ransdbr

tried clicking thru the top flyer 25k link and the application only now shows 10k bonus miles. Tried calling AMEX application #, and I was told that the current offer is only 10K. Now I'm worried that I will only get 10k and not even 25k, let alone rolling the dice trying to get 50k bonus with offer 5894 (messaging post-application). Thoughts?? I am not a current card holder. Entered my info on the Amex website to get a targeted offer, but no luck..

Happy

Go back to posts around 600, to find the 25K link. You may need to read up a little to find it.

CLEAR all your cookies of AMEX before clicking that link and see what comes up.

If using the above approach and still does not bring up 25K then you may be out of luck on the 25K.

Happy

I had almost $1K spend on July 5th but totally forgot about to do the email back thing after $500 spend is met. Then I had other charges and had total spend just over $2K by July 8. It was 0 point in my MR account as of Friday night. So I went ahead to reply the email to request expedite the full bonus points of 75K.

Got a response today said 25K already automatically released by system on July 9th and now 50K was released for a total of 75K immediately available for redemption.

I have not paid any balance, fwiw. I also have not seen the spending points which I assume would need to be after statement close and bill paid.

On another note, I sent a separate SM a couple hours later to request assistance on the upcoming SPG annual fee. Got the response from the SAME overseas agent who replied both the MR SM and SPG SM on the same reply and only issued 2K SPG pts. The same request was sent a day before on husband's SPG account and he got a $50 statement credit, a better offer than mine when his card has only 1/2 of the spending than mine!

I replied to ask for a match on the SPG assistance. Hope they would up the offer to 5K.

drbobguy

I got my card a few days ago and messaged them and was bumped up. I was solicited for the 50k/$500 spend rewards. I asked for the additional 25k and referenced awards code 5984 (or is it 5894?). They replied back they would give them to me after the first 50k points post (in a few months), and that I need to write them back then.

Very happy for 5 minutes of work, thats 75k continental/united miles.

x712xdamx

Congrats on getting your points expedited!!
Unfortunately, I called Membership Rewards 3x in a row yesterday requesting my 75,000 points expedited (charged and paid for $1,200+ in the first week of activating the card), and no rep "could do it". "out of their control".. I sent a SM about it. Haven't heard back yet.

In regards to your annual fee on the SPG card - - you are better off to call AMEX and let them know you are considering canceling it due to the annual fee and you'd like to talk to someone about your options. Just be up front and ask if there's any points/miles/money they can offer to keep the card (if they don't initially offer any). They will then usually offer you a few options.
When I called about the Delta Skymiles card recently she said she could offer me $50 statement credit or 7,500 Skymiles. That's much better than 2k SPG points I'd say.

booyaa

Don't mean to go off topic of this thread, but when I asked them to do something about annual fee of delta plat because I have Amex plat as well, they only gave me 3k skymiles. I didn't mention cancelling though...

Happy

I believe SM at the time when the overseas center is on duty would enhance your chance based on data points posted so far.

We got $50 statement credit on husband's SPG card by a single SM to request either bonus or statement credit to help out the 2nd year annual fee which is a bit steep comparing to other hotel cards he has. A very cheerful rep from SE Asia replied the next morning granted $50 statement credit, posted on his card next day.

My mistake is, I think, sent SMs on both for the expedition of MR pts and SPG bonus on the same day a day later and wound up having same agent replied to both in one single reply, despite the SMs were sent hours apart, and I used SAME wordings on my SPG request.

He probably felt that since I already got 75K MR pts, I should not be getting more SPG pts - I do believe they have a range of freebie value to give out, it is up to the agent's discretion on how much is given out.

Let's see what kind of reply I got asking them to up the 2K SPG retention offer. I would not haggle it too much if they still say no, for the difference I see would be $20 given 1 SPG pt easily worth 0.015 in my book.

UPDATE:

Got a $50 statement credit as well!

Here is the response just in:

Download Print

Response (A.Bhatxxxxxxx) 07/10/2011 06:11 PM
Dear Happy,

Please understand, there is no provision of issuing credit for the Membership Fee as long as your card is active. Any such gestures made by the representatives is solely on their discretion and is done on goodwill. We cannot compare or contest a "goodwill gesture".

I can understand you would like to receive similar gestures as your husband did on his Card. Yes, I will honor your request this time. I have issued $50.00 statement credit to your account. The credit will show on your upcoming statement.

I hope my quick actions resolve your inquiry and leave a smile on your face. I thank you for your valuable time to email us and giving me the opportunity to serve you today.

