American Express Membership Rewards - How to Cost Amex money?

I have now had enough of stupidity within the AmEx Platinum Custoemr Services team in the Uk, there are a couple of useful people but on the whole, they don't seem to know the Platinum product or any of the other Amex range for the that matter.

Despite a good spend of around £4-5k per month, I am told well they are not taking anymore upgrades for Centurion. Speak to another person and it will be that 'well you have to have a platinum card for 2 years minimum'. So the line of benefits with the UK card is quite good and I have no intention of giving them up, so could I:-

Just pay the annual fee of £225 and not use the card. AmEx obviously have to pay each time I use a Virgin Atlantic lounge etc, so is there a threshold.

I could always change the colour of my supplementary cards every few months and juggle new members with old (as any card on the account from last 12 months can be reinstated)

Use Concierge for the most menial of tasks, I have already mailed my team and told them that if they need anything, give them a shout. And my colleagues have come up with some nice difficult research tasks so far.

Fully maximise insurance availability if I can like use the full amount of benefit available if delayed, lost luggage etc.

Does anyone know if they actually monitor accounts,will they notice that I've gone from £4500 per month to £0. What do they do?

I suppose I could buy something and then refund it the following month.

May appear bitter and twisted, but then they shouldn't treat customers like this.

Any other suggestions?

Richard

Maybe just get yourself killed on the way to the airport so they'd have to pay out that multimillion dollar insurance policy? P.S. be sure to pay for your airline ticket with AMEX and take a scheduled transportation service so the last laugh is not on AMEX.

Richard,

Have a look at my former thread "Centurion card news", there is a link to Amex (report to the financial community).
Interesting things there...

The 4,000 Centurion cards in the US were not given to the top 4,000 Platinum spenders.
There are other criteria.

The best way is to determine what the criteria are, maybe by asking existing Centurion cardmembers about their former profile.
Not how many they did spend (I would'nt answer this question if asked to !), but :
- how many flight tickets they charge (less/more than 50)
- how many hotel stays (less/more 50)
- over $10,000 single charges ?
etc.

I find it interesting that they say they are not taking new upgrades- its seems to me the opposite, that they are taking more. I say this because the time to process my new Centurion card has gone from 1 week to 2 weeks to 3 weeks and now when I call the Centurion enquiry line (not the actual customer service line) I have to hold for 5 or 10 mins where as before it always went straight through...

Either that or its all you people calling up demanding that your accounts be upgraded :-)


[This message has been edited by dnw (edited 02-20-2001).]

If you want to cost Amex money - just keep calling the customer service line and asking mundane questions... you'll be blocking the lines, putting off other good customers... then get more creative at wasting their time..write lots of letters, make small value charges on your card - things like taxis and petrol pay at pump, then call up and dispute them - they may welkl write them off to keep you happy, delay paying a small balance until they call you.... all of these events require back office and call centre labour. then think of the marketing team and its data mining... if you don't spend much, they'll be sending you promotional mail to provoke your activity to spend more with Amex.. simply mail it back to them. Apply for lots of cards, but dont give all the detail requested, so they'll have to write to you each time asking for the info.. you can quite easily become an admin headache.. enough ideas ! As for the insurance - there is no doubt re-insurance, so amex won't be paying out much in the end if you die...

Hi all.

This is my first post on flyertalk, but I look forward to seeing people here on a regualr basis. I have spent the last few days reading most, if not all, of the Centurion and Platinum threads and found that posters, such as Richard Mannion, do provide a wealth of good, factual and relavant information. I have been with American Express ever since my 19th birthday and became a Platinum card member just shy of my 20th birthday. My average monthly spend has generally always exceeded £4,500 and on more than a douzen occasions exceeded £12,000.

I have found that the service I have received from American Express on so many occasions across the board from travel arrangements to general customer services has been lacking some common sense in the Platinum department and the recent dilution of the card has further fueled the poor service that we receive.

I make so many complaints that Executive Relations in the Uk offices now deal with my account as they too feel that some of the problems I have experienced just wasn't acceptable. I have asked for a Centurion upgrade back in 2001, but was declined at the final part of what they called the "long Application" because my bank refussed to be guarantor for an amount of £50,000. They did state in a status enquiry that with my standing with the bank had been very good and that I had never once spent outside my means nor failed to fully comit and action any financial repsonsibilty I undertook. I was frankly amazed that AmEx actually asked my bank to do this and was very pleased that my bank failed to step up and guarantor the product that AmEx were suppose to be providing me with.

