Anybody get waiver of annual fee for second year on Qantas AMEX?

[Sheriff]

I rang up the other day as my Platinum credit card was coming close to expiry. They wouldn't waive the fee but they gave me a $200 credit.

I'll accept nothing short of a full fee waiver and I've already been told in a pre-application telephone conversation with Amex that it is possible to achieve.

 

[NM]

Is there a quick way to check your Amex cards anniversary online?

Why not just look at the card itself? The card's expiry month is the same as the anniversary month.

 

[Maca44]

I'll accept nothing short of a full fee waiver and I've already been told in a pre-application telephone conversation with Amex that it is possible to achieve.

Although you have been told, and that "it is possible to achieve", the proof is in the pudding and as per all my previous posts I have not heard of any OP that has received a waiver for the Amex Platinum credit card. However, please post the results if you do receive a waiver as Amex were quite adamant that they did not give them. I was speaking with the cancellation section, not a supervisor, so anything is possible I suppose, just let us know.

 

[Sheriff]

Although you have been told, and that "it is possible to achieve", the proof is in the pudding and as per all my previous posts I have not heard of any OP that has received a waiver for the Amex Platinum credit card. However, please post the results if you do receive a waiver as Amex were quite adamant that they did not give them. I was speaking with the cancellation section, not a supervisor, so anything is possible I suppose, just let us know.

You're absolutely right when you say the proof is in the pudding, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

And you're correct when you say that anything is possible with Amex, they weren't even aware they had waived my Ultimate card annual fee.

But I suppose what matters is that they're aware of my excellent credit history.

 

[Sheriff]

Wow!! You really did well. So they opened up Rewards Maximiser for you over the phone, or you have to do application form, etc all over again? Amazed that they transferred the credit. Does Rewards Maximiser have a annual fee anyway?

Five months later, Amex reactivated the SAME QF Premium card , NO ANNUAL FEE REQUIRED.

This just goes to show that you can kill two annual fees with the ONE FEE WAIVER.

You gotta love Amex.

(WARNING: Amex is very lenient with FEE WAIVERS)

 

[pauly7]

Why not just look at the card itself? The card's expiry month is the same as the anniversary month.

LOL thanks, my card was in another state though at the time of posting!

 

[one9]

A straight $200 credit on your account? This is far better than the $200 vouchers from Harvey Norman.

Yea they said the $200 would appear on my next statement.... So am waiting to make sure that it does.

They asked why I wanted to cancel the card, and I told them that it was because of the annual fee. They then offered to meet me half way by giving me a $200 credit. I asked for $250 and they said no, so I agreed with $200.

 

[beardoc]

Yea they said the $200 would appear on my next statement.... So am waiting to make sure that it does.

They asked why I wanted to cancel the card, and I told them that it was because of the annual fee. They then offered to meet me half way by giving me a $200 credit. I asked for $250 and they said no, so I agreed with $200.

What was your annual spend, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[medhead]

I
, I refuse the offer because he will not credit me straight away and he will just put a note on my file. When means this "promise" is off the record and I can still be charged if he choose to do nothing (I don't think the system will generate an action reminder for reps ??) and I can do nothing about it.

I just want to relate my positive experience with notes on the file.
I have the base Qantas AMEX - which is currently being offerred fee free.

Last month with the supplementary card fee comes though I called and asked to transfer my old card to the new offer. They won't do it as I'd agreed to the fee when signing up so I ask to cancel the card. Cancellation department guy puts me on the new deal no arguments.

This month my annual card fee comes through - yes supplement card date is one month earlier than the card date. So I call up, tell them there is a mistake I'm supposed to be on the fee free deal. The guy says he can see the note on the file, so he can fix it. Magically, the fee is credited back the next day.

At least for me the note on the file was honored.

 

[beardoc]

I've just recently got a Amex Rewards Maximiser (no annual fee for the first year), and I've put around $7,000 through it on the first month (not likely to keep that level of spending, just a few large purchases in the first month, with likely $1-2000 per month after that.

I want to get a supplementary card, but don't want to pay the supplementary card fee.

Has anyone got this waived so early in their use of the Rewards Maximiser before?

I'll give them a call next month after I pay off this first account if others have been successful.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

This probably going to be an unpopular post, but what is this obsession with getting something for $0?

Why don't you just get a card that gives you "value for money" and avoid the whole need to spend time on the phone convincing people to give you money back?

At some point Amex needs to make money. And that either means slugging every other card member, or reducing the benefits (if enough people manage to wrangle lower fees). It's a zero-sum game.

 

[beardoc]

This probably going to be an unpopular post, but what is this obsession with getting something for $0?

Why don't you just get a card that gives you "value for money" and avoid the whole need to spend time on the phone convincing people to give you money back?

At some point Amex needs to make money. And that either means slugging every other card member, or reducing the benefits (if enough people manage to wrangle lower fees). It's a zero-sum game.

There's a certain irony in that here - this board and flyertalk is, in part, dedicated to getting as much as possible out of the airline frequent flyer programs. Good examples are flying AA on all connecting flights first class on a single day and therefore getting thousands of miles of luxury carriage for only a few thousand AAdvantage points.

A good Australian example was buying the Wish stored value cards at **** Smith Electronics in order to get 11.5 Membership Rewards points per dollar and yet spend them on their general groceries and petrol. This was beyond what they would have expected with the promotion, which was to try to get people to spend on electrical goods using their American Express (see http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...s-rewards/opt-earn-10-bonus-points-11538.html).

I see it that the fee waivers are the same here. They give the waivers to those that they make a lot of money from already - those are the same high value customers that get the most out of frequent flyer programs and the like.

