New Altitude Black has landed...

[mranwa]

If you guys look at my screenshot, it is written there "Double Points Promotion" and not caltex bonus etc.
And the points given is 3768 ie 1 point per $1, whereas I spent and obtained 12k+ points on $3768 spent ie roughly 9k+ points from a mixture of (1.25 and 3 points per $1) plus the so called "Double Points Promotion" of 3768. If it was true double points, I would have expected 18k+points from $3768 spent instead of 12k+ points.

I'll wait till end of the promotion period whichever it may be (from application approval or activation of card) and if everybody else is getting real double points then I'll have to chase it up I guess. Though dreading the customer service call, really long wait and many clueless customer service representative.

I posted about this last month, think most missed my post(http://www.australianfrequentflyer....de-black-has-landed-49447-18.html#post1071582). From the double points for 3 months promotion, I've had my first month's bonus points post already, and just recently had my second month's bonus points post.

In my online rewards statement it posted like so:
Date, Description, Spend($), Earn Rate, Points, BONUS Points
dd/mm/yy, DOUBLE POINTS PROMOTION, xx_,xx_.00, 2.00, 0.00, xx_,xx_.00



Probably another case of left hand not knowing what right hand is doing again as mine have already posted and my 3 month bonus period hasn't finished yet.

 

[Ghostdunks]

If you guys look at my screenshot, it is written there "Double Points Promotion" and not caltex bonus etc.
And the points given is 3768 ie 1 point per $1, whereas I spent and obtained 12k+ points on $3768 spent ie roughly 9k+ points from a mixture of (1.25 and 3 points per $1) plus the so called "Double Points Promotion" of 3768. If it was true double points, I would have expected 18k+points from $3768 spent instead of 12k+ points.

I understand your case better now. To make it easier to understand and work out whats going on, can you answer a few questions please?

1) The line that says "Double Points Promotion" on your screenshot has a date of 21/07/2014 on it. I've got a line that matches that and has the same date on my rewards statement online. In my case however, the number of bonus points awarded matches the amount of reward points earned during the previous statement period(14/06 to 11/07) give or take a few points. As you can see the double points aren't awarded straightaway, rather its more than a few days after the end of the statement period. Do you know when your statement periods are?

2) You mentioned that you had already obtained approx 9k+ points from a spend of $3768. Perhaps the majority of the spend was after the end of the statement period but before the date the bonus points was awarded? Just throwing out random numbers here but maybe you spent around $1500 total in the statement period before, resulting in reward points of 3768(mixture of 3x amex and 1.25 mastercard), which then further resulted in bonus points of 3768 to be awarded? I'm not convinced that you spent the exact amount of $3768.00 over a period of 1 month, which then resulted in an award of 3768 points, as that amount of $3768.00 seems to be a rather round number for multiple transactions in 1 month to total to. Could be wrong though, just my theory.

Easiest way I can think of is to login to the Altitude Rewards site, go to the points summary page, note down the dates of the periods that have passed. Then go to the altitude statement view, and then add up all the bonus points for a particular statement period and compare that number with the number of bonus points that posts after that(or possibly before..I'll explain why later). I could do this easily by copying the table in the web browser and just pasting it into Excel, and then just summing the bonus points for a particular period. In my case, the bonus points awarded matches the total amount of reward points awarded for the period before it, or very close to it.

