Starwood Preferred Guest - SPG AMEX. Get 5,000 points when you refer a friend-NOT POSTING!!

I have signed up dozens of friends in the last 3 months to the SPG AMEX card. Standard policy has always been,that exactly "3" days after any friend was approved I would have 5,000 points deposited into my starwood account.
My problem is,is that since last Tuesday (April 21) I have refered 10 people, (some of whom I know for a fact were approved on the spot, and they never had a SPG AMEX card before) yet I haven't received any points from Amex.
Countless calls to Amex haven't yielded any results, as customer service is either not fully versed in the promotion, or some claim that the promo ended on February 27th, yet other reps claim that the offer is currently open-ended.
I spent over a hour with a rep today, and when he tried telling me that the promo expired in Feb, I showed him that the link to get points is working, PLUS whenever Starwoods sends their monthly e newsletter they keep on advertising to refer your Friend,(as recently as 2 weeks ago). I also pointed out that I refered and got credit the entire March and beginning of April
Has anyone gone through the same thing recently?, and please provide any feedback. THANKS!!!

Did you read the Terms & Conditions of the promo? That is always a good starting point for these kinds of issues. @:-)

I presume, of course, that you saved the URL of the T&Cs and/or printed out the T&Cs and/or they are shown (or linked) in the e-newsletter.

Of course i did. Like I said everything is the same as it's been the last 3 months, only the points are yet to post after 10 days.
I know the T&C says it can take 10-12 weeks, but after refering dozens and dozens of friends and always getting the points exactly 3 days later, I know that something is amiss now

Maybe STARWOOD LURKER can investigate if the promo is still ongoing (as I am sure it is) since SPG still keeps on promoting it on its "e' newsletters and website, and find out if anything changed with the timeframe of the points insertion, or if it's just my account that haning the issue. THANKS

Welcome to the Starwood forum, moefl.

That's a generous promo. I've only seen the ones where you get the points after the person's first use of the card. Could you share a link to the offer?

Welcome to the Starwood forum, moefl.

That's a generous promo. I've only seen the ones where you get the points after the person's first use of the card. Could you share a link to the offer?

http://www.americanexpress.com/starwoodfriends

It was also discussed here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starwood-preferred-guest/921987-spg-amex-refer-friend-bonus-how-many-friends-did-you-refer.html

"Personal Cardmembers: You are eligible to earn 5,000 Starpoints for each approval. Please allow 6-8 weeks for points to post to your account. Due to the confidential nature of the credit approval process, you will not be notified of whether we approve or decline any application(s) from individual(s) you refer."

Welcome to the Starwood forum, moefl.

That's a generous promo. I've only seen the ones where you get the points after the person's first use of the card. Could you share a link to the offer?

The link for this offer is:
https://www201.americanexpress.com/cards/apply/jsp/includes/StarwoodMgmDualLanding.jsp?ccsgCampId=10041&openCampId=20029

Has anyone refered someone in the LAST WEEK, and gotten the points, or has it not posted?
Please write specifics. Thanks

Maybe STARWOOD LURKER can investigate if the promo is still ongoing (as I am sure it is) since SPG still keeps on promoting it on its "e' newsletters and website, and find out if anything changed with the timeframe of the points insertion, or if it's just my account that haning the issue. THANKS

This is a legitimate and ongoing AMEX promotion. Regarding the time-frame of when the referral points are delivered, I have to follow what is stated in the Terms and Conditions of the offer and cannot contact anyone at AMEX until the 8th week has passed. If they are still missing by then, send me your information, the folks who you referred and when, and the dates they were accepted, and I will be glad to follow up with AMEX at that time.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

attn: STARWOOD LURKER
1-I've sent out more than 30 invitations in the last 10 days, and it would be extremely hard to follow up with all of them, since I don't know some of them personally. Up until last week they posted EXACTLY 3 days later, so I had a general idea.
There must be some way of finding out if they no longer do it in 3 days, or if it's just a issue with my account.
2-Doesn't it seem strange to you that dozens posted 3 days after the friend were approved, and suddenly its almost 2 weeks, and no posting?

...There must be some way of finding out if they no longer do it in 3 days, or if it's just a issue with my account.

Regrettably, not with any tools at my disposal, so I'd have to refer you back to AMEX on that one.

Doesn't it seem strange to you that dozens posted 3 days after the friend were approved, and suddenly its almost 2 weeks, and no posting?

No, not really. Other than being surprised that anything of this sort was given in 3 days.

Good luck, though.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

No, not really. Other than being surprised that anything of this sort was given in 3 days.

Good luck, though.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

I referred about 15 people and all of the bonus points showed up within 72 hours of the referee's application being accepted

Hi William,
i'm surprised that you weren't aware that the promo points posted exactly 3 days later. It was even posted on a different thread on this site by others.

I'm haven't yet gotten any feedback from anyone that used this promo in the last 2 weeks, if you got the points or not. I would greatly appreciate anyone's feedback. THANKS!

It seems like no one is taking advantage of this great offer to earn 5,000 points for refering someone, recently.

I'm haven't yet gotten any feedback from anyone that used this promo in the last 2 weeks, if you got the points or not. I would greatly appreciate anyone's feedback. THANKS!

Maybe AMEX is investigating the high number of referrals and hence the delay. I don't understand as to why u cannot wait till 8 - 12 weeks. If you call AMEX and I am sure u must have called by now, you are going to get the standard answer as above.

It seems like no one is taking advantage of this great offer to earn 5,000 points for refering someone, recently.