I understand your point of view, though.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

There's a certain irony in that here - this board and flyertalk is, in part, dedicated to getting as much as possible out of the airline frequent flyer programs. Good examples are flying AA on all connecting flights first class on a single day and therefore getting thousands of miles of luxury carriage for only a few thousand AAdvantage points.

Well, that seems fair enough to me. That's all in the T&C when you sign up right?

What we seem to have in this thread, if you want to talk the equivalent of airlines, is people asking how to get refunded their airfare (or a discount) or how to get their QC membership fee waived or reduced.

And I think we know what would happen to the QC if that started to be free to more people

 

[beardoc]

Well, that seems fair enough to me. That's all in the T&C when you sign up right?

What we seem to have in this thread, if you want to talk the equivalent of airlines, is people asking how to get refunded their airfare (or a discount) or how to get their QC membership fee waived or reduced.

And I think we know what would happen to the QC if that started to be free to more people

At the risk of labouring the analogy, there is a direct comparison with QANTAS here - there's a fee for the QANTAS lounge, but if you fly with QANTAS enough (and therefore give them lots of profit) then they give you the QP for free (through Gold and Platinum Frequent Flyer membership).

The same goes with Amex - if you spend a bucketload with them, people seem able to negotiate the card for no annual fee!

 

[AnonymousCoward]

At the risk of labouring the analogy, there is a direct comparison with QANTAS here - there's a fee for the QANTAS lounge, but if you fly with QANTAS enough (and therefore give them lots of profit) then they give you the QP for free (through Gold and Platinum Frequent Flyer membership).

Again, this is in the T&C - you know all about this when you sign up in the first place. QANTAS offers this as a benefit and evidently budgets accordingly.

The Amex thing - OK fair enough that Amex chooses to offer this on a case-by-case basis - they aren't forced into it. but on the other hand, it seems to me that every other Amex holder will suffer for it -or- enough people will do it that Amex will beforced to dilute the benefits that Amex does offer.

Hence, I wonder why people don't just pick something that offers them value for money (whether that be QFF or Amex) and stop trying to game the system?

 

[Cynicor]

Because there's enough people too lazy or ignorant of the possibilities without adding to that number. I know plenty of people who could benefit from switching accounts or credit cards but just can't be bothered, costing them several thousand dollars a year in interest or fees. The banks can make their money from them while the money they make off me will be from their cut of the transactions, and nothing more. Those savvy enough to ask for a discount in the annual fee are also, generally, the ones spending a significant amount and more than offsetting the provider's costs and CC fees.

Additionally, there are few good cards out there so it is nigh on impossible to do as you say and just 'find a good deal'. Instead we find the best deal we can, and bargain to see if it can be improved. Finally there's plenty of airline talk in the rest of AFF if you are against it and you can continue to pay fees if you wish. I, meanwhile, will continue to avoid them where possible.


Jon

 

[oz_mark]

This probably going to be an unpopular post, but what is this obsession with getting something for $0?

Why don't you just get a card that gives you "value for money" and avoid the whole need to spend time on the phone convincing people to give you money back?

At some point Amex needs to make money. And that either means slugging every other card member, or reducing the benefits (if enough people manage to wrangle lower fees). It's a zero-sum game.

Bank and Financial fees are upfor negotiation these days. It is quite well within peoples rights tobargain for the best deal possible. So, getting the card that represents 'value for money' can be mre than just accepting the advertised deal. You can try to improve on it, whether that be getting the card for nix, or getting a reduction.

From my point of view, the plat card was good value as the included flights were of benefit to me, and I would have bought them anyway, so I appected the $395 as worthwhile to me. The $900 charge card was a substantially greater stretch to justify!

 

[Alanslegal]

Why many of us try and aim for $0 CC fees?

the cliché The Best Things In Life Are Free sums* it all up

*pun intended

 

[mr_matt_t]

Been reading this thread with interest. Agreed everything is up for negotiation these days.

My annual fee for QF Amex Ultimate card due tomorrow so i called them and asked to transfer to cancellation department. I didn't think my bargaining power was great as I currently owe a bucket load on this card and have only been with Amex 2 years.

Me: So i would like to have the annual fee waived for the year.
Amex : Ok, lets have a look. We can offer you a 50% reduction.
Me: Mmm, I understand if you have a certain spend on the card Amex will waive the fee.
Amex: Yes thats correct. $30k spend we will waive fee.
Me: Ok so how much have i spent.
Amex: $22k
Me: So can you waive the fee for the year?
Amex: No, can offer 50% - $197.50
Me: Mmm, what else can you offer. Can you reduce interest rate?
Amex: We can if you paid off your balance in full.
Me: Mmm, i am currently paying Amex a small fortune in interest, what else can you do?
Amex: Ok, I will give you $100 credit to your account and reduce fee to 50%.
Me: Ok!

I believe i could have negotiated longer and harder but for $97.50 for Amex Ultimate, I believe good deal (especially as based in Perth for the flights).

 

[Febs]

Got a 3rd year free on the Premium card today.

Rang up to cancel, again explaining that I like the card but don't see the $195 value in it. Also mentioned I was about to head off on a RTW trip (which I am on Sunday).

The nice bloke at the cancellations department mentioned that due to my loyalty (only two years with AMEX, but I always pay off in full) he could refund the fee for a third year, but that this would be the last time.

(I initially asked the Ultimate dept about any deals they could do on the Ultimate card - no deals at all).

I guess I could transfer the $195 credit and upgrade to the Ultimate card (effectively getting the card for $200), but I'm happy with my free Premium card.

(Have put about $26k on the card this membership year).

I believe i could have negotiated longer and harder but for $97.50 for Amex Ultimate, I believe good deal (especially as based in Perth for the flights).

Well done!

Cheers,
- Febs.