CommunityBuzz! - BOS mini DO ~ Tues, April 24 and more ~ Surrounding the topic of the UA MoM promo

WHEN: Tues, April 24 - and/or surrounding dates.

WHERE: Bos and Concord/Lexington, MA.

WHY: I am taking Cartera (http://www.cartera.com/)to small claims court (http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/concorddistrictmain.html) in MA, where I reside.

Cartera is the company that handles many of the airline shopping malls where people try and earn miles for purchasing products at websites they already use anyway.

WHO: Anyone seeking missing miles justice and who wants to meet other FTers.

WHY: In the minds of many, Cartera really botched up the postings of thousands of mileage transactions done by countless FTers who participated in the United Airlines Months of Miles promotion that began last August (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1248260-united-months-miles.html). I personally have over 300 outstanding mileage transactions with them and they just aint movin to my United account, where the airline is tallying mileage transactions for a bonus that should have already awarded me over 250,000 UA miles. Instead, things have been stalled and Cartera is, in my mind, to be blamed for this. They are either scammers or they are inept--or both. I am suing them for the max allowed in my state--$7,000 plus expenses.

I filed with the Concord, MA court and my case is to be heard Tuesday, April 24 at 9:00am

Many in the area, or who already expressed interest in coming to the area, may wish to come sit in the court room, and then later go out to chat about the case, the struggle and miles in general. Of course, win or lose or postpone, there will also later be eats and brews. Being from the area, I have some suggestions on where that could be and we could go over those in here too.

Concord is a town located less than 20 miles from Boston.
The historic town (http://concordchamberofcommerce.org/) borders Lexington, MA, which is also famous for Revolutionary War (http://www.battleroad.org/sites.html) beginnings and Lexington is also the location of Cartera's head office.

Since I live about 25 miles north and I work from home, all of this is convenient for me, but I do realize many have office jobs and live in other cities. The DO is proposed for the Tuesday but I would not be against altering it or changing it to be the weekend prior or afterward. But even if we kept it on the weekday, some fun can be had by all.

Since Boston is close, people could easily go out to bars and other activities nearby, and there are tons of great places to eat all around.

Nearby airports:
BOS - Logan International (http://www.massport.com/logan-airport/Pages/Default.aspx)
BED - Bedford, MA (http://www.gcmap.com/airport/BED), a small airport also the home of Hanscom Airbase, which is currently serviced by a small airline called Streamline Air (http://www.iflystreamline.com/), which can fly in from TTN for about $100.
MHT - Manchester, NH (http://www.flymanchester.com/) is less than an hour north on major highways nearby.
PVD - Providence, RI (http://www.pvdairport.com/) is about an hour+ south and can be used to get here as well.


Commuter trains run from BOS to Concord (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=FITCHBRG&direction=O&timing=W&RedisplayTime=Redisplay+Time) and nearby towns and of course there are the ideas of carpooling and the like.

Not far from the court and Cartera's offices is an Aloft Hotel in Lexington (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/index.html?language=en_US&propertyID=3209), and all the major chains have something nearby too.

I can/will post other links here as we update, along with further info.

I think like the last fall Bos mini Do, this could be a great way to meet people who happen to be in the area, and who wish to chat about the world of points and miles when some of them happen to be in the balance as we speak.

Win or lose, the court case should be interesting (I do hope to win of course) because it will be a way to see how the rest of the public views and understands what we do. As well, it could help put to rest many issues people may have with all things concerning exactly how miles are given when you pay for something online!

I hope this thread produces some interesting (and supportive) responses and since it is open to everyone so far, that we see a number of people willing to show up. maybe it's all about power in numbers... maybe it's all about the beers and eats afterwards somewhere. But either way, it's about miles.

:)MM

Thanks to all those who have continually helped with information, links and general uplift!

Good luck. Too bad I'll be at work such that I can't spectate.

Any ideas for specific restaurants/bars/eateries?

Good luck. Too bad I'll be at work such that I can't spectate.

thanks!


Any ideas for specific restaurants/bars/eateries?

