Beware the IHG "Enrolling Stay" - Lost 90K points!
Jul 29, 2015, 3:32 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: Hilton Diamond, United Premier Gold
Posts: 7
Beware the IHG "Enrolling Stay" - Lost 90K points!
I stayed at the Intercontinental Beijing Beichen for 34 days for work in May-June of this year, and I signed up for Ambassador when I checked in. It was a really long haul being away from home for so long, but I figured I'd at least get a lot of points out of it that I could use with family. A few weeks after I got home, I checked my account and it only had 1,000 points total, but had registered my 34 nights.
I sent an email wondering why I had so few points and got a response, which I confirmed in a call to customer service. If you sign up at an IHG hotel during your stay, that stay gets a FLAT RATE of 1,000 points. My bill came out to around $9,000 dollars, and so at ten points per dollar, I forfeited about 90,000 points!!! I had no idea about any of this, and it's just horrible. I don't recall this ever happening with another program, and I also don't know how this policy does anything except rob people of points, since the entire initial stay earns the equivalent of $100 of spending.
There is apparently nothing I can do at this point, other than vent about it and warn others of this really awful IHG policy, but if anyone has any possible options, I'm all ears.
Relevant language from terms and conditions (wasn't told this at the desk when I enrolled, and wouldn't have imagined such a thing existed):
If you enroll in IHG® Rewards Club at the time of your initial stay in any IHG branded hotel excluding ANA partner hotel worldwide, you will be awarded 1,000 points for that qualified enrolling stay.
InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express® , EVEN® and HUALUXE® hotel brands worldwide, you will receive ten (10) points for each USD dollar or local currency equivalent paid toward Eligible Charges on your individual hotel room bill, when you pay Qualifying Room Rates, or the applicable airline miles.
I sent an email wondering why I had so few points and got a response, which I confirmed in a call to customer service. If you sign up at an IHG hotel during your stay, that stay gets a FLAT RATE of 1,000 points. My bill came out to around $9,000 dollars, and so at ten points per dollar, I forfeited about 90,000 points!!! I had no idea about any of this, and it's just horrible. I don't recall this ever happening with another program, and I also don't know how this policy does anything except rob people of points, since the entire initial stay earns the equivalent of $100 of spending.
There is apparently nothing I can do at this point, other than vent about it and warn others of this really awful IHG policy, but if anyone has any possible options, I'm all ears.
Relevant language from terms and conditions (wasn't told this at the desk when I enrolled, and wouldn't have imagined such a thing existed):
If you enroll in IHG® Rewards Club at the time of your initial stay in any IHG branded hotel excluding ANA partner hotel worldwide, you will be awarded 1,000 points for that qualified enrolling stay.
InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn Express® , EVEN® and HUALUXE® hotel brands worldwide, you will receive ten (10) points for each USD dollar or local currency equivalent paid toward Eligible Charges on your individual hotel room bill, when you pay Qualifying Room Rates, or the applicable airline miles.
Jul 29, 2015, 4:06 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
Wow, that's crappy.
Hopefully your warning will save someone else from the same fate.
Hopefully your warning will save someone else from the same fate.
Jul 29, 2015, 4:39 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: Hilton Diamond, United Premier Gold
Posts: 7
Thanks. Yeah, I feel pretty bamboozled by a loophole that seems to be specifically designed to stop people from earning more points for no reason at all. I wouldn't be so upset about it if it weren't such a large number of points, and if during that whole trip I was like, "Well, at least I'll get some points out of all of this work."
Jul 29, 2015, 4:43 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
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I think there is a lot that can done. First you signed up at check in which is technically before your stay began. When IHG talks about during your stay they are referring to in the middle of your stay or at check out.
I think there is a lot that can done. First you signed up at check in which is technically before your stay began. When IHG talks about during your stay they are referring to in the middle of your stay or at check out.
Jul 29, 2015, 6:05 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
The wording on the terms and conditions is
I'm guessing they could successfully say that standing at check-in could easily be classed as "The time of your initial stay". They would argue the minute you walk in your stay begins and so on.
I agree it sucks though - totally!! I'm not sure why they do that as with higher costing stays the new member would earn a decent wedge of points and that large early deposit may just encourage them to book their next stay with IHG and maybe change their behaviour resulting in less stays at a competitor whereas this has probably encouraged the OP to look elsewhere first in future.
Also isn't there something about extended stays not qualifying for points or am I thinking of another programme? If it is IHG would 34 nights have been too many for points?
If you enrol in IHG® Rewards Club at the time of your initial stay in any IHG branded hotel excluding ANA partner hotel worldwide, you will be awarded 1,000 points for that qualified enrolling stay.
