Jun 24, 2014, 2:19 am
Last edit by: soitgoes
IHG Account Termination Fact Summary
1) IHG has been terminating accounts due to abuse since approximately 2010 (#244).
2) IHG account terminations happen suddenly and without warning. If your account is terminated, you will not be able to login. You will have to call customer service, who will either reinstate your account and warn you, or refer your case to another office, in which case your account is probably permamently closed.
3) No one except for IHG knows exactly what the trigger for account cancellation is. The reason given is usually excessive use of promo codes. In the past, it was thought that most of the people who got their accounts canceled was due to either selling points or excessive point break bookings, but it appears that mere registration of promo codes now can sometimes trigger a cancellation.
Who has gotten their account terminated?
(If you, or someone you know has got their account terminated, please list your username here, and reference the post you made on this thread).
bgmike (#1)
lcpteck (#5)
DavidAL - father - (#85)
Dolphinyong - friend - (#155)
Bakkie (#180)
Tim O'Brien (#187) reinstated
chongcao - good summary, esp. of events from flyertea forum (#244)
soitgoes (#262) deactivated temporarily; reactivated after phone call
travelismylife - brother inlaw - (#329)
Also, LoyaltyLobby has a number of data points in the comment thread.
FlyerTea (a Chinese site) also has a number of data points.
What do we know about terminations
1) The usual reason IHG gives is non-targeted promo code usage. We don't know which promo codes IHG considers invalid, although IHG told Bakke (#180), that he used a code that was supposed to be for platinum members when he was not.
2) Status does not matter. Gold members, Platinum members, even RAs have all had their account terminated.
3) Credit card does not matter. Some people terminated did not have the IHG Chase card, some did, for more than 3 years (#329).
4) Stay history does not matter. Some people had their accounts terminated before any stay, some had their accounts terminated after one stay that accrued many points, and some had a history of lot of paid stays.
5) Termination usually doesn't cause a loss of booked nights. Apparently, even though your points are gone, any nights reserved stay booked in the system.
6) Some account terminations are caused by calling customer service on incorrectly credited nights. A number of people who had their accounts terminated called in on a stay that posted as non-qualifying, only to have their account cancelled shortly thereafter.
IHG Terms and Conditions downloadable PDF, including:
1) IHG has been terminating accounts due to abuse since approximately 2010 (#244).
2) IHG account terminations happen suddenly and without warning. If your account is terminated, you will not be able to login. You will have to call customer service, who will either reinstate your account and warn you, or refer your case to another office, in which case your account is probably permamently closed.
3) No one except for IHG knows exactly what the trigger for account cancellation is. The reason given is usually excessive use of promo codes. In the past, it was thought that most of the people who got their accounts canceled was due to either selling points or excessive point break bookings, but it appears that mere registration of promo codes now can sometimes trigger a cancellation.
Who has gotten their account terminated?
(If you, or someone you know has got their account terminated, please list your username here, and reference the post you made on this thread).
bgmike (#1)
lcpteck (#5)
DavidAL - father - (#85)
Dolphinyong - friend - (#155)
Bakkie (#180)
Tim O'Brien (#187) reinstated
chongcao - good summary, esp. of events from flyertea forum (#244)
soitgoes (#262) deactivated temporarily; reactivated after phone call
travelismylife - brother inlaw - (#329)
Also, LoyaltyLobby has a number of data points in the comment thread.
FlyerTea (a Chinese site) also has a number of data points.
What do we know about terminations
1) The usual reason IHG gives is non-targeted promo code usage. We don't know which promo codes IHG considers invalid, although IHG told Bakke (#180), that he used a code that was supposed to be for platinum members when he was not.
2) Status does not matter. Gold members, Platinum members, even RAs have all had their account terminated.
3) Credit card does not matter. Some people terminated did not have the IHG Chase card, some did, for more than 3 years (#329).
4) Stay history does not matter. Some people had their accounts terminated before any stay, some had their accounts terminated after one stay that accrued many points, and some had a history of lot of paid stays.
5) Termination usually doesn't cause a loss of booked nights. Apparently, even though your points are gone, any nights reserved stay booked in the system.
6) Some account terminations are caused by calling customer service on incorrectly credited nights. A number of people who had their accounts terminated called in on a stay that posted as non-qualifying, only to have their account cancelled shortly thereafter.
IHG Terms and Conditions downloadable PDF, including:
4. Membership Cancellation. SCH reserves the right to cancel any IHG®Rewards Club membership and revoke any and all unredeemed IHG® Rewards Club points collected by any member for reasons that include, but are not limited to: 1) violation of these Terms and Conditions; 2) misrepresentation of any information or any misuse of this Program; 3) violation of any national, state or local law or regulation in connection with the use of membership privileges; 4) failure to pay for hotel charges; 5) a check to a participating hotel brand that is returned for insufficient funds or is invalid for any reason; 6) commission of fraud or abuse involving any portion of this Program; 7) more than one active account per member; or 8) physical, verbal, or written abuse of hotel or IHG personnel; or 9) action, in any other way, to the detriment of the Program or any of its alliances; all as may be determined by SCH in its sole discretion.
IHG Account Terminated (after registering for several promotion codes)
Jun 13, 2014, 10:20 am
#181
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: BRU
Programs: IHG Spire, Club Carlson & Hilton HHonors Gold, Sixt Platinum
Posts: 160
Just a question here: is there anyone who had his account cancelled while having a reservation with them any time in the future?