Now, to explain something weird...in my Rewards Statement, on the 19/05/2014, I have a line that lists my bonus points for the statement period AFTER it. 19/05/2014 is when my account actually started(as according to the statement period), but before my card was even activated. So looks like that line was added retrospectively after the period ended, but with an earlier date. In June, I don't have any bonus points awarded, but in July(21/07/2014), I ended up getting the bonus points for the statement period before that date. So its a bit weird how they recorded the bonus points, could just be whoever was recording it mistakenly set the first batch of bonus points to be awarded in May, rather than June AFTER the statement period ended. After all, how can they know how much I was going to spend in the statement period to come? I would just put this down to a mistake.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Good people just some info on the current 3mth double Alt pts promo for eligible cards. Earlier in this thread I explained how I had old Alt Black but replaced it with new Alt Black solely to take advantage of 2 x pts promo. ALL of you good folk who have new Alt Black with 2 x pts promo just be critically aware of the relevant dates pertaining to your 3mth window - let me explain by ref to following dates:

Card created - May 2
Card activated May 9
First card usage - May 9 (Friday)
First online transaction listing - May 12 (Monday)

I spoke to Westpac online rep in late May and was advised that 3mth window would run to Aug 12. After another post in this thread about some confusion on actual dates I followed up again in late July - was advised that indeed 3mth window would expire on Aug 9 - 3 mths to date after card activated. On Aug 7 I spent ~$18K and on Aug 8 I spent ~$50K - assuming all would be good. On Sat Aug 9 I called Westpac to confirm that my 3mth window was indeed expired.

Call rep advised me NO - 3mth window actually expired Aug 2 - 3mth after card created. NO I said - totally unacceptable given advice I had previously been given - we will need to escalate this to a Manager - I am on hold 30mins before Manager comes online - I explain situation and he says beyond his area so need to fill out 'Complaint to Customer Relations'.

Customer Relations contacted me 3 days later - their advice was 'Normally 3mth time frame would be from date of Card creation and not any other date' - I told him this was totally unacceptable and that any reasonable man test would conclude indeed that a 3mth promotion window must indeed be from date of activation as there are a myriad of reasons why activation of card could be delayed - even caused by Westpac. He then asked - 'OK what do you want'? My simple answer was '3mth double altitude pts window to be from card activation date of May 9 up to and including Aug 8' - his reply was 'That's only one week so I don't see any problem with that - I will advise Altitude Rewards to reflect this when processing double points'.

So I guess I wait until end this statement cycle which should be Sept 2 and see if indeed I do get the 2 x pts for transactions on Aug 7 and 8. Hope this info might help some others here.

 

[ukh]

Thanks for the useful information. I just rang Altitude 2 days ago with the same question. After 15 minute delay they reassured me the 3 months was from card activation date( mid June for me ) - obviously this is incorrect and the staff are not actually aware of the exact details. I do not want to go through all the headaches you had to endure so will just have to spend earlier if possible.

 

[burmans]

Thanks for the useful information. I just rang Altitude 2 days ago with the same question. After 15 minute delay they reassured me the 3 months was from card activation date( mid June for me ) - obviously this is incorrect and the staff are not actually aware of the exact details. I do not want to go through all the headaches you had to endure so will just have to spend earlier if possible.

I would go straight to their complaints process rather than attepting to ring and have to get through the frontline CSR's who can't fix.

As far as I am concerned if you were told one thing and something else happened, that's their problem and you should complain you didnt get what was advised.

 

[kkl]

View attachment 32875Not sure if this upload works.

Which app for iphone is that?

 

[Ghostdunks]

Customer Relations contacted me 3 days later - their advice was 'Normally 3mth time frame would be from date of Card creation and not any other date' - I told him this was totally unacceptable and that any reasonable man test would conclude indeed that a 3mth promotion window must indeed be from date of activation as there are a myriad of reasons why activation of card could be delayed - even caused by Westpac. He then asked - 'OK what do you want'? My simple answer was '3mth double altitude pts window to be from card activation date of May 9 up to and including Aug 8' - his reply was 'That's only one week so I don't see any problem with that - I will advise Altitude Rewards to reflect this when processing double points'.

