Amex Expedia offer

[Vit]

Hello, just hoping to hear feedbacks if anyone has any issues with the Amex Experdia offer? Obviously need to go through this specific link expedia.co.uk/amexuk and choose pre-paid which I am fine with. (https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/03/29/save-20-at-expedia-hotels/)

Just going to book a night in Inverness before outbound flight so was hoping to utilise this.

Many thanks.

[Ladyshopper]

I used it a while ago, and it was absolutely fine. Credit appeared super fast.

[Vit]

@Ladyshopper thank you. I believe it can be any hotel via the link provided but must be pre-paid as per T&C?

[Aston100]

I struggled to find anywhere suitable for my next 5 holidays.
Even the places that were available through the main Expedia sites were not available through that link.

[Ladyshopper]

Vit wrote:

@Ladyshopper thank you. I believe it can be any hotel via the link provided but must be pre-paid as per T&C?

That’s right. Fortunately the place in New Zealand I was looking at was on there, and the same price as everywhere else, so getting £20 off made it a bargain!

[Vit]

@Aston100 that’s strange. Maybe you’re after somewhere specific? My usual go to place in Inverness is available. Also even search up a few place in HKG and a seaside town (Kep) in Cambodia.

@Ladyshopper thank you. The one I am looking at was even cheaper than direct booking. so yes a good deal! 🙂

[Globe]

Interestingly, Amex mislabelled this and if you apply to them to have the 10% off ALL the offers (up to £150 per transaction, unlimited) they will rebate you the full amount if you hit the limit in the past. I applied to FOS and won on this today.

[Globe]

The complaint

Mr S complains that American Express Services Europe Limited (‘Amex’) didn’t honour a cash back offer he had enrolled on.

What happened

Mr S thought he was entitled to 10% cashback up to a maximum of £150 on each transaction he completed with Expedia. He was upset when Amex explained that the offer he had signed up to only allowed a maximum of £150 cashback on all transactions with that business.

Mr S referred his complaint to this service and our investigator agreed that the terms of the offer supported Mr S’s position. He suggested Amex should provide cashback on each transaction Mr S had completed up until the point the complaint was raised. He said they should also pay Mr S £100 in compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.

Amex agreed to that resolution, but Mr S didn’t think the compensation was sufficient. He, therefore, asked for a final decision by an ombudsman.

What I’ve decided – and why

I’ve considered all the available evidence and arguments to decide what’s fair and reasonable in the circumstances of this complaint.
The offer description Mr S was to benefit from said:

“[…] get a 10% statement credit when you spend any amount on a GBP transaction online at expedia.co.uk/amexuk (valid on “Pay Now” properties by 31/3/2025. Valid every time up to £150. Terms, locations, payment restrictions and future communications about this offer will apply”.

I think a reasonable person would, therefore, anticipate that “every time” they completed a transaction with Expedia in GBP, up until 31 March 2025, they would receive a 10% credit to their account up to a maximum of £150 on each occasion. I can’t see any reference in the terms to the £150 being a maximum cashback across all transactions, and as Amex have accepted the investigator’s suggestion they should provide cashback on each transaction, with interest as Mr S has been deprived of the money, I don’t think it’s necessary to consider that in any more detail.

What is still at issue is the amount of compensation Amex should pay Mr S for the distress and inconvenience he’s been caused. Mr S has had to complain about the issue and to escalate his complaint to this service in order to obtain a fair settlement. He’s been waiting since the end of November 2024.

The distress and inconvenience has, however, been mitigated to some extent because Amex provided a response to Mr S’s complaint very quickly and they were quickly willing to accept our investigator’s suggested redress. Considering all of the circumstances, I think £100 is sufficient compensation here and I’m not asking Amex to pay any more than that.

My final decision

For the reasons I’ve given above, I uphold this complaint and tell American Express Services Europe Limited to:

•Provide cashback for ALL transactions to Expedia that meet the terms and conditions up until the complaint was raised on 27 November 2024. Amex should add 8% simple interest per year from the date the cashback payment should have been made until the date of settlement.

• Pay Mr S £100 to compensate him for the distress and inconvenience caused.