Charged $437 For Purchasing 35K Points When Trying to Use a 35K Cert On the Website
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,731
IT IS THE IDENTICAL SCREEN I HAD SEEN as explained several times in multiple threads. It gave you an impression the cert was attached, while it DID NOT. If your account has enough points to cover the booking, the site takes the points. If you dont, it either errored out or made unauthorized point purchase as so many have now found out.
I did not keep the screen shot as it was irrelevant for me because I Xed the booking after realizing the site still took points even though I thought it correctly displayed a cert was attached, and continued with the booking. Points returned to the account promptly. So the screen shot served me no purpose other than telling me IT CANNOT BE TRUSTED. I NEED TO SOMEHOW ACTIVATE THE CERT BUBBLE TO BECOME CLICKABLE! In other words, a Manual intervention is needed to actually ATTACH THE CERT.
When I discovered 35K pts were taken versus using the cert, REGARDLESS what the screen shot showed, I realized that the Grayed Out option was NOT right because points still being taken. On rebooking, I used the previous workaround method when people changing between Cert and Points or Advance Point option, by changing the payment method thru the bubbles. Once I clicked the Point bubble the screen showed 35K pts cost, BUT more importantly, and that was what I wanted - the Grayed out bubble no longer grayed out - it became a clickable bubble! I then clicked the cert bubble and the payment method switched to Cert. When I clicked OPEN the DETAILS of the Point Summary, it showed 35000 with a CROSS over it, then the 2nd line item was Zero, and the Total was Zero. Seeing this, I proceeded to finish the booking - this time the cert was correctly attached, no points deducted from my account.
This discovery was well over a month ago, and I even posted the work around in some Cert booking issues thread(s) when people said their certs were not attached or something errored out.
Since that discovery Every Single Cert Booking I went thru the work around to make sure I CAN CLICK THE CERT BUTTON to ensure the cert is attached. I just wanted to make the booking and had NO interest to contact Marriott on the issues of their funky site nor deal with their incompetent CSRs. Since the workaround work, I stick with it. The day I found this thread, I had made 3 Cert Bookings just the day before from an account had only 8K pts. Of course since I use the workaround to book, all my cert bookings went thru correctly, no drama except the last one took forever and still not showed confirmation. I thought it was errored out with the ever turning circle so I clicked the BonVoy logo - that actually brought up the confirmation message, or it just finally showed up. Cert was correctly attached. No authorization on the AMEX card, and of course no points posted either - the account remains at the previous 8K balance.
I did not keep the screen shot as it was irrelevant for me because I Xed the booking after realizing the site still took points even though I thought it correctly displayed a cert was attached, and continued with the booking. Points returned to the account promptly. So the screen shot served me no purpose other than telling me IT CANNOT BE TRUSTED. I NEED TO SOMEHOW ACTIVATE THE CERT BUBBLE TO BECOME CLICKABLE! In other words, a Manual intervention is needed to actually ATTACH THE CERT.
When I discovered 35K pts were taken versus using the cert, REGARDLESS what the screen shot showed, I realized that the Grayed Out option was NOT right because points still being taken. On rebooking, I used the previous workaround method when people changing between Cert and Points or Advance Point option, by changing the payment method thru the bubbles. Once I clicked the Point bubble the screen showed 35K pts cost, BUT more importantly, and that was what I wanted - the Grayed out bubble no longer grayed out - it became a clickable bubble! I then clicked the cert bubble and the payment method switched to Cert. When I clicked OPEN the DETAILS of the Point Summary, it showed 35000 with a CROSS over it, then the 2nd line item was Zero, and the Total was Zero. Seeing this, I proceeded to finish the booking - this time the cert was correctly attached, no points deducted from my account.
This discovery was well over a month ago, and I even posted the work around in some Cert booking issues thread(s) when people said their certs were not attached or something errored out.
Since that discovery Every Single Cert Booking I went thru the work around to make sure I CAN CLICK THE CERT BUTTON to ensure the cert is attached. I just wanted to make the booking and had NO interest to contact Marriott on the issues of their funky site nor deal with their incompetent CSRs. Since the workaround work, I stick with it. The day I found this thread, I had made 3 Cert Bookings just the day before from an account had only 8K pts. Of course since I use the workaround to book, all my cert bookings went thru correctly, no drama except the last one took forever and still not showed confirmation. I thought it was errored out with the ever turning circle so I clicked the BonVoy logo - that actually brought up the confirmation message, or it just finally showed up. Cert was correctly attached. No authorization on the AMEX card, and of course no points posted either - the account remains at the previous 8K balance.
Last edited by Happy; May 20, 2022 at 2:10 pm
#32
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: AA
Posts: 1
Tried to attach certificate and was charged $357 for 29k points
I know that many people have had issues with Marriott IT, including the recent cert topups (I had to call in for all of them), but this one is a total new issue for me and potentially quite bad. Has anyone else seen/heard anything like this?
