I still do 5-7 check-ins at Holiday Inn and Hilton even after getting my warning email from Celeste a couple months ago.

My points stopped posting to Hilton and IHG in September. No warning or notice.

Not worth pursuing.

Last Hilton 50 pts posted on Sep 19
Last Priority Club 50 pts posted on Oct 19.

I think I better stop checking in now...

Alright so I got the boot from Celeste as well. Was doing PCR, Virgin and Doubletree on a roughly daily basis manually using FourSquare on the phone. Just typing quickly.

Anyway, I have to ask the obvious question. Why can't I just create another account?

With many of these accounts its relatively easy to create another account and then later merge the two together. I'm not certain about HH or VA or PCR but certainly this is doable for AA or UA. And creating another Facebook account or whatever to back the new TopGuest account seems easy enough.

The only trick is that all of the mileage accounts typically have to have the same address and name for the merge to be done. So creating a different name probably wouldn't be okay. Might get away with a slight name correction once in a while but that isn't going to be scalable.

I searched back through the last 5-6 pages of this thread to see if this was being discussed. Sorry if this is redundant somehow.

Since mid Oct my wife has had points post on Topguest but were not being transferred to HHonors. Sent a note to Topguest and they resubmitted the points to HHonors and they posted the next day. When they told her they were resubmitting the points they did give her a reminder that the intent of the program was not to get points for driving or walking by.

See post #1006 and #1009 (page 68)

I'm out too
 

Got this email today. Seems like I'm not the only one.

Hi BA_Jfan, You appear to be using Topguest in ways that violate our Terms of Service. We are closing your account and will no longer forward activities that would have otherwise earned points to our partners. For security and privacy reasons, we do not disclose the methods we utilize to identify and close accounts. If you would like to appeal, you may do so by contacting us at [email protected] with at least one of your loyalty program numbers. Regards, Topguest.

It also came from Celeste like everyone else. I was checking into to PCR 7 days a week. Earned like 7000 points which hopefully won't get revoked. I replied with an angry email, will see what happens and report back.

I got the "kiss of death" email from Celeste last Friday. It was nice while it lasted.

+1 - have been checking in PC and Doubletree roughly 5x/wk via mobile phone. Got warning email two weeks ago, then the closing account email.

For those of you checking in, are you actually driving by or walking by? Or are you just checking in from your location even though you are nowhere near the subject hotel?

Reply
 

Here's the response I got from Topguest:

Hello BA_Jfan - Thanks for contacting us.

Topguest uses an automated system to review member activity to monitor for inappropriate check-in activity that violates the terms of the Topguest program.

The spirit of Topguest is to reward members for actually visiting Topguest partner locations and interacting with those brands, then sharing their experience using eligible check-ins with their social network via a mobile device. An example would be a Hilton Honors member checking in via Facebook while standing in line waiting to check into their room. Check-ins as you simply walk or drive by the property are not.

We hope this information helps clarify why your account was suspended.

Best Regards, Topguest

They finally kicked me out also. I can't complain, I wound up with about 15k points from them, all from checkins done from my house. Besides, it's clear from this thread that there's no benefit to complaining, once you're out, you're out.

They must really be purging their system and cutting their costs in the 4th quarter. I just got my see you latter from Celeste too. I did manage to get about 15000 HHonors and priority points before the shut down:(

I also got the "tone it down" e-mail from Celeste. I guess I will knock it off for a while and then do some targeted check-ins to see what happens.

I pass by a Double Tree on the way to work and i check in about 3-4 times a week from the freeway and have no warning email as of yet.

I'm wondering if perhaps the method being used to checkin is what they are keying on. I was loading up the iPhone FourSq app and checking into various places within a few miles and doing it quickly so they didn't have a fix on my location. If I took too much time typing/searching for the place I would get the dreaded "looks like you're too far away" thing. Could be these post with a "not certain of location" or somesuch. Is this what caused Celeste to blackball me?

I'm now using AutoSq but potentially since I'm referencing those older checkins for the location, I could be repeating my mistake. Wondering if I should delete all prior checkins and actually drive over there to get a precise fix in the mobile app, then use that for my Auto checkins going forward.

Anybody know anything? Got any theories?

Don't use Auto4Sq. According to the rep I was communicating with, my use if Auto check in is what led to me being thrown out.
Needless to say, I'm gonna wait about 3-4 weeks and jump back in the game.

Well... I got kicked off and wasn't using Auto4Sq...
 

Like I said, I was checking in using the iPhone app at 3 places each day, spread out at random times. The only thing wrong is I was pushing the checkins quickly so it couldn't get a precise lock on my position and figure out I was 3 miles from the Holiday Inn I was checking in at. Or half a mile from the Doubletree.

Its not that simple.

My account was also locked a few months ago due to use of Auto4Sq or something similar, since then I have tried to log in a few times, each time got a message say my account was suspended. What's the best way to get back to the game (doing real checkin)? Should I contact topguest or what?

I got warning email and I only did +/- 5 checkins a week into same IHG-hotel.

Me too. I have an assortment of Priority Club properties I check in at, and a handful of Doubletrees but mainly just 2 of them.

Contacting Topguest will get you lots of nothing. No explanations, no options. Your account is connected to your FF#'s. There you go.

Just got a warning letter from Celeste today as well. I've been checking into Double Tree about 4-5 times a week. Anyone have experience with what the limit might be for check-ins after you receive the warning letter?

i got a warning letter from an account i set up but never did a check in, a few days later i got a suspended letter.
i did have a different check in account i used every day for about 19 months with auro 4 square and got over 30k in both hh and pc

Reply
 

Couldn't you create a new account with the FFs and then merge them later?

will have to create a new facebook account to do that

I would use foursquare. But for the 2 minutes of efforts it takes, it's worth it, no?

it doesn't let you just use foursquare to sign up. i tried it. it gives you 2 options to use either facebook or instagram

Why would they require Instagram?

I have been very infrequent user - 2 checkins per week each for priority and doubletree ... I also got one warning mail recently ...

I have only ever used foursquare to check-in. Legit foursquare, not autosquare or anything like that. Seems like it's a random sweep of closing accounts or scaring people before ultimately closing accounts.

I have tried using 4square for a few family accounts but no checkins are posting to Topguest... Been like that for a month.

Topguest - additional points for checkins
 

With regular 4square or auto 4sq?

Regular. Never ever used Auto4sq.

I haven't been getting points since early/mid November (although I only have about 10 check-ins since then) -- no warning or notice. I can still log-in to my TG account though -- does that mean I'm not banned and there's something else going on, or are they now stealth-banning people?

I looked around the TG site and didn't see a list of geos. Does this work when checking in at IHG props in Asia?

The reaper came for me today in the form of an account suspended notification from Celeste. Oh well, it was good while it lasted: several thousand PC and HH points and a handful of UA and VA miles. Best of luck and safe travels to the rest of you.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The reaper came for me today...

This reminds me of the song by Blue Oyster Cult "Don't fear the reaper":D

For those being suspended or booted have any of you used an Android app like this?:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...e.fakelocation
That one is free and there is a pro version for a couple of bucks.

I can't as I have a Windows phone. iOS has something similar.

i seemed to have stopped getting points for checkins a bit before Thanksgiving, around the same time everyone here began reporting. no letter though.

after New Years, i checked in again on my way to work and got credited the points. so far 3 for 3 on daily checkins. so maybe it's back.