Anyway, I am again dealing with American Express and speaking to some of the senior reps at Centurion and Executive Relations to see what can be done to solve my situation. I am so dissatisfied with the Platinum Service that I have given notice to cancel on my 6th anniversary this year after my third year of free membership comes to an end. I think someone on one of the other threads about what AmEx do to keep upset customers and in my case it has been 3 years of free Platinum Membership and upgrading all supp cards (4 in total) to platinum colour/status as well.

They know that I hold the Mastercard World Signia card recently with Coutts and Co for spend that I cannot apply to American Express and that I apply approx £120,000 travel expenses a year along with other charges as my platinum travel department is open silly hours and the customer reps in travel know less about the travel industry than someone who has never been on a plane or taken a geography class.

It is comforting to know that some young people, like myself, such as Richardmannion are getting diligent service even if it is only after leaving the platinum clutches. I am very much still into traveling well and visiting the better restaurants in London, but sometimes find this difficult with my late reservations, hence from word of mouth, find that AmEx Centurion could be the one to help solve that and other like problems. I will update this site with what happens with my account with them as I get more information from them.

Best Regards

KVU

There's a blast from the past - that was me back in 2001 whinging about Platinum. later on in the year, my invite to Centurion fropped on my doorstep and the whole situation was turned on its head.

Centurion is a completely different ballgame in regards to service and intellect from the agents - don't get me wrong it hasn't all been plain sailings - i've had some issues at times, but Centurion have always so far seen resolved them once pointed out to them. Some of the offers that come up are fantastic, some of them are well out of my price range.

Platinum is now just one of the traditional card line-ups, open to anyone that earns more than £30k a year, and it even has TV advertising in the UK. Its lost its exclusivity marque, but then I regularly have people at work and associate friends who have been sent an 'invite' ask if its worth it - I will always say yes if they travel a bit - Weigh up the costs of some of the core benefits and you'll cross the £275 fee threshold very quickly - The Prestige Membership of Priority Pass is £259 alone...


Thanks,
Richard

P.S. Did anyone else see the 5 Day test drive offer on the A8 in the front of this quarters Centurion Magazine - nearly missed out on that one!

Welcome to FlyerTalk, KVU .

Amex has a "premium product" in every country, which is the Platinum or the Centurion card.

The Platinum service declines very fast in all countries where Centurion has been introduced. This does not mean that the Centurion service is in all cases better :rolleyes:

Amex UK seems to be the "black hole" in Europe, servicing both UK Centurion and International Centurion cards with a sometimes unacceptable poor level.

Its always good to bring up old threads. I would love to get the opp to test drive cars for free as its another of my passions. I have recently just placed an order for the BMW 645 for a december delivery and test driven the Aston martin DB9. Boy was that great down the country roads here in Essex. Richard have you had any dealings with any of the senior reps at AmEx Centurion. Could you mail me if you have as I would like to touch base with you on a few issues that I have.

Appreciation in advance.

Best

Kiran

thanks ahrz. I was unhappy with platinum a while before this dilution effect resulted in everyone and their friend having one. Every letter i recieve is to inform me of downgrades of services rather than upgrades and that is the biggest joke. I was really upset when Virgin pulled out a while back from the Platinum scheme. I will wait and see what AmEx do with my recent communication and then maybe even I might one day test drive an Audi A8 comp of Centurion Services.

Best

KVU

Hi,

Yes I have spoken to the senior rep's, supervisor, managers at AmEx - I must have got to the poitn where I've spoken to everyone that works in the UK Centurion office.

From what I can understand, you have a UK Platinum card - the senior reps etc will be unable to assist you as they are dedicated to Centurion- if you are asking about moving up then you would need to first speak to Platinum and register your interest, they would potentially review your account and then transfer you thru to Centurion.

At the moment, as far as I know they are not taking on new members - they take on members through aquistion periods and although there is no set date or tiem, they usually tend to be over the last few and first few months of the year. But the nubmer of people aquired is small. I remember in late 2001 there were 3 stages to the aquisition wave, over a 2 month period and they targetted less than 500 people as the uptake is very high.

Thanks,
Richard

I didn't have to wait for an invitation as I spoke to a P XXXXXX and a J XXXXXXX directly affter having been introduced to them by a senior manager from the US office when we meet at an American Express function when I last showed interest. I will try and attempt to speak to them again and deal with them through the exec office, but I dont feel i will get anywhere as they probably get a lot of people showing interest every year and i will probably be lost with one of those. I like you have spoken to nearly all the senior reps at AmEx, but thought it might do me some good if I got to know some of the current Centurion members and one or more recommended someone useful to speak with.

