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 3, 2014, 10:34 am
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,969
If they fire people for entering a code on the web site, they should fire people for asking over the telephone. Both would be equally nonsense responses.
Jun 3, 2014, 11:23 am
#32
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Michigan
Posts: 328
You could make a stronger case if IHG did a much better job about posting the requirements for the codes. Since they are (nearly?) impossible to find how am I supposed to know if I am eligible or not? Not getting an email does not mean I am not eligible. For example I am often eligable for the Welcome Back bonuses even though I am not sent them
Last edited by Exterous; Jun 3, 2014 at 11:33 am
Jun 3, 2014, 12:41 pm
#33
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
Which quite clearly has nothing to do with the quote that you were trying to contradict in which there was no indication false representation was occurring because I was not conveniently omitting relevant information eg that the Shopkeeper was blind or the teenager was suffering from progeria and told the shopkeeper that he was 63 yrs old and not 17. Unless one of those those two non-included circumstances were present then no English Court would hold the shopper guilty of any form of theft.
Jun 3, 2014, 1:04 pm
#34
Join Date: May 1998
Location: australia
Posts: 5,762
I am still waiting for someone to point out where in the Ts+Cs attempting to sign up for promos is prohibited and considered fraudulent. Except that IHG can basically tell someone that they can terminate a membership for any reason there is nothing in the Ts+Cs that would allow termination for signing up for promos again unless you allow them carte blanche to decide what is a misuse of the programme. They could say that giving a hotel a subpar rating on Trip Advisor is detrimental to the programme and terminate a membership on that basis. Arbitrary judgements relying on catch all clauses in the Ts+Cs do not inspire great confidence in their fairness and transparency.
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 Programme; 3) violation of any national, regional or local law or regulation in connection with the use of membership privileges; 4) failure to pay for hotel charges; 5) a cheque 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 Programme; 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 Programme or any of its alliances; all as may be determined by SCH in its sole discretion.
I'm an infrequent guest at IHG properties and, from memory, did not have many accrued points. I recently stayed at a property for work and before doing so, signed up for a number of active promos found on Gary Leff's blog. Not surprisingly, the system rejected me for several. The week following the stay, I tried logging into my account and was given a password error. This problem continued for a week so I emailed IHG support. The next correspondence I received was an email: "It has come to our attention that some of your recent IHG Rewards Club account activities are in violation of the terms and conditions of IHG Rewards Club. Such violations are considered fraudulent by IHG Rewards Club and IHG. As such we have terminated your IHG Rewards Club account, including forfeiture of all points accrued."
I called the customer care rep on the email and long-story short, my account has been terminated for 'signing up for offers that I was not targeted'. I was informed the decision is final. The rep was very straight to the point. I've found a couple of references to members having their accounts terminated online but scant information if they were able to have their account re-instated. Has anyone else had their account terminated? Were they able to have their accounts/points re-instated? Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
I called the customer care rep on the email and long-story short, my account has been terminated for 'signing up for offers that I was not targeted'. I was informed the decision is final. The rep was very straight to the point. I've found a couple of references to members having their accounts terminated online but scant information if they were able to have their account re-instated. Has anyone else had their account terminated? Were they able to have their accounts/points re-instated? Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
Jun 3, 2014, 1:56 pm
#35
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA UA Delta. HH Diamond, PC Platinum, Club Carlson Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 808
That is scary as I have many points due to big win, and if they can close my account for entering the promo codes.
I should cancel all cash booking and use up all the pts asap is this is true.
I should cancel all cash booking and use up all the pts asap is this is true.
Last edited by milemission; Jun 3, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Jun 3, 2014, 2:47 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Delta SM, ICH PLAT
Posts: 1,188
Instead of arguing the ethics of signing up multiple promo codes, I'd like to discuss/analyze the criteria used to decide which accounts to cancel. Based on what I read in the past, a combination of the following seem to trigger cancellation:
---------------
People accessing multiple accounts from same IP address.
BRG multiple times.
People either with Chinese names, and/or are based in China/Asia
People signing up for multiple promotions.
---------------
I sign up (or at least try to) sign up for all the promo codes posted here. I am sure hundreds, if not thousands of other people doing the same. What makes these cancelled accounts special? What are they not revealing? Without this information, we are assuming ICH simply randomly cancelling people's accounts unfairly.
---------------
People accessing multiple accounts from same IP address.
BRG multiple times.
People either with Chinese names, and/or are based in China/Asia
People signing up for multiple promotions.
---------------
I sign up (or at least try to) sign up for all the promo codes posted here. I am sure hundreds, if not thousands of other people doing the same. What makes these cancelled accounts special? What are they not revealing? Without this information, we are assuming ICH simply randomly cancelling people's accounts unfairly.