Dearest moefl,

I would like to reiterate William's note by advising you to contact Amex if you are more comfortable in receiving your bonus points as soon as possible.

However, there is no guarantee that it would work either.

apguest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

Dearest moefl,

I would like to reiterate William's note by advising you to contact Amex if you are more comfortable in receiving your bonus points as soon as possible.

However, there is no guarantee that it would work either.

apguest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thyetus Lee | Online Forum Coordinator(AP)
Starwood Customer Contact Centre (AP) Pte Ltd

Dearest Thyetus,
I've spent hours with them last week already,and finally a rep admitted to me that at customer care, they couldn't come up with a answer, why they always posted after exactly 3 days, and suddenly its 2 weeks without any credit. I told him that it would be near impossible to track down everyone I referred in 2 months from now and determine if they were approved or not.
He sympathised with me, and even gave me 3k courtesy points,but could not come up with any reason why the points did not post after 3 days, even though that was standard procedure, as many FLYERTALK members can attest to.
He also tried telling me that the promo expired Feb,27,and I had to actually have him type in, the american express link to prove that it was working.
He contacted a supervisor as well, but no answer was forthcoming.
HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT MY POINTS WILL BE FORTHCOMING,WHEN HALF OF THE CUSTOMER REPS CLAIMED OR THOUGHT THAT THE PROMO EXPIRED, WHILE THE OTHER HALF SAID THAT IT'S ONGOING?!

attn: STARWOOD LURKER
1-I've sent out more than 30 invitations in the last 10 days, and it would be extremely hard to follow up with all of them, since I don't know some of them personally.

Are you using the Reverse Directory for names? Referring people you don't know? Just curious.

Are you using the Reverse Directory for names? Referring people you don't know? Just curious.

Many are friends, or friends friends. Also put a notice up in school,about the card. Sometimes they will call me and ask every question imaginable under the sun about the card, before the give me their email address to send them the link.

Greetings Moefl,

Thank You for your loyalty to both Starwood and SPG with regard to recommending and encouraging other folks to participate with both SPG and American Express. I am sure in this economic environment all parties appreciate this.

American Express has run into posting and tracking bumps from time to time over the years with both new card opening bonuses and referral bonus offers.
You are in some very good company.
I know some very VIP folks who have been in your shoes without their bonus points. The good news is the issues all get resolved with some patience.

My suggestion is to avoid the phone lines as the agents are not as empowered or equipped easily to get the quick results in getting those points posted .One ends up with agent after agent and eventually supervisor
In my own experience tempers can flare from the frustration in what seems like a run around. The good news is there are no bad intentions just some internal miscommunications with a lack of infrastructure here at work to support promotional bonuses more easily.

I have been a member of the SPG by American Express card for over a decade now even before SPG came into existence back in the days when it was the Sheraton by American Express Credit Card.
I can say you are in very good hands with Amex in getting all your points if you are qualified.

Many of us (self included) are very grateful for the incredible professional assistance from both Starwood Lurkers however at the end of the day it really is the obligation of the Amex folks to take care of this. As much as it may seem like a SPG issue.
The nice thing is that they are there if we do need them to step in

My suggestions would be the following
• First be sure to keep an accurate list of all those you refer and the email address or any other such tracking information or other helpful details for Amex.
• Provided the time frame has past that of the terms and conditions for fulfillment simply send a letter to the highest level office at American Express where they can take swift action typically within 24 to 72 hours upon the finished research to get those points posted to your account

If for any reason that still hasn’t happened I will put you in touch with someone directly who can jump into action..I have helped many over the years with this very same or similar such problem

Feel free to PM me and I will send you the forwarding address
If others are interested I am happy to post that information
It has been posted before

Keep on referring those guests I am envious of your bonus points ^
Many Free SPG nights or Airline miles
Cheers

Greetings Moefl,

Thank You for your loyalty to both Starwood and SPG with regard to recommending and encouraging other folks to participate with both SPG and American Express. I am sure in this economic environment all parties appreciate this.

American Express has run into posting and tracking bumps from time to time over the years with both new card opening bonuses and referral bonus offers.
You are in some very good company.
I know some very VIP folks who have been in your shoes without their bonus points. The good news is the issues all get resolved with some patience.

My suggestion is to avoid the phone lines as the agents are not as empowered or equipped easily to get the quick results in getting those points posted .One ends up with agent after agent and eventually supervisor
In my own experience tempers can flare from the frustration in what seems like a run around. The good news is there are no bad intentions just some internal miscommunications with a lack of infrastructure here at work to support promotional bonuses more easily.

I have been a member of the SPG by American Express card for over a decade now even before SPG came into existence back in the days when it was the Sheraton by American Express Credit Card.
I can say you are in very good hands with Amex in getting all your points if you are qualified.

