thread.

I prefer to think of myself as the master of the sublime comment rather than someone who makes understatements

But yes you are right this thread is like that statement about a train crash - you want to look away BUT you cant

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Thing is, what makes it a lot harder for Amex to reneg....is that apart from the Postcard which emphasised that there was no limit.....that if you rang up as I did that they reinforced that there was no limit or minimum spend.


If they did not have that phone briefing on T&C, and the NO LIMIT on the Postcard then their situation would be a lot different.

Whichever way they go now is going to cause angst (either for them, or their customers, or both),,,,,,which is hardly the purpose of a promotion!

 

[skeltonl]

Seriously doubt it. I still got points today and i'll bet now i still get points tomorrow too. If they were "capping" it or whatever, surely the points wouldn't be coming every day? Also why is the page still on their site? I would have thought that would have been the first to go.

First off you are right just because myself and others have been told on the phone by AMEX CSOs that they are capping doesn't mean they will.

AMEX could have read have read all of the cogent well constructed arguments on this forum and decided not to. :mrgreen:

But if they do I also doubt that anyone who has already received points greater than the talked about 40,000 cap would be forced to give them back.

So yes whether they have decided to cap or not it would be business as usual until they formally advise people.

 

[Alanslegal]

''All U Can Drink'' in one session at the QP for the person who gets to post the 1,000th post on this thread

 

[Tiki]

I agree with skeltonl. I have increased the use of my Amex by

• Seeking out places that accept Amex for everyday purchases like lunches (the amexnetwork website is good for this)
• Paying with Amex where I would normally pay with another card or pay cash - either due to a surcharge or for convenience on small transactions.

Placing a minimum value on the transaction amount would be self defeating.

I agree with StevePER. I think the whole purpose of thisi promo is to get people in the mindset of using their Amex for EVERYTHIING. There is already this mindset in the USA, you would be hardpressed to find Americans who even bother carrying cash anymore.

Also, the fact that it is limited to Australian transactions shows that Amex is trying to get more Aussie merchants on board because they are seeing their customers walking out rather than use cash or Visa. If Amex wanted high dollar value transactions, they would include overseas purchases as well. After all, this is a board for FREQUENT FLYERS, they must realize that we DO travel. My $5 t-shirts from Lowes get bonus points, my over $1000 travel purchase in the USA got nothing but the usual 1.5 points.

We have all been "hired" as Amex PR reps to get more Aussie merchants to sign up and we are being paid with bonus points. Much more effective campaign than sending out some young business grad with a briefcase and sales spiel about why the merchant should sign on to accept Amex. Give it another month, when merchants realize their lucrative Christmas shopping season is about to go out the window, they will be BEGGING Amex to sign them up!

 

[simongr]

I still find it amusing that people are still referring to this promo as a "mess" or a failure. Aside from the removal of points from Mal (who notes that he has not made any changes to spending patterns to warrant adjustment and I have no reason to disbelieve him given his long standing history on these forums) this promo has been very sucessful:

Objective

Increase use Amex by people not currently using it for all potential transactions
Put pressure on more vendors to allow the use of Amex

Result

People targetted here report increasing Amex use whether they were low or high users
People report making purchasing decisions based whether a store took Amex
Vendors increasing contact with Amex to get Amex allowed for use
People have greater awareness of stores in their locale who do accept Amex where they had used visa/cash in the past

Conclusion

Objectives achieved.

Not everyone has had points removed (I will recheck my balance at 9:05AM which is around the time that my points balance updates) at this point.

 

[kelix]

Ill be checking my points this morning too... i did 5 transactions with telstra yesterday (all diff acoounts) but obviously its the same merchant.. If the try to take back the points i believe a call may be in order...

I used to get these direct debited by another card but stooped that to make use of this promo.. 5 more transfers a month will help happens that they happened on the same day!

#900 yet?!

 

[snufl]

I still find it amusing that people are still referring to this promo as a "mess" or a failure.

Hi simongr, I am responding because I used the term "mess". Just to clarify, I was referring to the implementation. Such as the online opt-in having to be closed down, people being given conflicting information over the phone and raising enough uncertainty to keep this thread zooming along at this pace.

As far as the objective by Amex, I agree, it has worked at this house. We have looked up local merchants and found quite a few where we had used Visa or cash in the past, simply because we didn't know or bother to ask if they accepted Amex.

 

[kelix]

We have looked up local merchants and found quite a few where we had used Visa or cash in the past, simply because we didn't know or bother to ask if they accepted Amex.

BINGO! same here... and do you want to hazard a guess at how many who didnt accept have asked to now have AMEX merchant accounts created.. imagine by Dec 31! Id hate to think!

These points can be written off.. but after 3+ months of habitual use i know what card ill be reaching for first and foremost... and with the added pressure placed on non accepting murchants ill have more places to pull out ye oldy platty card.

The NPV of points weighed against what this type of business and promotion will achieve... Priceless

 

[Mal]

xx/09/2008 5000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points -XX,xx_ (Being a multiple of 5000)

Ok, new day, new posting.

10000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points 0 10,000
5000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points 0 5,000

So I'm utterly lost now!

Perhaps Amex has swapped my promos around, or removed promos they didn't want me to be in. Dunno really. Maybe the - figure was removing as yet unposted points from additional promo amounts.... ???

Bonus points seem to acrue on the order purchases were made, but don't post until those purchases are actually shown in your statement and moved into the MR account.

 

[thegurio]

I must be the odd one out who selected 40 posts per page...

Im with you Simongr... I cant stand to change pages that often, so whenever i start a new forum the first thing i do is change the default layout to as many as it can handle, which sometimes can be up to 100.

 

[kyle]

Ok, new day, new posting.

10000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points 0 10,000
5000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points 0 5,000

So I'm utterly lost now!

Perhaps Amex has swapped my promos around, or removed promos they didn't want me to be in. Dunno really. Maybe the - figure was removing as yet unposted points from additional promo amounts.... ???

Bonus points seem to acrue on the order purchases were made, but don't post until those purchases are actually shown in your statement and moved into the MR account.

How many bonus points have you got in the account now?

I've hit 40K with just under 25 transactions since registration.

 

[Mal]

How many bonus points have you got in the account now?

I've hit 40K with just under 25 transactions since registration.

Still less than 40K...

 

[kyle]

Still less than 40K...

I'm desperate to see if another 5K shows up after the 25th transaction.