I reponded earlier this year to an AMEX promo for the SPG card that was to include 1000 points charging the first stay at a SPG property to the card, and 500 miles for each of the next 10 stays at a SPG property, plus 4000 points also for first use of the card anywhere, in every instance during the first year. A similar promo is currently running on the website as it was when I applied through the link earlier this year.

However, AMEX has systematically failed to automatically award the bonus points per stay charged to the card ever since. Initially, I used online CS, and had the problem promptly resolved and the missing points were posted. However, the online CSR's no longer have the authority to award points, and my requests for the past three months have been referred to the investigations unit where a staff of monkeys could do as well in addressing the situation. Ironically, the same problem with the bonus at the same hotel as was promptly corrected earlier this year by online CS could not be corrected by online CS for a later stay at the same hotel due to this change in AMEX policy, and the AMEX investigations unit has refused to award any of the points.

Despite having sent via online messages very detailed WRITTEN information about each situation every month, I have received completely irrelevant letters from the AMEX investigations unit is response, including "contact Starwood for information about your account," "contact Starwood for information about your bonus points," and "you received your first use bonus of 4000 points on X date" (not what I inquired about). I have been staying at Starwood properties much more since getting the SPG AMEX card (I am Hilton Diamond), but will soon stop as the 500 point bonus was a part of the reason for my doing so and this situation is becoming ever more frustrating to me. I have 2 more stays booked with Starwood in the next two weeks that I will likely switch to Hilton.

If you apply for the current 10,000 point promo for the AMEX card that appears on the Starwood site, beware that you may never see the 1000/500 bonus points per stay, or if you do, you may have to work really hard to convince the AMEX monkeys to award it.