Starwood Preferred Guest - SPG Amex 2 Stays + 5 Nights + Wait a year?

I asked this under the SPG American Express master thread yesterday, but thought I'd have better luck posting to the main SPG forum.

Has anyone received their 2 stay / 5 night credit in the first year their account was opened? I just had the third person from AmEx telling me this credit does not post until the first renewal, which seems preposterous given:

AMEX Web Site: Upon opening your Card Account and, by February 15th of each subsequent calendar year it is open, you will receive from Starwood credit for 2 stays towards your Starwood Preferred Guest elite status and credit for 5 nights toward your Starwood Preferred Guest Elite status.

Am I crazy, or should an account opened on 2/23/11 get a 2+5 in 2011 -- or do I really have to wait until 2/15/12? :confused:

You'll have to wait, I believe.

Has anyone received their 2 stay / 5 night credit in the first year their account was opened? I just had the third person from AmEx telling me this credit does not post until the first renewal, which seems preposterous given:

AMEX Web Site: Upon opening your Card Account and, by February 15th of each subsequent calendar year it is open, you will receive from Starwood credit for 2 stays towards your Starwood Preferred Guest elite status and credit for 5 nights toward your Starwood Preferred Guest Elite status.

Am I crazy, or should an account opened on 2/23/11 get a 2+5 in 2011 -- or do I really have to wait until 2/15/12? :confused:

why's it seem preposterous given the bolded type?

why's it seem preposterous given the bolded type?

Ed, thanks for the response, but probably because I think you bolded the wrong type ;) -- unless I'm misinterpreting the meaning of the word 'and':

AMEX Web Site: Upon opening your Card Account and, by February 15th...

If I'm the only person who interprets "Upon opening your Account" this way, I'd be really surprised, but I'll bite my tongue and slink back into the ranks of the lurkers -- seriously thank you for taking a look at this :)

Ed, thanks for the response, but probably because I think you bolded the wrong type ;) -- unless I'm misinterpreting the meaning of the word 'and':



If I'm the only person who interprets "Upon opening your Account" this way, I'd be really surprised, but I'll bite my tongue and slink back into the ranks of the lurkers -- seriously thank you for taking a look at this :)

I read it as needing to meet both conditions. Thus, you met the first one by opening your account. Now you have to wait until 2012 to meet the second condition.

...Am I crazy, or should an account opened on 2/23/11 get a 2+5 in 2011 -- or do I really have to wait until 2/15/12? :confused:

I don't know, but if you send me your SPG account number, I can certainly look into it.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

spgchampion@starwoodhotels.com

They post about a week after you open you card. Mine posted this way on both my business (Opened Oct 2010) and personal (Opened April 2011).

mine posted a week or so after I got the card this year. I think April 2011 stays posted later that month.

Thank you, guys, this is exactly what I suspected was true. I'm not crazy!

I read it as needing to meet both conditions. Thus, you met the first one by opening your account. Now you have to wait until 2012 to meet the second condition.

this is how i read it. now that the op points it out though, i can see the ambiguous nature of it.

Opened mine mid 2010 and the 2 + 5 helped me achieve Platinum in 2010.

I'm still trying to figure out if mine posted when I opened a card back in June... what did it post as under recent activity? I'm pretty sure mine posted, but there's nothing in the activity to say that they have. My 10K did post, which is clearly marked.

what did it post as under recent activity?
It didn't.

They will post. My parents just both opened their SPG cards (June 2011), 10,000 points and 5 nights + 2 stays posted for both of them about 1-2 weeks after first spend on the card.

Best,

PedroNY

Mine definitely did post, it just doesn't say anything except for the 10K bonus. The AmEx credits will help for the current year.

Yes, they just bump your totals and there is no line item on your account. So do the math and add up the stays/nights you've done this year and you should find the totals off by 2/5. It would be nice if they did a zero point posting to alert you they have added the stays/nights to your account. Just might save them a few calls every year.

If I'm the only person who interprets "Upon opening your Account" this way, I'd be really surprised, but I'll bite my tongue and slink back into the ranks of the lurkers -- seriously thank you for taking a look at this :)

I believe it is per Calendar year.

Our cards were opened last July. However we got our 2 Stays posted several months ago when this became benefit. Definitely before the anniversary which is not until next week.

I recently signed up for the Platinum 15 nights in 90 days challenge. Additionally I also signed up for the Amex SPG card. Do the 5 elite qualifying nights that come with the CC count towards my 15 nights for the challenge?

Everything I read in the terms and conditions seem to point to yes, they will count towards the platinum status. Please help!

Thank you, guys, this is exactly what I suspected was true. I'm not crazy!

I don't believe you are crazy based one this one criteria. On the other hand....;)

I recently signed up for the Platinum 15 nights in 90 days challenge. Additionally I also signed up for the Amex SPG card. Do the 5 elite qualifying nights that come with the CC count towards my 15 nights for the challenge?

Everything I read in the terms and conditions seem to point to yes, they will count towards the platinum status. Please help!

Nope.

To complete the challenge you need 15 paid nights.

You should receive it soon after using your card, as others have noted and experienced.

There's no way that "you receive at X and each subsequent y" can not mean you receive at X.

I recently signed up for the Platinum 15 nights in 90 days challenge. Additionally I also signed up for the Amex SPG card. Do the 5 elite qualifying nights that come with the CC count towards my 15 nights for the challenge?

Everything I read in the terms and conditions seem to point to yes, they will count towards the platinum status. Please help!

Since you were looking for an official reply, the 5 nights from being a U. S. SPG AMEX cardholder have no bearing on the Platinum status challenge. You will have to complete 15 nights' worth of paid stays in 90 days to successfully complete the challenge and move up to Platinum.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

spgchampion@starwoodhotels.com

You should receive it soon after using your card, as others have noted and experienced.

There's no way that "you receive at X and each subsequent y" can not mean you receive at X.

+1. I got my credit days after approval, and I have not even received my card in the mail yet (been 1 week since application/approval).