Amtrak Guest Rewards - Watch out for incorrectly worded SPG-AGR transfer offer via email

Just got an email that said one bonus point for every SPG point transfered. However if you click the link it takes you to the standard 1:1 offer on SPG.com. I mistook it be double points. Darn need some AGR.

Here is the exact wording from the email:

As a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, turn your Starpoints into free Amtrak® travel. Transfer today in increments of 5,000 Starpoints and get one Amtrak Guest Rewards® bonus point for every Starpoint you convert.


My interpretation of that wording is that Amtrak will give you an extra (or bonus) point for each point you transfer from SPG, which would indeed make it a 1:2 offer. I sent an email to AGR asking for clarification on the end date for the promotion, so hopefully their response will shed some light...

Same puzzlement here. My wife called twice, once to ask if it was targeted because she didn't get the email like me, and the agent said no, it was open to everybody. My wife forgot to ask if it was one day only or what the deadline was, so she called back, got a different rep, who said there was no such promotion for anybody and the email wasn't officially from AGR (though obviously it was).

So I called, and the different rep said there was an email--she'd gotten it herself--but she couldn't find the terms and conditions any more than I could, and she agreed that it sounded like it should be 1:2, but was going to send in for clarification and I should call back in a few days.

I've got a PM to the AGR Insider here, and also an email in to AGR support which they can answer at their leisure, when the left hand figures out what the right hand is doing.

My wife has 30,000 Starpoints so this would equal a totally free roomette 1-zone round trip for us if it's 1:2. You know what they say, if it's too good to be true... :(

I don't know what the confusion is about. There is only one interpretation of the email. You get 2 Amtrak points for every 1 SPG transferred.

1 SPG pt = 1 base Amtrak + 1 bonus Amtrak = 2 Amtrak pts

The term "bonus point" could be read as 1:2, sounds amazingly rich is this is the case. The alternative reading is 1:1, just a notification of something that could be done for years in the program. AGR doesn't tend to be spammy in their emails so I am inclined to think 1:2, but not enough to actually pull the trigger without official clarification.

The term "bonus point" could be read as 1:2, sounds amazingly rich is this is the case. The alternative reading is 1:1, just a notification of something that could be done for years in the program. AGR doesn't tend to be spammy in their emails so I am inclined to think 1:2, but not enough to actually pull the trigger without official clarification.

Why would it say "today only" and "bonus" if it was only a 1:1 transfer?

Yes, this does sound like a left-hand right-hand issue. Quite often the folks on the line become the last to be told about new promos and the customers must do the educating. :(

Looking at the header of the message, it was sent under the AGR address:

Received: from aw40.mta.exacttarget.com ([64.132.89.40])
by m1pismtp01-018.prod.mesa1.secureserver.net with ESMTP; 07 Jun 2012 07:45:35 -0700
Received: by aw40.mta.exacttarget.com (PowerMTA(TM) v3.5r13) id hq2v8u0ie1s1 for <me.com>; Thu, 7 Jun 2012 08:45:34 -0600 (envelope-from <bounce-2251986_HTML-791754194-14722972-10064619-1742@bounce.exacttarget.com>)
From: "Amtrak Guest Rewards" <updates@amtrakguestrewards.com>

so AGR should take ownership for the promo. Although it does look like a third-party generated the message.

Given all SPG can do is send a transaction to AGR saying points have been deducted, it may be that AGR will do the double points on their end. For any brave soles out there, go ahead and use the standard SPG form and wait for the points to post to AGR. If they aren't doubled, send them a copy of the email and request the double points.

Why would it say "today only" and "bonus" if it was only a 1:1 transfer?

The phrase "today only" appears no-where in the email I quoted above...