I will post some soonly. I have a good list, having grown up right near all this.

Any ideas for specific restaurants/bars/eateries?

actually, I just found the Nov 30 email I had sent TO Cartera's head CS guy suggesting back then that we meet and suss it all out in person and get things done. He declined (for reasons that still evade me) but here's the list I gave him... we can pick one or try something else:

The Capital Grille in Burlington is fabulous: http://www.thecapitalgrille.com
Yangtze River Restaurant is very nice as well: http://yangtzelexington.com
Mario's Italian Restaurant is Italian, in Lexington Center: http://www.marioslexington.com/
Lemon Grass - Asian food also in Lexington Center: http://www.lemongrassmenu.com/
The Upper Crust Pizzeria (happens to be a rewards network choice and is located all over MA): http://theuppercrustpizzeria.com/
Aloft Lexington MA | has a bar that opens at 5-midnight: http://www.aloftlexington.roomstays.com
Lexx Restaurant - in Lexington Center: http://www.lexx-restaurant.com/
Waxy O'Connors - Irish Pub (if you like Guinness like I do): http://www.waxys.com/lexington/index.php
SeraFina in Concord is excellent: http://serafinaristorante.com/
New London Style Pizza - arguably the best steak and cheese subs one can buy: http://www.newlondonstylepizza.com/
Chang An Restaurant - Awesome and healthy Chinese food in Concord! http://www.changan-rest.com/

Updates.

Many MINUS postings of mall transactions in my UA acct have yet to ever change, go away, or have a PLUS that should go with them. Due to this I am still very short of my UA goal from the MoM promo. I still only have 10% of what is due. I have spent far more of that in working on this stuff, frustration and waiting.

If anyone following any of this is interested in attending the court case and meeting up for eats after, I estimate a lunch in and around town. One of the restaurants listed above is Chang An Restaurant - http://www.changan-rest.com/ and I think that's where I might go... so far.

MM

I can't be there, but good luck!

Cheers.

Marathon Man, If I were in your area I would certainly attend your court date! I want to wish you all the best in this endeavor. I hope you get a decision in your favor. Cartera has inconvenienced so many flyertalkers. I do hope you will give us a full report. I am still contending with them and don't intend to give up. Good luck!

Marathon Man, If I were in your area I would certainly attend your court date! I want to wish you all the best in this endeavor. I hope you get a decision in your favor. Cartera has inconvenienced so many flyertalkers. I do hope you will give us a full report. I am still contending with them and don't intend to give up. Good luck!

thanks to you and to all who hope for the best in this.

My main point of this, as many know, has to do with my own missing miles from all things 'malls,' and mostly from the UA mall during the MoM promo. Cartera posted shopping miles to their side of my MileagePlus Shopping mall but they never moved to the airline side, and that's messed up due to other Cartera mishaps that were never fixed. (As we speak, UA still cannot give me any of its bonus from the shopping I did during the MoM promo because Cartera failed to post to my UA mileage account all the shopping miles due to me. It's a mess! But not mine to have to fix)

However, my biggest concern above even my own hopeful mileage gain in court is that this case helps to explain and expose the mishaps that Cartera creates for so many here.

Indeed my plan is to try and expose a company that, for whatever reason, makes it hard to shop on the malls because we cannot trust the outcome of our shopping experience. We are forced to go elsewhere and no longer trust the airline mall portals. In fact, like me, many make it their duty to inform others to NOT shop on those malls at all! They do not work.

Cartera's marketing is good, as is that of the airlines who promote their shopping section, and the idea is good in itself, but the delivery is horrid. Has been for a while! For every one person who can tell you they have never had a single problem with anything on an airline mall, I can assure you there would be at least 100 that have. Big or small issues, big or small transactions.

Of course what I think would really help--given that this "Micro DO" is on a Tuesday and in only one town outside one city, so not many people might show up-- is if we could gather the stories of as many people as possible to state that they too have had problems with Cartera...

I was thinking that I could submit to the court some thick printout with names or FT handles a list of people and what was owed, and dates and use, that this form of evidence could help illustrate that Cartera pretty much cannot do its job.

