Merger Status Downgrades
Sep 22, 2018, 12:20 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Marriott
Posts: 3
Merger Status Downgrades
Hi All,
I've never posted before but a regular reader. Anyway, I've been downgraded post merger from Gold in Marriott Rewards to Gold in the new system when I was expecting Platinum. i.e. the website says Marriott Rewards Gold = Platinum post merger
I've got 660+ nights combined and 8 years at Platinum (MR Gold), so they are telling me I'm two years short of Lifetime Platinum.
I wasn't traveling as much as normal last year so didn't quite hit 50 nights. (I became a Dad with my first child...)
In March they offered me a status challenge for MR Gold (I highly value having the lounge to work in) which I duly completed with a couple of heavy months travel.
Customer Service are telling me since I am less than 50 nights this year and 2 years short of Platinum Lifetime, then I am not eligible for Platinum
The challenge I completed only a few months ago is now irrelevant and they will not honour it.
Anyone else been short changed like this post Merger? Feels very petty and not honouring all the promises given during the merger transition.
I am considering my options as the Customer Service is pretty terrible (takes weeks and chasing to respond) and I have no confidence they will honour future promotions if they change their mind and remove previous deals when they feel like it.
I've never posted before but a regular reader. Anyway, I've been downgraded post merger from Gold in Marriott Rewards to Gold in the new system when I was expecting Platinum. i.e. the website says Marriott Rewards Gold = Platinum post merger
I've got 660+ nights combined and 8 years at Platinum (MR Gold), so they are telling me I'm two years short of Lifetime Platinum.
I wasn't traveling as much as normal last year so didn't quite hit 50 nights. (I became a Dad with my first child...)
In March they offered me a status challenge for MR Gold (I highly value having the lounge to work in) which I duly completed with a couple of heavy months travel.
Customer Service are telling me since I am less than 50 nights this year and 2 years short of Platinum Lifetime, then I am not eligible for Platinum
The challenge I completed only a few months ago is now irrelevant and they will not honour it.
Anyone else been short changed like this post Merger? Feels very petty and not honouring all the promises given during the merger transition.
I am considering my options as the Customer Service is pretty terrible (takes weeks and chasing to respond) and I have no confidence they will honour future promotions if they change their mind and remove previous deals when they feel like it.
Sep 22, 2018, 5:39 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...merger-20.html
Most of the reports are people that were platinum pre-merger not being upgraded to PP. But pre-merger Gold not being upgraded to Platinum is a bigger issue.
The pre-merger communication was very clear that pre-merger MR-golds (other than from status matching) would become Platinum. I’d like to believe that who you talked to was just misinformed, but the longer this goes, the chances that this will be corrected seems less and less likely.
Most of the reports are people that were platinum pre-merger not being upgraded to PP. But pre-merger Gold not being upgraded to Platinum is a bigger issue.
The pre-merger communication was very clear that pre-merger MR-golds (other than from status matching) would become Platinum. I’d like to believe that who you talked to was just misinformed, but the longer this goes, the chances that this will be corrected seems less and less likely.
Sep 22, 2018, 11:10 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
The people on the phone are unfortunately unable to change anything; at least I haven’t seen one report of a successful phone resolution.
There have been a few reports of people getting things like this addressed by visiting https://www.marriott.com/marriott/contact.mi and selecting “Marriott.com support” as your topic, so I suggest giving that a shot. The website is pretty clear, if you earned Gold not through an SPG status match, you should be Platinum now.
There have been a few reports of people getting things like this addressed by visiting https://www.marriott.com/marriott/contact.mi and selecting “Marriott.com support” as your topic, so I suggest giving that a shot. The website is pretty clear, if you earned Gold not through an SPG status match, you should be Platinum now.
Sep 22, 2018, 1:58 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: CLT
Programs: Marriott Plat, AA Gold
Posts: 1,076
Sep 23, 2018, 10:07 am
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
Pointless. They can't/won't do anything.
No one has "solved" it to my knowledge. Line cs can't/won't do anything other than offer one of three response - (1) "be patient, this is a known issue and Marriott is working on it," (2) "I opened a case, this should be resolved in x weeks," or "your status is correct, you have to earn Plat/Plat Premier on nights."
No one has "solved" it to my knowledge. Line cs can't/won't do anything other than offer one of three response - (1) "be patient, this is a known issue and Marriott is working on it," (2) "I opened a case, this should be resolved in x weeks," or "your status is correct, you have to earn Plat/Plat Premier on nights."
Sep 23, 2018, 12:07 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 31,008
Completely false. The legacy Starwood Lurker team has solved hundreds/thousands of FT member issues over the years, and have addressed/corrected two for me personally in less than a month since the merger.
Correcting my status to the higher level that it should have been is one of my two issues "solved" after I contacted them.
Correcting my status to the higher level that it should have been is one of my two issues "solved" after I contacted them.
Sep 24, 2018, 12:01 am
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
Um, not exactly. Here's the response I got:
My follow up email to Christina advising that my status had still not been corrected and requesting further assistance was ignored.
So just color me skeptical at the Lurkers' ability/willingness to resolve incorrect status.
Dear Carl,
Thank you for your message.
A small segment of members may still see an incorrect status in their member profiles. This is being corrected. You may check Marriott for the update of the merger.
If you need any further assistance, please let us know.
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International
Thank you for your message.
A small segment of members may still see an incorrect status in their member profiles. This is being corrected. You may check Marriott for the update of the merger.
If you need any further assistance, please let us know.
Best Regards,
Christina Zhou
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International
So just color me skeptical at the Lurkers' ability/willingness to resolve incorrect status.
Sep 24, 2018, 1:25 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: DEN
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Titanium, CX DM, SQ Gold
Posts: 1,607
+1. The lurker I reached out to about the same issue sent me some copy pasta and ceased communication when I followed up seeking details on my status issues.
Sep 24, 2018, 8:22 am
#12
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...-property.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...aded-gold.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marr...d-bangkok.html
Last edited by Kacee; Sep 24, 2018 at 8:41 am
Sep 24, 2018, 10:14 am
#13
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
Best regards,
William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Marriott International
[email protected]
Sep 24, 2018, 2:20 pm
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
Our very sincere apologies for the inconvenience, but the answers reflect the reality of some of the issues we've been sent. Believe me, if we could make a couple of mouse-clicks and fix something, we certainly would. So, it is very much about inability in some situations, but nothing to do with unwillingness. If you've contacted us and we told you that we need to wait for the IT team to fix something, then you have been logged on our escalation sheet and the IT team has been made aware.
I hope you can appreciate how frustrating it is to now be five weeks in, still showing wrong status, and the only response is "we're aware of the problem and you just need to be patient." I have very little faith in either the process or the program at this point.
Sep 24, 2018, 5:37 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 278
Changing status and adding nights is literally two clicks and costs Marriott nothing because that's what the customer earned.
Its clear Marriott is just being as cheap as it possibly can in regards to every issue under the sun (even if that means screwing over people)
I've had four week non replies / completely incorrect replies. Its like talking to a wall. If Marriott don't have the power to do anything and the instructions given are to be as vile and restrictive to customers as possible why even have a phone line or email?
Its clear Marriott is just being as cheap as it possibly can in regards to every issue under the sun (even if that means screwing over people)
I've had four week non replies / completely incorrect replies. Its like talking to a wall. If Marriott don't have the power to do anything and the instructions given are to be as vile and restrictive to customers as possible why even have a phone line or email?