Reduced AMEX earn rates from April 2019

[SOPOOR]

My spend seems to have dropped by 85-90%. Also because I prepaid quite a bit I'm sure

my spend has droppdd 100%!

 

[daft009]

my spend has droppdd 100%!

I still have quite a few bills surcharge free.
Courier, telecommunications, some suppliers, eBay

 

[SOPOOR]

I still have quite a few bills surcharge free.
Courier, telecommunications, some suppliers, eBay

I've prepaid heaps of bills, bought prepaid visas.
Also using my qantas based rewards card to accumulate for the moment

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Also using my qantas based rewards card to accumulate for the moment

Now that is desperate. Would that make your loss even more....

 

[lovetravellingoz]

my spend has droppdd 100%!

So zero spend for you then.


But yes my spend for the moment is just sundries as I prepaid many things and the GCs take care of a lot of things like food and petrol.

 

[jbman]

I haven't noticed any of my usual places I spend at introducing AMEX or reducing the surcharge.

Still plenty of NO AMEX signs around.

 

[SOPOOR]

Now that is desperate. Would that make your loss even more....

So zero spend for you then.


But yes my spend for the moment is just sundries as I prepaid many things and the GCs take care of a lot of things like food and petrol.

at the moment, part of the reason (yes its a bit silly) is that I have a 30k negative amex points balance due to a payment refund recently, so essentially any points I earn are going into a deep black hole

putting all spend to QFF hurts my ego, but it doesnt expire plus the above,

im still very sad to see my spend virtually zeroed, also because of prepaying heaps of stuff, its a nice feeling to get a bill and to see "No payment Needed"

 

[Berlin]

Well some potentially disturbing news. My boss who got the doubling letter, called up and asked the date of the doubling like others have on here.

Was told ‘Sorry Sir your account doesn’t seem to be marked for doubling anymore’.... you can imagine the conversation that transpired then. Thankfully he has the printed letter to fall back on. Amex have requested the letter to be sent to them!

So might pay for those who think they have doubling to double check that the ‘right box’ is ticked!

This worries me coughless as I don’t have the letter anymore. I read it, thought “okay, wear a coughty change but at least they double the points that you already have to bring your past spent up to 1:1” and then threw it away. I had absolutely ZERO idea that this was an “invitation only” type thing.

Do I need to add yet another worry to my life or shall I rather just wait and hope for the best?

 

[pauly7]

This worries me coughless as I don’t have the letter anymore. I read it, thought “okay, wear a coughty change but at least they double the points that you already have to bring your past spent up to 1:1” and then threw it away. I had absolutely ZERO idea that this was an “invitation only” type thing.

Do I need to add yet another worry to my life or shall I rather just wait and hope for the best?

I have no idea but to circle back on that story - the scanned letter was emailed to them and they then doubled the points so ended well.

Related but off topic, a friend who works at Amex said they have had a record quarter of ‘retention loss’... ie customers leaving. Surprised much?

 

[SOPOOR]

I have no idea but to circle back on that story - the scanned letter was emailed to them and they then doubled the points so ended well.

Related but off topic, a friend who works at Amex said they have had a record quarter of ‘retention loss’... ie customers leaving. Surprised much?

is retention loss defined by number of customers leaving? or ones they failed to retend when they called up? or soemthing else?

 

[yoyo]

They deserve it. I just paid my annual fee because I need the card but happy so many have cancelled. I truly believe they did the dirty on us.

 

[BriarFlyer]

I have no idea but to circle back on that story - the scanned letter was emailed to them and they then doubled the points so ended well.

Yikes. I *think* I have the letter, but I thought the points were being doubled mid-June...or is it July?

 

[coriander]

ISTR, cutoff was 14/4, doubled points would be added on the 15th of June.

 

[pauly7]

Yikes. I *think* I have the letter, but I thought the points were being doubled mid-June...or is it July?

I don’t actually know sorry, as I didn’t qualify! Perhaps they confirmed the points ‘would be doubled’ rather than doubled the spot. I can check next week.

 

[BriarFlyer]

Thanks, guys. Just a week to wait then. With fingers crossed.

(Pauly, no need to check. We'll all find out soon enough!)

 

[Berlin]

Thanks, guys. Just a week to wait then. With fingers crossed.

(Pauly, no need to check. We'll all find out soon enough!)

Awesome. Just waiting for a week then and hoping for the best!

 

[DC3]

Well some potentially disturbing news. My boss who got the doubling letter, called up and asked the date of the doubling like others have on here.

Was told ‘Sorry Sir your account doesn’t seem to be marked for doubling anymore’.... you can imagine the conversation that transpired then. Thankfully he has the printed letter to fall back on ….

Sad to say, but there's a certain AMEX overseas Call Centre that I have absolutely no faith in. Better to HUCA, or, as I've been assured by an Oz CSO that you can just ask to be connected to Oz, during the normal business hours M-F.

 

[Coops1]

Just a reminder — For those that got their Amex cards in the latter part of last year, the redeem rate is still 1:1 or 4:3 depending on card. This finishes today 30/6, after which the redeem rate reverts to 2:1. Login to your account to verify the rate.

 

[daft009]

Emptied my accounts today

 

[ozstamps]

I phoned Amex today chasing a $120 Hilton stay promo credit they had never done, and they verified that, and sorted that, and added it to my account.

Also had a local ‘’Shop Small’’ merchant spend not show yet, and he agreed that program was a bit of a mess, could see the charge, could see the merchant was enrolled in Shop Small, and added the $10.

Had a very good agent, and was on a roll, and opined my 1,250,000 points balance I was not happy about being halved next April and wished they had not been so savage with the devaluation.

Agent looked at my card history, tapped the computer, and said essentially “I can see you have been an Amex member for about 40 years, spend ~100K a year, never miss a bill payment, and I can confirm YOUR points balance at 15 April will be doubled, and those bonus points will post by June 15.”

So it appears there is somewhat of a case by case approach in place, and loyal long term AmEx clients who generate them some true revenue, appear to be getting looked after - for a change in any ''Loyalty'' plans!

Asked if he could note that for sure in my account and he said he had. I took his name and thanked him kindly.

I have no sympathy whatever for someone who signed up a card for 100,000 free points, churns that card after the minimum spend, and signs up for another etc, and wants those 100,000 points to be doubled for instance, as they were “Free” anyway essentially.

So it seems there is some kind of common sense broadly being used, on a length of loyalty to Amex basis etc, from that conversation, regardless of card type.

I was about to move them all to Virgin this week as the 15% Bonus is still in play, but if they double to 250,000, will hold off, as sure as eggs mid 2019 there will be some juicy transfer deals!

12 months on no double points despite this clear assurance to me last November.

Anyone got a real email address I can use, to hopefully avoid going ino a loop over Bangladesh or Manila, to get this hopefully sorted. 1.3 million points is a lot of course!

I have agent name I spoke to and time of call.

Agent looked at my card history, tapped the computer, and said essentially “I can see you have been an Amex member for about 40 years, spend ~100K a year, never miss a bill payment, and I can confirm YOUR points balance at 15 April will be doubled, and those bonus points will post by June 15.”