I had a feeling this would happen, hence why I alluded to it in one of my previous posts, especially as a warning for those who had deliberately not activated their card for a month or two to time it with big spending. I rang up in June to tell them I was going overseas, and as part of that convo, I asked to make sure that the double points period started from card activation and not from when the account was approved, etc as it was at least a week between them creating the account and me actually receiving the cards. The CSR at the time also said that it was usually from when the account was opened, and when I pressed her on it, pointing out that the offer on their website explicitly stated "3 months from card activation", she said they had no record of when the card was actually activated, and she "guessed" that it would be done from date of first transaction....from then, I knew there was going to be issues with their whole valid promotion period and when it started from.

My 3 month period should end on the 19/20th of this month, but I've been careful to try and put all my big spending before the 14th(when the account was opened) so I don't need to chase it up later with these clowns... If I do end up having a big spend next week, I think I'll have to though.

 

[AdMEL]

Which app for iphone is that?

Its not an app, just the altitude rewards website optimised for an iphone/mobile device.

 

[albyd]

Has anyone who was an existing altitude holder who purposely opened a new altitude account for the double points promotion got their double points yet? Mine was opened in April and nothing posted yet.

Called altitude today and they're investigating as think I should've been credited bonus points by now.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Called altitude today and they're investigating as think I should've been credited bonus points by now.

Allegedly bonus pts will post at completion of billing cycle post expiration of 3mth bonus window - how do your dates align?

 

[ukh]

Has anyone who was an existing altitude holder who purposely opened a new altitude account for the double points promotion got their double points yet? Mine was opened in April and nothing posted yet.

Called altitude today and they're investigating as think I should've been credited bonus points by now.

Verbal response( ? reliable) from Westpac was that it will take up to 2 months after the 3 month period - and that took them 10 min on hold to work out

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So off to FOS we go - Alt Black earning 2 x pts for 3mths activated on May 9 - 3mths in my reckoning would be up to and including Aug 8 - but not on Westpac's calendar it's not - 3mths runs from May 9 to Jun 22! Yep you read right - Jun 22. I have it in an email in black and white yesterday - Westpac admit I applied and granted new Altitude Black to earn 2 x pts for 3 mth window within Special Promotions dates - but I am ineligible for pts from Jun 23 to Aug 8. WHY? Only Westpac knows.

So off to the FOS web site and lodge complaint yesterday. Just got off blower with lovely young Westpac rep who is charged with solving this prob. She guarantees me that if I am indeed eligible for 2 x pts - and on surface she can see that indeed I am - then will definitely be granted. She will email me next week after she thoroughly investigates.

 

[ukh]

This is a worry.
Has anyone yet received the full 3 month double point entitlement ?
Over the phone the Westpac staff seemed very disorganised with incomplete access to the rules, the dates etc

 

[albyd]

I'm getting the impression this may be a bun fight. Called them over a week ago and they haven't got back to me about when or if they will be posted

My promotional period finished early June & received a statement since.

 

[kkl]

Currently 7 weeks since my card activation. So far no bonus points awarded. Hope it will be credited automatically after my 3 months

 

[Ghostdunks]

Has anyone yet received the full 3 month double point entitlement ?

I've received 2 months double point entitlements, and am expecting my 3rd "month" bonus points in next few days or so, based on the timelines they awarded it for the last two. Although I'll still expect to fight for some more "bonus" points as some unexpected extra bills came in the last week which would still be within 3 months of my card activation date, but not within 3 months of the account opening date, which is when I believe they'll count it from.

 

[albyd]

I thought they were going to make a bulk payment of bonus points at the end of the promotion period.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I thought they were going to make a bulk payment of bonus points at the end of the promotion period.

That is what I have been told 100 times by Westpac - in the letter they sent me it clearly states - "Allocation of bonus points may take up to two months from the end of promotion date".

 

[albyd]

Just called them promotion ended 22 June according to the guy I spoke with and that's tomorrow.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Just called them promotion ended 22 June according to the guy I spoke with and that's tomorrow.

YES in letter I received it states promotion period was 1 April 2014 to 22 June 2014. But what do you mean that's tomorrow?