Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski

Wilco*. Please note I wrote “… no clawback of AmEx resort credit. I’ve done it each year for the past 2 to 3 …” (now 3 to 4 years) and “I don’t expect AmEx clawback anymore than I’ve previously expected clawback”.

IME several Hilton Resorts at ski resorts have more restrictive cancellation policies (30 days vice 1 or 2 or 3 days) and require an immediate deposit and/or full payment (even for a cancellable non-prepaid non-advance purchase rate).

BREAK

Add me to the “half the people” who don’t understand the post 2 posts above. No bragging, just reporting a (recurrent) datapoint which (by PM) several people have thanked me for and/or asked for more details. No “cheating”** in any way.

The Offer Terms (now) state “$400 Hilton Resort Credit: Basic Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Members can receive up to a total of $200 in statement credits semi-annually … for up to $400 back annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on their Card Account.” (“Eligible” as defined by AmEx who could very easily categorize a purchase as ineligible.) I made a purchase at a participating Hilton Resorts on my Card Account, AmEx decided it was eligible, AmEx posted the credit. The fact that I subsequently returned the purchase (cancelled the reservation) in no way changes or negates the fact that I made the purchase. The Terms do not state that a returned purchase is not eligible (despite how easy it would be to do so) or that the motivation/reason for the purchase is a factor. No rules violation or dishonesty or deceit or fraud, AmEx sees every transaction. No “cheating” by any definition of “cheating”.

It might be risky (as I previously stated), and AmEx could indeed clawback and/or “cut me off”, but it’s far from “cheating”. As much as I might disagree with someone’s methods here, I’d never call them a cheater and/or make an accusation of cheating.

(* "Wilco: interjection, used especially in radio and signaling to indicate that a message received will be complied with, short for the phrase "will comply" meaning that the speaker will follow the instructions to which they are replying. Merriam-Webster places the origin at 1938, some time after the invention of radio, likely in military usage.")

(** “Cheating: gerund or present participle of cheat”: “to behave in a dishonest way in order to get what you want”, “to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud”, “act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage especially in a game or examination”, “to violate rules dishonestly”, “a deception for profit to yourself.”)