4miles

I don't believe this is happening!!!

Over 5 weeks ago I sent in 100k miles of Eggos certs in one box. Only 12k posted on July 3. I began to have an uneasy feeling that something was wrong. I called Kelloggs today to ask why the other miles hadn't posted. They said they had no record of me sending in anything but 12k worth of certs!!!

The CSR was very helpful and put me on hold for quite a while to consult w/supervisor. She seemed to be genuinely concerned that something had gone wrong and a was trying to find an answer. After supervisor consultation the CSR asked me if I had any evidence or documentation of the 100k being sent. Fortunately I had done the following:

1. Shipped the certs registered mail-return receipt requested (rec'd notification they had received the box on 6-15.

2. I had enclosed a letter documenting the miles I enclosed in the shipping box.

3. Enclosed copy of e-mail I had sent Kelloggs in advance of mailing in the certs alerting them to fact they would coming. Also sent a copy of their response.

4. I saved copy of sales receipt showing I purchased 200 boxes.

5. I saved copy of receipt to charity showing I donated 200 boxes.

6. I had made a xerox copy of every cert that I sent in.

CSR said she was sending me a pre-addressed lable and I should put copies of all documentation in the envelope and send to them. Label to arrive in 7-10 days.

Obviously I was SHELL-SHOCKED!!! How could something like this happen?? Especially since I had been SO VERY careful!! I kept my cool and very carefully reiterated my story to her several times and very carefully reviewed all the safety procedures I had followed. She repeated several times there was no record of me sending in 100k-only 12k-but if I would send in the documentation they would investigate. I'm certainly glad as hell that I followed steps 1-6!!

She also said they had no record of 25k that I sent in a separate box that the USPS shows was signed for on 7-2, but she said they could be held up in the sorting process.

I hope Kelloggs does their due-diligence on this one. This really puts me in a defensive position. I spent $1600 on those waffles!! This really disappoints me in their system.

Any comments??

Nanook

I've often thought of numbering the certificates, especially when sending in a large number. On the back just begin at 1 and go up from there. Photocopies are fine as far as they go, but since the certificates aren't numbered, you could just recopy one page of 10 certificates 10 times for copies of 100 certs.

I'm also surprised when someone says they sent in a huge amount and everything went fine. Then how come mine doesn't go fine. I think they shorted one of our accounts 500 mi., and another one 1,000, but with that few, how do you prove it? Perhaps while we're cutting off the certificates, we also cut off the proof of purchase?

I even thought of going to a notary and having the notary witness that I enclosed xx number of certificates in a box. They have a notary at one of the mailbox type places and that may be the way to go.

I agree with you, not only are you out the money you spent, but the time, gas money, postage, etc. Good for you to have kept your documentation, but even with that, you now have to prove it. How disheartening. Good luck.

SharonLPK

You were certainly wise to keep such good records, and I am hopeful that Kelloggs/AA will 'do the right thing' and credit those miles -- don't know how they could deny it, actually, with your detailed copies of everything!!

I had an incorrect Kellogg's posting today (not near the magnitude of yours of course!!) and I was impressed with how AA's CSR handled it -- so based on that I am confident that you will receive your miles!!

Biggest question therefore is: what happened to those other milege certs of yours that are missing??!?!? Sounds suspicious unfortunately...

dcflier

ouch! 6/24 I mailed two envelopes, each with 9 certs & 1 bouns cert from the Kelloggs web site, my account posted 500 points only on 7/3, my Dad's account has not posted anything as yet... am waiting for Dad's account to post before I complain. I certainly don't have as much to lose as you, good luck

4miles

Nanook: Yes, when I was mailing my certs I thought abt how much weight would copies of unnumbered certificates carry if there was a problem?

When I made the copies I printed 9 to a sheet therefore I only have about 22 sheets. Someone could look carefully at the copies and see different trim on the certs plus both my wife and I filled out each by hand so there is some proof there that are different certs.

SharonLPK: Yes, I asked the rhetorical question when talking with the CSR "what do you suppose could have happened to the other 176 certificates?" Silence at first, then......"that is why I spoke with a supervisor, sir" was the response.

It's not like it could be a simple miscount. 12,000 miles=(24) 500-mile certs.
100,000 miles=(200) 500-mile certs.

At first I thought worst case scenario is that they mistook them for 100-mi certs. But even at that I should have received erroneous credit for 20k miles.

Glad I took extra precautions but.......me thinks something smells funny here

DCF-I had also mailed a few other envelopes, 500 miles in one, 1,000 miles in 2 others, CSR said those looked like they were recorded but just not posted yet.

I don't think it could be a post office problem because with registered mail the package security is supposed to be so tight that a flea couldn't penetrate that package.

[This message has been edited by 4miles (edited 07-18-2001).]

Neal

I just hope it's an honest mistake and that some Kelloggs person isn't steeling them. I'm about to send in 10,000 miles worth of coupons. I've never had a problem before but then again, these certs are now more popular than ever. Another concern is that the mail carriers are honest. You know they
must be aware of what's inside all those thousands of envelopes.

lisamcgu

So you think it could be the mail carrier? Hmmm, very interesting ... Perhaps he did it in the backroom with a knife...

Neal

You mean OJ is now a mail carrier??

4miles

I don't believe it is a USPS problem because when you send registered mail you must use a special brown paper tape that is stamped all over with a registered mail stamp. the tape is not supposed to be able to be removed without damage to it thus insuring security. Plus, why would there still be 12k left? Registered mail is used to send cash, jewelry, negotiable securities, waffle certificates, etc.

There are only 4 explanations:

1. A miscount, albeit I don't quite understand how that could happen mathmatically.

2. A security issue.

3. The CSR made a mistake

4. Total incompetence

I doubt it is #1 or #3 but who knows? Those miles are worth a lot of money posted in someone's account. Stay tuned.



[This message has been edited by 4miles (edited 07-18-2001).]

tovaz

D*mn, buddy, this is not good news.

I believe that your records should prove you out in the end, especially the receipts. While they may question the certs themselves, they can't question the fact that you did buy 200 boxes, and anyone with any intelligence would figure that the miles were the only reason you were buying them.

I may borrow a two-hole punch from work and Acco-Clip the silly things together when I get ready to ship the pittance I have in.

Keep us posted, and keep your chin up.

tovaz

ILTE_Miles

This may sound crazy, but has anyone taken photographs (digital or otherwise) or videotaped the simultaneous presence of all hundreds-or-thousands-of-certs, as a "backup"...?

One could even go so far as videotaping key aspects of the packing/shipping process & the actual sending-it-on-its-way-@-the-Post-Office (including a shot of the return receipt, etc. [w/ the #s, so that it matches up w/ the "photographically documented" shipment in question])...

It may sound like a lot to do, but given what's @ stake...

Just a thought...

[This message has been edited by ILTE_Miles (edited 07-18-2001).]

4miles

Tovaz, yes, my evidence should prove me correct. But it is now an ordeal that I really don't feel I should have to go through.

You're right, they can't argue that I didn't buy 200 boxes. Plus, all are filled out with my name and AAdvantage # so it is not like I could hand them off to someone else for redemption. I guarantee you that next time I will do it a little differently. Don't know what that will be yet but I like your idea of the clip.

The letter that I had in the box was very explicit spelling out exactly how many miles were in the box, in what denominations, etc. Also included was my name and phone number if there was any discrepency in the numbers. I had the certs bundled 20 to a bundle so each bundle = 10,000 miles. Did I make this too difficult on them?

When I told my wife tonight, I reminded her that she thought I was being too anal by making copies of the certs. Now she thinks it was a brilliant move

ILTE Miles-surprisingly, someone did suggest photographing the stack if someone were sending in huge amounts of certs. How often do you think they get a box with 100k miles in it. Probably one delivery out of a thousand considering most are envelopes with a few certs in them. You would think a registed mail box would have some kind of impact. But maybe I am kidding myself.

tovaz

4miles,

Re: The bundles

This is the part that confuses me the most. By having 10K bundles, and only receiving credit for 12K miles, did someone count 4 certs from your second bundle and then take a smoke break? Quit the company? I, like you, would have expected the break point to be at a 10K position, but this doesn't make any sense.

Hmmmm, tovaz

honu

It is mysterious (and perhaps also fishy) how certs sent together seem to post at different times. I wait for each batch to post before I send another one in. Of the last batch (2500 miles), only 1,000 have posted so far... (Groan) I hate to think that someone at Kellogg's is stealing our certs, but that seems a possibility now...

ILTE_Miles

In reading this, & trying to imagine just how they might process these things, I couldn't help picturing someone taking apart the bundles (re: certs from within the same box)--in a room & possibly on a table w/ many others...a slew of certs, perhaps, in close enough proximity to inadvertently get mixed together...

I then began wondering about just how to "fasten" the certs together, & yet have them be conveniently countable...& the thought that popped into mind was the loops found in "ring binders"--it would keep the certs together, but also keep them "movable" & easily countable. Perhaps this kind of assembly is what tovaz had in mind--?

This may sound silly, but to further "stand out", one could perhaps "wrap" the inside contents w/ a "paper" (ala a "present" [w/ a color choice that makes it stand out -- "fluorescent pink", perhaps]) dressed w/ a shouldn't-have-to-request-it request of "PLEASE DO NOT LOSE OR MISPLACE ANY OF THESE x number CERTS" (written in some sort of eye-catching combination of contrasting-&-hard-to-miss permanent marker + paper color [e.g. thick black marker on eye-grabbing fluorescent pink])...? If nothing else, it may perhaps result in someone's attention being momentarily grabbed, & may perhaps influence someone into being a bit more conscious of their actions...?

Just some more thoughts...


BTW, does anyone happen to know just how these things are processed? Does someone @ AA take a bunch of certs, type in a FF acct #, & then scan in a barcode that has the # of FF miles encoded re: the # associated w/ the given cert? If this is the case, perhaps some kind of "reset" can inadvertently take place (though one would think that one couldn't scan the things in w/o telling it just where to dump the associated miles)--? Or is all of this processed by hand, & manually entered...? Just wondering...

[This message has been edited by ILTE_Miles (edited 07-18-2001).]