So I created THIS: http://www.change.org/petitions/cartera-commerce-fix-internal-issues-and-post-missing-miles and I hope people find it and sign it. People from the CO One pass threads, any UA thread, any other airline thread, any toolbar thread. To sign it, one needs to create a free account at Change.org but it's simple. Real names do not have to be used unless so desired.

In my case, Cartera has even told me in so many words at one point that my patterns of shopping big during the UA MoM promo were strange or that something I did must be why my miles have not yet posted. This is not true. I did everything correctly and I have printouts of all activity and steps taken.

And the FACT that there are reports ON the MoM thread of people we would call 'big guns' who actually got all their miles is actually a form of proof that the activities I performed are by no means any different than many people.

Many give up. They figure it's not even worth their time to fight for their missing miles. Some believe the company even banks on this - like some rebate scam organization might! Either way, it's a pain but it needs to be addressed.

With toolbars, I know many Fters are having problems getting download and sign up bonuses, miles from searches, and the like. Some is due to the changes of types of toolbars and some is due to other unknown Cartera problems, but the amount of people out there with these problems is mind boggling.

Miles or other rebates, how can a company go on like this without seeing the need to change? Surely they get a ton of our calls! IT all may sound trivial - a few miles missing here or there... but seriously, when you add things up, it could come to hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for us, and gains for that company! I think that's very wrong indeed.

Please sign the petition, everyone. I am not sure what it will do or how many is enough, but anything I can use in court to tell the whole story while also explaining my own has the potential to help everybody going forward!

:)MM

Here is a good list of many Cartera-related threads from the past 9 months or so:

United Mileage Plus Shopping Toolbar
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileage-plus-pre-merger/1196099-united-mileage-plus-shopping-toolbar.html

OnePass shopping scams. Have you been a victim of it too?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/continental-onepass-pre-merger/1278028-onepass-shopping-scams-have-you-been-victim-too.html

Groupon (Master Thread)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/s-p-m/1117876-groupon-master-thread-7.html

The Cartera Comedy Club
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1279740-cartera-comedy-club.html

AA Miles for $0.00072 per mile (AA Shopping) - NOT HONORED
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1246437-aa-miles-0-00072-per-mile-aa-shopping-not-honored.html

Verizon/PriorityClub (IHG): $5 for 5300 PC -- 0.094 CPM
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1247578-verizon-priorityclub-ihg-5-5300-pc-0-094-cpm.html

Verizon/DL: $5 for 2300 SkyPesos - 0.22 CPM
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1247604-verizon-dl-5-2300-skypesos-0-22-cpm.html

While the Verizon ones could be argued as mistakes that people may have tried to capitalize on, they helped expose the fact that Cartera does not have good solid systems in place, proofreading skills and proper organization.

I do question myself sometimes as to why I then decided to go forward with the UA promo. Either I had not yet realized they are also Cartera, or I figured the company couldn't be THAT bad. I was very wrong.

Good luck, MM ^

Good luck, Marathon Man. I'd love to watch the drama unfold. Might consider a press release

Can't make it, but wish you the best! Let us know how it goes.

I wish I could be there, but am unable to attend.

I will be rooting you on in spirit!

Please share with us the verdict when you win! :)

thanks everyone!!

Please do consider signing the petition from link provided if you cannot attend, and pass it on to ANYONE who has this situation in any miles or non miles issue

thanks again!...

http://www.change.org/petitions/cartera-commerce-fix-internal-issues-and-post-missing-miles

thanks everyone!!

Please do consider signing the petition from link provided if you cannot attend, and pass it on to ANYONE who has this situation in any miles or non miles issue

thanks again!...

http://www.change.org/petitions/cartera-commerce-fix-internal-issues-and-post-missing-miles

GOOD LUCK!!

G:cool::cool:d luck with this! We're rooting for you.

Looks like the company has had to settle similar complaints with the Better Business Bureaus.

http://www.bbb.org/boston/business-reviews/marketing-programs-and-services/cartera-commerce-inc-in-lexington-ma-123658#

Can't make it. I have too many travel commitments.
I'm in LAS now and will be in FRA on Friday.
(My hotel in LAS is filled with people gambling!)