Is there anything else we should do? Any advice? Anyone ever heard of anything like this? Does Marriott monitor this thread? This seems like such a huge issue, I was thinking of reaching out to some Marriott tech people on LinkedIn since I live in the DC area and work on the Salesforce platform which I know Marriott uses, but wasn't really sure if that was a huge breach in protocol or not.
- My Wife was trying to use a 35K cert on a point advance booking. The reservation failed to confirm and we ended up on a screen that said points purchased failed.
- She also tried to book a straight reservation with the 35K cert and ended up on the same screen that a points purchase reservation failed.
- We called in the Marriott asking what is going on. The agent wasn't concerned about the Amex fraud warnings, but she did sort out getting the cert on the reservation after some time (by creating a new reservation and cancelling the point advance booking). I asked the agent that the Marriott team should create a case for the tech team as this is a big deal. We than called Amex and they cancelled the card after Amex asked us if we had done this purchase, which we didn't.
- Next day, the 35,000 points posted to my wife's account. I was floored and we called Marriott to ask what was going on. This agent said that there were 3 point purchase rejections and 1 went through (so 4 attempts in total, which surprised me, maybe it tried twice each time?). I guess Marriott let 1 go through. The agent said point purchases were non-refundable. After some back and forth where I explained that she didn't purchase the points and it is a rather large Marriott IT error, she agreed to upon some sort of special case. Note that the point purchase was never actually associated with a reservation and she never got any email about. it.
- Following day, the $437.50 Marriott post clears on the Amex Business Bonvoy card, we call Amex and ask what is going on. Amex says it is already under review. Then, the next following day, there is a credit back dated for $437.50 on her Amex account (this credit is a fraud return credit from Amex, not Marriott).
- As of today, the points are still in the account. All of this started March 5th.
Is there anything else we should do? Any advice? Anyone ever heard of anything like this? Does Marriott monitor this thread? This seems like such a huge issue, I was thinking of reaching out to some Marriott tech people on LinkedIn since I live in the DC area and work on the Salesforce platform which I know Marriott uses, but wasn't really sure if that was a huge breach in protocol or not.
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 393
#35
Join Date: May 2022
Posts: 1
Charged me $501CAD for 30,000 points when I tried to use free night certificate
Marriott charged me $501CAD for 30,000 points when I tried to use free night certificate. I contacted Bonvoy through Facebook messenger and e-mail. They responded. They didn't give me a refund yet.
#39
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 393
Email Marriott from here:
Abbey L
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
This is a known issue at Marriott. The Marriott team here should be able to help.
Abbey L
Specialist, Social Media
Marriott International
[email protected]
This is a known issue at Marriott. The Marriott team here should be able to help.
#40
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 393
[
Wife went to check in for tomorrow's reservation, but couldn't login. Message says account is under audit. This was the scenario I was hoping to avoid. Does anyone know if you can check in in person if the account is under audit. We are already in Virginia Beach staying the first two nights at a holiday inn express.
QUOTE=Moh20;34250732]I am pretty sure that they can do whatever they want. "The Company may cancel a Members accumulated Points, suspend Loyalty Program benefits, suspend Elite Membership Status, suspend Lifetime Elite Membership Status (which will subsequently also remove protection against the forfeiture of Points should the member become inactive as described in Section 1.5.d. or cancel a Members Account at any time with immediate effect and without written notice, for any reason and in the Company's sole discretion".
Marriott won't explain why they shut down an account in most cases.[/QUOTE]
Wife went to check in for tomorrow's reservation, but couldn't login. Message says account is under audit. This was the scenario I was hoping to avoid. Does anyone know if you can check in in person if the account is under audit. We are already in Virginia Beach staying the first two nights at a holiday inn express.
QUOTE=Moh20;34250732]I am pretty sure that they can do whatever they want. "The Company may cancel a Members accumulated Points, suspend Loyalty Program benefits, suspend Elite Membership Status, suspend Lifetime Elite Membership Status (which will subsequently also remove protection against the forfeiture of Points should the member become inactive as described in Section 1.5.d. or cancel a Members Account at any time with immediate effect and without written notice, for any reason and in the Company's sole discretion".
Marriott won't explain why they shut down an account in most cases.[/QUOTE]
#42
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 393
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,165
Shocker - bad Marriott IT basically turns into fraudulent activities by the company, which in turns basically blames it on its customers
#44
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 393
Wife's account is now under audit for the second time, just a couple days after it was unlocked. After a 50 minute call, agent had her email her driver's license to get the account unlocked. Unclear how long this takes. Agent couldn't apply a cert to her point advance booking in 15 days.
How long is this frustration going to go on?
How long is this frustration going to go on?
#45
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,464
Bonvoy account locked, says to call them to unlock. I call Bonvoy, they tell me the account locked because I initiated a charge back on Amex. Remember Bonvoy told me to initiate the charge back.
Bonvoy also told me my case is closed, refund is denied. They reopened the case, but told me my account will stay locked.
Bonvoy also told me my case is closed, refund is denied. They reopened the case, but told me my account will stay locked.