travelfool

Has this already been posted? I did a search and couldnt find anything. Back in March I purchased a cruise and it was well over $2500. AMEX Plat pays back once annually $100 for vacations costings $2000-2499 and $150 for vacations >$2500. I remembered this after I booked it in March and called a CSR and they confirmed that I would be paid $150. She said that she would note the account and I should have no problem. Now June I have seen nothing in my account. I called to ask why this was and very argumentative CSR in PTS insisted rules have changed (I never received notice) that annual travel benefit is now limited to $100. Also, CSR stated he can find no record of previous CSR confirming $150 benefit. They are now investigating and I will receive a response tomorrow.

i am sick of this kind of service from Amex. Why do I have to call 3 months later to get this? The terms and conditions state that credit should post 10-14 days after final payment, which would have been in March.

As far as I am concerned, with 5-6% cash rebate credit cards, and the chairman card also available, I am not sticking with AMEX PLAT anymore.

writetorich

Well if they post it , it cuts into their profit margin.

Its one thing to advertise a benefit. That does not cost anything other than the marketing campaign. Its another thing to provide a benefit.

I once bought an extended waranty from CompUSA. It was beyond pulling teeth getting them to provide service.

Do you ever notice how rebate requests go "unfufilled" or mail is "lost".

I would badger and haggle for a "goodwill gesture" from Amex for this oversight or omission.

Personally, I don't view it as petty or unethical.
The large corporation should have a disincentive to not fufill its promises. If the only liabilty, payout is what they should have given you in the first place, what incentive is there for then to comply?

Xyzzy

I guess I was never aware of this perhaps-lost benefit. Did it cover only packages booked through them or also air/hotel as well? I was angered recently at being asked to pay $35/ticket to book J travel through PTS so I called a consolidator and saved $200/ticket instead.

travelfool

The terms and conditions say a "Qualifying Vacation" so that's probably a package or a cruise like I did.
Also, the benefit is not gone... if you spend more than $2000 for a vacation through PTS you now get $100. it used to be spend $2500 and you get $150/yr. What irked me is 1) I was promised $150 2) It has not posted after 3 months (rather than promised 2 weeks) 3) They claimed I had no conversation with a CSR assuring $150 and that "all they could do was process the $100 benefit now" I said BS! $50 extra dollars may not be a lot of money to some but I consider it a big deal. If they don't give me the full benefit they are basically saying that I am not worth an extra $50 bucks to keep as a customer. Thanks a lot AMEX.