Starwood Preferred Guest - Who to contact about SPG amex signup promo ?

It's been 4 months since I used the card and still haven't gotten my promo points yet. Does anyone know who I need to contact about this ? AMEX or SPG ? Sorry if this is a recurring question, Thanks in Advance

Amex. Did you get regular points and just not the signup bonus? Or none at all? If none, they may have created a new account for you by mistake. Either way, Amex will need to fix it. They send the points over to SPG. SPG just posts them.

I got my 10,000 when my first billing came. I've had to make numerous calls about the 15,000 at the end of six months. The last time I called they said they were depositing an additional 2,000 points into my account for the difficulties. Still waiting for both.

It's been 4 months since I used the card and still haven't gotten my promo points yet. Does anyone know who I need to contact about this ? AMEX or SPG ? Sorry if this is a recurring question, Thanks in Advance

Its been 6 weeks for me, I called SPG and they said it would take up tp 8 weeks, and if not to call them back after the 8 weeks, so I would start with SPG.

Amex. Did you get regular points and just not the signup bonus? Or none at all? If none, they may have created a new account for you by mistake. Either way, Amex will need to fix it. They send the points over to SPG. SPG just posts them.

I get regular points. I've spent and paid off around $20,000 so far since Oct. 07 when I got the card, but I did not get my sign-up points let alone the bonus points. I believe the right account is linked since I am getting points for purchases.

Same boat. I've called repeatedly on this issue - got my SPG card last November, and I'm still waiting for my 10K signing bonus. Would have been nice to have it just now, when I was offered a room upgrade for 3K points over my stay (I'll have the points when I pay my next CC bill, so it's not a tragedy, but still)...

I've called SPG three times, Amex twice, and no dice. I may start calling the Executive Office next week-ish. I keep getting sheepish responses from SPG agents saying things like "yeah, Amex is having trouble posting those," so I get the sense they're getting a lot of complaints.

Same boat. I've called repeatedly on this issue - got my SPG card last November, and I'm still waiting for my 10K signing bonus. Would have been nice to have it just now, when I was offered a room upgrade for 3K points over my stay (I'll have the points when I pay my next CC bill, so it's not a tragedy, but still)...

I've called SPG three times, Amex twice, and no dice. I may start calling the Executive Office next week-ish. I keep getting sheepish responses from SPG agents saying things like "yeah, Amex is having trouble posting those," so I get the sense they're getting a lot of complaints.

If it is longer than 12 weeks after your first purchase was made, SPG can contact AMEX in regard to this. However, it cannot before this time frame is up. If it's been more than 12 weeks, ask them to document your account with the MW call comment code along with the appropriate information required. If they don't know what this is about, ask to speak to their supervisor.

If it 12 weeks or less, wait until the required time frame passes.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

If it is longer than 12 weeks after your first purchase was made, SPG can contact AMEX in regard to this. However, it cannot before this time frame is up. If it's been more than 12 weeks, ask them to document your account with the MW call comment code along with the appropriate information required. If they don't know what this is about, ask to speak to their supervisor.

Just called SPG CS and the CSR said he'd get this taken care of immediately. I mentioned the MW call comment code as William stated. The CSR said he was in the process of doing that right now. A few seconds later he said I should have all my Welcome Bonus points within 3-5 days. We'll see....

Although many have reported in other threads receiving their 10K postings immediately after their first purchase, I was not one of the fortunate ones. After 12 weeks and many calls to SPG and AMEX, I finally got AMEX to post the points - it took 5 working days after that call to see the points posted. AMEX reported that they are having lots of technical difficulties with posting points on some customers. The above postings are correct; you will not get anyone to do anything before the 12 week mark.

William, what is "MW call comment code"

Thank you!

William, what is "MW call comment code"

Thank you!


It is a call comment code that tells Program Services to follow up with AMEX; however, I just learned that American Express is aware of these problems and they're working on a resolution, so I'm going to ask everyone to not call for the time being. In fact, associates are being discouraged from using this call comment code until AMEX has the issue resolved. When that happens, everyone will get the first usage points they are owed in arrears, so there isn't any need to report it on an individual basis at the moment.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thank you very much William.
My wife will appreciate that since she is in the same boat as the many who've expressed their frustration about not getting their initial 10,000 *points.

I'm still fighting with AMEX on my 15,000 *points for spending $15,000 in the first six months, although I am optimisitc I may have finally got that resolved today after numerous calls, hours on the phone and two "formal" investigations over 3 months!

The 15,000 * points posted today, along with 2,000 additional for all the trouble. AMEX can really move those *points when they want to.....they posted in less than 24 hours.