Many of us (self included) are very grateful for the incredible professional assistance from both Starwood Lurkers however at the end of the day it really is the obligation of the Amex folks to take care of this. As much as it may seem like a SPG issue.
The nice thing is that they are there if we do need them to step in

My suggestions would be the following
• First be sure to keep an accurate list of all those you refer and the email address or any other such tracking information or other helpful details for Amex.
• Provided the time frame has past that of the terms and conditions for fulfillment simply send a letter to the highest level office at American Express where they can take swift action typically within 24 to 72 hours upon the finished research to get those points posted to your account

If for any reason that still hasn’t happened I will put you in touch with someone directly who can jump into action..I have helped many over the years with this very same or similar such problem

Feel free to PM me and I will send you the forwarding address
If others are interested I am happy to post that information
It has been posted before

Keep on referring those guests I am envious of your bonus points ^
Many Free SPG nights or Airline miles
Cheers

Thanks for your post, '777 global mile hound' .
I appreciate your help on this matter. It's just that when your miles post right away and then suddenly they don't, it sets off a alarm.It's extremely confusing to get 7 different answers from Amex.
Thanks again

Here is a copy of a letter i received from AMEX today::

"Dear moefl,
We have received your inquiry regarding the above mentioned account.
Please be advised that bonus points for approved referrals will be issued up to 12 weeksmafter the PROMOTION END DATE OF FEBRUARY 27,2009. Due to the confidental nature of the credit approval process, you will not be notified of your friends or family member's Cardmembership approval.
Please call us at the toll-free telephone number on your statement,if we can be of any further assistance.
Sincerely,
C. Gordon
Supervisor"

1-They totally did not address my issue of the last 2 weeks, of why everyone always got their points posted after 3 days of their friend's approval, and suddenly nothing posted.
2- They also seemed to imply that the promo ended on FEB 27, which we all know is not true.
I truly don't know where to go from here. All i'm trying to figure out is if my referals are actually getting to Amex, just they suddenly changed their policy, and are not issuing the points after 3 days after doing so for months, or is it a issue just with my account.
I wish there was a way to get through to Amex marketing or promotional team to get a honest answer on my situation.
It's extremely frustrating:td:

:td::td::confused::confused:

...I wish there was a way to get through to Amex marketing or promotional team to get a honest answer on my situation.
It's extremely frustrating:td:

My apologies for your frustration. Believe or not, I am empathetic towards your situation. However, as I stated previously, neither myself nor Thyetus are going to be able to assist you until the 8-week frame of time has passed that is mentioned in AMEX's T&C's.

Even then, we will need the following information from you to follow up with AMEX regarding this issue:

1) Your SPG account number
2) The names of the people that you referred; and, it would help even more to know when, but that isn't a deal-killer. Not having names to reference would be, however.

If you need answers before this time frame is up, you are welcomed to use other resources and discuss the issue here among your peers, but leave Theytus and I out of the loop as far as a direct response is concerned because we won't have one to give going forward.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Thanks William,
1- I understand that you can't address my current issue for a few more weeks, but i wanted to know if you would be of any help,for individual isolated cases that were approved back in Feb, but didn't post (possibly because they weren't approved on the spot, rather a day later, and the system didn't recognise to come and give me credit). Should I pm you?
2- If I don't have the exact name for my referrals,I hope email addresses should suffice, for when i may need to follow up on the current cases.
Thanks!!!

Thanks William,
1- I understand that you can't address my current issue for a few more weeks, but i wanted to know if you would be of any help,for individual isolated cases that were approved back in Feb, but didn't post (possibly because they weren't approved on the spot, rather a day later, and the system didn't recognise to come and give me credit). Should I pm you?
2- If I don't have the exact name for my referrals,I hope email addresses should suffice, for when i may need to follow up on the current cases.
Thanks!!!

1. I know of one other case that I have looked into and the jury is still out on that one. The referring member says he had two. AMEX says only one was approved, so only one was given. Since AMEX will not communicate to me or the referring member regarding the referreds' status as being cardholders, this leaves the referring member to go directly to his/her referrals to make inquiries as to whether they were accepted or not.

2. If you have email addresses, you can send them an email asking for their name, right? Having a name is going to be absolutely essential to my being of any assistance.

It sounds like you have some leg-work to do in the time while we are waiting, so I would hold off on a PM or an email until you have everything you need. Hopefully, they all post in the interim and none of this is necessary, but once the 8 weeks has passed, I can forward your information on to AMEX through our corporate liaison.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

1. I know of one other case that I have looked into and the jury is still out on that one. The referring member says he had two. AMEX says only one was approved, so only one was given. Since AMEX will not communicate to me or the referring member regarding the referreds' status as being cardholders, this leaves the referring member to go directly to his/her referrals to make inquiries as to whether they were accepted or not.

2. If you have email addresses, you can send them an email asking for their name, right? Having a name is going to be absolutely essential to my being of any assistance.

It sounds like you have some leg-work to do in the time while we are waiting, so I would hold off on a PM or an email until you have everything you need. Hopefully, they all post in the interim and none of this is necessary, but once the 8 weeks has passed, I can forward your information on to AMEX through our corporate liaison.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Of course I will take the time to verify exactly who and when.The problem that arises is,what to do in cases where for example on a day in Feb, when I only got credit for 6/7 referals or 10/11 or more. How do I know which one the system left out. I can only GUESS.

...How do I know which one the system left out. I can only GUESS.

That is, of course, precisely where we are in the one case I am investigating now. The only way to know if your referrals got accepted is to ask them directly whether they used your referral and, as a result, are now Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express cardholders.

Personally, I would suggest getting that information now also. That way we only send AMEX those referrals that we know to have been accepted.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

That is, of course, precisely where we are in the one case I am investigating now. The only way to know if your referrals got accepted is to ask them directly whether they used your referral and, as a result, are now Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express cardholders.

