Ibis Business Card - SCAM
 

Sad to realize that the Ibis Business Card that should offer a 10% savings on the flexible rate and a 5% savings on other rates at Ibis, Ibis Styles, including promos is at the end of the day a huge scam, for the reasons below:

Bookings tested at IBIS checked from a IBIS Business card account versus a regular Accor member account

a) Sometimes it simply does not offer any discount - same price, regardless of which account booking is searched from

b) Certain IBIS hotels do offer the 5% or 10% discount but, and this is a huge BUT, there are promos offered in those hotels to Accor member accounts that. when that very same promo appears under the IBIS Business card acct it comes at a higher price.

So, all in all, it does not seem wise to spend whatsoever money in a card that not only may not offer any of the discounts touted but it may even make an account, with a IBIS Business Card attached, being able to book only at higher prices than regular members would be able to secure for the same booking.

And, obviously, one does not have to keep testing for each Ibis booking where the discount pops up... either from a regular account or from an Ibis Business card account ! Outrageous to say the least and a SCAM to be exact.

And, of course, the support one receives from LeClub is... as usual... very bad while they simply ask to wait while checking with IT as they do not have any whatsoever explanation for such huge differences.

I can only suggest to be very cautious prior to signing for this card.

I have had this card in the past and found it delivered as advertised. However it doesn't play well with accor plus, which worked out better for me with its rediculous hot room rates at times.

What a mess ! Disappointed to say the least
 

After additional tests, different countries, checking prices from an Ibis Business Card member account versus Accor regular member account :

a) There seems to be no rhyme or reason for prices displayed, certain IBIS properties simply offer the exact same price for both members, regardless of the Ibis Business card

b) Other properties do recognize the IBIS business card member account on the first screen and include a discount; Upon checking what that rate entails comes the disappointment: While the regular account member gets that price for a free cancellation booking and payment at the hotel, the Ibis Business card member gets 5% saving on that very same price but an online payment is required and the booking is non-refundable.

b.1) Certain rates, even for properties that did recognize the Ibis Business card on the first screen, come at exactly the same price for both members afterwards.

All in all, I dare say this product is not safe nor reliable to be used by the general public and may dissuade the member to book Ibis, at higher prices than general members would be offered.

I appreciate that most do not have time to check between an Ibis Business card account versus a regular member account. Most trust Accor to fulfill the T&C of the Ibis Business card product.

My first contact with LeCliub I was told they were sorry and asked to wait.
24 hours later, and no changes whatsoever, I was told they were very, very sorry and asked to wait.

Main issue is, while an account is tagged with the Ibis Business card, one cannot book at regular prices; One is offered the higher prices only.

At this point I believe Accor ought to compensate me for all the tests I have done, and time spent, to let them in the loop.

LOL, thanks for the amusing quip to start the weekend.

Accor IT aknowledged "systems were being updated" last week which may have caused for higher prices being offered to Ibis Business card members.

There still are Ibis hotels in the system where discounts are not being offered, as expected, and others Ibis where no discount is offered at all, not even for the full flexible rate.

So far... still a scam, despite supervisors and a second tier being in the loop.

Problem reported and some issues were sorted out, such as higher prices being offered to Ibis Business card members, but some Ibis properties outright disregard the Ibis card and offer no discount, whatsoever.

Hours have been spent on the phone and e-mails, educating agents and supervisors, with evidences, on the T&C of the program only to finish with... "Yes I can now see there is an issue, not working as expected; Second tier needs to sort it all out; Apologise for the inconvenience".

Other corporations would, by now, have created a work around. The alternative is that Accor is benefiting from unaware customers who fail to get the discount they ought to be presented with and may have been previously charged higher.

Unimpressed.

A correction in progress
 

A follow-up:

Still working with Accor and the major issues seem to have been corrected, but there are still Ibis properties in the system that do not trigger the discount correctly.

So far, a work in progress and I suggest one needs to check whether the Ibis Business discount has been properly included.

I will let you know when the issue has been sorted out.

And problems keep piling up - A scam
 

End of month and problems keep piling up, some Ibis simply do not acknowledge the Ibis card at all and supervisors and second tier are not empowered or do not care to assist the customer. Eventually they expect the customer to change plans and book onto another Ibis, another city/country perhaps, that complies with the Ibis Business card and offers the discount per the T&C.

Accor supervisors/second tier simply keep asking for additional evidences... and do not care to answer any queries on previous evidences that were already sent.

Sad to see a corporation being run in such disrespect with basic elements of common sense and ethics. Why promote and sell a product when it does not work per its own T&C ?

So far, my veredict is that the Ibis Business card is a scam; Anything that takes over a month to get cleared out and corporation does not care to assist a customer, cannot be said to be really trustworthy, right ?

Forget about Accor. The French aren't well known with their efficient IT industry. Seriously, when I see your status with SPG Gold (and pretty much Marriott Gold as well) and HH Diamond, why bother with Accor?

Footprint is the immediate answer.

The other answer is that I paid for a service that either is delivered or payment for the Ibis Business Card needs to be reversed by the merchant, either voluntarily or compulsory. In certain jurisdictions, the Brazilian one as an example, Accor may be find guilty in a crime for misleading customers, by publicly promoting and selling a service they have proven to have no intentions of delivering.

Appreciate your input; I am not disappointed with the inefficient IT french folks, I am highly frustrated that when higher levels of any corporation acknowledge there is an issue, that organization claims to try to sort them out slowly through IT, instead of immediately implementing a workaround, salvaging both the business, the cash flow, the customer and bad public relations all around.

Accor, by now, is fully exposed to be charged for a crime; Even so, they have showed no evidence of caring; This gawks anyone.

Otherwise, I fully agree with you that both Hilton and SPG/Marriott are much more revenue and customer focused. A complete different professional league, all around.

is this really that bad thia card? it offers LCAH Gold status

I started this thread, thus an update is in order. This card took a while, a long while along with lots of patience for it to become useful at some hotels and discounts being offered. In the end it was sorted out.

After almost one year, whenever I found a glitch at a hotel I have already stayed at, I just e-mail the manager of the property and, because we have known each other, I remind them that these tariffs are not loaded into the system. A few days later and the glitch is gone... of course until a few weeks later when they might pop up.

It seems a much stable product in Europe from my experience when glitches there are very rare. I am Platinum with Accor thus cannot comment on your additional topic.

thanks for the update.

I clicked the "join" on the website, but it always said my credential is wrong.
Not sure how to join.

Yes I was Accor Plus member until last month.

Yeah I can proceed now. But my question, if I join today, how this work? Will it work just like AccorPlus? I found the way AccorPlus work with the full calendar year on LCAH is very confusing and make AccorPlus member a disadvantage