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)
Oct 22, 2014, 11:36 am
#646
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
it's just a pity, they didn't stop disseminating their bonus codes so widely (as a long held marketing strategy), including on their own websites, and announce their change in strategy and T&C before doing what they did, unilaterally closing accounts with no communication etc, IHG has a history of this type of behavior, and again just recently over their stuff up of the app bookings in their ITN promo. The apologies and reversal of policy in the latter example took time.
Oct 22, 2014, 11:50 am
#647
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,581
it's just a pity, they didn't stop disseminating their bonus codes so widely (as a long held marketing strategy), including on their own websites, and announce their change in strategy and T&C before doing what they did, unilaterally closing accounts with no communication etc, IHG has a history of this type of behavior, and again just recently over their stuff up of the app bookings in their ITN promo. The apologies and reversal of policy in the latter example took time.
I have not seen any promotion listed on IHG's site that was not publicly available for sign up
Oct 22, 2014, 12:59 pm
#648
Join Date: Aug 2005
Programs: UA*G(1K), PC Diamond Amb, Marriott Titanium, Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,671
The whole idea to close accounts for participating in promotions and staying at hotels is ludicruous. What could IHG have done better: if someone is not eligible for a promotion display a message "sorry, you are not eligible for this promotion". Accepting people to sign up, let them pay and stay in hotels and then come back and say: "sorry, we gave you too many points, so we now take all points away" is just so other-worldish it's hard to believe.
HTB.
Oct 22, 2014, 3:28 pm
#649
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,581
IHG made it clear when it sent out the promotions to people stating that they were for the targetted recipient.
I find it hard to believe that anyone trawling the internet for codes would really believe that they were entitled to register for 10s of promotions in a stay - for those stupid enough to really believe that, then those blithely posting them , perhaps the bloggers/posters should have highlighted the terms
I find it hard to believe that anyone trawling the internet for codes would really believe that they were entitled to register for 10s of promotions in a stay - for those stupid enough to really believe that, then those blithely posting them , perhaps the bloggers/posters should have highlighted the terms
Oct 22, 2014, 3:32 pm
#650
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Boxter, MD
Posts: 247
Sure you can. There have been many codes, probably the majority posted here, that don't inherently signify that someone is not eligible to use it. Obviously if you're not platinum then you aren't eligible for a platinum bonus, but why should anyone assume that he is not eligible for a '1000 points on next stay' bonus if the site doesn't tell you that fact when you try to register for it? Is someone really supposed to investigate each code before registering to see if it is a targeted or public code? I'm only repeating what others have said (and of course what common sense and good business would dictate) but simply fixing their website to screen eligibility (like every other hotel website does) is what IHG should have done years ago.
Oct 22, 2014, 4:22 pm
#651
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,720
Well, regardless of what IHG's past practice was -- and I believe it would have been a good defense that they had turned a blind eye in the past to use of same -- it has been quite some time that they have done so, and anyone signing up for them from hereon out, as well as before this event, would have no leg to stand on.
That is why I am amazed that these codes are still kept here on FT. If anything, they do a disservice to the unwary and IHG.
That is why I am amazed that these codes are still kept here on FT. If anything, they do a disservice to the unwary and IHG.
Oct 22, 2014, 5:33 pm
#652
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
IHG made it clear when it sent out the promotions to people stating that they were for the targetted recipient.
I find it hard to believe that anyone trawling the internet for codes would really believe that they were entitled to register for 10s of promotions in a stay - for those stupid enough to really believe that, then those blithely posting them , perhaps the bloggers/posters should have highlighted the terms
I find it hard to believe that anyone trawling the internet for codes would really believe that they were entitled to register for 10s of promotions in a stay - for those stupid enough to really believe that, then those blithely posting them , perhaps the bloggers/posters should have highlighted the terms
Oct 22, 2014, 5:46 pm
#653
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,581
Sure you can. There have been many codes, probably the majority posted here, that don't inherently signify that someone is not eligible to use it. Obviously if you're not platinum then you aren't eligible for a platinum bonus, but why should anyone assume that he is not eligible for a '1000 points on next stay' bonus if the site doesn't tell you that fact when you try to register for it? Is someone really supposed to investigate each code before registering to see if it is a targeted or public code? I'm only repeating what others have said (and of course what common sense and good business would dictate) but simply fixing their website to screen eligibility (like every other hotel website does) is what IHG should have done years ago.
