New Amex bonus point promos?

[KodiakBlack]

Hi guys,

Anyone heard anything about any multiple transaction bonus point offers approaching from Amex? I'm talking about promos like last years 'hopscotch' deal where you were awarded 2500 bonus for every 10 transactions or maybe the 10 000 bonus per 15 transactions like they have had running in the US?

As others have noted, it's certainly the time of year Amex tend to run these sorts of offers and am hoping to give my points balance a nice end of year boost!

Kind of surprised we haven't seen a campaign like 'hopscotch' yet...does anyone think we will see something soon?

 

[awilcockson]

Kind of surprised we haven't seen a campaign like 'hopscotch' yet...does anyone think we will see something soon?

I'm not surprised, considering that some people racked up enough points for multiple RTW in F fares by standing at the checkout and buying a couple of hundred chup-a-chups.

One at a time.

 

[simongr]

I'm not surprised, considering that some people racked up enough points for multiple RTW in F fares by standing at the checkout and buying a couple of hundred chup-a-chups.

One at a time.

People also racked up sufficient points for some great trips by complying exactly with the T&C of the promotions and using the card through normal usage.

 

[KodiakBlack]

Ha!...yes I seem to remember stories along those lines!

Still, you'd hope they might give something like that a run and having learnt from the experience, cap points at 50 000 or so, like I think they did stateside.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm not surprised, considering that some people racked up enough points for multiple RTW in F fares by standing at the checkout and buying a couple of hundred chup-a-chups.

One at a time.

I think that was a promo prior to hopscotch. IIRC, Hopscotch was capped :shock:

 

[samiam]

I've been offered double points between now (well mid-October) and December 31st...

... they rang to 'inform' me that my spending has dropped on the card, I guess this is supposed to encourage me to spend more

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'm not surprised, considering that some people racked up enough points for multiple RTW in F fares by standing at the checkout and buying a couple of hundred chup-a-chups.

One at a time.

I doubt that. Do you know of actual cases, or is it an urban myth?


Amex could have, and most likely would have, suspended anyone with such spending patterns and removed any earnt points. Certainly there were many examples of it at the time including IIRC a claim from an Amex lurker of a person being suspended for having split one phone bill into many small increments.

Maybe someone slipped through the cracks. But is so they were fortunate.

Certainly I was suspended and requested to justify what Amex claimed may have been suspicious spend, but was reinstated after showed that I 100% complied with the T&C of the promotion and the T&C of the MR program.

 

[awilcockson]

I doubt that. Do you know of actual cases, or is it an urban myth?

Wow, doesn't anybody believe anyone any more? That's twice in two days ...

Well I heard it straight from the mouth of the VP for Public Affairs & Communications, AMEX

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Wow, doesn't anybody believe anyone any more? That's twice in two days ...

Well I heard it straight from the mouth of the VP for Public Affairs & Communications, AMEX

Did he say why did he not suspend the person then?

The general T&C of the MR program allowed Amex to. For the Amex VP to know that they were Chuppa Chops would mean that they had looked at in some detail. a quick scan from their side would only show lots of small tx, and not what. I can't think of a "reasonable" argument to justify such a buying pattern and so am curious to know why Amex chose not to act.

I know a number of people that were suspended and lost points for doing a lot lot less than your example, and my own personal experience was that I had to justify repeated spend for handfuls of transactions in a small space of time, let alone hundreds tx.

 

[awilcockson]

Did he say why did he not suspend the person then?

No she didn't. But she did say that they've learnt from their mistakes and it won't happen again.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

No she didn't.

Interesting...as another senior Amex she, did state early on in the promo that they would, and I know for some that they did.

But she did say that they've learnt from their mistakes

History since would suggest not completely.

and it won't happen again.

Well she is wrong there. It already has. Not quite of the same magnitude, but some of us are adept at making the most of loopholes.

They have already made mistakes in following promos.

 

[JOC469]

I got two targeted promotions recently for my Amex Plat Credit Card - For every 5 transactions > $10 get 1000 MR Points (limited to 4000 bonus points). Just finished one and complained that the bonus points didn't come through, and was sent a second - same promotion!

 

[oz_mark]

Did he say why did he not suspend the person then?

The general T&C of the MR program allowed Amex to. For the Amex VP to know that they were Chuppa Chops would mean that they had looked at in some detail. a quick scan from their side would only show lots of small tx, and not what. I can't think of a "reasonable" argument to justify such a buying pattern and so am curious to know why Amex chose not to act.

