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Old Nov 12, 2019 | 11:04 am
  #4  
MalFr
20 Countries Visited
60 Nights
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5 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: FB Gold, Accor Gold, IHG One Rewards Platinum, SNCF Grand Voyager le club, Hertz 5* Gold,
Posts: 579
Um, Oh...
Tried using their reservation callback service. Over 2 days i got the continual message that the call couldn't be connected.
Then i used their contact form. After a week and not even an acknowledgement, i called their reservations line.
As i can't book any room with points even with their help i have to speak to card services, so i was put through.
After a short wait, spoke to a lady who didn't seem especially confident, but quite apologetic for all the problems.
At least she did greet me as Mr Bob Smith which was nice; this was apparently my name that was passed through to her with their IT system. Which is.... interesting seeing as i'm Mal Fr...
After that i did ask her to confirm a number of details from my account, just in case it was a very clever identity theft scam, but i'm confident this was really the "Le Club Accor" support line. Sadly. For them.

Turns out that my account was suspended in early October due to suspicious or fraudulent activity. I can earn points, but can't spend them, and for security reasons i can't change any account personal details until it is unsuspended.
I can log in though, because thats where i found my account number. Oh, and i could change various account details as i did it while on the phone to her.
"but you shouldn't be able to do that" she said. No Sh....
"why didn't you notify me that the account was suspended?" she replied that "If the account was compromised then it would alert the fraudster. For security reasons you have to tell us there is a problem". Um, how would i know? And the hacker would know they've hacked it, anyway.
And, (looks like) i could have booked a room using an old (expired) credit card for which the details are stored. Knew there'd be a good reason not to delete it .
Apart from that, all secure!
It was re-emphasised to me, several times that they have upgraded their security response and procedures for my benefit.
Which is nice. Just a shame that none of it actually works.

To get my account un-suspended, for security reasons she is not permitted do it.
She has to email me requesting specific information while i was on the phone. Email to an address that i could have changed had i hacked the account.
Then i had to reply with the information requested, one item of which was the account number i had just read from the web page.
Then she has to send it to "the higher level" and they will un-suspend my account within the next 48 hours but they are apparently much quicker. All done, though I don; know why its so complicated.

"Did i know Le Club Accor was changing to ALL soon?" Yes. Is this what it's going to be like in the future? ->"well, we have improved the security as just 1 aspect".
"oh, and you have a request for support. It's a week old". Yes. "but, it's not been investigated". I know, That's why i'm calling. "i'll escalate it".

I'm not filled with confidence....

Mal
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