Apr 29, 2016, 10:53 am
"AMB pack not received" thread
Apr 25, 2016, 1:58 pm
#241
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: UK
Programs: IHG Diamond Amb, Bonvoy Plat (+LTP), VS Silver
Posts: 1,392
Renewed 1 January as well and recently contacted Amb customer service as I have a stay coming up in a few weeks that uses the weekend certificate. All I got out of them is the standard reply - no help whatsoever on the reservation.
Apr 26, 2016, 3:03 am
#242
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,726
The points is one issue, you can get those as service recovery adjustment. The FWNC is another problem altogether and they are pretty much useless helping with that as properties need to cert to get reimbursed internally from what I understood from some hotels. They should just credit a free night to Spire RA or AMB and be done with it. Or 60k points for a free night. At least smth.
Apr 26, 2016, 6:13 am
#243
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Sheffield, UK
Programs: BA, Emirates, IHG, Accor, Marriott, Hilton
Posts: 637
The idea of crediting a free night is good - but that would depend on IHGs IT systems being able to cope with it - differing rooms available on the free night certificate, so I would have no faith in being able to use it. Although from where we are now I would much rather have that than nothing!!
Apr 29, 2016, 11:17 am
#244
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,114
8 months later... Have now explicitly asked IC to commit to extending my Ambassador membership to match the certificate expiry, when it is finally issued.
Apr 29, 2016, 12:22 pm
#245
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Ottawa
Programs: IC/AMB - Diamond Elite, AC E50K, AA, AM-Onyx, HH-Diamond, BW, Choice - Gold
Posts: 1,736
The points is one issue, you can get those as service recovery adjustment. The FWNC is another problem altogether and they are pretty much useless helping with that as properties need to cert to get reimbursed internally from what I understood from some hotels. They should just credit a free night to Spire RA or AMB and be done with it. Or 60k points for a free night. At least smth.
As a result of the problems with the Ambassador/RA kits, IHG has been contacting the hotels to arrange for them to provide a free night in accordance with the Ambassador Program rules, without a physical certificate being presented.
mxm135
Apr 29, 2016, 12:44 pm
#246
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
I do not understand why some people who renewed recently have their packs,whilst others have been waiting months.If they have the packs,send them out.If they have limited supply deal with the people who have been waiting longest.Or is this too simple for IHG?
Apr 29, 2016, 1:01 pm
#247
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
Even better if they could deposit the points electronically and issue the weekend free night in electronic form too! Then nobody would complain of the waiting time. Who needs the same pack year after year while the most useful things are the Bonus Points voucher number and the free weekend night!
Apr 29, 2016, 1:08 pm
#248
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
Even better if they could deposit the points electronically and issue the weekend free night in electronic form too! Then nobody would complain of the waiting time. Who needs the same pack year after year while the most useful things are the Bonus Points voucher number and the free weekend night!
Apr 30, 2016, 5:09 am
#249
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,114
No update on pack timing in latest exchange with IC, but they did extend my Ambassador membership by 9 months. I think that buys them 3 months of me not hassling them every couple of weeks.
May 1, 2016, 1:23 am
#250
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Ether
Programs: Some, not all.
Posts: 1,595
Just wow 
We would like to inform you that membership portfolio for both Spire Ambassador and Spire Royal Ambassador are still on hold and no specific time frame as to when they will start sending materials to all affected members. However, we are still in constant communication to our vendor and were advised that they will send all kits once fixed and completed.
We understand that you wish to use your Weekend Night Certificate within the validity of your membership. In this regard, should you decide to use your certificate, please let us know of the stay details so we can check the availability and check further with the hotel if they can honor the reservations even without the physical certificate. Regrettably, we still cannot guarantee that this will be approved by the hotel.
Thank you
We understand that you wish to use your Weekend Night Certificate within the validity of your membership. In this regard, should you decide to use your certificate, please let us know of the stay details so we can check the availability and check further with the hotel if they can honor the reservations even without the physical certificate. Regrettably, we still cannot guarantee that this will be approved by the hotel.
Thank you
May 1, 2016, 9:14 am
#251
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,596
They cannot send out the WNC,nor can they guarantee the hotel will accept any arrangement made.Nor can they guarantee that if a particular hotel accepts an arrangement the hotel will still accept the arrangement on arrival.
What a farce.No wonder Starwood wanted nothing to do with a merger.IHG seems to be run by a bunch of kindergarden graduates.
I recently used my wife's (Spire Ambassador) WNC which arrived rather quickly,and the hotel was rather noncommittal about what they would do.Nobody would give a straight answer and the GM was not available.
What a farce.No wonder Starwood wanted nothing to do with a merger.IHG seems to be run by a bunch of kindergarden graduates.
I recently used my wife's (Spire Ambassador) WNC which arrived rather quickly,and the hotel was rather noncommittal about what they would do.Nobody would give a straight answer and the GM was not available.
May 4, 2016, 5:12 am
#253
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 6
Ok first I am Spire. 2nd this was a kit joining. 3rd I have maybe 50 emails or phone calls, or twitter chats with IHG over not getting kit. 4th I ordered the kit last July. 5th 6 weeks ago I got them to agree to send just the Cert for free night. 7 I have gotten 5K and 3 more months before this email that follows...... I am no longer asking them for kit after this, not sure if I will continue membership after it is up if no kit comes. All that said. Here is the text from email.
Thank you for your email and we apologize for the delay in our response.
We regret to inform you that we are still experiencing issues in the delivery of the Spire Ambassador kits.
We understand how much this inconvenience has impacted your business and loyalty with us. As an apology for this inconvenience, we offer to issue 50,000 additional points to your account, at least enough for 1 Free Night at any hotel of your choice. We will issue the points upon receiving your confirmation.
We understand that this is a temporary solution as of the moment, but we assure you that we are in the process of the rectifying the issue at hand.
Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for your email and we apologize for the delay in our response.
We regret to inform you that we are still experiencing issues in the delivery of the Spire Ambassador kits.
We understand how much this inconvenience has impacted your business and loyalty with us. As an apology for this inconvenience, we offer to issue 50,000 additional points to your account, at least enough for 1 Free Night at any hotel of your choice. We will issue the points upon receiving your confirmation.
We understand that this is a temporary solution as of the moment, but we assure you that we are in the process of the rectifying the issue at hand.
Should you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
May 4, 2016, 7:19 am
#254
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Singapore
Programs: SIA Solitaire PPS, IHG Royal Amb, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Hhonor Gold
Posts: 2,207
I noted a particular entry in my transaction listing:
03-May-2016 | Other | REPLACEMENT KIT - RC
Looks like they are going to send the kit soon.
03-May-2016 | Other | REPLACEMENT KIT - RC
Looks like they are going to send the kit soon.
May 8, 2016, 7:25 am
#255
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, BA Gold, Hyatt
Posts: 131
I finally got my ambassador pack this week...just 4 months after renewing. There is absolutely nothing different about it from previous years as far as I can tell.
I think they should probably just dispense with mailing these out and start doing it all electronically. Does anyone even need a physical card anymore? I don't know that I've ever used mine.
I think they should probably just dispense with mailing these out and start doing it all electronically. Does anyone even need a physical card anymore? I don't know that I've ever used mine.