Just called SPG CS and the CSR said he'd get this taken care of immediately. I mentioned the MW call comment code as William stated. The CSR said he was in the process of doing that right now. A few seconds later he said I should have all my Welcome Bonus points within 3-5 days. We'll see....


No Welcome Bonus points in my account yet.... I called SPG CS again and asked what the hold up was. CSR was very nice but had no info on why it didn't happen. She saw the 2/11 MW code in there, but no update since. She put another MW call comment code in and said she didn't know when this would happen. She added some text to the comment saying that the 12 week mark was January 16 and I still haven't gotten the points. She told me to follow up with SPG in 7 days.

William: Sorry for not listening to your directive not to call... FWIW, the CSR did not mention anything about the overall AMEX issue, nor did she mention any hesitation to add this individual MW call comment code. To be honest, I was hoping she'd offer a few thousand miles as compensation for waiting 16+ weeks.

...William: Sorry for not listening to your directive not to call... FWIW, the CSR did not mention anything about the overall AMEX issue, nor did she mention any hesitation to add this individual MW call comment code.

No skin off my nose, but it is fairly apparent that Program Services is not working any MW call comments, so IMHO, it was just a wasted effort.

...To be honest, I was hoping she'd offer a few thousand miles as compensation for waiting 16+ weeks.

Well, to be totally honest, shouldn't any compensation be coming from American Express rather than SPG? @:-)

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

The points do eventually get to your account. We opened our SPG AMEX account in Sept '07 and the initial 10000 points were just posted in Feb '08

Funny thing . . . the 15000 bonus points were posted in January. Go figure. Wish I had read Williams posts prior to this and it could have been resolved earlier.

No skin off my nose, but it is fairly apparent that Program Services is not working any MW call comments, so IMHO, it was just a wasted effort.

...snip...

Well, to be totally honest, shouldn't any compensation be coming from American Express rather than SPG? @:-)


Dunno... I ended up calling AMEX yesterday too, who also said it would be taken care of in 3-5 days.

Well, I checked today and the 10000 welcome bonus points are posted. Not sure who actually got it done, but they're there now. So for those still waiting, try calling AMEX!

It's been 12+ weeks for me as well... I have not received my 10k initial bonus either... However, Amex told me initially that I was not eligible for it since I also have the SPG business card and that has a 10k bonus... But after speaking with a supervisor, they realized that was incorrect and that we are entitled to bonuses on each flavor of the card (personal and business)...

I have yet to call SPG, and don't plan on calling them unless Amex cannot resolve this issue. This is a problem with Amex not sending the points, so I don't see why we should harass SPG...

Anyway, after 12+ weeks, Amex offered to start an "investigation"... They told me I'd hear back in 3-5 business days... I started the investigation on Monday... I have also just about hit the $15k spend threshold but I'm not holding my breath for that to post and I'm sure I'll have to wait the full 6 months + another 12 weeks after that to start an investigation there... :rolleyes:

If you don't get your points after the first "investigation" is completed don't let them start a second. Go right to a supervisor and if that doesn't work, call back the next day and ask to speak to another supervisor.

Thanks to 777globalmilehound, who PM'd me a link to her contact at Amex...I now have my miles (I didn't think to check the thread, or I'd've taken some of the excellent advice offered here by Mr. Sanders as well)...

The agent I spoke to did wonder if I was eligible for the 10K since I applied over the phone rather than online. However, a quick search of the fine print yielded no exclusions for phone-based applications...(which is great, since I only did things by phone based on a transfer from Starwood after I called to activate my Gold membership after buying PLAT...)

Wow... Just "wow...

I called Amex up today to check on the status of my investigation into my 10,000 bonus points for 1st purchase... It has been 12+ weeks and I opened the investigation at the beginning of the week...

The rep said it takes 30 days for the investigation to be opened and ANOTHER 6-8 weeks for a resolution. I asked her to confirm this and she did...

...!?!?!?

Just checked my snail mail today... I got a letter dated 18-FEB-08, informing me that a formal investigation into my "billing inquiry" has been started. It is exactly the type of letter you get when you dispute a charge! I assume this is because of the investigation that was started for my 10k point bonus...

How messed up is amex that they started a billing inquiry investigation? The letter even talked about credits and charges and merchants!?!?!? ......

They gave me the same type of letter. Go beyond a Rep. to a supervisor and suggest if they can't get this worked out now it might be time to cancel the card. That worked for me and the *points were in my account the next AM.

They gave me the same type of letter. Go beyond a Rep. to a supervisor and suggest if they can't get this worked out now it might be time to cancel the card. That worked for me and the *points were in my account the next AM.

