I recall the bad old days before revenue based status on AA when I was spending $20k+ on travel annually and sitting in the back as a PLT while the premium cabin was filled with bloggers and mileage runners who got to EXP for $3k on mistake fares and mileage runs.

To answer your question, I never had the issue you cite, just the opposite - spending lots and not hitting the mileage requirement. Thankfully that’s no longer the case.