I see an inconsistency in your statement: On the one hand you favour exceptions (“We don't usually combine bonuses, but I'm willing to bend the rules on this occasion)” on the other hand you like to see a consistency in granting exceptions!

There are questions which can be easily answered by T&C but we don’t like the replay. Precisely we don’t like the rule and search to find way to circumvent the directive. One way is to call CS and innocently ask different agents until we hear the answer we like. But is it fair to blame those call center agents who work by the rule book?