Accor A|Club

[Mal]

My initial experience with A|Club was frustrating.

Stayed at IBIS Bencoolen in early April. No points had posted by early May, so I sent off a fax for the missing points per their instructions. (this was after about 3 weeks).

About a week later, I get a "denied" email telling me to wait until 6 weeks after the stay before I submit a claim request.

It's just over 5 weeks now with still no posting, so will have to deal with it again in about a week.

 

[Flashback]

Accor have always been difficult with crediting points for stays direct to Qantas, it's no surprise that to their own program is any different....

 

[Mal]

My initial experience with A|Club was frustrating.

Stayed at IBIS Bencoolen in early April. No points had posted by early May, so I sent off a fax for the missing points per their instructions. (this was after about 3 weeks).

About a week later, I get a "denied" email telling me to wait until 6 weeks after the stay before I submit a claim request.

Still nothing posted, so I've faxed off my request again for crediting. I bet they give me someother stupid response this time...

 

[serfty]

I've sent one notice using their web site picture upload facility for one credit. I have another missing from the same place in ealy May - I'm staying there again this Friday so I'd better get on to it.

 

[Mal]

Still nothing posted, so I've faxed off my request again for crediting. I bet they give me someother stupid response this time...

Less than 24 hours later they had responded and credited me the points... surprising, but good.

 

[oz_mark]

When contacting the Sydney A-Club office, they told me, that because I had a " Sofitel A-Club card", I can't get points from Mercure stays ( including Novotel etc. )

Has anyone else had trouble getting points out of them???

I got to use my Sofitel Gold A-Club card at a Novotel recently. Points posted no problem 2 days after the stay. Something called "Accelerator" points posted this morning. I might have to go back through the promo's to work out what that was

 

[serfty]

I've sent one notice using their web site picture upload facility for one credit. I have another missing from the same place in ealy May - I'm staying there again this Friday so I'd better get on to it.

Less than 24 hours later they had responded and credited me the points... surprising, but good.

Well I submitted my claim on Friday and received the following the next day:

Dear Mr <serfty>

We would like to inform you it could take up to six weeks for your
A|Club points to be credited into your account after a stay with our
hotel. We suggest you check your account after this minimum waiting period before submitting your claim request.

Further, please note that for missing points claim, you will need to forward us your hotel invoices after the waiting period so that we can investigate your request. If you no longer have a copy of the invoice, you may contact the hotel to request for a duplicate copy, or alternatively ask the hotel to fax it to us directly. Please attach the scanned documents to your online enquiry via the "Customer support"
section on a-club.com (in jpeg or pdf or gif format) or fax them to +61
2 8023 8522 with your membership number on top ensuring that the documents are fully legible. If you have already sent us the invoices, please quote the reference number on our replied email when you submit the request later.

We remind you that any request for adjustment should be made within 6 months of the transaction.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your loyalty to A|Club.

Best regards,

Your A|Club team

Note the part about six weeks. The web site indicates:

A|Club points are generally credited to your account 10 days after a transaction has been completed. Points earned for transactions with our partners may take up to 6 weeks

A completely different response than from last time; also given I used the online facility and uploaded an image of the statement, a completely inadequate one.

I guess it depends upon who you get.

 

[luddite]

I transferred over at automatic Platinum from Sofitel Card in October 2008. I frequently stay at or have meetings at Sofitel, Pullman etc.

I have found A-Club the single most unresponsive and incompetent organisation I have ever had the misfortune to correspond with (and I work with government departments at times).

The automated email responses and online submission of scanned invoices never seems to work. I have basically decided that my time is too valuable to spend attempting to persuade them to do what is supposed to happen automatically.

On the other hand have found Advantage Plus to be very helpful!

Hard to believe both are Accor.

 

[serfty]

... On the other hand have found Advantage Plus to be very helpful!

Hard to believe both are Accor.

On the contrary, I find it easy to believe that. See my posts #2 and #12 above from last year- I dumped Adv+ as from my perspective the program had been gutted.

 

[Rick93]

Checked my A-Club account today, and gee wiz !!! some points have turned up !!!

Stayed for a birthday treat at the Sydney Olympic Park Pullman ( see short story on thread in Hotel Experiences ) on 7 June 2009.

Made a very specific point to hotel staff, re problems with getting A-Club points through....

A-Club account shows transaction date as 15 June 2009.

Goes to show, they can do it in reasonable time, if they want to !!!

Makes me think, it's not A-Club, but actually the hotel / staff that are the problem ??

regards,
GORDO

 

[Rick93]

In addition, I used my combined total of A-Club points ( 6,000 ) to order online, 3 x $US60. vouchers.

