Tips for Avios eStore crediting
Mar 5, 2019, 6:56 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Spent some money with TM Lewin yesterday and got 200 avios, had an email confirmation from the e store then. If i’ve had that email, should i be getting them with no issues then?
Mar 5, 2019, 7:01 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 10,709
Judging, by one of my more recent shopping events they seem to be getting better. I feel they should go in okay, but keep all documents.
Mar 5, 2019, 7:12 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 10,709
I've heard of this on other cash back sites like Quidco and Topcashback.
Allegedly, you order online then go to pick up from the shop. The guys in the shop are measured on their volume of sales, so they cancel your order and book it as their own sale. End result is the cashback fails the verification check and never gets paid.
Impossible to prove either way when it gets to a dispute, buts I've probably had a 10% success rate with Curry's. Something is definitely dodgy there.
Allegedly, you order online then go to pick up from the shop. The guys in the shop are measured on their volume of sales, so they cancel your order and book it as their own sale. End result is the cashback fails the verification check and never gets paid.
Impossible to prove either way when it gets to a dispute, buts I've probably had a 10% success rate with Curry's. Something is definitely dodgy there.
Mar 5, 2019, 7:20 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum, ALL Gold, Bonvoy Gold Elite, HHonors Gold
Posts: 384
The email just means the click tracked correctly, and the Avios are now pending. It can be up to 60 days for the Avios to actually be credited, and at any point in this stage the retailer could refuse the Avios, if for example, you returned the product, your payment was declined, you used a voucher code, something along the way didn't track correctly, the retailer just didn't feel like it, Saturn wasn't in alignment, Moloch hadn't received enough blood sacrifice, or some other equally reasonable rationale.
Even if you receive the Avios after 60 days, you're still not out of the woods yet. I had my transaction fully approved and the Avios deposited in my account, and then taken away a month later, with no warning, explanation or email; and, as I now have learnt, no recourse. There are anecdotes here from people who had their Avios stolen back by the eStore even a whole year after purchase.
So the fact that they've started sending email confirmations certainly is a welcome improvement, but it does not in any way mean your reward is set in stone. Keep receipts. Take screenshots. Hope for the best.
Mar 5, 2019, 7:27 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 10,709
The email confirmations seem to be a fairly new thing, starting only around Feb 25 or thereabouts.
The email just means the click tracked correctly, and the Avios are now pending. It can be up to 60 days for the Avios to actually be credited, and at any point in this stage the retailer could refuse the Avios, if for example, you returned the product, your payment was declined, you used a voucher code, something along the way didn't track correctly, the retailer just didn't feel like it, Saturn wasn't in alignment, Moloch hadn't received enough blood sacrifice, or some other equally reasonable rationale.
Even if you receive the Avios after 60 days, you're still not out of the woods yet. I had my transaction fully approved and the Avios deposited in my account, and then taken away a month later, with no warning, explanation or email; and, as I now have learnt, no recourse. There are anecdotes here from people who had their Avios stolen back by the eStore even a whole year after purchase.
So the fact that they've started sending email confirmations certainly is a welcome improvement, but it does not in any way mean your reward is set in stone. Keep receipts. Take screenshots. Hope for the best.
The email just means the click tracked correctly, and the Avios are now pending. It can be up to 60 days for the Avios to actually be credited, and at any point in this stage the retailer could refuse the Avios, if for example, you returned the product, your payment was declined, you used a voucher code, something along the way didn't track correctly, the retailer just didn't feel like it, Saturn wasn't in alignment, Moloch hadn't received enough blood sacrifice, or some other equally reasonable rationale.
Even if you receive the Avios after 60 days, you're still not out of the woods yet. I had my transaction fully approved and the Avios deposited in my account, and then taken away a month later, with no warning, explanation or email; and, as I now have learnt, no recourse. There are anecdotes here from people who had their Avios stolen back by the eStore even a whole year after purchase.
So the fact that they've started sending email confirmations certainly is a welcome improvement, but it does not in any way mean your reward is set in stone. Keep receipts. Take screenshots. Hope for the best.
As for support I think there is only one man doing the work.
Mar 5, 2019, 7:33 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA LTG/GFL, Honors Diamond, Accor Platinum, Bonvoy Silver
Posts: 718
... Even if you receive the Avios after 60 days, you're still not out of the woods yet. I had my transaction fully approved and the Avios deposited in my account, and then taken away a month later, with no warning, explanation or email; and, as I now have learnt, no recourse. There are anecdotes here from people who had their Avios stolen back by the eStore even a whole year after purchase...
Mar 5, 2019, 8:45 am
#22
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum, ALL Gold, Bonvoy Gold Elite, HHonors Gold
Posts: 384
Feb 23, 2020, 4:39 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: SW London UK 🇬🇧
Programs: BA Gold * Alliance Gold IHG Platinum
Posts: 37
sometimes they post quickly and sometimes they take months to post in my experience, to be fair previous post say it’s a lottery, I think it’s the worst part of BA. They are so frustrating and never answer your questions directly just phone you off then ignore you. At least flight Avios post with reasonable Success .
Aug 20, 2020, 1:41 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
Can anyone confirm that booking an IHG hotel room via the eStore still earns IHG Reward points?
(Stupidly) I haven't used the eStore much and I'm a little worried that I will not be eligible for points booking via BA's portal.
(Stupidly) I haven't used the eStore much and I'm a little worried that I will not be eligible for points booking via BA's portal.
Aug 20, 2020, 2:38 am
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,209
But, yes, if it's there and the eStore link is for the IHG website (and not to a third party booking site) then you will get IHG points and status benefits.
Aug 20, 2020, 2:42 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Wedged somewhere between BTS and VIE ✈
Programs: Star Alliance Gold (A3 Gold), Oneworld Emerald (BA Gold), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,338
Brilliant. Thanks for confirming layz, much appreciated.
Aug 20, 2020, 3:39 am
#29
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 743
My strategy is to use TopCashback for most things and then only the BA e-store for those retailers that do not appear on TCB. I have a seperate browser on my laptop for when I am doing an online purchase to maximise the chance of the purchase tracking. Even then you are always reliant on things working ok at the other end (I don't ever rely on TCB's special deals awarding the extra money due).
Hilton in particular has been very much hit and miss on the e-store in terms of tracking but when it works there is a nice multiple dip on a short stay (around 9% in avios plus HHonors points plus whatever the Hilton promo offer is plus free gold breakfast plus welcome drink). I think a night in the Doubletree Manchester last year effectively cost me about £25.
Hilton in particular has been very much hit and miss on the e-store in terms of tracking but when it works there is a nice multiple dip on a short stay (around 9% in avios plus HHonors points plus whatever the Hilton promo offer is plus free gold breakfast plus welcome drink). I think a night in the Doubletree Manchester last year effectively cost me about £25.
Aug 20, 2020, 4:45 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mostly UK
Programs: Mucci Extraordinaire, Hilton Diamond, BA Gold (ex BD)
Posts: 11,209
Last time I booked a Crowne Plaza on the eStore the Avios arrived a year late but they were 5x the amount I was expecting so I treat the eStore as a nice surprise when it works. I've made decent points out of both IHG and Hilton but no it's not the most reliable thing.
OT: I seem to be IHG Platinum for life. I'm not sure if such a status even exists, but I used to stay a lot in IHG properties between 2006 and 2012 (back then there was no Spire level) I was Royal Ambassador (an invite only level above Ambassador for those who stay a lot in IC properties) for most of that time. I lost Royal Ambassador when different travel patterns meant I was staying in cities without an IC, but my platinum status has stuck. I thought by now it would have dropped.