If anyone following any of this is interested in attending the court case and meeting up for eats after, I estimate a lunch in and around town. One of the restaurants listed above is Chang An Restaurant - http://www.changan-rest.com/ and I think that's where I might go... so far.

I know nothing about the MoM promo and have only had minor issues with Cartera; but my office is in Concord, I drive by the courthouse everyday and I like the lunch buffet at Chang An. If this develops into a proper mini-DO I'm in; if it remains a micro-DO focused on an individual court case I think I'll have to pass. While I'm sympathetic and think Cartera needs to get their act together, I worry that litigation may encourage companies to solve the problem in the cheapest and most expedient way, by not offering overly generous promos in the future.

How will you enforce a default judgement if Cartera doesn't even show up? The jurisdictional reach of most small claims courts is quite limited.

How will you enforce a default judgement if Cartera doesn't even show up? The jurisdictional reach of most small claims courts is quite limited.

good point. I would win by default but then to actually get paid would be another story. I guess if it were a person they would issue a bench warrant. For a company i have no idea.

I know nothing about the MoM promo and have only had minor issues with Cartera; but my office is in Concord, I drive by the courthouse everyday and I like the lunch buffet at Chang An. If this develops into a proper mini-DO I'm in; if it remains a micro-DO focused on an individual court case I think I'll have to pass. While I'm sympathetic and think Cartera needs to get their act together, I worry that litigation may encourage companies to solve the problem in the cheapest and most expedient way, by not offering overly generous promos in the future.

I hope we meet up then--and that we get people to come too

I agree about the promo thing you said, but to be perfectly honest, I would rather this:

cartera mall offers 10 miles per $1 to shop at retailer x and you have to fight tooth and nail to get the miles if you ever even do about 3 months later.

Cartera mall offers 6 miles per $1 to shop at retailer X but you actually get your miles quickly!
in fact you could even elect to SAY you want them up front by electing to get less miles over all (this is actually part of an idea I invented and shared with the company in great detail and never heard a lick back about whatsoever)

I would go with the 6 mile option every day. Based on how crappy things are now, I think many would.

thank you from all people here and in other threads who wish me luck on this thing.

Again my goal is two fold. To work to recover my miles in either mileage or money or both. and to expose the company for its faults and hope that it is forced to address them.

To be perfectly frank... I am actually MORE inclined to see to it that they begin to fix each and every mileage complaint no matter how big or small that has ever been discussed/posted on FT than to just give me my money or miles and be free of any further responsibility. I want Cartera to fix their service and make it so it works, but if it cannot do that, they first need to fix everyone's problems they caused for people. I have heard a lot of complains about missing miles over the years and if you think it through, they all add up. Remember people, they get commission on OUR transactionary efforts.

I would love it if the judge court ordered them to have someone like me work there (paid of course, by them) to sit down in their HQ and sort through every complaint and answer every email and call to service the mileage requests and issues of every person on this forum and beyond. That would almost be better than me just getting my miles. Of course I do want them, but it really would.

:)MM

They need someone just like you Marathon Man! If anyone could help them get their operation free of all the crap it would be you. ^

Good luck MM, way to stand up for what you believe in! I hope you do well in court and make them pay for their unscrupulous practices.

I've sued in small claims court before for something other people may think was pointless, but it's about fairness, standing up for what's right, and showing these companies that they just can't run things their ways, there are laws and regulations in this country.

I salute you MM for having the balls to stand up for what's right.

OP, I am with you 100%. Too bad I am from another coast.

Let's say that I have a similar experience before with one of UA's partners, and I get the case settled before Small Claims.

Those jokers need to learn a good lesson.

How will you enforce a default judgement if Cartera doesn't even show up? The jurisdictional reach of most small claims courts is quite limited.

Not exactly:

This Is How I "Foreclosed" On Wells Fargo (http://consumerist.com/2011/03/patrick-rodgers-describes-how-he-foreclosed-on-wells-fargo-step-by-step.html)

continued thanks to all posters here!!