If they were publicly promoted on the IHG site and directly able to be applied for there, then would expect them to be public; if going to some 3rd party site where a list of codes is being listed, it is up to the person to make sure it is ok - one could suggest that the person promoting the codes could also warn people
Even so, there is no real way anyone could try arguing that the terms of the scheme are at all ambiguous now
Oct 22, 2014, 9:23 pm
#654
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: IHG, RC, HH, AA, QF, UA, Aeroplan
Posts: 2,690
Yes, they are if just trawling the interweb for codes.
If they were publicly promoted on the IHG site and directly able to be applied for there, then would expect them to be public; if going to some 3rd party site where a list of codes is being listed, it is up to the person to make sure it is ok - one could suggest that the person promoting the codes could also warn people
Which restricted codes did IHG directly promote to all visitors to a site?
Even so, there is no real way anyone could try arguing that the terms of the scheme are at all ambiguous now
If they were publicly promoted on the IHG site and directly able to be applied for there, then would expect them to be public; if going to some 3rd party site where a list of codes is being listed, it is up to the person to make sure it is ok - one could suggest that the person promoting the codes could also warn people
Which restricted codes did IHG directly promote to all visitors to a site?
Even so, there is no real way anyone could try arguing that the terms of the scheme are at all ambiguous now
http://community.ihg.com/
Oct 24, 2014, 12:11 pm
#656
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 677
What's Enron got to do with it? As a shareholder I would expect a company to deal with profitable customers and not with unprofitable ones. It's their duty. Where do ethics come into it? It's simple business sense. I simply believe IHG is doing what they believe to be right for their shareholders, and I support that. If that makes me an apologist, so be it, and I'm therefore also an apologist for any business that behaves that way.
As I said before, I would expect that IHG will have a set of criteria which they apply to accounts, and those which are borderline are flagged for a decision. For those affected negatively, sure it leaves a bad taste. If you're playing by the rules, there's no need to be scared.
As I said before, I would expect that IHG will have a set of criteria which they apply to accounts, and those which are borderline are flagged for a decision. For those affected negatively, sure it leaves a bad taste. If you're playing by the rules, there's no need to be scared.
I actually agree with you that companies should have the right to refuse service to anyone they want. Alot of people don't agree with that point. So much so that it is illegal in some cases (banning people of certain races from your hotel, refusing to make a wedding cake for a homosexual couple, etc).
What I don't agree with is a company that decides to "fire" a customer and then decides to reneg on benefits that they had promised that customer. This is extremely unethical, IMHO and may also be illegal. Then again, IANAL.
Oct 24, 2014, 12:19 pm
#657
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: UA Plat, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 677
They are stealing money. They promised that in exchange for your payment of $X you would receive Y nights at one of their hotels (some now and some later). By confiscating points, they are delivering less than the Y nights that they promised and which you paid for.
Oct 24, 2014, 2:06 pm
#658
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2003
Location: AA Plat / UA NOTHING / Alaska 75K / Hyatt Diamond / SPG LT Plat / Marriott Gold / Priority Club Plat / Hertz Pres
Posts: 24,707
They are stealing money. They promised that in exchange for your payment of $X you would receive Y nights at one of their hotels (some now and some later). By confiscating points, they are delivering less than the Y nights that they promised and which you paid for.
It definitely sucks. Stealing? Nah.
Oct 24, 2014, 4:57 pm
#660
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
They are stealing money. They promised that in exchange for your payment of $X you would receive Y nights at one of their hotels (some now and some later). By confiscating points, they are delivering less than the Y nights that they promised and which you paid for.