Diners-ropey start

[Newk]

It can take any length of time. They are unfailingly polite and at the same time exasperating. I too hope you have a good trip. To all those wondering who might read this in the future. Transfer your points EARLY, very early, and keep on Diners' back. I am always on the verge of ditching this card.

 

[albyd]

Just reporting back points have turned up. Waiting for next lot of DC points to be credited before I go again (a little short for my award). Hoping SPG will give me a little more time or I'll have to buy some points to keep my booking.
Good to see SPG transfer now works and within the stated processing time.

 

[albyd]

I thought my experience might help others. My annual fee posted today and I called DC explaining it's expensive for a MasterCard given the relatively few places to use Diners.
The first operator said he couldn't do anything about it. I asked to speak to a supervisor who promised to call me back later. He called back later today and waived my annual fee. Wouldn't confirm what was the critical factor. I suspect my spend of $200k swung it. Told me to keep doing what I'm doing and could ask again next year.

 

[CWM]

Hmm... that's good info. I also had a rough start with Citi - hassles with points not posting, card declined for no apparent reason at times etc. But the past year or so has been no problem, I keep a running monthly total of what the points should be and what I receive and they have been tracking well and posting fairly regularly around the 22nd of each month. Obviously not nearly as nice a points posting system as AMEX but I've gotten used to it. The website is a little slow to update but overall better than it was and now doesn't demand a new password every three months like in the past. Been able to send around 600k points to SPG > AA so far; enjoyed some of the AA 20% bonus for SPG transfer a couple of months back also.

 

[Keftetha]

Why does everything always happen on Fridays? Was out to dinner, went to pay for some drinks and card was declined. No call from diners saying it was declined, nothing! So embarrassing. I had to call them and my balance is about $2k below my limit however when I called diners there's something pending that's taking me over my limit. No idea what this thing is because I haven't used my card for a few days.

Naturally, I can't talk to anyone to get my limit increased (being a weekend) and even if I BPay it, it will take 2 business days to process. This event has happened on my statement date, I'm hoping it will clear and I can start again however that always takes a few days too.

If it wasn't for the points I would give up on this card. Getting so frustrated!

 

[kooky]

Why does everything always happen on Fridays? Was out to dinner, went to pay for some drinks and card was declined. No call from diners saying it was declined, nothing! So embarrassing. I had to call them and my balance is about $2k below my limit however when I called diners there's something pending that's taking me over my limit. No idea what this thing is because I haven't used my card for a few days.

Naturally, I can't talk to anyone to get my limit increased (being a weekend) and even if I BPay it, it will take 2 business days to process. This event has happened on my statement date, I'm hoping it will clear and I can start again however that always takes a few days too.

If it wasn't for the points I would give up on this card. Getting so frustrated!

G'day mate, I had a decline at retail a few weeks back. I actually rang the DC help desk from the store and tried to troubleshoot it, they were really profesh about it, and said there was never an attempted transaction, thus, it never hit their servers. Turns out the merchant didn't actually accept DC, even though they thought they could (because nobody ever uses it, so it was very confusing for them!).

DC help desk were really sympathetic at what I was going through and compensated me with rewards points for my trouble on the spot!

Hopefully you'll get your limit silently raised soon enough and that'll be in the past.

 

[Keftetha]

Thanks kooky, I have never been compensated for any of my troubles. I have the worst luck around. You'd think I would have gotten used to it by now.

 

[albyd]

Keftetha, how long have you been a DC member? not sure if you're still at the default $20k limit we all get on approval. Shortly after I joined, I called DC re increasing my limit from the $20k default and they put me through to a credit analyst in Sydney who then increased it for me.

Might be worth giving DC a call during the week to see if you can get this done.

 

[Keftetha]

That's the interesting thing, when I first started (1yr is coming in January), I had $12k on it. Increased it to $15k as my wife is now a card holder too. So I will need to increase it again....hopefully they can get it to $25k.

 

[kooky]

I've been compensated twice - once for being concerned SPG took too long (they had to investigate) the other was this. May have been 500 or 1000 rewards points or something like that. Always a pleasant phone conversation, in fact when I was stuck in the store the operator continually told me they were happy to wait on the phone as long as it took, to keep retrying the transaction with the merchant, try a different terminal, etc.