I received three vouchers in the mail in surprising quick time ( 8 days ), given they were posted from France.

Problem is, I ordered USD vouchers, and received EUROs.

The difference between 120 EURO & $US180. is about $AU15. Not a lot, but by the time I use these vouchers for my wife's birthday in July, the USD may have fallen enough to produce an even further gap.

Still 6,000 points was earned in several months, and with 10 nights ( at Platinum rate of earning ). Result = about $AU212.

Our next stay is at the Sydney Sofitel, in a Club Lounge King Room for $120. on top of our Advantage Plus Complimentary Night. So, this $212. voucher will cover the $120. accommodation charge, plus full buffet breakfast ( on a BOGO with Advantage Plus card ), and some Room Service goodies.

regards,
GORDO

 

[oz_mark]

The difference between 120 EURO & $US180. is about $AU15. Not a lot, but by the time I use these vouchers for my wife's birthday in July, the USD may have fallen enough to produce an even further gap.

I imagine that the conversion to AUD will also be done at the not very inspiring hotel rate as well. It would have been nice if Accor had come up with a better system than this!

 

[2muchplastic]

Gordo,

I'll be interested to hear how you go using your vouchers, as I've just emptied out my a|club account and got US$720 in vouchers. I was expecting to use them in one of my next trips, either Cairns in August or Christchurch later in the year, and am interested to hear how easy the vouchers prove to use.

2MP

 

[Rick93]

Of course !!! Rip off hotel conversion rates !!!

I totally forgot about that.....

So, my 120 EUROs may only get me, say $AU150. instead of the $212. at the official rate.

There goes Room Service.....

GORDO

 

[oz_mark]

Fascinating. Got an e-mail this evening from A-Club welcoming me to A-Club. New number. Shortly after, an email telling me I would be getting my card shortly.

How strange. Another account for some reason that I can't put my finger on....Maybe just their systems again

 

[Pvcmenace]

Have found A|Club really quite good. Have been Adv + since 1999 and Sofitel privilege guest since 2003 was offered a|club silver through Adv + then Gold through Sofitel Privilege signed over and recieved an email saying that as i was within the first 10000 people signed, i had been given Platinum status.

Points took around 12 weeks to transfer from Privilege account, have traded in points for Euro and US$ both have come quickly and good exchange rate was given when used.

Only problem is I never recieve points without having to fax invoice to Sydney office, and they wont accept invoices earlier than 6 weeks after stay.

Overall well worth it as I only ever stay at Sofitel/Novotel wherever i go.

 

[scottparko]

"Must ask on arrival" ...... interesting

i got given an a|club Gold status automatically necause i was a member of the softiel card loyatly program. Its fantastic!

I have to only use it once per year and i get to keep gold status...

Have always been upgraded to a luzary club suite on arrival (when asked) which is great when you only pay for the cheapest superior room!!

 

[drew66]

I have had a membership with Advantage plus for 3 years but can no longer see the value.
I also have a Sofitel Priviledge card which is now an A Club card.
I have had all sorts of problems when trying to contact anyone at A Club.
The last straw was trying to transfer some A Club points to Qantas.
Despite numerous attempts over the past year I still have no answer as to why this task seems impossible to complete. This has been ongoing since October last year.
I am interested to hear if anyone else has had difficulty when trying to transfer points?

A Club member 3081032002104288

 

[2muchplastic]

I am interested to hear if anyone else has had difficulty when trying to transfer points?

Tried 4 times, failed 4 times. In the end I gave up and opted for vouchers instead, though I did write them a nice little snotogram which got me no further than just some token apologies.

I justified it to myself that it was worth more as cash redeemable vouchers than as QFF points. (2000 points = US$60 = circa AU$70 - 15000 QFF points needed for a one way BNE-SYD worth $94)

 

[Pvcmenace]

I have had a membership with Advantage plus for 3 years but can no longer see the value.
I also have a Sofitel Priviledge card which is now an A Club card.
I have had all sorts of problems when trying to contact anyone at A Club.
The last straw was trying to transfer some A Club points to Qantas.
Despite numerous attempts over the past year I still have no answer as to why this task seems impossible to complete. This has been ongoing since October last year.
I am interested to hear if anyone else has had difficulty when trying to transfer points?

A Club member 3081032002104288

Try sending a fax to this number 02-8023-8522 with your A|club no. and your QFF details this number works everytime, takes between 2-7 working days.

But they are definitely better value as vouchers, and hey you could be lucky and have your order doubled up one set of vouchers from Sydney and another from Paris.