Westpac is capping rewards points monthly from June 17th 2013

[alien]

Did you ever get any notification about points capping being applied?

Yes in my last statement.

 

[alien]

Got my black cards in the mail on Wednesday. As per others, no invite, just a nice package with a letter saying activate or cut up. My previous was plat plus visa amex combo.
Now I have a MC amex combo in black and uncapped.

On activation, I happened to glance at the browser address bar and saw an address that flicked quickly, but contained the words Credit Increase Offer. The next page was simply the thanks for activating screen.
Will be interested to see if I get an increase letter, but at 25k+, probably dont need it.

I just click no for the increase offer. Few years backiI used to get heaps and I had 50k limit at one stage but reduced so it helped with my mortgage application

 

[aussieboozer]

Yes in my last statement.

My last statement to 14 April makes no mention of points capping and neither did the previous one.

 

[seritonin]

I spoke to Platinum call centre to change my card to Black and the staff said that I don't have to because they are doing automatic invite/upgrade for all Platinum Plus customer. Anyone else heard this?

 

[zzyss]

I spoke to Platinum call centre to change my card to Black and the staff said that I don't have to because they are doing automatic invite/upgrade for all Platinum Plus customer. Anyone else heard this?

Yes, but it's at the back of the queue - they said it was going to be done in May/June. But most people seem to just jump the queue by requesting for a product swap, or as in my case, just applying for the card outright (and getting the 40k points bonus )

 

[Pushka]

Mine came today. I posted on the other thread. Make sure you download all your statements as I lost them when I went to the Platinum card last time.

I'm just going to confirm I won't ever pay that hefty fee

 

[Peter D]

My last statement to 14 April makes no mention of points capping and neither did the previous one.

The letters came out in March. In my case seperate from my statement, but a few days prior to my statement date to meet the 3 months notice of change requirment.

Many of the letters (but not all) also promised that an offer of a black card at no increase of fee would issue before the capping came into effect.

It seems that if you ask you can get the invitation early. But probably not worth the bother as capping for existing cards hasn't started yet.

 

[aussieboozer]

The letters came out in March. In my case seperate from my statement, but a few days prior to my statement date to meet the 3 months notice of change requirment.

Many of the letters (but not all) also promised that an offer of a black card at no increase of fee would issue before the capping came into effect.

It seems that if you ask you can get the invitation early. But probably not worth the bother as capping for existing cards hasn't started yet.

Have never received a letter from them so guess I will have to call as I would get capped every month.

 

[1022]

My Black Earth cards arrived today. (Previous platinum "plus". The plus bit was never properly explained)

I emailed Westpac a few weeks ago to whinge (politely) about the points capping and my concern that they might erode other Platinum benefits as it was effectively being downgraded to a gold card. Got a call next business day saying that I must have missed the bit in the point capping letter that said I was going to be comped up to Black at my (already discounted) annual fee. I'm sure my capping notification letter didn't have that promise in it. Maybe it hit the the recycling in disgust before I got to that bit. But I was grateful for the reassurance anyway. Was told cards might not arrive until June, so it was a nice surprise to get them today with confirmation in the letter that "we'd like to offer you Earth Black valued at $395, at your current fee arrangement."

I like the "chrome" Mastercard logo on the black background.

 

[Beta4Me]

My Private Bank Altitude Black cards arrived today finally--beat me to whinging to my Private Banker which is good. All activated and ready to go and now just waiting for the new supp cards to come too.

 

[huwcar]

I had the Earth Black cards sent to me this week. As far as I can tell there is no down side to taking up these new cards - is there one? I seem to be able to retain my $75 annual fee and all other conditions the same. It also seems to be that my annual fee will remain at the current rate into the future (or at least that's how I read it).

What's the catch?

There's no doubt the cards are not overly 'exclusive' like a black Amex, but that sort of thing doesn't really bother me.

 

[djchuckles]

So we first rung 6 weeks ago after getting the letter saying we wouldn't be affected (which is nonsense as spend about $10k a month). They said no worries - will switch over and we'll receive invites in the post. 4 weeks later chased it up and got told yep still in progress but delay on manufacturing cards. Today phoned - they have no record of the requests and will look into it but we may lose out current fee arrangement and have to phone back tomorrow to find out!

Very unimpressed with Westpac

 

[Beta4Me]

My Private Bank Altitude Black cards arrived today finally--beat me to whinging to my Private Banker which is good. All activated and ready to go and now just waiting for the new supp cards to come too.

Has anyone else got Private Bank ones? Mine don't say "Private Bank" on them like my old Platinum Plus ones did; just wondering if that's normal.

 

[deluxeflyer]

Very unimpressed with Westpac

Indeed.
First got the letter way back when, usual blah blah blah will not affect your points,
and no offer of Black.

Then followed a string of calls to Westpac:

1st: "oh yes, the letter has not been very popular, call again nearer the launch of black, because it hasn't been announced yet, we can't do anything"

2nd call: "No I can't put you on the invitation list because only marketing has access to that list"

3rd call: "If you are unhappy about the points changes, I can put you through to the complaints dept and you can take it up with them".
After on hold for 10 mins I hung up.

4th call: "Yes I can see you will be adversely affected (D'uh!). I will arrange to have you put on the invitation list for Black. The new cards will be sent out to you around the first week of June before the changes take effect. You only have to activate the cards to accept."

These calls took place over the course of about 4 weeks.
Is it any surprise Westpac that I am pi$$ed off ?
Call me pessimistic, I'm not even mildly reassured of receiving black.
Another b@ll$ up seems increasingly likely.
Please prove me wrong Westpac.

 

[kpc]

Well my bank manager's response was less than satisfactory so I rang the Black number: 1300134929. The operator confirmed that I didn't get an invite for the black card (organised by marketing) but he was happy to issue an invite for both the Altitude and Earth Black cards to me at the existing fee....shall wait and see what happens now. So if anyone else has not received an invite, ring the above number and ASK!!

Rang Westpac again as I have not received the Black cards....after a long wait, confirmed that I will be getting both the Black Earth and Altitude cards but couldn't give me a time frame, and all she she could say was before June 17.

 

[aussieboozer]

Have never received a letter from them so guess I will have to call as I would get capped every month.

Emailed Westpac a couple of days ago and they rang this morning. I will be getting upgraded to the Earth Black card for the same annual fee as my current Altitude Qantas Platinum. They claim to have sent a letter stating this in early April!

 

[zzyss]

Yeah, that's why after all the dramas I just filled in the online application form. Got approved straight away, and pocketed the 40k bonus points to boot. There wasn't a lot of mess to clean up afterwards - a single phone call totalling less than 15 minutes managed to get my Altitude points transferred across to the new account, and my old Altitude cards cancelled.

Would recommend it to anybody.

 

[Beta4Me]

20K FF points (after 2:1 conversion) isn't worth $100pa extra forever.

 

[Pushka]

I rang the black priority line and gave up after 30 minutes of them telling me how important my call was. Rang the normal number and got through in five minutes.

 

[djchuckles]

whats the address to email westpac?