Personally, I would suggest getting that information now also. That way we only send AMEX those referrals that we know to have been accepted.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

Of course William i understand exaclly what your saying. My point is, when I know 100% that for example all seven names on a date in FEB., got approved, yet i only got credit for 6 of them, even though all 7 definitely have the card.
Also, worse case senario,I can give you all seven names and have you investigate with amex which one is missing. But thats all doable till now, when lets say I have written down all seven names on a given Tuesday, and I can check my spg account for that Friday (which is exactly 3 days later),and see if I was given 35k or only 30k. BUT what will I do from now on (starting from 2 weeks ago) when the points are not posted anymore after 3 days. Say for example, that after referring 30 guys (that I verify to be approved),over a 6 week span, I suddenly get a bulk deposit for 24 friends, how will I be able to somehow make any sense to you or Amex, which people were left off?
THANKS

...Say for example, that after referring 30 guys (that I verify to be approved),over a 6 week span, I suddenly get a bulk deposit for 24 friends, how will I be able to somehow make any sense to you or Amex, which people were left off?
THANKS

My assumption...and that is all this is at this point in time...is that they will be in contact with you directly once they are able to put the pieces together. But, they are probably not going to tell you that X person was accepted and Y person was not. After all, that leaves them open to some serious privacy issue concerns if they do.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

My assumption...and that is all this is at this point in time...is that they will be in contact with you directly once they are able to put the pieces together. But, they are probably not going to tell you that X person was accepted and Y person was not. After all, that leaves them open to some serious privacy issue concerns if they do.

Best regards,

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

guest.forum@starwoodhotels.com

That's what they say "privacy issues",and that legally they can't do so. But in the end of the day they are my friends, who I referred, and who couldn't care less if I know.
I have a hard time believing them, because I have a Visa card from US Bank, that also gives me points for referrals,and every month I can see online that I received x amount of points for referring, A Smith, B Smith, C Smith ect.

Doesn't it seem like the OP is kind of pushing things to the limit here? I.e., referring lots and lots of people who in many cases he/she doesn't even know. This isn't some kind of eBay deal, is it? I.e., the OP is somehow selling this online? The "buyers" (new credit card signups) presumably receive bonus points and so does the OP.

Sorry if I sound excessively suspicious, but there are a lot of eBay sales of Starwood goodies (Gold status, SPG50 certificates, etc.) and I wondered if this cc offer was somehow being monetized also. :confused:

Doesn't it seem like the OP is kind of pushing things to the limit here? I.e., referring lots and lots of people who in many cases he/she doesn't even know. This isn't some kind of eBay deal, is it? I.e., the OP is somehow selling this online? The "buyers" (new credit card signups) presumably receive bonus points and so does the OP.

Sorry if I sound excessively suspicious, but there are a lot of eBay sales of Starwood goodies (Gold status, SPG50 certificates, etc.) and I wondered if this cc offer was somehow being monetized also. :confused:

Absolutely not true!!
Almost all referees are in my college, where i posted info about the card. It also helps me get more points, when most of them want to sign up their spouses as well.

Isn't there ANYONE that might have referred a friend in the last 2 weeks?!
Did you get your points posted after 3 days or ot?

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Isn't there ANYONE that might have referred a friend in the last 2 weeks?!
Did you get your points posted after 3 days or ot?

Hey moefl, I feel your pain, the same is happing to me I have been referring family and friends for months now,
up till a month ago my points were posted within 72 hrs.
but for the past couple weeks, none were posted at all,
anyone with info please post.

thanks henryr

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]

Hey moefl, I feel your pain, the same is happing to me I have been referring family and friends for months now,
up till a month ago my points were posted within 72 hrs.
but for the past couple weeks, none were posted at all,
anyone with info please post.

thanks henryr

Don't worry, there are many disgruntled customers out there. Hopefully, they will resolve this soo

I contacted Amex today,& they couldn't give me any reason why the points are not posting, and they gave me no notice when or if they would post. YESTERDAY when I went on Amex to pay a bill online, right on top of where they wrote the amount due to pay, they advertised to REFER a friend and earn 5k points.
Very odd!! If you advertise something, you gotta honor it!!

:td:The last time I got points to post,was on April 7th,after referring someone on April 4th. Since then, it has been over 5 weeks already since numerous friends already received their credit cards,yet not a single point has posted yet to my account since then.
What makes it even more frustrating,is that just last Friday, me and my wife received a postcard in the mail telling us to refer our friends,and receive 5k points,with a expiration date of June 15, and then a day later we both received emails with a expiration date of August 1st,yet no points is posting.
Has anyone received ANY SPG points for referrals recently? (I know that I may sound like im repeating the same question again)

Good Evening.
A suggestion: just cancel your card .
If this does not get American Express attention, why should you do any business with them.
I have been waiting for over 12 weeks for the "proverbial" 5000 points to post on my account...
I am willing to be patient but will pull the plug shortly unless I see some action.

What makes it even more frustrating,is that just last Friday, me and my wife received a postcard in the mail telling us to refer our friends,and receive 5k points,with a expiration date of June 15,

Did you notice the terms at the bottom of that card?
"Your Starwood Preferred Guest account will reflect any bonus Starpoints you have earned in connection with this promotion within 8-12 weeks of the promotion end date."

I understand that in the past, the points were posting within a couple of days of approval, but for now Amex hasn't violated their terms.

Did you notice the terms at the bottom of that card?
"Your Starwood Preferred Guest account will reflect any bonus Starpoints you have earned in connection with this promotion within 8-12 weeks of the promotion end date."

I understand that in the past, the points were posting within a couple of days of approval, but for now Amex hasn't violated their terms.

But, did you realize that first the end date was Feb.27, and then suddenly it gets extended indefinetely, and then the postcard says a new date of June 15, and then we got emails 3 days ago saying to get the referrals done by August 1st. So they seem to keep on extending it,but in the meantime,we are hitting June and I haven't gotten April points,even though they always posted immediately.

Just to change the subject a little bit ...