This is very encouraging and I appreciate it.

Whether we have 2 people or 20 or whatever, I hope to at least send the message that things need to change and this company has to fix problems now.

They should also know, since it is 100% clear a Carterian is reading all of these threads/posts, that I will never give up.

So they can make it easy on themselves or not. No problems here.

:)MM

Best of luck to you!

Please let us know how it goes. Perhaps if Cartera is held accountable, they will start honoring their agreements.

Best of luck to you!

Please let us know how it goes. Perhaps if Cartera is held accountable, they will start honoring their agreements.

Thanks, Let's hope!

And just as a reminder, this is what I sent to the court on the docket as to why I am suing them. Cartera and I then got our copy:


Cartera Commerce, Inc.
One Cranberry Hill
Lexington, Massachusetts 02421

(781) 541-6800

Date range for my claim involves ongoing business transactions from 09/01/2011 to present.

Cartera claims to enable one to easily earn frequent flier miles when purchasing online at many usual chain retailers via shopping portals they run. One such portal, on which my claim focuses, is the United Airline's MileagePlus Shopping Mall. Cartera services the online shopping malls of several of the world’s major retailers, airlines and hotel chains as well and claims to be able to handle this well.

Taken from their own "How it Works" section on the UA MP mall,
• Step 1: Find Online Offers — Find and compare the prices and miles on just about anything you want to buy from more than 600 online retailers.
• Step 2: Shop — Shopping is simple and rewarding no matter where you live and how you want to earn miles:
• Step 3: Earn — You'll never have to guess if you've earned miles! Every time you shop with a participating retailer - whether online or in-store - we'll send you an email confirming your purchase and the miles earned. Miles typically post within 5 business days, but can take up to 45 days.

My claim against Cartera is that they have failed miserably at this statement. Particularly, the delays for which miles have posted to my united Airlines account have been well over 3 months in some cases, and some have yet to post as of the time of this filing. Their accounting and tracking is a mess, their Customer Service team is overwhelmed and inept, and I believe the company is working like a classic bait & switch rebate scammer. I have spent countless hours and effort both trying to deal with them and I have documented my experiences as well as those of many others I converse with regularly on an online travel forum open to the public known as FlyerTalk.com, where I post regularly and openly as "Marathon Man." I could show costs from mailings, emails, faxes, time spent, phone calls, research and the valuation of airline miles as compared with dollar value. For reasons I can further illustrate, the company needs to change their way of doing business and it owes me reimbursement equal to $7,000.

In my United MP shopping mall activity, where I have done nothing but follow the rules, I have had to fight to get whatever miles I do have, and the company has appeared to have just sat back and watched people suffer. Because my multitude of shopping activity was done to satisfy the requirements of a united Airlines promotion that ran from August until mid December, I shopped very heavily. Now I am blamed by them as the reason why things went wrong, and yet many others are claiming the same poor level of service and results. I am therefore convinced that Cartera's lack of service will impact the outcome of my airline promotion bonus results that I could later have to pull teeth for because of them. I stand to gain or lose hundreds of thousands of miles that I set out to obtain through shopping, and I did so believing in what Cartera was marketing and selling to me. But since I have nothing to hide and they seemingly do, I think they’ve lied to many people—self included.

Cartera has stated elsewhere that they value their miles at a certain ‘cpm’ or cents per mile amount but miles are hard to value on all sides. Thus, the entire system is easily corruptible but I want my miles and/or monetary value for what has been lost/spent to retrieve them. I have evidence to support this and suggestions on how Cartera should proceed as a business after fixing the damages done to me.

I'll actually be flying into Boston on the afternoon of the 24th, but I have to get from Logan over to Boston North Station for a train up to Portland, Maine. Unfortunately I won't have enough time for a get together. Good luck in court, though. A worthy fight if ever there were one! ^

I'll actually be flying into Boston on the afternoon of the 24th, but I have to get from Logan over to Boston North Station for a train up to Portland, Maine. Unfortunately I won't have enough time for a get together. Good luck in court, though. A worthy fight if ever there were one! ^

thanks!

too bad you cant make it
hey if you could change the flight to get in early, I could maybe getcha and then bring you later to that train.
worth thinkin about.