I'll do it early next week... :mad:

Called up Amex today and immediately asked for a supervisor regarding my points... Was transferred to a very nice female supervisor after about 60 seconds on hold...

I told her that I was calling to check on my 10k first-purchase bonus and she said "ok, let me check." About 10 seconds later she says "Oh my, you should have been given those already. OK, I've gone ahead and credited you the 10k points, sorry for the delay and the # of times you've had to call. I'll close out this investigation as well. Your points should post in 2-3 days."

That's it. Super simple. I asked to be transferred to a comment/praise line and she did so and I left her a very positive comment with her supervisors or whoever it was. She deserved it as she knew exactly what was going on from the notes and took care of it in a matter of seconds...

I'll report back when the points post to SPG...

It has been about 16 weeks since my first purchase, and the 10k still have not posted. The first time I called, the CSR said it would take "6-8 weeks for the investigation to be resolved, maybe less" :rolleyes: ...I should not have to wait that much longer -- besides, I need to book some nights before the '08 category change!
So I asked to speak with a supervisor. She reviewed my account info, then assured me that the points should post within the next few days. Perhaps she was the same supervisor who helped technique earlier this morning. @:-)
Here's hoping...

I called Amex today about 2 cards that I opened, one personal in April and one business in June. Both hit thresholds of 15k (actually they both hit the 30K gold thresholds too) in the 6 month period, and neither one posted the bonus 15K points. Called and opened an inquiry a month or so ago, got a letter yesterday saying it doesn't show that I was solicited for a welcome bonus promotional offer. Called again today, they ended up opening two other tickets, one for each card, and giving me the wait 7-10 business days for a reply, line.

Given that my one card is up for renewal, I told them I'll be moving all of my usage (120K annually between the two cards) to my AA citicard if they don't get this resolved by EOM.

Wait and see....

It has been about 16 weeks since my first purchase, and the 10k still have not posted. The first time I called, the CSR said it would take "6-8 weeks for the investigation to be resolved, maybe less" :rolleyes: ...I should not have to wait that much longer -- besides, I need to book some nights before the '08 category change!
So I asked to speak with a supervisor. She reviewed my account info, then assured me that the points should post within the next few days. Perhaps she was the same supervisor who helped technique earlier this morning. @:-)
Here's hoping...

UPDATE:

The 10k posted today! :cool:

UPDATE:

The 10k posted today! :cool:

Excellent!!

Unfortunately, my points have not yet posted :(

Still no points today... I called Amex and asked to talk to a Supervisor again just to check on everything and the rep told me she saw the points were in the process of being sent... She said she pushed through an "immediate transfer" and that I should see them in 24-48 hours...

Got my 10k points this morning :)

What an ordeal...

On a related note, I crossed the 15k threshold yesterday... Here's to hoping I don't have to wait 12-14 weeks for my 15k bonus...

Boom! 15k bonus points posted to my account today automatically... mid-statement cycle... I'm very glad I didn't have to wait 12+ weeks for this one... For reference, it took 6 days from the date my purchase posted that pushed me past the $15,000 spend...

ditto on the Boom!

15K points posted yesterday. I actually thought about the 15K spending today, so I opened firefox to go to americanexpress.com to add up my spending so far. While it loaded, I launched MilePort and was happy to see the 15K in the "changes" collumn! I'm not sure if this was mid-cycle or not. My AMEX statement closed yesterday, but I haven't yet received my base spending SPG points, so it was probably coincidental that the 15K bonus points posted the same day as my statement closed.

I haven't looked at my spending in detail, so I don't know when exactly I went over the 15K spending... don't know how long after that my bonus posted

ditto on the Boom!

15K points posted yesterday. I actually thought about the 15K spending today, so I opened firefox to go to americanexpress.com to add up my spending so far. While it loaded, I launched MilePort and was happy to see the 15K in the "changes" collumn! I'm not sure if this was mid-cycle or not. My AMEX statement closed yesterday, but I haven't yet received my base spending SPG points, so it was probably coincidental that the 15K bonus points posted the same day as my statement closed.

I haven't looked at my spending in detail, so I don't know when exactly I went over the 15K spending... don't know how long after that my bonus posted

Open the card on 12/4/07, still not received the 10,000 bonus point. Call Amex three time.
The last called was 3/3/08, talk to supervisor, she said it will post in 48 hours, As of today the bonus not show in my account.

Today, call again and talk to another supervisor (Mrs Thompson ?), she was very rude. She said it will take another billing cycle to get the point post (3/23/08).:mad:

Very frustrated with Amex :mad: :td:

Still waiting here. It's been 12 weeks. I called SPG - they said Amex was having trouble posting the bonii but that it's been cleared up. Right. I'll believe it when I see it.