I know a number of people that were suspended and lost points for doing a lot lot less than your example, and my own personal experience was that I had to justify repeated spend for handfuls of transactions in a small space of time, let alone hundreds tx.

It would be fair to say the reason that Amex knew they were chupa chups is because they spoke with the person in question.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It would be fair to say the reason that Amex knew they were chupa chups is because they spoke with the person in question.

What the item actually was is pretty irrelevant in my thinking.

What I am curious about is why if as stated that one person stood at the register putting hundreds through one at a time that Amex did not suspend the person from the promotion given Amex's rhetoric soon after the promo started, and the many they suspended for a lot less.

Does it mean that Amex were only bluffing at the time????

 

[Flymethere]

This is no urban myth. A number of members from this site back in 2008/09 made huge gains from a promotion which gave 10k points per every 20 transactions. I didn't have an Amex at the time and thought about jumping on it but was hesitant as I was new to this game. Anyway, several members racked up between 1.5 to 3.5 million points (from memory) before Amex put a stop to it. Read through the posts here yes some 500 pages worth) and you will see they eventually won their case against Amex and were successful in obtaining their points. Can't recall the chuppa chup purchases but they basically did exactly that. http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ss-rewards/10-000-bonus-points-per-14628.html

Couldn't be bothered re reading so may have some factual errors in what I have written above but please read through as it is very interesting reading! From memory the good stuff starts somewhere around page 435 to 475.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

This is no urban myth. A number of members from this site back in 2008/09 made huge gains from a promotion which gave 10k points per every 20 transactions. I didn't have an Amex at the time and thought about jumping on it but was hesitant as I was new to this game. Anyway, several members racked up between 1.5 to 3.5 million points (from memory) before Amex put a stop to it. Read through the posts here yes some 500 pages worth) and you will see they eventually won their case against Amex and were successful in obtaining their points. .

Yes I am very familiar with it and indeed did quite ok from it and indeed your reference is in part about me, which is why I am interested. My reference to the 'urban myth' is not the promo itself, but the specific example quoted.

Indeed Amex issued after the promo started:

We will be automatically reviewing all spend activity related to the offer to identify cases of suspected misuse. Cardmembers who are found to have acted inappropriately risk forfeiting any points earned and not being permitted to participate in the remainder of this promotion.

In these cases, American Express will notify Cardmembers. Cardmembers will also be advised that should you be able to substantiate the transactions, in the form of invoices showing the amounts owed to verify the levels of payments made we may reconsider whether in fact they are legitimate everyday transactions.
​

So my interest now is was Amex only bluffing at the time?

Did they really not suspend the said Chuppa Chups run?? Did they alter the T&C, but then not act on it. Or maybe Chuppa Chops Run was maide before the additional T&C was issued?


....or was perhaps the AMEX VP just being a might facetious and made an exaggerated comment about the runs that a number of us where making at the time (but meeting T&C).


I certainly accept what the VP told the forumite. I just am curious about the veracity of what the VP said.....and if 100% accurate why Amex did not act n their revise T&C in that instance, when they certainly were actively suspending many posters.

Perhaps Chuppa Chops was questioned...but Amex let it stand. but again, if so why? Where they really toothless, and just prentending to have fangs?

 

[futaris]

I don't recall anyone buying Chuppa chops, but I do remember people suggesting buying mushrooms, doing 1c bill payments and shopping runs.

Someone said that their transaction record for that month was around the size of a ream of paper.

I don't think anyone cashed out their miles into foreign currency.

Most people redeemed for hotel points or frequent flyer points.

 

[oz_mark]

Yes I am very familiar with it and indeed did quite ok from it and indeed your reference is in part about me, which is why I am interested. My reference to the 'urban myth' is not the promo itself, but the specific example quoted.

Does the specific example really matter?

People were paying phone bills $1 at a time. People were making multiple laps in supermarkets buying one item at a time. And some were buying chuppa chups one at a time.

 

[oz_mark]

Well she is wrong there. It already has. Not quite of the same magnitude, but some of us are adept at making the most of loopholes.

They have already made mistakes in following promos.

I guess it depends what you think was wrong with the promotion.

It was designed to be generous and alter peoples behaviour with which card they were using. In this, it seems to have been successful, as people continued to use their cards after the promotion had finished.

What they did fail to do was to lock it down to targetted people (and apparently this was simply a checkbox not being ticked in the setup screens)

 

[wmetz]

Isn't the original question asked, why haven't we got a similar bonus competition this time, especially as they had one in the US this year.. and
they had chance to earn about 30-45k. I can't buy enough fuel to get that type of points at 5 times.