Exclusive Offer to Take Back Your Gold Elite Status

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Mar 24, 2014, 9:12 pm

megalab

Original Poster

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: ORD, MKE

Programs: Bonvoy LT Gold, Hilton Silver, Hyatt Discoverist, Hertz PC, National EE

Posts: 710

Exclusive Offer to Take Back Your Gold Elite Status

Did anyone else get an offer to buy-up status for points? (Search found nothing.) I dropped to Silver at the start of the month but got this e-mail today:

Quote:

Dear megalab,

You deserve to spoil yourself this year. Enjoy the exclusive rewards and benefits of Club CarlsonSM Gold Elite status with our Status Take Back promotion.

By redeeming just 25,000 Gold Points®, you can once again enjoy complimentary room upgrades, a 35% point bonus on eligible stays, in-room welcome gifts, early check-in and late checkout, and more.

This offer is just for you and ends April 15, 2014, so upgrade today by calling Club Carlson Customer Care at one of the following numbers:

For U.S. and Canadian residents: +1 (888) 288-8889
For Caribbean, Mexico, Central & South America residents: +1 (402) 501 5623

Terms and Conditions
'Elite Take Back' Promotion is valid from March 24 - April 15, 2014
You must have an adequate point balance at time of upgrade request to participate
New elite status will be valid until February 28, 2015
Offer is non-transferrable and only valid to member receiving the offer
Member may upgrade elite status one level only
Member must call member services in order to redeem points for upgrade
The Promotion is subject to all Club Carlson Terms and Conditions. To the fullest extent permissible by law, Club Carlson reserves the right to add, modify, or discontinue Promotion without notice. Club Carlson is not responsible for any technical failures/interruptions, internet accessibility problems, incomplete or inaccurate registration information, or other errors of any kind that may affect your registration for this Promotion. Void where prohibited by law. By participating in this Promotion, you agree and consent to these terms and conditions and Club Carlson Terms and Conditions.
Promotional offers are subject to terms and conditions. Services and amenities may vary by hotel, may not be available at all locations, and may be subject to availability and other restrictions. Participation in Club Carlson is subject to the program terms and conditions. All Club Carlson benefits and services are subject to availability and may vary by hotel. View member benefit terms and restrictions.

The only official differences between Silver and Gold are increased bonus, welcome gift and room availability guarantee. I doubt I'd get back the points I'd spend for the higher status. The gifts I've received were pretty nominal in value, not worth a fraction of the points. I've used the availability guarantee in the past, but there are other ways of achieving the same thing. Perhaps a higher upgrade priority for Gold, but otherwise I don't see much value. Anyone see any differently?

Mar 24, 2014, 10:15 pm

tsmith12

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: USA

Posts: 1,179

I got the same offer to get back to Concierge Status for 60,000 points. I'll have a few stays in Asia/Europe later this year, so the breakfast might come handy. But not sure if it's worth 60K points and I don't think I'll have enough stays this year to get back to Concierge.

ETA: I'm still Gold so I think I'll take my chances since most European/Asian properties do end up giving free breakfast to Golds.

Last edited by tsmith12; Mar 24, 2014 at 10:22 pm

Mar 24, 2014, 11:19 pm

Firewind

Join Date: May 2006

Location: BOS and ...

Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club

Posts: 9,950

Similar email, offer: Substitute "10,000" for taking back lost Silver.

Mar 24, 2014, 11:55 pm

Jasjot Sadana

Join Date: Feb 2013

Posts: 219

Similar email,offer received was to get my Gold status back for 20,000 CC points

Mar 25, 2014, 4:00 am

Firewind

Join Date: May 2006

Location: BOS and ...

Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club

Posts: 9,950

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasjot Sadana

Similar email,offer received was to get my Gold status back for 20,000 CC points

Jasjot Sadana, thank you. Hmmm... This adds an interesting variable. In the interest of understanding it as best we can from members' end: We had four stays - seven nights - put on our Gold account, last year. The offer price: Redeem 25,000 points. Jasjot Sadana, "for the good of the order", would you mind sharing your stay and night numbers from last year? Thank you again.

One more thing. Redemption is via phone. One wonders if the point requirement might be negotiable - 20,000 rather than 25,000 - if one is well-informed via this thread. One might wait until April 14 or 15 for this.

Mar 25, 2014, 9:26 am

et_phonehome

Join Date: Apr 2010

Posts: 113

Exclusive Offer to Take Back Your Gold Elite Status

I received the 25K offer, but don't know if it'd be worth it since cities I stay in only seem to have Country Inns & I rarely was given late check out or in room gifts on my stays.

Mar 25, 2014, 8:02 pm

Firewind

Join Date: May 2006

Location: BOS and ...

Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club

Posts: 9,950

A lot, and not just the response to these offers, depends on Carlson firming up what Gold means. "Firming" meaning so that the decision doesn't have to rely mainly on the interpretation of "Gold" at the particular hotels we are interested in, moreover, know. And "up" meaning, in most cases, stepping up to the competition's (Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, SPG) meaning of their comparable elite tiers.

Mar 27, 2014, 10:01 am

rubbernyc

Join Date: Feb 2002

Location: New York City, Northern NJ

Programs: AS, AA, Hilton, Hyatt

Posts: 1,041

I also received the offer for 25k CC points to take back Gold. I had 7 stays and 10 nights last year and plan on no stays this year.

Mar 27, 2014, 3:06 pm

iancanton

Join Date: Dec 2006

Programs: thai, virgin, emirates, priority club

Posts: 488

this offer appears to be targetted at members with a usa address. one of the best benefits of gold in europe, the middle east and africa is weekend extend, which offers 4 nights for the price of 2 (or, if preferred, 2 nights for the price of 1). gold for 25k is likely to pay for itself on a single 2-night weekend booking in the likes of london, amsterdam or oslo!

http://www.clubcarlson.com/4for2
http://www.clubcarlson.com/2for1

ian.

Mar 28, 2014, 6:28 am

#10

megalab

Original Poster

Join Date: Oct 2011

Location: ORD, MKE

Programs: Bonvoy LT Gold, Hilton Silver, Hyatt Discoverist, Hertz PC, National EE

Posts: 710

Quote:

Originally Posted by iancanton

Thank you for reminding us of this valuable benefit, and posting the URLs.. It is not prominent on the Club Carlson website, at least not the member benefits list on the US site. I agree it could easily pay for itself, and understand any frustration if this offer isn't global. Perhaps another example of how CC is fumbling its way to irrelevancy.

Mar 28, 2014, 7:07 pm

#11

Fanjet

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: Usually in SAN or Central Europe.

Programs: AA:EXP/1MM. Accor/Radisson:Silver; HH:Gold; ICH:Plt Amb.

Posts: 22,307

I got the offer to buy back Concierge status for 60K points. I did the math. In order to recoup those points back with the 75% bonus versus 35% bonus, I would have to spend $7500 on room rate charges. Moreover, the only tangible benefit of Concierge over Gold is the free breakfast. However, those can be added onto the rate for around $15 or less. And about half of the properties I stay at already offer a free breakfast. So I'm going to pass on this offer. But at least they gave an opportunity to do so. That's better than nothing.