Thanks for the offer, but there's only one flight a day from where I'm starting the day, and it's a rather early start at that so no earlier connections are available. I'll have just enough time to catch the subways out to North Station.

Thanks for the offer, but there's only one flight a day from where I'm starting the day, and it's a rather early start at that so no earlier connections are available. I'll have just enough time to catch the subways out to North Station.

indeed, and it's a trip in itself to get from the airport on the subways to North Station, isnt it?
Good luck with the connection

Marathon Man,

Good luck with the case! I'd be interested in joining in for a post-court get together to socialize and discuss.

Marathon Man,

Good luck with the case! I'd be interested in joining in for a post-court get together to socialize and discuss.

thanks!

And I tend to think that one of the best places we may wish to do that could be:

Chang An Restaurant - Awesome and healthy Chinese food in Concord! http://www.changan-rest.com/

At which, whether one is depressed or elated, the food is always awesome. I just gotta estimate when we leave court and how the local business lunch hour fits in, as this is a rather popular spot.

Then again I actually have yet to really figure out the after place. Suggestions still welcome.

sounds like you're thinking of something mid-day, then? i'd be up for a get-together in the area if it's something i can hit either after work or on a long lunch. (i work in burlington)

if after work, i'm never opposed to a few beers at waxy's, and they're on MP dining to boot.....

sounds like you're thinking of something mid-day, then? i'd be up for a get-together in the area if it's something i can hit either after work or on a long lunch. (i work in burlington)

if after work, i'm never opposed to a few beers at waxy's, and they're on MP dining to boot.....

Yes, for some, like myself, (and I really have no idea who and how many others) I plan to leave court whenever it is time (one cannot know this) and go get eats locally. Then yes, I plan to go out somewhere with whomever. Love to have ya!

yeah, understand that it is when it is... will watch this space.

yeah, understand that it is when it is... will watch this space.

I cannot be sure how things will go but I plan to have my phone with me (silent in court) and will probably try to get in here and update the outcome as soon as there is one in court.

As well, I think at this point, if there are any people who do wish to:

(A) meet at court
(B) meet afterwards
(C) go out later on that day/night in BOS or something...

...then please PM me to let me know your cell so we can text/email, or post in here a comment saying if you plan to meet up or something.

Would like to find out what headcount we may have if any, seeing as how this is mid week, etc.

Would be happy to join if the crew hits Boston that night. Firsthand retelling of the court date would be nice!

Mike

Would be happy to join if the crew hits Boston that night. Firsthand retelling of the court date would be nice!

Mike

I think I will be headed into the city for drinks that night. There's a bar called THE LITTLEST BAR (http://littlestbar.com/) that I have been to a few times. It has a table with a tap on it that you can pour yourself and then pay with swiping a CC on it
awesome idea, and good Guinness.
I'll need a few either way.

more as we get closer

Yeah, I can go downtown for drinks on Tuesday night as well, but not much else as I'm returning from YYZ on Monday evening and don't want to drag myself out to Concord on Tuesday.

I'll check this thread over the weekend.

MM: Anxious to hear how it went!

Magistrate to render a decision by mail in 2-3 days to both parties.

So we wait.

Magistrate to render a decision by mail in 2-3 days to both parties.

So we wait.

Is that normal in MA for decision to be mailed?

I presume other party did appear.

SDF

Is that normal in MA for decision to be mailed?

I presume other party did appear.

SDF

yes to both and nothing came yet

I'm waiting on pins and needles....how do you think it went?

Well all my UA MoM promo miles are in my UA account!

I am relieved to be done with this and I am looking forward to new deals.

Let's respect all parties by moving on.

Shop wisely everyone...

:) MM

MOD can close this thread. All else involving the MoM can be found in its existing UA MoM (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileageplus-consolidated/1248260-united-months-miles.html) thread: