Amex rescinded 100k bonus

[krys_k]

I’m in an unfortunate situation and perhaps someone has some advice.
I took out the business Amex platinum when the bonus was 100k for £10k spend. Which I achieved before the three month deadline. The 100k posted. However, one day after the deadline I received a number of refunds that pushed me down to £9,890 and the bonus was rescinded. Amex are now saying that I didn’t achieve the required spend. What’s frustrating is that the refunds were also unsolicited! I’ve tried to find T&C of the bonus offer but can’t (I can only locate the general T&C relating to card itself). Thanks.

[Rui N.]

Unfortunately, Amex is correct and you technically didn’t achieve the required spend. You now have to rely on their goodwill to get the 100k back.

[JDB]

@Rui N is correct, so you need to proceed carefully, not forcefully. Whether they will show any goodwill may depend on what you have done with or used the card since. Presumably you have also run out of time to go back over the £10k to re-trigger the bonus?

I know it doesn’t help you, but everyone needs to be careful with running too close to the spend deadline or only going a few £ over the threshold.

[krys_k]

Thanks for feedback. Very frustrating. What grates is that the refund wasn’t supposed to land. I checked that if it was reversed would I qualify and the answer was no. So I’ve ended up in a situation where there is absolutely nothing I could do, and all due to an external party. The refunds totalled £350. And I had spent over the bonus threshold since hitting it six days ago. I’ve raised as a complaint as the goodwill gesture I was offered was 5k.

[Peter K]

I’ve had this situation before with a much smaller amount on a different amex and unfortunately the bonus was never given back. Mine was a £99 refund after the 3 month period. As it was after the 3 months I had no chance to remake the spend so it was a lesson learned!

[polly]

Guess if you know you might have refunds down the line, it’s better to overspend in anticipation of those refund amounts occurring. Really really bad luck.. and for such a small amount!
I had to suddenly overspend recently on a gold card, not a great bonus, but it was the 10k. Rushed to do it as BA was suddenly refunding vouchers and it was 2 x LH Asia F 241 fees. Fortunately managed to be over the refund amount by a couple of £100. Topped up every bill l could. EE x2, BT, Affinity water, tv license, Octopus. JL and Tesco gift cards. Just shows we really need to be on top of this bonus thing quite closely.
You might be lucky, but it’s doubtful. It’s an awful lot of MRs to lose. Quite upsetting, am thinking.

[NorthernLass]

I don’t plan for refunds but in case the unexpected happens I always make sure I move large amounts of MR points out as soon as possible. I know not everyone likes doing this but mine are usually accounted for as soon as they hit to go to avios, Virgin or Bonvoy.

[Swifty]

I had this and it’s really upsetting, I lost 30k avios at Christmas with farfetch retailer, buying a £700 coat, that was wrong size, bought the replacement in correct size but refund and new charge posted after the cut off point occurred and missed the points. Wasn’t even my coat, and then found that Flannels had the exact coat in local store. Lesson learnt hard way

[NorthernLass]

@Swifty I had a similar right saga with FarFetch and 2 handbags a couple of years ago and vowed never to buy from them again! They seem rather well known for not having the right item in stock and hoping you’ll settle for any old thing they send you instead.

[can]

I am not sure if they rescinded the offer. You simply didn’t qualify due to refunds.
It is really annoying but sometimes we learn it the hard way.

[zapato1060]

NorthernLass wrote:

I don’t plan for refunds but in case the unexpected happens I always make sure I move large amounts of MR points out as soon as possible. I know not everyone likes doing this but mine are usually accounted for as soon as they hit to go to avios, Virgin or Bonvoy.

This seems smart but wont your MR total then be 10,000k MINUS if you did withdraw but then they were rescinded?

[CarpalTravel]

zapato1060 wrote:

NorthernLass wrote:

I don’t plan for refunds but in case the unexpected happens I always make sure I move large amounts of MR points out as soon as possible. I know not everyone likes doing this but mine are usually accounted for as soon as they hit to go to avios, Virgin or Bonvoy.

This seems smart but wont your MR total then be 10,000k MINUS if you did withdraw but then they were rescinded?

Yes, but then you just cancel the card, closing that account. You can do that.

[Skywalker]

I’m wondering….and it might be a long shot…but if you didn’t get the bonus points this time around, does this reset you in the world of Amex for getting a new card and receiving bonus points, or will they count the first issuing of them as having received them…?

[Rui N.]

What matters on the personal cards is when you had the card, not when you’ve received bonuses. Are the biz cards different?

[CarpalTravel]

Rui N. wrote:

What matters on the personal cards is when you had the card, not when you’ve received bonuses. Are the biz cards different?

Nope, same (though duration may differ, depending on the offer).

Skywalker wrote:

I’m wondering….and it might be a long shot…but if you didn’t get the bonus points this time around, does this reset you in the world of Amex for getting a new card and receiving bonus points, or will they count the first issuing of them as having received them…?

As Rui N. says – dates relating to points is meaningless, it’s the date from which you last had a corresponding account open with them. Per an example of their T&C’s:

“I understand I will not be eligible for any Welcome Bonus award if I hold or have held any personal Membership Rewards-enrolled American Express Cards in the past 24 months.”

[krys_k]

Success. 100k landed again. I had zero luck and almost two hours with chat team. Spoke to the folks that look after Platinum Business and they agreed that perhaps it wasn’t fair that a mistaken rebate post meeting the threshold within given time should have seen the points rescinded.

[CarpalTravel]

Congratulations!!! You have had a real result there, they definitely didn’t need to do that and evidence suggests they normally don’t. Well done also to Amex, that is some high quality customer service there.

[can]

Very well done!

[polly]

Wow, real result there. Congrats. To lose 100k points is a big blow.
I always say Amex cs tops the lot. They seem to try very hard to make it right. Well, l only have hsbc we to compare at that level. And when on the phone to hsbc, am always quoting how they could learn from Amex cs, but it’s true. And they have upgraded their card application p/work online now too, so that’s real progress.