I agree it sucks though - totally!! I'm not sure why they do that as with higher costing stays the new member would earn a decent wedge of points and that large early deposit may just encourage them to book their next stay with IHG and maybe change their behaviour resulting in less stays at a competitor whereas this has probably encouraged the OP to look elsewhere first in future.
Also isn't there something about extended stays not qualifying for points or am I thinking of another programme? If it is IHG would 34 nights have been too many for points?
Last edited by chrism20; Jul 29, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Jul 29, 2015, 6:19 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
I would bet the original intent of this policy is to benefit the new member with AT LEAST 1,000 points upon the first stay. Surely you can escalate the matter of how this policy unintentionally short changed you up the ladder to someone with the power to make it right. Don't give up.
Jul 29, 2015, 6:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Somewhere in Europe
Posts: 3,362
I would bet the original intent of this policy is to benefit the new member with AT LEAST 1,000 points upon the first stay. Surely you can escalate the matter of how this policy unintentionally short changed you up the ladder to someone with the power to make it right. Don't give up.
They might get a small gesture of goodwill but I can't see them going for 90k when it's crystal clear on the marketing in the hotels.
Jul 29, 2015, 6:47 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Programs: Hilton Diamond, United Premier Gold
Posts: 7
Oh, and I did email them back to attempt to escalate it. We'll see where that goes. Maybe nowhere, but it's worth a shot.
Jul 29, 2015, 6:57 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA LifeTime PLT (2.982 MM, But 3MM+ Total), HHonors GOLD, IHG AMB
Posts: 787
Jul 29, 2015, 7:25 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
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The purpose of the rule is that if a guest discovers the IHG Club during a stay they only receive a 1000 point token for that stay. If they knew about the program and enrolled a week before they stayed they would receive full points. Also you should know that the property should and will step up and give you the correct amount of points.
The purpose of the rule is that if a guest discovers the IHG Club during a stay they only receive a 1000 point token for that stay. If they knew about the program and enrolled a week before they stayed they would receive full points. Also you should know that the property should and will step up and give you the correct amount of points.
Jul 29, 2015, 7:36 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BNE
Programs: QF Gold, VA Gold, IHG Spire, Accor Plat, Marriot Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,281
I absolutely understand that it is in the material. My main issue with it is I'm trying to understand WHY they would do it that way, aside from deleting a huge amount of points. I am quite sure this is in no way industry standard, for ANY reward program that you would get a token amount instead of what you spend the first time. I can't imagine it is for Hilton or Marriott, anyway. They KNEW I was going to be at the hotel for 34 days when I checked in, and they didn't mention that little detail that I would get 1K points instead of 90K.
Oh, and I did email them back to attempt to escalate it. We'll see where that goes. Maybe nowhere, but it's worth a shot.
Oh, and I did email them back to attempt to escalate it. We'll see where that goes. Maybe nowhere, but it's worth a shot.
Jul 29, 2015, 7:49 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,324
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No chance to escalate it I am afraid, as that is the rule. The hotel gets incented for enrolling you, and it's flagged in the system as such, you pay for it in reduced points.
I agree escalating is not the answer. Let the property know its not the Hilton HHonors program they participate in and to get serious and have IHG Club post the correct amount of points.
Originally Posted by markis10
I absolutely understand that it is in the material. My main issue with it is I'm trying to understand WHY they would do it that way, aside from deleting a huge amount of points. I am quite sure this is in no way industry standard, for ANY reward program that you would get a token amount instead of what you spend the first time. I can't imagine it is for Hilton or Marriott, anyway. They KNEW I was going to be at the hotel for 34 days when I checked in, and they didn't mention that little detail that I would get 1K points instead of 90K.
Oh, and I did email them back to attempt to escalate it. We'll see where that goes. Maybe nowhere, but it's worth a shot.
Oh, and I did email them back to attempt to escalate it. We'll see where that goes. Maybe nowhere, but it's worth a shot.
Jul 29, 2015, 10:46 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,671
No harm escalating it. Maybe it reaches someone a bit more empathic, as it is a nice way to drive away potent customers otherwise. Make sure to voice your bitter disappointment upon your first stay (of hopefully many) with IHG.
HTB.
HTB.
Jul 29, 2015, 11:06 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: Amex Plat; IHG Spire Elite; AZ Freccia Alata, SPG Gold; ClubCarlson Gold; Accor Plat; BA Bronze.
Posts: 457
I stayed at the Intercontinental Beijing Beichen for 34 days for work in May-June of this year, and I signed up for Ambassador when I checked in. It was a really long haul being away from home for so long, but I figured I'd at least get a lot of points out of it that I could use with family. A few weeks after I got home, I checked my account and it only had 1,000 points total, but had registered my 34 nights. [/I]
If so, you could mention this, as well.