In short: Yes.

Like the old adage about glorious theories (that the system got jammed, that it was just the wait for the sweep, that it was both of these theories together) getting trumped by a pesky fact, I finally called after one over three months and one at three weeks didn't go through. Responses (x3): I didn't use the promo's AWD, so no Carlson points. In the earlier case, I could have earned the big AA miles before that promo expired. Alas.

I posted this elsewhere, and just remembered this thread.