I referred 4 members of my BA Household Account a year or so ago. The points posted in due time (don't remember exactly how long it took) and they eventually cancelled the card.

I have gotten the flyer referred to, and I was wondering if the same people can apply again? If so, and if they are approved, would they also get the bonus a second time?

Just to change the subject a little bit ...

I referred 4 members of my BA Household Account a year or so ago. The points posted in due time (don't remember exactly how long it took) and they eventually cancelled the card.

I have gotten the flyer referred to, and I was wondering if the same people can apply again? If so, and if they are approved, would they also get the bonus a second time?

Officially it says that they won't, but many have written that they indeed have received the 10k again

But, did you realize that first the end date was Feb.27, and then suddenly it gets extended indefinetely, and then the postcard says a new date of June 15, and then we got emails 3 days ago saying to get the referrals done by August 1st. So they seem to keep on extending it,but in the meantime,we are hitting June and I haven't gotten April points,even though they always posted immediately.
FYI...6/14/09 is exactly 8 weeks from my one referral. I kept a copy of the referral email that I sent out, as well as the acceptance email for the person who I referred...specifically for times like these. I'll be contacting AMEX via email with the documentation on 6/14/09, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Good Evening.
A suggestion: just cancel your card .
If this does not get American Express attention, why should you do any business with them.
I have been waiting for over 12 weeks for the "proverbial" 5000 points to post on my account...
I am willing to be patient but will pull the plug shortly unless I see some action.

'Just cancel your card', and then Amex will definitely find a way not to give you the points,as they won't have where to post the points.

It's been a couple of weeks since I last asked this question, so I will ask again: HAS anyone RECEIVED REFERRAL POINTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL??

It's been a couple of weeks since I last asked this question, so I will ask again: HAS anyone RECEIVED REFERRAL POINTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL??

Chill.

I had a referral back in December that I had to push and push and eventually fax a copy of the offer to AMEX to finally receive the points. On the other hand, I did a referral for the business card a couple weeks ago and received the points a couple days after the application was made.

Chill.

I had a referral back in December that I had to push and push and eventually fax a copy of the offer to AMEX to finally receive the points. On the other hand, I did a referral for the business card a couple weeks ago and received the points a couple days after the application was made.
Just curious...what additional info did they require? The referral that I made was through the link that's featured on SPG's site, and not through an offer letter. I just want to be prepared with all of the documentation before I contact AMEX. It looks like I'm a part of the "April referrals," that are not posting even as the 8 week mark is approaching....Thanks.

Just curious...what additional info did they require? The referral that I made was through the link that's featured on SPG's site, and not through an offer letter. I just want to be prepared with all of the documentation before I contact AMEX. It looks like I'm a part of the "April referrals," that are not posting even as the 8 week mark is approaching....Thanks.

They just kept saying "the offer says 8-12 weeks, you need to wait until blah blah blah," which for me was a couple weeks later. However, the promotion I applied for (via a link in the monthly SPG update, I believe), specifically stayed something like 6-8 weeks for Personal cards and 8-12 for Business. They didn't believe me, so I printed it out and faxed it to them. They finally posted. No apology for being completely incorrect on numerous occasions.

I'm actually at the point where I probably won't recommend the card anymore, solely because of the way these referrals are being handled.

They just kept saying "the offer says 8-12 weeks, you need to wait until blah blah blah," which for me was a couple weeks later. However, the promotion I applied for (via a link in the monthly SPG update, I believe), specifically stayed something like 6-8 weeks for Personal cards and 8-12 for Business. They didn't believe me, so I printed it out and faxed it to them. They finally posted. No apology for being completely incorrect on numerous occasions.

I'm actually at the point where I probably won't recommend the card anymore, solely because of the way these referrals are being handled.
Ok, thanks. That's what I figured. I had planned on emailing AMEX and including that same link since it's definitely still active, so I'm hoping that works. This was a personal card referral for me, so the 8 weeks are almost up.

They just kept saying "the offer says 8-12 weeks, you need to wait until blah blah blah," which for me was a couple weeks later. However, the promotion I applied for (via a link in the monthly SPG update, I believe), specifically stayed something like 6-8 weeks for Personal cards and 8-12 for Business. They didn't believe me, so I printed it out and faxed it to them. They finally posted. No apology for being completely incorrect on numerous occasions.

I'm actually at the point where I probably won't recommend the card anymore, solely because of the way these referrals are being handled.
Forgot to mention that I definitely agree about the difficulty of the referral process. I've certainly had to fight for points before, but this seems like a pretty simple promotion (a.) the person referred either was accepted and the points post or b.) they weren't and they don't), so I can't understand why so many people are having this same issue. The strangest thing is that a lot of people were getting their bonus points within a few days after they made the referrals anytime between March and the months before that.

For the referrals starting in April (judging from these postings), I had been concerned that maybe the promotion had ended, but they never made that clear in any of the documentation or took down the link. But if you were able to get the bonus points for a recent referral, then that's obviously not the case.

Chill.

I had a referral back in December that I had to push and push and eventually fax a copy of the offer to AMEX to finally receive the points. On the other hand, I did a referral for the business card a couple weeks ago and received the points a couple days after the application was made.

Would you be a bit more specific? Are we dealing with mid-May? Did the points actually post 2-3 days later? Thanks

Would you be a bit more specific? Are we dealing with mid-May? Did the points actually post 2-3 days later? Thanks

Referred very late May, received points first few days of June. I guess its possible that this was for another referral that I never received (or maybe even a double posting from the one they did manually for me), but it had an OPEN notation on it, so I think it was for the business card referral - of which I've only done one, in late May.

