Creation Financial Services bashing

[Harrier25]

I vote for ‘completely incompetent’, monsieur.

[QFFlyer]

JerrySignfield wrote:

Jamjaw wrote:

You think Creation lose out to the tune of £millions? That would be hundreds of millions of pounds of manufactured spend. Not a chance in hell. Maybe a few thousand pounds, but unless you know more about their contract with IHG and the amount they pay for individual points (maybe they bull them in chunks, were looking like running out of them so just turned off loads of accounts) then I highly doubt the cost of this to Creation.

Creations IHG Black Card was broken from the start, to pay off the credit card Creation allowed the use of a credit card which they most likely had to pay out their 0.3% which is completely bizarre and wiped out any revenue they would have received from the Interchange fee. They were paying 2 points on the black card IIRC, its been mentioned they must have been paying 0.3p per point or similar to IHG so thats 0.6p per £1 spent aka 0.6%, so they were losing £60 for every 10k spent, so after 16.5k spent thats the annual fee wiped out and they would be losing money after that as well as having to pay out the free night certificate (£XXX?)

They were either confident that they would make money from interest balances or just completely incompetent at designing the product in the beginning and thinking of a worst case scenario, they now seem to think its ok to blame the consumer for their incompetence regardless of any MS or not.

I highly doubt that any NSI or similar deposits reached close to 166m in transactions which would equate to a £1m loss, in fact I would be surprised at a figure of 10% of that.

I woudln’t be so sure about not even reaching 10%. Maybe £166M is a stretch, but £16.6M isn’t, not when 1 person could have done 2-3% of that alone, easily, every year.

[Jimbob]

I wouldn’t be surprised at the £166M figure.
Curve had £10k a day spend limits, the real limit was your personal credit card limits and own cash flow.

[SteveJ]

Jamjaw wrote:

JDB wrote:

I am not sure how you would feel if your firm made an error that allowed it to be ripped off for £millions?

You think Creation lose out to the tune of £millions? That would be hundreds of millions of pounds of manufactured spend. Not a chance in hell.

It’s an entirely made up number written with the all the tact of a Daily Mail headline writer.

[HughM]

HughM wrote:

My IHG One account shows Diamond membership ended on 31 December 2022. That is a consequence of Creation’s pulling of the Premium black card, on which my diamond membership depended. My IHG One account also correctly records that I am still an IHG credit card holder (my free, White IHG rewards card, also from Creation, was never linked to Curve and remains usable). The card linked to my IHG one account is the Creation black card, closed by them but showing a credit balance, a claim now referred to FOS. That card also says: expires 01/24. Question: am I likely to retain Diamond this year? The white card used to equate to gold, but my IHG One account does not mention that. The milestones for 2023 are now there. Has anyone’s 2023 status (based on a card) been clarified yet?

It turns out to be platinum.

[XmaX]

I just got a notification from AwardWallet that I was downgraded from IHG Gold to Silver. I had the gold through the white Creation card, which is still active. Did anyone else experience this?

[HughM]

It sounds as though they are avoiding a bump of more than one tier. I have questioned it with IHG One, on the grounds that: (1) Premium card says ‘expires end 01/24’; (2) card, while not usable, retains a credit balance withheld by Creation on complaint; (3) a dispute procedure, recommended by Creation, is being followed … IHG have not acknowledged. Does anyone have the number for the Diamond helpline? (on this thread, by definition, I suppose not).

[NorthernLass]

I can’t really see how you’re going to achieve anything with this. If you didn’t earn Diamond through stays, or by spending £XXXX on the credit card (which you can’t because it’s been closed for over 12 months), then surely IHG are just going to say “tough”?

Did the promised dedicated Diamond hotline ever materialise? I usually find the best response is to be had by contacting the Ambassador email, if applicable.

[HughM]

Two worlds, two mentalities: I don’t assume IHG has a Solihull window on the world (my query goes to the Philippines and, with gentle insistence, may end up in Denham, Middx.) The answer may well be “tough”. Still, I need telling.

[NorthernLass]

I’m inclined to agree – do let us know what response you get from IHG!

