Flying Blue Account Audit
Dec 18, 2014, 5:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
Flying Blue Account Audit
Hi all.
I woke up this morning to an email from the FB Audit dept that my account will be closed because I sold award tickets.
I never sold ANY award tickets, I just booked a ticket for a friend of mine. I have proof that he is a good friend of mine.
I tried explaining to that guy (by email) that I never violated and T&C but he just replied that the account will remain closed!
Im really upset about this. Any any advice?
Thanks all
I woke up this morning to an email from the FB Audit dept that my account will be closed because I sold award tickets.
I never sold ANY award tickets, I just booked a ticket for a friend of mine. I have proof that he is a good friend of mine.
I tried explaining to that guy (by email) that I never violated and T&C but he just replied that the account will remain closed!
Im really upset about this. Any any advice?
Thanks all
Dec 18, 2014, 6:06 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
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The first advice is to think carefully about all the activity in your account. First, think carefully in your own head and if you are going to challenge this, be sure that you are completely clean on your side. You don't need to tell us and I am not insinuating anything at all, but on your own side, it is important to know that if you ask them to look into this more you are comfortable that there is nothing there that you would not like them to discover/expose.
Second, think of whether there is anything that might look wrongly suspicious. You mention having offered an award to a friend, but many people do that and I very much doubt that a single transaction would arouse suspicion unless the person you got the award for has him/herself been involved in many similar transactions. So did you also gift awards to anyone else on other occasions? Anything that might have been misinterpreted and require explanation?
Finally, if you are confident on your own side and unhappy with their decision, I would recommend sending them a registered letter questioning the decision rather than email, and perhaps contacting a solicitor.
We have few (if any?) reports of FB audits so far on this threads, but from more frequent reports on other fora (AA, BA, etc), closure notices tend to be made very carefully and while the stories invariably start from expressions of complete disbelief, it usually ends up that people remember something that may have attracted attention the wrong way (gifting several awards, someone from the same family having tried to accrue miles on their behalf, complex promotional or transfer operations from credit card or other schemes, etc). You may very well be the exception that confirms the rule and really be facing an account closure for a simple gift or find a similar explanation but either way I hope that you will keep up posted with how this develops.
Second, think of whether there is anything that might look wrongly suspicious. You mention having offered an award to a friend, but many people do that and I very much doubt that a single transaction would arouse suspicion unless the person you got the award for has him/herself been involved in many similar transactions. So did you also gift awards to anyone else on other occasions? Anything that might have been misinterpreted and require explanation?
Finally, if you are confident on your own side and unhappy with their decision, I would recommend sending them a registered letter questioning the decision rather than email, and perhaps contacting a solicitor.
We have few (if any?) reports of FB audits so far on this threads, but from more frequent reports on other fora (AA, BA, etc), closure notices tend to be made very carefully and while the stories invariably start from expressions of complete disbelief, it usually ends up that people remember something that may have attracted attention the wrong way (gifting several awards, someone from the same family having tried to accrue miles on their behalf, complex promotional or transfer operations from credit card or other schemes, etc). You may very well be the exception that confirms the rule and really be facing an account closure for a simple gift or find a similar explanation but either way I hope that you will keep up posted with how this develops.
Dec 18, 2014, 7:09 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
The first advice is to think carefully about all the activity in your account. First, think carefully in your own head and if you are going to challenge this, be sure that you are completely clean on your side. You don't need to tell us and I am not insinuating anything at all, but on your own side, it is important to know that if you ask them to look into this more you are comfortable that there is nothing there that you would not like them to discover/expose.
Second, think of whether there is anything that might look wrongly suspicious. You mention having offered an award to a friend, but many people do that and I very much doubt that a single transaction would arouse suspicion unless the person you got the award for has him/herself been involved in many similar transactions. So did you also gift awards to anyone else on other occasions? Anything that might have been misinterpreted and require explanation?
Finally, if you are confident on your own side and unhappy with their decision, I would recommend sending them a registered letter questioning the decision rather than email, and perhaps contacting a solicitor.
We have few (if any?) reports of FB audits so far on this threads, but from more frequent reports on other fora (AA, BA, etc), closure notices tend to be made very carefully and while the stories invariably start from expressions of complete disbelief, it usually ends up that people remember something that may have attracted attention the wrong way (gifting several awards, someone from the same family having tried to accrue miles on their behalf, complex promotional or transfer operations from credit card or other schemes, etc). You may very well be the exception that confirms the rule and really be facing an account closure for a simple gift or find a similar explanation but either way I hope that you will keep up posted with how this develops.
Second, think of whether there is anything that might look wrongly suspicious. You mention having offered an award to a friend, but many people do that and I very much doubt that a single transaction would arouse suspicion unless the person you got the award for has him/herself been involved in many similar transactions. So did you also gift awards to anyone else on other occasions? Anything that might have been misinterpreted and require explanation?