Jun 3, 2014, 3:15 pm
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 5
I don't have any more information than what I've provided, chunky649. Sorry that my experience can't at least be helpful to others.
- My fiancee doesn't have an IHG account and I only had one account ("People accessing multiple accounts from same IP address.")
- I've never BRGd with IHG or any other hotel brand. Always seemed too much hassle to me. ("BRG multiple times.")
- Home airport of ORD and my name is definitely not Chinese! ("People either with Chinese names, and/or are based in China/Asia")
- Signed up for multiple promotions. System rejected me for some but allowed me for others. ("People signing up for multiple promotions.")
- My fiancee doesn't have an IHG account and I only had one account ("People accessing multiple accounts from same IP address.")
- I've never BRGd with IHG or any other hotel brand. Always seemed too much hassle to me. ("BRG multiple times.")
- Home airport of ORD and my name is definitely not Chinese! ("People either with Chinese names, and/or are based in China/Asia")
- Signed up for multiple promotions. System rejected me for some but allowed me for others. ("People signing up for multiple promotions.")
Jun 3, 2014, 3:17 pm
#38
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 7,710
None of these are problematic alone or in combination with each other or other factors like max/min use of the Big Win and PB or being an overall very low yield customer. IHG closes the accounts of people who intentionally violate the T&Cs, but that is a complicated manual process triggered when an actual human being flags the account while looking at it for whatever reason. IHG reviewing your booking history about a BRG claim or botched reservation can indirectly trigger the termination, but is generally not the actual cause.
Jun 3, 2014, 3:42 pm
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Which makes it a perfect analogy: Am I to be banished forever because I didin't undertand that my interpretation of "Seniors" was the wrong one???
(Let's posit, to make this beautifully muddier, that the shop is just down the street from a high school.)
Besides, to break your analogy completely:
Where on the Promotion Registration page does it say you must / should only register for promotions you were targeted with?
You only are told to enter your email and a 4-to-6 character code. Up to now, almost all promotion codes have been 4 character codes, so some people registered for a bunch simply by trying a whole bunch of random 4-character codes (without having seen any email that might have said "only available to the person to whom this email was sent"). Where does it say this is not allowed???
Jun 3, 2014, 4:10 pm
#40
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: SNA
Programs: AA gold, DL Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Plat
Posts: 446
This is highly frivolous and capricious on IHG's part. There is no fraud or intent to commit fraud. I believe the OP operated in good faith. If it is an invalid code and it was accepted by the IHG site it is an IT issue that IHG needs to fix. I have used non-targeted codes with other chains and had no issues. IHG owes its customer base an explanation and/or apology for the poor customer service and poor communication.
Jun 3, 2014, 4:12 pm
#41
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
Oh come on, the amount of defending of IHG is ridiculous here.
Whether or not IHG is legally entitled to terminate your account isn't the question here: of course they can terminate your account at anytime for any reason - it's written into every loyalty program T&C. IHG can choose to define fraud in any way it likes.
We have to ask ourselves:
Would the use of targeted promotion codes be considered fraud by any reasonable person?
I don't think a reasonable person could consider the act of entering multiple promotion codes, as the OP has claimed he has, fraud. If you were to consider that fraud, then entering promotion codes from retailmenot.com would be fraud.
There are two elements to this: The first is that IHG explicitly allows you to enter the code on their website even if you weren't targeted (never mind that the website has no security whatsoever and doesn't bother your to login). The second is that any person (my Grandma, a four your old kid, etc) could do this without either the intent to defraud or any understanding of what they were registering for. They would be merely entering codes from some website.
If IHG actually checked for eligibility, and someone found a way to override the system by say, using a employee portal, that I think, would be
Which brings us to the next question:
Is the use of promotion codes considered fraud under the eyes of the law?
Usually, with most legal definitions of fraud, I think there is a element of intent required, and I don't think IHG would be able to prove that there was such a intent. I'm pretty sure IHG's claim of fraud wouldn't stand up in any court, and of course they have not chosen this avenue...
Finally, apart from these questions, I would say biggest problem, and probably the most alarming is the chilling effects of these unilateral account closures on other members.
IHG can close your account at ANY time. For something that many of us think is reasonable and not malicious, since IHG makes it seem anyway, that anyone is entitled to use these codes (and they've suddenly started to enforce it!). It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
Whether or not IHG is legally entitled to terminate your account isn't the question here: of course they can terminate your account at anytime for any reason - it's written into every loyalty program T&C. IHG can choose to define fraud in any way it likes.
We have to ask ourselves:
Would the use of targeted promotion codes be considered fraud by any reasonable person?