Jun 13, 2014, 10:23 am
#182
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,671
Jun 13, 2014, 11:55 am
#183
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: N/A
Programs: 100m swimming certificate level 5
Posts: 1,456
Jun 13, 2014, 4:04 pm
#184
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: SPG Plat,MR Plat Spire Plat/IC Amb, Choice Plat, BW Plat
Posts: 1,320
Well...that's one way to shrink Gold/Plat/RA membership
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
Jun 13, 2014, 5:13 pm
#185
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
Well...that's one way to shrink Gold/Plat/RA membership
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
Did you book those points for a vacation? Maybe it's worth taking a look at the legal avenues available. 250k points is worth a significant amount of $. Although I would suggest (too late for you now, and maybe it wouldn't have made a difference) that if you end up talking to Mr.Fox at IHG, that you just be apologetic and beg. It seems that someone people got their accounts back by saying that they're sorry and it won't happen again.
Jun 13, 2014, 5:47 pm
#186
In Memoriam
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 35,555
I do find it just laughable that IHG with an IT System worse than Days Inn has the balls to do this.
I understand the folks here (and I am guilty as well) have loaded the system with codes (I have probably done more than twenty in the last year) and they felt "enough was enough" but they could have sent warning letters and achieved the same result.
I understand the folks here (and I am guilty as well) have loaded the system with codes (I have probably done more than twenty in the last year) and they felt "enough was enough" but they could have sent warning letters and achieved the same result.
Jun 13, 2014, 5:55 pm
#187
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
didn't lose account, but had RA revoked after 400 plus suite nights (USD 70K plus expenditure) including for an employee, for utilising one BOGO per week for long term stays that were up to seven months, the point being how cld the customer do that without the hotel accepting it, the hotel is the face of IHG, it's employees, i find it difficult how you could find the customer guilty of that infraction given the authority, the inbalance in the relationship is well in favor of the hotel, if they chose to process a BOGO weekly. How cld they justify losing that customer? surely the customer couldn't force the hotel to process weekly, it was clearly the hotel's call, without doubt poor decision for IHG losing that customer.
Jun 13, 2014, 8:58 pm
#188
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL Lost Luggage
Programs: Kettle with Kryptonium Medallion Tags
Posts: 10,314
Did any of the terminated accounts belong to US-based members?
I make my reward reservations 4 months in advance, so 500k points would become 16 nights at a favorite 30k/night property, which usually has rates of $250/night. 16 nights at $250 each night works out to $4000..... which is a bit more than "nothing". 
Jun 13, 2014, 9:03 pm
#189
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
didn't lose account, but had RA revoked after 400 plus suite nights (USD 70K plus expenditure) including for an employee, for utilising one BOGO per week for long term stays that were up to seven months, the point being how cld the customer do that without the hotel accepting it, the hotel is the face of IHG, it's employees, i find it difficult how you could find the customer guilty of that infraction given the authority, the inbalance in the relationship is well in favor of the hotel, if they chose to process a BOGO weekly. How cld they justify losing that customer? surely the customer couldn't force the hotel to process weekly, it was clearly the hotel's call, without doubt poor decision for IHG losing that customer.
Jun 13, 2014, 9:42 pm
#190
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
it wasn't one, the hotel was handed one BOGO for each week as per their offer that was accepted, my point is,they are the authority, one cannot force them to accept the BOGO, clearly they wanted to, and they are the company, IHG.
Jun 13, 2014, 10:07 pm
#191
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
Assuming you booked in accordance with the use of the scheme, of course the hotel will accept them. It is not for the hotel to decide whether the terms of the Ambassador scheme were being adhered to
Jun 13, 2014, 10:11 pm
#192
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 63
There are several things that I am very curious to find more information about.
1.)Have any of the cancelled accounts here been from US based accounts?
2.)Have any of the cancelled accounts been active users of a Chase IHG card?
3.)Did anyone have future paid stays booked when they were cancelled?
1.)Have any of the cancelled accounts here been from US based accounts?
2.)Have any of the cancelled accounts been active users of a Chase IHG card?
3.)Did anyone have future paid stays booked when they were cancelled?
Jun 13, 2014, 10:21 pm
#193
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Auckland NZ
Programs: SQ TPPS, EK Gold, IHG RA, Marriott Gold Hyatt Diamond, HHonors Gold, UA Premier Gold, TG Silver
Posts: 1,092
Well...that's one way to shrink Gold/Plat/RA membership
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
None in my circles affected but Baiting customers with often intentionally & loosely regulated revenue driving promotions then blaming customers for participating doesn't pass the sniff test.
Wonder if cancelling reservations last minute all-at-once as a protest is worth it? I don't know if it matters but I'm tired of people getting bullied by Un-Loyalty Programs.
Jun 13, 2014, 10:24 pm
#194
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 63
I don't think I've read of anyone having their account cancelled for staying within the T&C (but I stand to be corrected). If one breaks the T&C, which one accepted at sign-up, it's a fair cop. Regardless of the so-called IT issues, codes available through blogs, FT etc, one knowingly makes a choice to load them. Stop the victim mentality and take responsibility.
Jun 13, 2014, 10:26 pm
#195
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
You had 28 years worth of Weekend Vouchers accumulated and not expired? ( Certificates are valid only for the member who has InterContinental Ambassador status, and are not transferable - see http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/...rms-conditions )
Assuming you booked in accordance with the use of the scheme, of course the hotel will accept them. It is not for the hotel to decide whether the terms of the Ambassador scheme were being adhered to
Assuming you booked in accordance with the use of the scheme, of course the hotel will accept them. It is not for the hotel to decide whether the terms of the Ambassador scheme were being adhered to