I'm just curious...does anyone have some insight/experience into the actual transaction process on the credit card companies side for these types of bonus promotions? I was always under the impression that there's a promo code (seen or unseen) that's attached to whatever the particular promotion is, and once the requirements are met, it automatically triggers the points to be credited. I'm sure that each credit card company is slightly different, but I figured that was the basic process.

Also, the key word being "automatically," because I'm wondering if the points automatically posting is the standard process, and the exception is the cases where the 6-8 weeks or 8-12 weeks pass, and the points have to be pushed through for some reason or do they all have to be manually approved in order for the points to be credited, and some transactions are just approved more quickly than others?

Referred very late May, received points first few days of June. I guess its possible that this was for another referral that I never received (or maybe even a double posting from the one they did manually for me), but it had an OPEN notation on it, so I think it was for the business card referral - of which I've only done one, in late May.

Thanks for responding. Now I would like to hear if anyone got points for a PERSONAL card recently?

Thanks for responding. Now I would like to hear if anyone got points for a PERSONAL card recently?
I finally had some success. I mentioned before that I sent out a referral to a family member, and he received the approval email from AMEX on 4/19/09. 6/14/09 would have been exactly 8 weeks since the approval, but I decided to email AMEX early anyways anticipating that it might take a little effort to get the bonus points credited. I emailed AMEX on 6/8 with a copy of the approval email that he received (fortunately, I was able to have him forward it to me), and they responded back on 6/9 stating that the bonus points would appear on my next statement.

Fortunately, my statement closed on 6/9, so I did end up getting my bonus points today 6/11. Now, this is the first bonus that I've received from a referral, but the notation on the transaction seems really strange to me:

+5000 SPG AX 1ST USE PRE 30SEP06 (06/11/2009)

I'm wondering if they just pushed the points through under something else besides the referral bonus just to get it done? At least that's what it looks like to me.

It's been a couple of weeks since I last asked this question, so I will ask again: HAS anyone RECEIVED REFERRAL POINTS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL??

Received 5k referral bonus on 4/9 for a referral from just a couple of weeks earlier.

I finally had some success. I mentioned before that I sent out a referral to a family member, and he received the approval email from AMEX on 4/19/09. 6/14/09 would have been exactly 8 weeks since the approval, but I decided to email AMEX early anyways anticipating that it might take a little effort to get the bonus points credited. I emailed AMEX on 6/8 with a copy of the approval email that he received (fortunately, I was able to have him forward it to me), and they responded back on 6/9 stating that the bonus points would appear on my next statement.

Fortunately, my statement closed on 6/9, so I did end up getting my bonus points today 6/11. Now, this is the first bonus that I've received from a referral, but the notation on the transaction seems really strange to me:

+5000 SPG AX 1ST USE PRE 30SEP06 (06/11/2009)

I'm wondering if they just pushed the points through under something else besides the referral bonus just to get it done? At least that's what it looks like to me.

The notation does indeed seen quite odd. Does it perhaps mean that they waited to see your family member make a first purchase, before they gave you the points? But if that's the case, that would be totally against the rules, as it isn't written anywhere on the terms and conditions,that you will only receive your points after the cardmember's 1st purchase,but rather upon approval.
Also, as you stated,it doesn't seem to be any change in their policy,as me and some friends are yet to get points since mid April; but rather they pushed the points through to you. GOOD 4 YOU:)

Received 5k referral bonus on 4/9 for a referral from just a couple of weeks earlier.

Yes, you're right. The last day that i got points was April 8th. I should've been more specific and asked: HAS ANYONE RECEIVED REFERRAL BONUSES SINCE "MID"-APRIL?.

The notation does indeed seen quite odd. Does it perhaps mean that they waited to see your family member make a first purchase, before they gave you the points? But if that's the case, that would be totally against the rules, as it isn't written anywhere on the terms and conditions,that you will only receive your points after the cardmember's 1st purchase,but rather upon approval.
Also, as you stated,it doesn't seem to be any change in their policy,as me and some friends are yet to get points since mid April; but rather they pushed the points through to you. GOOD 4 YOU:)
I personally think that they either a.) messed up and put in the wrong code to credit the 5K or b.) they purposely pushed it through under a different code for some reason...who knows. I don't think that it has anything to do with the referrals making a purchase on their cards, but I could be wrong. Either way, in my case the person that I referred made a purchase on it about a week after they were approved, so the bonus points should have been credited automatically well before now anyways.

Plus, the date on the description doesn't make any sense...30SEP06?

Personally, I'm still waiting for points for 2 people from the end of April,and 3 in the beginning of May:mad:

On my spg account, I noticed today a points insertion stating:

Earn +5000 06/15/2009 "SPG AX DEFAULT"

I am kind of confused because the last time I got Amex points way back in April,(and previous times as well), it was called the SPG AX LOYALTY BONUS, as you can see below:

Earn +10000 04/08/2009 SPG AX LOYALTY BONUS (SPG/AX)

Plus they owe me a little more than one 5000 insertion, so im kind of not sure what the AX DEFAULT is. And I haven't contacted amex in the last month, either.
Seems to be a similar situation with the previous flyertalk member who posted a similar experience, but it doesn't seem like amex suddenly woke up to start paying their dues for the last few months for those who are waiting.

This seems unusually bad performance from AMEX.

6 weeks ago a family member was approved for the card,
but no points yet, and calls to AMEX only result in massive confusion.