[FatherOfFour]

XmaX wrote:

I just got a notification from AwardWallet that I was downgraded from IHG Gold to Silver. I had the gold through the white Creation card, which is still active. Did anyone else experience this?

Yes, same. Expected it based on the fact the gold lasted more than 1 year after card closure.
Work stays have really reduced for me, and as a family we usually use Premier Inn, so I’m not feeling entitled to anything above silver! Just grateful to keep a modest points balance alive until needed.

[PeteM]

Latest note from my friends at the FOS:

We’re currently in conversation with Creation about the rewards scheme attached to your card, this is so we can fully understand how it works. This is to ensure when we’re in a position to provude an outcome, we’re giving fair answers. We’ll be in contact again in due course.

[NorthernLass]

I got that exact same email two months ago! Clearly a long conversation …

[XmaX]

FatherOfFour wrote:

XmaX wrote:

I just got a notification from AwardWallet that I was downgraded from IHG Gold to Silver. I had the gold through the white Creation card, which is still active. Did anyone else experience this?

Yes, same. Expected it based on the fact the gold lasted more than 1 year after card closure.
Work stays have really reduced for me, and as a family we usually use Premier Inn, so I’m not feeling entitled to anything above silver! Just grateful to keep a modest points balance alive until needed.

Yeah, but my card is still active, the points get posted as they should – not quite sure why the status would change!

[NorthernLass]

I think I saw something on IHG FAQs the other day when I was looking for something else that points earned from credit cards don’t count towards status any more. I’ll try and find a link. So we were all doomed even without Creationgate!

[NorthernLass]

I can’t get the link to post, but on re-reading I’m not exactly sure which area of “qualifying” it refers to!
If you’ve got a line in your account saying your status is being reviewed, there’s a link to FAQs and a load of blurb about elite tiers.

[Blair Waldorf Salad]

NorthernLass wrote:

I think I saw something on IHG FAQs the other day when I was looking for something else that points earned from credit cards don’t count towards status any more. I’ll try and find a link. So we were all doomed even without Creationgate!

I am pretty sure that was for US cards but the UK card spend remained status earning

[XmaX]

Either way, my status was not acquired through spend – the free (white) card comes with Gold status for as long as my card is active. I’m looking at T&Cs and it should still be the case.

[_aDifferentSimon_]

XmaX wrote:

Either way, my status was not acquired through spend – the free (white) card comes with Gold status for as long as my card is active. I’m looking at T&Cs and it should still be the case.

I had an email in Feb 2022 (subject “What the new IHG Rewards news means for you”) explaining that from March ’23 it would be silver elite instead of gold elite on my free card. To be fair they are both rubbish so no great shakes 😀 Just roll over status earning nights seems to be the only difference. Neither has Complimentary Upgrades (subject to availability…), Welcome Amenity at Check-In or discounted reward nights.

[craigmmorq4]

Yep i got the same 2 months ago

PeteM wrote:

Latest note from my friends at the FOS:

We’re currently in conversation with Creation about the rewards scheme attached to your card, this is so we can fully understand how it works. This is to ensure when we’re in a position to provude an outcome, we’re giving fair answers. We’ll be in contact again in due course.

[Lady London]

Must be a b100dy long conversation then. I’m sure we heard of that limp response from the FOS a lot longer ago than two months.

I mean… how exactly is FOS spending their time? A ‘conversation’ with any professional intent and competence on both sides does not take *years.

[NorthernLass]

12 months this week since I submitted my case to them!

[craigmmorq4]

16 months since I submitted my case to them. I may contact my MP

NorthernLass wrote:

12 months this week since I submitted my case to them!

[Harrier25]

craigmmorq4 wrote:

16 months since I submitted my case to them. I may contact my MP

😂 If your MP is one of those pathetic Brexit loving, stop the dinghies backbench Tory brigade, then I don’t hold out much luck for you taking that route.

[cin3]

Jon wrote:

agreement in principle,

What was the agreement in principle?

But excellent work. I know how stressful doing these cases on your own can be.

And agree with others that you probably should have gone for written judgment as you would have done well.