New £300 Platinum dining credit July 2022

[TGLoyalty]

Some sort of scam wtf is that about its an offer the management have signed up to!

I’d be complaining very hard at the front desk / general manager. not the experience you expect in that sort of establishment!

@JDB I have dinner plans already and with 1st Jan quickly approaching I thought I’d just use the credit for a few drinks. Perhaps Novikov or one of the D&D restaurants are my best bet.

[Ryanfozzie]

ringingup wrote:

I’ve booked dinner at The Colony Grill. I am counting on the two offers to stack up. They normally do. That would be a total of £180 off!

Be careful…. I went there expecting the same (food was amazing by the way) and Amex do not have The Colony Grill restaurant coded correctly, and thus the £150 credit did not apply, despite the £30 one applying.

Ended in a complaint to Amex and got a £150 manual credit which does mean I do technically have the offer to use. They did say they would get this fixed, but just a word of warning to keep the receipt.

[ringingup]

Ryanfozzie wrote:

ringingup wrote:

I’ve booked dinner at The Colony Grill. I am counting on the two offers to stack up. They normally do. That would be a total of £180 off!

Be careful…. I went there expecting the same (food was amazing by the way) and Amex do not have The Colony Grill restaurant coded correctly, and thus the £150 credit did not apply, despite the £30 one applying.

Ended in a complaint to Amex and got a £150 manual credit which does mean I do technically have the offer to use. They did say they would get this fixed, but just a word of warning to keep the receipt.

Thanks for the heads up. Why can they just get it right? At least they refunded you…

How long ago was that?

[Ryanfozzie]

ringingup wrote:

Ryanfozzie wrote:

ringingup wrote:

I’ve booked dinner at The Colony Grill. I am counting on the two offers to stack up. They normally do. That would be a total of £180 off!

How long ago was that?

Be careful…. I went there expecting the same (food was amazing by the way) and Amex do not have The Colony Grill restaurant coded correctly, and thus the £150 credit did not apply, despite the £30 one applying.

It was rather funny….

7th Oct – Dinner @ Colony Grill
14th Oct – Spoke on chat about this. The Spend £120, get £30 back posted, but the Dining Credit did not. Was told it was not an approved merchant because I didn’t buy the dinner online HA!
15th Oct – Spoke on the phone, was confirmed merchant was correct, just need to wait up to 3 months. Asked if anything could be done as I was looking to cancel the card. She said I can make a complaint, which I did.
20th Oct – Manager called me back (agent didn’t put through a complaint) and offered me £25 as a gesture of goodwill, but the merchant was not on the list. At this point, I walked her how to check the list and how to check the details of the transaction. What can only be described as her tail being between her legs, she put me on hold and offered me £150. I said is there anything else that can be done as a gesture, to which she clarified the £150 was a gesture and I can still use the offer elsewhere. She said the issue was the merchant code Amex used vs the merchant code the merchant provided (that was coded to the spend £120 get £30 back). She said the team will get this fixed.

Understand if it does not automatically post, you may end up with a fight. You may end up with an extra £150 credit (if they manually apply a credit vs the offer).

Ended in a complaint to Amex and got a £150 manual credit which does mean I do technically have the offer to use. They did say they would get this fixed, but just a word of warning to keep the receipt.

[Ryanfozzie]

ringingup wrote:

Ryanfozzie wrote:

ringingup wrote:

I’ve booked dinner at The Colony Grill. I am counting on the two offers to stack up. They normally do. That would be a total of £180 off!

Be careful…. I went there expecting the same (food was amazing by the way) and Amex do not have The Colony Grill restaurant coded correctly, and thus the £150 credit did not apply, despite the £30 one applying.

Ended in a complaint to Amex and got a £150 manual credit which does mean I do technically have the offer to use. They did say they would get this fixed, but just a word of warning to keep the receipt.

Thanks for the heads up. Why can they just get it right? At least they refunded you…

How long ago was that?

Be careful…. I went there expecting the same (food was amazing by the way) and Amex do not have The Colony Grill restaurant coded correctly, and thus the £150 credit did not apply, despite the £30 one applying.

It was rather funny….

7th Oct – Dinner @ Colony Grill
14th Oct – Spoke on chat about this. The Spend £120, get £30 back posted, but the Dining Credit did not. Was told it was not an approved merchant because I didn’t buy the dinner online HA!
15th Oct – Spoke on the phone, was confirmed merchant was correct, just need to wait up to 3 months. Asked if anything could be done as I was looking to cancel the card. She said I can make a complaint, which I did.
20th Oct – Manager called me back (agent didn’t put through a complaint) and offered me £25 as a gesture of goodwill, but the merchant was not on the list. At this point, I walked her how to check the list and how to check the details of the transaction. What can only be described as her tail being between her legs, she put me on hold and offered me £150. I said is there anything else that can be done as a gesture, to which she clarified the £150 was a gesture and I can still use the offer elsewhere. She said the issue was the merchant code Amex used vs the merchant code the merchant provided (that was coded to the spend £120 get £30 back). She said the team will get this fixed.

Understand if it does not automatically post, you may end up with a fight. You may end up with an extra £150 credit (if they manually apply a credit vs the offer).

Ended in a complaint to Amex and got a £150 manual credit which does mean I do technically have the offer to use. They did say they would get this fixed, but just a word of warning to keep the receipt.

[ringingup]

I wonder whether I should contact them proactively or just risk it and potentially having to complain after the fact.

[marshy11]

Our trip to The Ivy Guildford last Saturday has been rewarded with the statement credit today. Very impressed with the timing of that and the Harvey Nics one. Roll on next year.

[polly]

Hey Marshy11, we are going there in Dec when it’s all Christmassy. Glad you enjoyed it. Cobham Ivy next though. Credit also appeared v quickly. Nice menu atm.

[marshy11]

polly wrote:

Hey Marshy11, we are going there in Dec when it’s all Christmassy. Glad you enjoyed it. Cobham Ivy next though. Credit also appeared v quickly. Nice menu atm.

I will be interested to hear about your Cobham Ivy experience. That will probably be our next one. Our son lives in Addlestone so they are really easy for us when up visiting.

Great menu at the moment. Cannot rate the chicken Milanese and steak tartare highly enough (with truffle fries of course).

[Bill]

Hawksmoor openining in Liverpool in 2 weeks. Hopefully it maes it onto the list.

[Luca M]

I was also told it would take up to 90 days for my Abroad dining credit to post but in fact it posted about 5 days later. My issue would have been getting credit on the card that I only use for offers (specifically statement credit on Fuel, Harvey Nichols and Dining)

[meta]

Owain wrote:

Utterly bizarre experience at the Savoy Grill yesterday. When I came to settle the bill, I was told they couldn’t accept the Amex Platinum as the waitress was aware of ‘some sort of scam’ where people are trying to use it to get a free meal.
I asked to speak with a manager, but nobody was available (there seemed to be a very rowdy and drunken group at one table with a number of staff intervening, and some sort of an issue going on at reception), and unfortunately I couldn’t wait for however long it might take (an early curtain at the opera).
I ended up paying on another Amex, but feel pretty miffed – using the dining credit was a large part of why I had booked.
To add insult to injury, while most of the meal was very good, the main (Beef Wellington) was pretty bad – a beautiful piece of beef, marred by soggy, doughy, pastry, and a duxelles with the texture of leather and a strong smell of the truffle ‘flavour’ used in cheap truffle oil!

I would have just said that is the only card I have on me, so you can either charge that card or I can go back home and come back tomorrow with another card as I live quite far away so wouldn’t be here before you close.

In fact this is what I often do. I only carry one card, especially if I am just using an offer.

[marshy11]

meta wrote:

Owain wrote:

Utterly bizarre experience at the Savoy Grill yesterday. When I came to settle the bill, I was told they couldn’t accept the Amex Platinum as the waitress was aware of ‘some sort of scam’ where people are trying to use it to get a free meal.
I asked to speak with a manager, but nobody was available (there seemed to be a very rowdy and drunken group at one table with a number of staff intervening, and some sort of an issue going on at reception), and unfortunately I couldn’t wait for however long it might take (an early curtain at the opera).
I ended up paying on another Amex, but feel pretty miffed – using the dining credit was a large part of why I had booked.
To add insult to injury, while most of the meal was very good, the main (Beef Wellington) was pretty bad – a beautiful piece of beef, marred by soggy, doughy, pastry, and a duxelles with the texture of leather and a strong smell of the truffle ‘flavour’ used in cheap truffle oil!

I would have just said that is the only card I have on me, so you can either charge that card or I can go back home and come back tomorrow with another card as I live quite far away so wouldn’t be here before you close.

In fact this is what I often do. I only carry one card, especially if I am just using an offer.

Immaterial how many cards I have on me. If they accept Amex, then I pay by Amex. End of.

If they refuse to accept a particular flavour of Amex then I will give them my contact info and say they can contact me when the manager is happy to take payment via the method advertised on their door/website – and that will be the flavour I prefer to pay with.

[Michael C]

As a Plat virgin (ooh, be-haaave!), I know it’s been double and triple confirmed, but…
Next week, I just go into Sabor as usual on a London trip, eat & drink to my heart’s content (approx.), and
it’s refunded back onto the card?!

[zapato1060]

Michael C wrote:

As a Plat virgin (ooh, be-haaave!), I know it’s been double and triple confirmed, but…
Next week, I just go into Sabor as usual on a London trip, eat & drink to my heart’s content (approx.), and
it’s refunded back onto the card?!

35-37 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BR

If its that one then yes, your hearts content has a free £150 limit though.

[zapato1060]

Owain wrote:

Utterly bizarre experience at the Savoy Grill yesterday. When I came to settle the bill, I was told they couldn’t accept the Amex Platinum as the waitress was aware of ‘some sort of scam’ where people are trying to use it to get a free meal.
I asked to speak with a manager, but nobody was available (there seemed to be a very rowdy and drunken group at one table with a number of staff intervening, and some sort of an issue going on at reception), and unfortunately I couldn’t wait for however long it might take (an early curtain at the opera).
I ended up paying on another Amex, but feel pretty miffed – using the dining credit was a large part of why I had booked.
To add insult to injury, while most of the meal was very good, the main (Beef Wellington) was pretty bad – a beautiful piece of beef, marred by soggy, doughy, pastry, and a duxelles with the texture of leather and a strong smell of the truffle ‘flavour’ used in cheap truffle oil!

My alarm bells would be ringing for that restaurants management with even a hint of an insinuation that you are trying ‘some sort of scam’. Shocking.

[zapato1060]

Harrods wrote:

Would definitely follow up with management here. I guess one perk of Apple Pay is you can pay very quickly and they dont’ see what card you use…not that it should ever matter

So Apple Pay wont invalidate the Amex Plat credit? Like paying via middleman i.e. Paypal?

[Michael C]

zapato1060 wrote:

Michael C wrote:

As a Plat virgin (ooh, be-haaave!), I know it’s been double and triple confirmed, but…
Next week, I just go into Sabor as usual on a London trip, eat & drink to my heart’s content (approx.), and
it’s refunded back onto the card?!

35-37 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BR

If its that one then yes, your hearts content has a free £150 limit though.

Yep! Best pulpo outside Spain and a really friendly crew working there.

[JDB]

@Michael C great place and good to see somewhere other than an Ivy or steak place get a mention. Re Launceston Place, you may blow the Plat offer at Sabor but my wife and son went last weekend and said it was again exceptional. My son get vouchers at Virgin Experiences that get you the £39 set lunch @ £58 for two and O2 gives you £20 off Virgin Experiences, so £38 for two exceptional lunches with quite a few inclusions not shown on the menu!

[Michael C]

JDB wrote:

@Michael C great place and good to see somewhere other than an Ivy or steak place get a mention. Re Launceston Place, you may blow the Plat offer at Sabor but my wife and son went last weekend and said it was again exceptional. My son get vouchers at Virgin Experiences that get you the £39 set lunch @ £58 for two and O2 gives you £20 off Virgin Experiences, so £38 for two exceptional lunches with quite a few inclusions not shown on the menu!

That’s amazing value, @JDB !
I might just pencil on Launceston Place for myself on an “I’ve got a meeting in London” day ;o)
I also had a great set lunch at Gymkhana before it closed and reopened.

On a very different matter, have you ever been to/heard reports from the Legal Geek conference?!

[sloth]

JDB wrote:

@Michael C great place and good to see somewhere other than an Ivy or steak place get a mention. Re Launceston Place, you may blow the Plat offer at Sabor but my wife and son went last weekend and said it was again exceptional. My son get vouchers at Virgin Experiences that get you the £39 set lunch @ £58 for two and O2 gives you £20 off Virgin Experiences, so £38 for two exceptional lunches with quite a few inclusions not shown on the menu!

Good timing to read this as was thinking about booking Launceston Place for a lunch in the new year…can I ask how your son gets the £20 code through O2? Although I have just noticed I get 20% off through paw, which makes it £46.40 for 2 which is not too shabby at all

Edited to add…plus another 16% back through the site that must not be named…:)

[JDB]

@Michael C first apologies for fat finger pressing ‘report’ by mistake. Yes, it’s great value, not sure it will last as it is ridiculously cheap. My wife went to J Sheekey for dinner this week and noticed the set lunch menu there was £34.50 for three courses, but mains have no veg which is £7; totally absurd! Dinner was incredibly poor – neither of us rate the Ivy places much but that was a real shocker apparently. Re Legal Geek, sorry no idea. My wife used to go to a few different ones, but now says White Paper are the only good ones – she would go even without CPD ticks as they have the best speakers and deal with real life current issues rather than all theory.

[JDB]

@sloth sorry not sure re the extra £20 but I think it comes from O2 Priority and you can only get one code per number when they have an offer as my son got a code from our two phones as well as his own. Sounds like you have even more off though! As above, it is an incredible bargain for truly exceptional food in a very nice atmosphere. The chef, Ben Murphy, just won National Chef of the Year award.

[Skywalker]

zapato1060 wrote:

Owain wrote:

Utterly bizarre experience at the Savoy Grill yesterday. When I came to settle the bill, I was told they couldn’t accept the Amex Platinum as the waitress was aware of ‘some sort of scam’ where people are trying to use it to get a free meal.
I asked to speak with a manager, but nobody was available (there seemed to be a very rowdy and drunken group at one table with a number of staff intervening, and some sort of an issue going on at reception), and unfortunately I couldn’t wait for however long it might take (an early curtain at the opera).
I ended up paying on another Amex, but feel pretty miffed – using the dining credit was a large part of why I had booked.
To add insult to injury, while most of the meal was very good, the main (Beef Wellington) was pretty bad – a beautiful piece of beef, marred by soggy, doughy, pastry, and a duxelles with the texture of leather and a strong smell of the truffle ‘flavour’ used in cheap truffle oil!

My alarm bells would be ringing for that restaurants management with even a hint of an insinuation that you are trying ‘some sort of scam’. Shocking.

😮

OP, so if you had no other means of payment, what would have happened then?

[Owain]

OP, so if you had no other means of payment, what would have happened then?

Good question – although as I had somewhere I needed to be (and the tickets for that cost significantly more than I should have saved using the Amex credit), I wasn’t really willing to hang around to insist on speaking to a manager or any other arguing.

As it happens, something else has now come up where I will be able to use the credit before the end of the year, so I won’t faff around with trying to get the Savoy to refund on one card and recharge it to the Amex Platinum. Having said that, both the food and service fell below what I would have expected at the Savoy Grill, so a return visit seems pretty unlikely!