Sincerely, Aditi Bhatxxxxxx Email Servicing Team American Express Interactive Services

Incidentally, this is the SAME rep who handled the bump up request on my husband's account, who insisted my husband had to wait for the 25K pts posted before he would release the additional 50K... Now we will see what would happen as I haven't replied the email but sent a separate one to request expedition of the whole 75K on his card.

Happy

I honestly believe they have a range of value on freebies to give out - it is up to the agent's discretion to determine how much is given out. So it is a Luck of Draw on which agent you got - a more generous one or a stingy one. The only difference I see between my SPG and his SPG is, mine is used more heavily, may be 100% more.

A friend only got $25 statement credit on his SPG Biz which he used heavily and has it for 4 years now. Each year he got a bit of credit, never big enough to be noteworthy.

On the On Topic note, I got a very easy agent on the promising of 50K pt (simply send email reply after $500 spend) and a very quick release of all 75K without paying the balance at all.

My husband's request with same wordings was met with a more stringent requirement - he had to wait for 25K posted in 6 to 8 weeks then email back for the additional 50K pts. After a few back and forth exchange of SMs the agent would not budget to match the promise I got.

I went ahead to send a request on his card for expediting release anyway after the success on my own card.

Hopefully he will get his 75K pts released quickly as well. I did see now under the activity, he "earned" 25K but 0 is available.

Happy

Alright, this is strange. Someone may be able to answer this.

The AMEX MR rep replied back that he has issued the ID 5894 50,000 bonus points to husband's account, and confirmed that now he has 75,000 points pending transfer.

Response (Edgar D'Cruz_MR) 07/10/2011 07:21 PM
Dear xxxxxxx,

Thank you for your email.

I have applied the bonus I.D 5894 and issued you 50,000 bonus reward points.

You currently have 75,000 bonus reward points pending transfer.

It was a pleasure to provide you excellent service today.

Sincerely, Edgar D'Cruz Email Servicing Team American Express Interactive Services

Note that the first name is definitely not a SE Asian name. So no idea where the rep is located.

However, while this morning I could still see he has 25,000 points in the "earned" category on the Point Activity section. Now everything is a big fat 0 - even the previously "earned" 25,000 points have disappeared.

Of course the available balance remains 0.

Does this ever happen to anyone's account? That when the points are pending, you dont see them? This does not make sense as there is a category "pending" in the Point Activity section. So if the rep has done things correctly, shouldn't all 75,000 points shown as Pending?

UPDATE:

Finally got a response and instructed me on How To look up the pending points... and told me the balance must be paid before the points released... The fact is, the balance on Thursday is fully paid at $1001.99. A last charge of $1.96 did not post until Saturday. Can't pay that one when the bank was closed on Weekend (AMEX system would not process the payment.) Besides, for goodness sake, you are withholding 75K because a final charge of $1.96 not paid while a $1001.99 amount is already paid 2 days ago? Besides, I have not pay a cent on my own card but my 75K is release immediately when I requested it.

This whole process from the bump up to the actual release of bonus is a gigantic inconsistency - very much depending on the Luck of Draw that dictates which rep you got!

The 75K now is shown under "Earned" with a date of 07/10/11. The 25K was apparently wiped clean and a lump was posted with a next day's date. It is definitely not under "Pending" but in "Earned".

I replied and requested them to release it to Available so I can use some for BA transfer.

hqly2001

I recently signed up for the 75k bonus and would like to know when the miles normally post after statement closing? They tell me it's 3 to 8 weeks. I read that some got posted sooner.

Despie signing up for the 25k bonus, they said my promo was only 10k bonus. They said they've made it pending so i have to wait.

I like to take advantage of the 50 percent transfer bonus with BA, does anyone know if I can advance 50 or 60k MR points now and repay when my points are credited?

For the BA transfer bonus, it's a one time transfer only I believe?
Has anyone seen a bonus offer for singapore airlines?

Thx

hqly2001

They quoted that some of my points are pending release but I do not see it under pending nor anywhere. Not sure if it takes time but they repsonded ealier today and as of this evening, I've not seen the pending points.

samdori

I have sent SM's twice now unsuccessfully trying to up my bonus from 10,000 to 75,000 pts. Both responses came from Fort Lauderdale. The last one I sent in the evening and received a response this morning. Should I send it earlier in the day in the hopes that it will get answered by someone overseas? Also the second response I got referenced the first response even though I did not reply to the first message. Should I direct the message to a different department?

Happy

Both ours were sent within hours of instant approvals and in the evening our time, one was on a Saturday. They all went to India but did not get identical promises despite identical requests were sent. Though both were promised with bump up match.

Did you send it Membership Reward - