Triggered Avios Plus downgrade too early!!!

[elucidate]

Hi all,

Having read elsewhere on this forum that you can downgrade from Avios Plus to Avios using the app, and that it only actually happens after the next statement date, I triggered the downgrade after I made two statement payments, with the understanding that I’ll hit the £3000 threshold by the third payment due date.

My fatal error was that I failed to take into account that my statement date is a few days after my payment due date. So I’ve triggered the downgrade a couple of days before my statement, and they’ll then immediately issue me with an Avios blue card. It looks like I’ll be leaving Plus after only two months.

I contacted Live Chat within minutes of making my mistake, and they told me the product switch has been stopped. But I got a text the next day telling me it’s in process and they’ll be in touch.

I phoned Barclays immediately and I was basically told there’s nothing that can be done now. I was advised to phone Barclaycard but by the time I had the opportunity to do so their phone lines closed. I’m now waiting till tomorrow morning.

The only thing I’m holding hope in is that their website says the old card will continue to work for another 30 days. Do you think they’ll honour the Avios Plus reward if I only use the old card, and hit the threshold before it deactivates automatically?

[elucidate]

I’m only around £500 away from reaching the £3000 target. If there really is no hope in stopping the downgrade from happening, what if I spend the £500 before the upcoming statement?

[strickers]

Nothing to lose I suppose, Amazon gift card or top up your energy account and move to variable direct debit?

[AndrewT]

As you have said the changeover happens on the next statement date. So providing you spend the £500 or so before then it will count, but it will probably need to clear not just be a pending transaction.

If you use the existing card after the statement date (as you can and should until the new card arrives) it counts towards the new card and its new £20K voucher spend target.

[TGLoyalty]

Exactly the dangers of trying to be far too clever and game the system.

This is a game of give and take not take take take with the minimum acceptable timeframes.

Looks like you need to spend £500 tonight. Gift cards or Amazon top up might be your only hope. In future perhaps wait until statement 3 lands and you bank all the benefits before changing products.

[elucidate]

I’ve actually now done a proper tot-up of my spend and, as of a few minutes ago, I was literally only £7 (not £500!) off reaching the £3000 – but only if you include pending transactions. I’ve just done a small Amazon purchase which has been added to the pending list.

It’s the best I can do right now, let’s see how a phone call goes.

@TGLoyalty – I wasn’t trying to be too clever. Just wanted to get it over and done with.

[BJ]

‘Clever’ would not have been my word of choice but anyway a few transaction in hope of one clearing overnight might save the day. Even in my churning days (now behind me) I’d hold amex cards for no less than 6 months even when hitting spend targets within the first month.

[NorthernLass]

Don’t you have a spend tracker showing you how close you are? Also it seems a bit of waste to miss out on triggering the upgrade voucher at £10k just for the sake of saving £20 per month (unless you were never intending to put that much spend through the card).

[elucidate]

I’ve just got off the phone with Barclaycard who have told me the product switch has not properly initialised on their end. Only then can they press the Cancel button. They told me I need to wait 24-48 hours and call them again.

I reckon the first chat agent was successful in their stoppage of the switch but the system is a bit confused in terms of what information is displayed and sent out. That’s the best-case scenario. I did notice that the product switching section of the app came back after that first agent told me she stopped it. So that’s a good sign.

I suppose another good scenario is if they can’t stop the transfer but things are taking too long for it to be done this month and it happens next month instead.

@NorthernLass – yes I only discovered the spend tracker last night! It showed me closer to the target than my actual spend, and I could not figure it why that is the case. So to be on the safe side I spent £10 last night to cross the threshold for my manual spend count.

For my personal spending and flying habits it’s not worth me spending £20 a month for the yearly reward. I only applied for Barclaycard because I wanted a reward card usable in places that don’t accept my Amex Nectar. Save up the Avios for the occasional flight, or just convert it to Nectar.

[elucidate]

Right, I hope I’m not breaking some kind of necroposting rule but I thought it would be polite to give some kind of update to you.

The update is … nothing happened. Seems like this theory of mine turned out to be true:

elucidate wrote:

I reckon the first chat agent was successful in their stoppage of the switch but the system is a bit confused in terms of what information is displayed and sent out.

The 25,000 Avios were paid into my BAEC account yesterday and I then immediately requested the switch to the blue Avios card.

My £20 monthly fee was added to my statement pretty much as soon as I received my card. In fact, my first statement was just for the £20 fee, and then a new statement period began. Essentially, I’ve been paying the fee in advance of every new month.

Is there any way I can avoid a fourth £20 charge, given that they’re gonna send me the blue card straight after that?

[CJD]

elucidate wrote:

Right, I hope I’m not breaking some kind of necroposting rule but I thought it would be polite to give some kind of update to you.

The update is … nothing happened. Seems like this theory of mine turned out to be true:

elucidate wrote:

I reckon the first chat agent was successful in their stoppage of the switch but the system is a bit confused in terms of what information is displayed and sent out.

The 25,000 Avios were paid into my BAEC account yesterday and I then immediately requested the switch to the blue Avios card.

My £20 monthly fee was added to my statement pretty much as soon as I received my card. In fact, my first statement was just for the £20 fee, and then a new statement period began. Essentially, I’ve been paying the fee in advance of every new month.

Is there any way I can avoid a fourth £20 charge, given that they’re gonna send me the blue card straight after that?

They’ll refund your most recent charge when you downgrade.

[douggy11]

So I think I’m about a month behind you – to avoid what happened in your case when do I need to time my cancellation. Is it once I’ve definitely hit the 3k?