Can someone post the full email and the reply link? I'm very interesting in transferiing some points if it is truly 2 Amtrak points for every SPG point. In fact, I have over 200k SPG points and would transfer a decent amount of them. The SPG points are too valuable at 1:1 but this deal would be pretty awesome.
Thanks

Can someone post the full email and the reply link? I'm very interesting in transferiing some points if it is truly 2 Amtrak points for every SPG point. In fact, I have over 200k SPG points and would transfer a decent amount of them. The SPG points are too valuable at 1:1 but this deal would be pretty awesome.
Thanks

That's the point of this thread... the email takes you to the standard SPG transfer page that says it's 1:1 and not 1:2 as eluded to in the email. If you didn't get the email, then how can you fight for the bonus? At best, if it's not a valid offer, they will claim it was in error and back out of it.

Maybe the AGR reps have been updated, so a call to them might get you what you're looking for.

That's the point of this thread... the email takes you to the standard SPG transfer page that says it's 1:1 and not 1:2 as eluded to in the email. If you didn't get the email, then how can you fight for the bonus? At best, if it's not a valid offer, they will claim it was in error and back out of it.

Maybe the AGR reps have been updated, so a call to them might get you what you're looking for.

Well, I'm hoping the issue gets resolved (as per the PM's and folks waiting for information in previous posts), and in the meantime wanted the email for when the issue DOES get resolved. :)

Well, I'm hoping the issue gets resolved (as per the PM's and folks waiting for information in previous posts), and in the meantime wanted the email for when the issue DOES get resolved. :)

... but getting the email from someone else, does not make you a targeted recipient (if it's a targeted promo). Given the current link is already available via the SPG page, what good will the email do?

... but getting the email from someone else, does not make you a targeted recipient (if it's a targeted promo). Given the current link is already available via the SPG page, what good will the email do?

Tell you what...you don't need to post it...ok? :) Not sure why you are spending so much energy telling someone else why they shouldn't post it or try to help.

In any case, the point is mute as I was able to find the email. So no need to post, but I will:
As a member of the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, turn your Starpoints into free Amtrak® travel. Transfer today in increments of 5,000 Starpoints and get one Amtrak Guest Rewards® bonus point for every Starpoint you convert.

When you convert your Starwood Preferred Guest Starpoints into Amtrak Guest Rewards points, you can redeem for:
• Free Amtrak travel and upgrades
• Car rentals
• Gift cards and more
Call the Starwood Preferred Guest line at 1-888-625-4988 to transfer today.

Terms and conditions apply. Please allow 4 – 6 weeks for points to post to your account.

Tell you what...you don't need to post it...ok? :) Not sure why you are spending so much energy telling someone else why they shouldn't post it or try to help.

In any case, the point is mute as I was able to find the email. So no need to post, but I will:

See post #2...

I was hoping for a promo as this is one of the few partners that have a 1:1 transfer ratio.

I just got a call from AGT. The official word: No 2:1 bonus. It was supposed to be announcement of the normal ability to transfer in Starwood points and the word "bonus" was used to indicate that this was one of the bonuses that come along with being an AGT member--the ability to transfer in Starwood points. Okay.... :rolleyes:

The rep said that they'd been getting a lot of calls starting Thursday and they were working on rewording it.

I just got a call from AGT. The official word: No 2:1 bonus. It was supposed to be announcement of the normal ability to transfer in Starwood points and the word "bonus" was used to indicate that this was one of the bonuses that come along with being an AGT member--the ability to transfer in Starwood points. Okay.... :rolleyes:

The rep said that they'd been getting a lot of calls starting Thursday and they were working on rewording it.

Sounds like they wanted to differentiate from travel points. So no status changes. :( Sounds like they are too close to their own program. Doesn't everyone think AGR centric?

I was hoping that they would at least change it 1:1.25.

Hi All,

We’re sorry for the confusion that the recent Starwood email caused. This is not a special offer or promotion, but an effort to educate members about the opportunity to transfer Starpoints to AGR. The reason that we chose to say “bonus point” is because points that are transferred into AGR are not Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs), and to ensure clarity that they do not count towards tier qualification, we chose to use “bonus point” when referring to the AGR point currency. We will work on avoiding this confusion in the future.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

Best,

Becky Parks

Senior Marketing Officer, Amtrak Guest Rewards