percysmith

Bankcomm to charge ***$100*** for AM conversion after 30 Sep 10http://www.hongkongcard.com/forum/forum_show.php?id=4110 (per my card statement)

Not $20 as advertised in their redemption forms http://www.bankcomm.com.hk/mediafile...mileage_en.pdf

Connecta

Usually yes. But I got really very lucky recently with an incorrect charge on my CX Amex of HKD 94K from a local broker I dealt with previously. So I explained the situation and asked them to refund into my bank account as I already had to transfer money into it. Since it was an error on their side, they complied. Very happy about my 11,750 AM in one go with no effective spending - too bad it wasn't on Fubon with HKD 6/AM or even an overseas purchase, but I really shouldn't ask for more

Correct on Fubon: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...l#post14467378

percysmith

I had a number of similar situations.

1. SCB AE Nov 2009 4X (summary of offer: points earned between Nov 09 - Jan 10 (normally 2X) would be converted to AM with no fee, and a equal number of miles converted will be awarded as bonus - thus 4X).

In Oct 10 I paid 30K for tickets. Due to an emergency in the family I cancelled the tickets and an amount ard 27K was refunded by my TA in Dec 10. They insisted on refunding back to my SCB AE.

Unfortuntely due to the unannounced conversion rate changes in Nov 09, I converted my entire bank of points (including those earned by the 30K) into AM before the new rate came in. The refund sent the account to negative. I asked SCB would they consider that negative earning for the promotion period.

They said no, but they can only convert as many points as there are in the points bank on the conversion date of the promotion (which was something like 30 Apr 10). I had to "catch up" the 27K reversed spending between the end of the period (Jan 10) and the conversion date (30 Apr) to allow SCB to convert the full amount of points I earned during the 4X promotion period.

Whilst (I wasn't willing to admit this then, but I do now) they acted in accordance with their T&C, you'd wonder what kind of lawyers they have working in their card dept to work up promotions that trip people up in every which way (they probably hired the .......s who wrote the minibond prospecutus and got unemployed when Lehman fell under methinks!). I don't spend on SCB unless I'm earning 6X, 8X or 15% rebate on it these days. I even regret overspending locally to recover the 27K b/w Feb - Apr 10, but I didn't forecast my parents were going to let me charge a very substantial amount of money during our Easter vacation.

2. There was a hotel related to the cancelled trip. I paid a dodgier TA who had a great discounted rate, but insisted on collecting 3% surcharge on Visa. Being a bit short of cash, I used my Citi PM on it (Fubon didn't have 2X then so $8/mile was the best I could have done on non-dining local Visa). When I refunded, I demanded that either the TA refunded the surcharge or gave me my refund by cheque. The TA chose the latter.

3. I had a rather interesting return in Marks and Spencer last week. I used my BEA Plat to make the original purchase because 4% rebate still applied. When I refunded, I expected they would insist on returning the funds to my BEA Plat. My BEA Plat had a busted magstripe (EMV chip still works) but apparently to do a return at M&S the manager needed a magstripe swipe of my card. I thought I was screwed, until the manager asked "Do you have another Visa with a working magstripe? I can put your refund on any Visa." I happily handed him my HSBC Plat...this is some arbitrage opportunity!

christep

FWIW I just got the fee waiver letter for my CitiPremierMiles. Waived for this year and requiring HK$80,000 in the next 10 months and $100,000 in each following 12 months for continued waiver. Since I spend about $200,000 per year on the card this requires no extra effort, and it continues to be my primary card.

carrotjuice

DBS called me back today after having escalated my case to its marketing department, upon knowing I had stopped using my DBS Black as my personal protest for being excluded from this promo. Apparently the marketing department wouldn't budge.

I thanked the CS person for his efforts and reiterated that my HKD 20K or so card spending each month post Fubon (that previously would have been charged to DBS Black) has now stopped, and to communicate to their marketing department the consequence of their (very foolish) decision.

percysmith

The only known way to get yourself in a HK targeted promo is to have a card but not use it for some time.

I've left my DBS Black at home due to the BEA 4% trumping DBS Black in every category of spending.

Now I don't expect to get any more targeted promos from BEA from a while, cos I've put thru around 150K during the promotion. So I'm going to leave my BEA at home come 15 Aug (actually, I'll call BEA to have them replace my busted magstripe). But hopefully the other banks would come calling (and DBS did).

In any case I'll struggle to fill all the earn offers I have. I've just applied for

- Dah Sing My Favourite Merchant Plat cos they are rebating 1% for salaries tax payments (I called IRD to expedite my tax assessment for this!); and

- Hang Seng Enjoy so to use to repay other cards including the Dah Sing MFM fee-free (I get a month's grace period like any other purchase or payment).

and both have welcome offers - $2,800 general retail spending and $1,500 Enjoy/Jardines affiliated spending respectively.

carrotjuice

Considering you can't earn points / miles on tax payments for almost all credit cards (at least all the credit cards that I currently have) are you sure IRD qualifies as Dah Sing's My Favourite Merchant for tax payments?

percysmith

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11))

Yes. Dah Sing CS (which are as hard to reach as MPO CS on GR) confirmed to me and other users on hongkongcard.com that IRD Salaries Tax payments get 1% rebate ("Goodies Reward") http://www.hongkongcard.com/forum/forum_show.php?id=4049&p=2 .

One user, mom984, states s/he has already paid a little tax already and received 1% rebate on 3 Aug 10 http://www.hongkongcard.com/forum/forum_show.php?id=4049&p=3

percysmith

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11))

The conditions are:

1. You must be a principal of any Dah Sing personal, non-CUP credit card

2. You must register on 3760 8622

3. You must pay your taxes via Dah Sing's online banking

4. You will be awarded 1% rebate on that payment, subject to max of $100 rebate on every monthly calculation period ending on the 24th day of each month (e.g. 25 July-24 August)

5. Within each monthly period, you must also spend $100 or more in retail spending with sales draft, except supermarkets.

Complete T&C here http://www.dahsing.com/en/html/credit_card/daily/goodies_reward.html , but it does not mention tax specifically. Hongkongcard.com users (and mom984 in particular) proved that tax payments will be rebated too.

Condition (4) effectively limits rebated payments to $10K per month, hence I called IRD to request expedited assessment so I can start earning the rebate early.

christep

So by paying your tax 6 months early you're going to get a 1% rebate? That really doesn't make sense to me. That money should earn more than 1% in 6 months.

percysmith

Bit less than 6, 4 really.

Using the Hang Seng card to pay off the Dah Sing card I get one more month interest free. So it's really 3 months for 1%.

fakecd

deleted cuz topic discussed in thread #172 already 10 days ago. sorry i didn't see it.

percysmith

ChrisLi's already analysed this deal before http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...hk-12.html#172


Basically:
- Offer 2 < offers 1 and 3
- Offer 3 > offer 1 if 3-month welcome period expected spending <= $37,692.31 ($38K)
- Offer 1 > offer 3 if welcome period expected spending > $37,692.31

percysmith

Fubon backflipped today and said Cathay Pacific in Lantau billing US$100 will count as overseas transaction. Any foreign currency (even for HK merchant) will count.

christep

The thing you can really profit from in some cricumstances is the reverse - will they count a transcation done outside HK but in HK$ as "overseas"? I got a lot of miles out of Citi before they closed that loophole.