Even a few days ago, I referred a friend, they never received the invite.

When I try to refer them again,
I get a a message that the system is not responding, try later.

This is a great bonus if you can get it.
AMEX usually does better than this,
very sad and apparently a waste of time.

What tel number are people using to enquire about this?
Everything I try is automated or clueless.

cheers

mh

I have had no success for 4 genuine referrals myself. One of the lurkers has tried valiantly to work with the amex liason leading to nothing but more frustration.
Referral #1:
XXX(close friend) was acquired through a 2007 Direct Mail campaign. So, this she would also not be eligible for an MGM bonus for Mr. Wu. (okay, so my friend never responded to that mailing in 2007, but my referral bonus is now disqualified when a card is opened in 2009?).
Referral #2, #3, #4: One of my best friends, My sister, My Mom, all never having had an Amex Starwood card before, all claiming to have signed up after my recommendation from the referral email link. Amex claims link not used by my friend/attorney, which is not what i was told. Its been a while for my mom and sister, but not expecting anything but excuses.

Have been told by Lurker that the Liason with Amex was told to contact me twice. At no point has contact been made after waiting sufficiently for a response.

Final Response from AMEX according to Lurker:
We are looking into giving Mr. Wu 2,500 Starpoints for goodwill given how long it took us to get back, etc., but he is technically not owed any points.

My Response: A Claim with the Better Business Bureau.
I referred 4 very close applicants to apply for a Starwood Amex card, each of which did so specifically upon my recommendation and via the email sent. As such the 2500 Starpoints is not a goodwill gesture but slap in the face when I feel that I am rightfully being denied points due.

I have attempted to contact Amex directly in the past via the phone numbers at the back of the card, but after multiple attempts getting transferred back and forth, no one is able to give me any answer that makes sense.

This morning I sent a friend the referral
via the original AMEX email to me.
For the THIRD TIME.

He is not getting anything.
He checked his AMEX marketing preferences,
all are OK.

Any ideas on what is going on?
Is it possible to telephone in
the referral info (name and email) ?

What a hassle. But 5000 points is a big motivator !

bump.

So is this an AMEX or SPG failure?

I still don't know where best to start to get this fixed.
Previous posts don't hold out much hope.

bump.

So is this an AMEX or SPG failure?

I still don't know where best to start to get this fixed.
Previous posts don't hold out much hope.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11699315-post25.html

;)

Best regards,

William

bump.

So is this an AMEX or SPG failure?

I still don't know where best to start to get this fixed.
Previous posts don't hold out much hope.

It's definitely a AMEX failure.
BTW, I found out yesterday, that the points insertion that I received:
Earn +5000 06/15/2009 "SPG AX DEFAULT"
was for speaking to a supervisor on April 30th about a previos case, and not an indication that Amex was getting it's act together about giving out the points
I also wanted to mention a recent issue that's happened over the last 2 weeks to a couple of referrals that I sent out, similar to what "Mr. Halliday" said earlier:
""When I try to refer them again,I get a a message that the system is not responding,try later."",
which basically means that after I send my friend the referral link and he fills out all his information and presses the send button, he gets this message, which usually means that Amex never got his application. What Amex possibly has to gain from this, is that once this happens to the person, he is usually confused whether his application went through or not and will thus contact Amex, and upon learning that it didn't go through, he may resubmit the application over the phone, or directly on Amex's site, thus Amex will claim that they don't owe me anything, since the guy didn't get approved through my link. (I actually had a case where this happened,and of course didn't get the points.)
I know (and hope) that this is probably not the case, and rather it's just a computer glitch the last couple of weeks on some applications, but the way Amex has been treating us the last 3 months, playing hardball, I figured that i would just through this out there.

I did spend some time with AMEX yesterday,
but nothing really came of it.

The agent, with supervisor help, did locate the promo,
coded as offer N3090001 valid Mar 23-Dec 31.

She did look for, but was unable to find,
any special phone number or specialist desk to contact
as there is sometimes with other promos.

But she could NOT take the referral info
and manually do the process.

Meanwhile my referral-friend must think I am bs-ing him,
and I can only advise him to go direct.
Very sad, that 5K points is $100-$150 in value.

Maybe there is something wrong/outdated
with my referral link; it came in a Mar 27 email,
and for the personal card is:

https://www201.americanexpress.com/sbsapply/EACQServlet?request_type=mgmLogin&campaignid=10043&origin=CCSG

I don't think it contains personal info, at least hope not!

Can anyone post a more recent link here again.
Thanks in advance.

Was that they were not even aware of the promotion. I offered to send them the post card they sent me and still no reponse.

I did spend some time with AMEX yesterday,
but nothing really came of it.

The agent, with supervisor help, did locate the promo,
coded as offer N3090001 valid Mar 23-Dec 31.

She did look for, but was unable to find,
any special phone number or specialist desk to contact
as there is sometimes with other promos.

But she could NOT take the referral info
and manually do the process.

Meanwhile my referral-friend must think I am bs-ing him,
and I can only advise him to go direct.
Very sad, that 5K points is $100-$150 in value.

Maybe there is something wrong/outdated
with my referral link; it came in a Mar 27 email,
and for the personal card is:

https://www201.americanexpress.com/sbsapply/EACQServlet?request_type=mgmLogin&campaignid=10043&origin=CCSG

I don't think it contains personal info, at least hope not!

Can anyone post a more recent link here again.
Thanks in advance.

You have the correct link. Maybe your friend can provide you with a alternate email address, and try to see if it might arrive there. They usually arrive in the inbox within a couple of minutes.