KVC, Welcome to Flyertalk.

I wonder when AMEX take into consideration monthly charges, whether they differentiate between the amount charge to the primary cardholder's account and the amounts charged to the supplementary cardholders? Also, in your case, what percentage would you say went on travel costs charged to your Platinum? I have often heard how travel charges are what AMEX is looking for in deciding who should be upgraded? What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

KVC, Welcome to Flyertalk.

I wonder whether AMEX take into consideration monthly charges, whether they differentiate between the amount charge to the primary cardholder's account and the amounts charged to the supplementary cardholders? Also, in your case, what percentage would you say went on travel costs charged to your Platinum? I have often heard how travel charges are what AMEX is looking for in deciding who should be upgraded? What are your thoughts?

Thanks.

Hello Flyer.

Flyer26.

Thank you for the welcome. Much appreciated. I am rarely able to charge a vast amount of travel expenditure to the card as I use my mastercard world signia card to make and pay for my flights and hotel reservations. This is because AmEx Platinum travel provide a poor service due to their unskilled staff. I on occasions do charge AmEx from various locations in the world, especially when there are specific benefits available to AmEx card members. In the last 24 months I believe I would have charged approx 45K GBP to my AmEx account in travel related transactions and approx tripple that to my Mastercard account. Luckily for me, due to my spend on my mastercard I have avoided paying the yearly fee, I am cuurently in the process of trying to negotiate a full world tour with Virgin Atlantic and British Airways with Upper Class and First Class as the preferred seating. I have now called the Platinum travel department 3 times each around 8 business days apart and i am still waiting for a call back to help with costings. Mastercard World Signia had a faxed primary costing on my desk within 72 hrs with a detailed list of recomended locations for people who dont know where to visit, but dont want to follow the path of the typical tourist.

If you had charged all of these flights to a British Airways Amex, and assuming these flights are all on BA, you would have got your first class round-the-world trip for free! (on the basis £1 of spend = 3 BA miles)

They know that I hold the Mastercard World Signia card recently with Coutts and Co for spend that I cannot apply to American Express and that I apply approx £120,000 travel expenses a year

Welcome to Flyertalk KVU

Do we need to know this?

There is a line between giving details that may be of use to us and just showing off or talking up your own self importance, a line which you have just crossed.

Thanks,
Fraser

PS. I am not being harsh, just when I started I talked up my own self importance and was brought down to earth with a bump. Don't make the same mistake!

Welcome to Flyertalk KVU

Do we need to know this?

There is a line between giving details that may be of use to us and just showing off or talking up your own self importance, a line which you have just crossed.

I fully agree fbgdavidson, but since KVU is new to this forum, I would
have say this in a more... diplomatic way :)

KVU, it's indeed a non-written law here not to disclose information about own spendings, assets etc.
Even if none of us is one of the 10 richest on earth, we are mostly difficult to
impress with money anyway ...

I fully agree fbgdavidson, but since KVU is new to this forum, I would
have say this in a more... diplomatic way :)


Perhaps I should have been a bit steadier, but on Flyertalk there is always going to be someone richer, better looking, more well travelled, more intellectual, drive a better car or have a better income than you do!

I was just wary that when I joined here I made a bit of a thing about my age and my experiences and people came down on me like a ton of bricks! I was just giving KVU a warning :)

I agree with Fraser's advice. Welcome to FT, a very helpful and friendly community.

Re the last few post:

I take on the comments people have made in the constructive way they were intended, but I would like to say that in no way did I intend to score browny points or look wealthy with my comments. I was merely trying to show what card I use instead of centurion at the moment. As regards to the spend, I guess my reason for posting didn't come across and it came across more as a "look how wealthy" I am. It wasn't intended as such. Recently I have had so many of these type of conversations with American Express, that I sometime forget to switch off and communicate in a sensible fashion.

Best

KVU

by the way, regarding your world tour with VS & BA. Do you realise that you'll get as far as Sydney going east, or Los Angeles going west and then get a bit stuck!

Check out the oneworld forum for ways of getting a RTW with BA/QF/CX.

Perhaps I should have been a bit steadier, but on Flyertalk there is always going to be someone richer, better looking, more well travelled, more intellectual, drive a better car or have a better income than you do!



The real competition is for poorest, least travelled, ugliest, worst car-driving FT member. Not saying that I'm in that competition.... of course ;)