Finally, if you are confident on your own side and unhappy with their decision, I would recommend sending them a registered letter questioning the decision rather than email, and perhaps contacting a solicitor.
We have few (if any?) reports of FB audits so far on this threads, but from more frequent reports on other fora (AA, BA, etc), closure notices tend to be made very carefully and while the stories invariably start from expressions of complete disbelief, it usually ends up that people remember something that may have attracted attention the wrong way (gifting several awards, someone from the same family having tried to accrue miles on their behalf, complex promotional or transfer operations from credit card or other schemes, etc). You may very well be the exception that confirms the rule and really be facing an account closure for a simple gift or find a similar explanation but either way I hope that you will keep up posted with how this develops.
To your first point, I opened this account just a few days ago on 12/11 and transferred points from Amex. This was my first time opening a FB account, and the first time that my friend was going to fly on a FB award ticket.
When I challenged that guy that I never sold anything he didn't answer that they have proof that I did, he just answered that my account remains closed
Now, I'm still gonna try to send them an email try explaining to them that there is some kind of mistake here. But if he will still not budge I will call AF to small claims court. (As my friend did with UA when they closed his account for no given reason and UA had to pay him 3CPP)
Is there currently any active FB liaisons who I can try to contact?
Dec 18, 2014, 8:46 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Thanks for your reply.
To your first point, I opened this account just a few days ago on 12/11 and transferred points from Amex. This was my first time opening a FB account, and the first time that my friend was going to fly on a FB award ticket.
When I challenged that guy that I never sold anything he didn't answer that they have proof that I did, he just answered that my account remains closed
Now, I'm still gonna try to send them an email try explaining to them that there is some kind of mistake here. But if he will still not budge I will call AF to small claims court. (As my friend did with UA when they closed his account for no given reason and UA had to pay him 3CPP)
Is there currently any active FB liaisons who I can try to contact?
To your first point, I opened this account just a few days ago on 12/11 and transferred points from Amex. This was my first time opening a FB account, and the first time that my friend was going to fly on a FB award ticket.
When I challenged that guy that I never sold anything he didn't answer that they have proof that I did, he just answered that my account remains closed
Now, I'm still gonna try to send them an email try explaining to them that there is some kind of mistake here. But if he will still not budge I will call AF to small claims court. (As my friend did with UA when they closed his account for no given reason and UA had to pay him 3CPP)
Is there currently any active FB liaisons who I can try to contact?
Dec 18, 2014, 9:33 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
Auditors never discuss or argue after they have returned their conclusions. That is a fundamental part of the process however frustrating. How many miles did you transfer from your Amex? Typically, opening an account just to transfer Mr points and buy a ticket for someone else is very possibly what may have attracted attention. My suggestion would be to draft a factual and accurate letter on what you did and why there was nothing wrong with it and I would send that by registered mail or better solicitors letter and not by email. That said if you only transferred points to buy an award does it even matter in the sense did you transfer more than you needed and have miles left?
Where should I send the letter to? Which address would be the best address for this?
I also opened a case with Amex.
Dec 19, 2014, 8:39 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
I first transferred just enough for the ticket. Then when J opened up I transferred some more to upgrade to J. In the meantime, they closed the account. Of course they cancelled the tickets.
Dec 19, 2014, 8:46 am
#8
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Dec 19, 2014, 8:46 am
#9
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You're still not answering the question of whether your (two) transfers together were only enough for the coach award ticket and its upgrade to business class or whether you lost miles/points beyond the cost of your friend's ticket.
Could your friend have bought/sold miles in the past? Are you sure the friend has never been associated with a broker?
Could your friend have bought/sold miles in the past? Are you sure the friend has never been associated with a broker?
Dec 19, 2014, 11:40 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
You're still not answering the question of whether your (two) transfers together were only enough for the coach award ticket and its upgrade to business class or whether you lost miles/points beyond the cost of your friend's ticket.
Could your friend have bought/sold miles in the past? Are you sure the friend has never been associated with a broker?
Could your friend have bought/sold miles in the past? Are you sure the friend has never been associated with a broker?
From digging more into this issue it seems that there is a guy in FB who started auditing accounts for no given reason. Officially AF opened up an investigation on if this guy is doing his job right.
Will keep you guys posted.
Dec 19, 2014, 12:02 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Dec 19, 2014, 1:39 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
I can't. For now. I can only tell you that much that Amex is helping me very much....
Mar 19, 2015, 8:20 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 179
So I was only one of the first to get in good contact with AF....
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....king-an-award/
Seems that I was just one of the first victims.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....king-an-award/
Seems that I was just one of the first victims.
Mar 19, 2015, 8:31 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Thanks for posting again on this. Could you give us an update as to whether your issues have been satisfactorily resolved in the end?