You have the correct link. Maybe your friend can provide you with a alternate email address, and try to see if it might arrive there. They usually arrive in the inbox within a couple of minutes.OK, thanks.
That is helpful to know !

Not sure why a different email would work,
unless my referral is ending up in his spambox,
and we have checked for that.

It's tough when you are asking someone to let you refer them,
to have it get this complicated ! :D

Hey CRAZ, I do value your opinion (when it's done in a nice way:)), so what do you suggest I do to get my points? It's 10 weeks already!!

I will let you know if i get any update from amex as I did also open an issue with them late last week, and they are supposed to follow up with me. I suppose they will need to provide me with some answer that they can justify as the representative opening the issue could understand my frustration when she was able to read the reason on one account being denied because my referral was sent marketing materials a few years ago. I told her basically, that amex could send materials to everyone or say they did, and each and every referral bonus could be rejected without any proof to the referee, and also noted this was not in the terms and conditions of the promotion. No idea why amex is so incompetent for this promo as I've always thought very highly of amex in the past.

Just to update: I got my rightful 20K in points for referrals given to my family and best friends. It was added as goodwill at spg.com from amex. Not sure if it was due to bbb claim pressure or more likely calling the number on the back of amex card again to open a claim. Never did get contacted about anything, but i got the points so i suppose I don't need to hear them say i didn't deserve the referral points for some incomprehensible reason.

Just to update: I got my rightful 20K in points for referrals given to my family and best friends. It was added as goodwill at spg.com from amex. Not sure if it was due to bbb claim pressure or more likely calling the number on the back of amex card again to open a claim. Never did get contacted about anything, but i got the points so i suppose I don't need to hear them say i didn't deserve the referral points for some incomprehensible reason.

Just curious what code they used when they inserted the points.Thanks

Today is 8 weeks from when my sister was approved.
Being a family member it was easy to get
a copy of her approval e-mail.

I called AMEX this morning,
and after about 10 minutes they said
the 5000 would post at the end of
the next billing cycle, in two weeks.

So it seems to work if you really try hard. :D

Would be a lot nicer if it just posted
within 3 days of approval as in the early days.

Today is 8 weeks from when my sister was approved.
Being a family member it was easy to get
a copy of her approval e-mail.

I called AMEX this morning,
and after about 10 minutes they said
the 5000 would post at the end of
the next billing cycle, in two weeks.

So it seems to work if you really try hard. :D

Would be a lot nicer if it just posted
within 3 days of approval as in the early days.

Please don't automatically believe that the points will post on your next bill cycle. Others have posted that they were told the same thing and nothing materialized. But please let us know if they do happen to post.
I wonder if anyone would disagree with me, but I think it's unexcusable on Amex's part (not spg), for not giving the points automatically. Nobody should have to call them to complain. I am waiting "11' weeks for numerous referrals, that 100% signed up through my link!

Just hit "12" weeks since (in my estimation) Amex stopped giving the points.
Btw, just as recently as yesterday, when i went to spg.com, I again noticed towards the bottom of the page, where they advertised 'REFER YOUR FRIENDS-Earn 5000 points', which by clicking on it, takes you directly to Amex's link to refer friends.
So what's going on here, if Spg keeps on promoting it on their website and on their monthly enewsletters, then they gotta get on Amex to make sure to give everyone their dues!

Please don't automatically believe that the points will post on your next bill cycle. Others have posted that they were told the same thing and nothing materialized. But please let us know if they do happen to post.OK, 10K points posted overnight, exactly as promised by AMEX agent.
This was one bonus for sister, who did get the card,
and another bonus for a friend who never received my repeated invites.

The points were bundled in with my credit card earnings,
not line itemized like the one 5K I received months ago
when things posted in 3 days

Again, a lot of work, and a long delay, :eek:
but a nice bonus in the end.

OK, 10K points posted overnight, exactly as promised by AMEX agent.
This was one bonus for sister, who did get the card,
and another bonus for a friend who never received my repeated invites.

The points were bundled in with my credit card earnings,
not line itemized like the one 5K I received months ago
when things posted in 3 days

Again, a lot of work, and a long delay, :eek:
but a nice bonus in the end.

Good for you!
In my opinion, not you or me, nor anyone should have to go through all this hassle. Plus, you are further showing, that Amex still hasn't fixed the issue, and only after you complaining, did they have the points bundled up in your cc earnings, but they didn't itemize.

Has anyone else out there done referrals in the last 3 months? What are your experiences?

The current end date for the promo is now September 15th, (but of course they can extend it).
Thererfore, when I inquire about getting points for April referrals, I am told that I need to wait 8 weeks after promo end date. I try to reason that the original end date was June 1st, and it's 8 weeks since, but am told that the date is September 15th. I am quite sure that before September 15th, they will extend it again, thus the end date will become later, and they will find a excuse to delay the April points yet again!
Some have written that they have gotten points during the last 4 months while others haven't.
Can some readers share their experiences with the promo recently, and if you have gotten points automatically, or only through fighting (please explain what you did), or if you are still waiting like me.
Thanks

I'm not sure with them anymore. The promo is always advertised on starwoods homepage, yet i haven't received any points for 5 April and May referrals.
VERY UPSETTING:(:(

My most recent referral applied for the personal SPG Amex via my referral link on Sep 28, my 5K SPG bonus posted on Oct 6. Very pleased with the way that one worked...

2 referal bonuses posted recently. It takes a while for the points to post. Best thing to do is to call Amex and remind them.

Received a fresh email yesterday re-promoting this bonus.