The limit increase actually happened silently without application on my side. It went up about six months into having the card, the information came out in a conversation when telling them I was travelling overseas.

I can't think of a better set of cards on the market. It obliterates Plat Edge in my opinion. Looking forward to the PDF statements coming soon.

 

[CWM]

I've been getting on OK recently, the points are posting correctly etc. My Citi MC was hacked just a couple of days before I was to fly O/S - they immediately picked up the problem and blocked the card, would have been helpful if they had informed my by SMS or email.... suddenly the card wouldn't work. But I talked to them and they actually managed to get a new card in the mail later the same day so I received it the next day, just in time for my trip which was great.

I had informed them prior when I was to be away, which countries and approx spend; this somehow didn't seem to register as I still had panicked messages from them while I was away & had to spend time on the phone reassuring the spending was legit. Overall I am happy except I wish they would advise before blocking the card and secondly talking to the call centre is a bit of a drag; they are very polite but it just takes twice as long as it should due to dumb questions / slow comprehension and poor English.

 

[albyd]

I can't think of a better set of cards on the market. It obliterates Plat Edge in my opinion. Looking forward to the PDF statements coming soon.

Agree especially for SPG earn, DC earns same as Edge at supermarkets & more than Edge for fuel and other merchants. Where Diners isn't accepted, MC earns more than Edge.

Assuming there might be some changes with lower interchange having already forced Citi to lower rewards rate for its non-Diners cards. I also collect points towards flight rewards so will re assess once the dust settles and might make DC 1st choice in my wallet. Become quite a fan - even with variability of experience with call center.

 

[Keftetha]

Yep, I couldn't agree more with the above. After a lot of hours calling Diners again today, it was found that I had a duplicate payment from AA. One set of Points + tax taken out on consecutive days (posted on my statement so already claimed by AA) and another set not yet claimed by AA exactly one day afterwards for a price very similar to the ones that had been purchased.
Eg, paid for points on 6.11 for $2400 then once the points posted on the 8.11 I went ahead with the booking and paid another $200AUD in tax.

However Diners claiming that a transaction not yet to be claimed from AA is actually on the 7.11 for $2200 and on the 9.11 for $150. It is this set of transactions that are pushing me over my limit. I think I have found the explanation. Due to the time/day difference in the states, I can confirm I bought them on the 7.11 and 9.11 AEDST but it was still the 6.11 and 8.11 in Phoenix respectively. The exchange rate was different on those days and that's why the prices are similar (I'm guessing), sound plausible??

I hope this makes sense and for anyone else to be a bit wary of especially when close to your limit. Has anyone else had this problem before? I'm going to still increase the limit but still have to wait until Monday. Therefore missing out on points over the weekend. I was pleading and pleading in the hope they would post another 5000 points for the inconvenience but alas no joy.

 

[andye]

. It obliterates Plat Edge in my opinion.

I find both have their uses. I like the Edge for statement credits, 5% WISH and the higher rate for CX and KF (previously MH ). However if I had to choose between them I'd take the DC/MC.

 

[PLANT]

Free flight diners?

 

[andye]

Free flight diners?

No but full acceptance with the combo

 

[Keftetha]

Soooo turns out they won't increase my limit over 15k because I don't earn enough.... I need at least 100k.... :-|

 

[Loga2015]

I also agree with the slow start. It took them 2 months to realise I had a DC+ MC, which automatically enrolled me to the reward program. Then they credited the points on a 1:1 basis, when there were actually more done on the DC card.
Looks like everything seems fine now, waiting hopefully my points come through alright this month.

Also was told by one of their customer care manager's that they will be rolling out email statements soon, so hopefully that makes it easier.

I am going to hang on to my points in DC for now, if moving to SPG is still worth.

 

[Keftetha]

So has anyone else noticed it's taking forever to post expenses onto the website lately? Been over a week now since the last "update" and even my BPay payment isn't showing up and it's been 3 business days. I know Diners is usually slow, but not normally this slow.

 

[Loga2015]

I have noticed this. It takes more than 4 days for the expenses to show up.
I also had issues in points credit where they credit 1:1 points instead of the bonus points.
My statement also doesn't seem to be generated on the date, and I had to call them, to request it to be sent.