I don't think a reasonable person could consider the act of entering multiple promotion codes, as the OP has claimed he has, fraud. If you were to consider that fraud, then entering promotion codes from retailmenot.com would be fraud.
There are two elements to this: The first is that IHG explicitly allows you to enter the code on their website even if you weren't targeted (never mind that the website has no security whatsoever and doesn't bother your to login). The second is that any person (my Grandma, a four your old kid, etc) could do this without either the intent to defraud or any understanding of what they were registering for. They would be merely entering codes from some website.
If IHG actually checked for eligibility, and someone found a way to override the system by say, using a employee portal, that I think, would be
Which brings us to the next question:
Is the use of promotion codes considered fraud under the eyes of the law?
Usually, with most legal definitions of fraud, I think there is a element of intent required, and I don't think IHG would be able to prove that there was such a intent. I'm pretty sure IHG's claim of fraud wouldn't stand up in any court, and of course they have not chosen this avenue...
Finally, apart from these questions, I would say biggest problem, and probably the most alarming is the chilling effects of these unilateral account closures on other members.
IHG can close your account at ANY time. For something that many of us think is reasonable and not malicious, since IHG makes it seem anyway, that anyone is entitled to use these codes (and they've suddenly started to enforce it!). It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
Jun 3, 2014, 4:17 pm
#42
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 7,710
You only are told to enter your email and a 4-to-6 character code. Up to now, almost all promotion codes have been 4 character codes, so some people registered for a bunch simply by trying a whole bunch of random 4-character codes (without having seen any email that might have said "only available to the person to whom this email was sent"). Where does it say this is not allowed???
Jun 3, 2014, 4:29 pm
#43
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: EWR
Programs: AA, Delta, NWA,HHonors, Hyatt BF
Posts: 1,762
So I saw someone selling a list of IHG promo codes on Ebay last week and I thought "wow - I bet that p's off IHG".
Just like the PB room selling.
It's just a theory.
Just like the PB room selling.
It's just a theory.
Jun 3, 2014, 4:43 pm
#44
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MAN
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, IHG Spire, UA Silver, Dennis The Menace Fan Club
Posts: 1,457
Well this isn't the first story of this type with IHG. I've not read any similar threads my other program, Marriott.
Following a spate of similar IHG threads at the beginning of the year and a bust to gold, and the promise of "forever plat" credit card being meaningless I decided to cash out of IHG. It's been fun, but at the end of the day IHG is too capricious and their hotels are as inconsistent as the scheme.
If I was thinking of returning, this thread is a grim reminder of the chance I'd be taking...
Following a spate of similar IHG threads at the beginning of the year and a bust to gold, and the promise of "forever plat" credit card being meaningless I decided to cash out of IHG. It's been fun, but at the end of the day IHG is too capricious and their hotels are as inconsistent as the scheme.
If I was thinking of returning, this thread is a grim reminder of the chance I'd be taking...
Jun 3, 2014, 4:54 pm
#45
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
I might as well chime in:
I was not able to log in for 2 days. Always receiving an error so I finally input my email address to retrieve my PIN. Upon doing so, I received a message that the account has been closed.
I called IHG Customer Care and was told that my account was deactivated. I thought about what BgMike wrote and figured I must have violated something. I thought it was claiming the 80k bonus miles twice. I cancelled my IHG Visa in late March 2014 just before the conversion. Several weeks later I applied for the IHG MC, met spending and received the 80k miles.
I was very upset on the phone. I was told by CSR that my account was deactivated because I used promo codes not targeted to me for a stay in early 2013. And I received the points for this. I told her I don't recall this as it happened a long time ago. Then she told me a bunch of stuff which I couldn't quite remember. I was very upset. So I finally asked her what she is trying to tell me. Then she said she will re activate my account this time but next time, my account will be closed and all points will be terminated.
I have only had one paid stay with IHG . Never BRG before.
I was not able to log in for 2 days. Always receiving an error so I finally input my email address to retrieve my PIN. Upon doing so, I received a message that the account has been closed.
I called IHG Customer Care and was told that my account was deactivated. I thought about what BgMike wrote and figured I must have violated something. I thought it was claiming the 80k bonus miles twice. I cancelled my IHG Visa in late March 2014 just before the conversion. Several weeks later I applied for the IHG MC, met spending and received the 80k miles.
I was very upset on the phone. I was told by CSR that my account was deactivated because I used promo codes not targeted to me for a stay in early 2013. And I received the points for this. I told her I don't recall this as it happened a long time ago. Then she told me a bunch of stuff which I couldn't quite remember. I was very upset. So I finally asked her what she is trying to tell me. Then she said she will re activate my account this time but next time, my account will be closed and all points will be terminated.
I have only had one paid stay with IHG . Never BRG before.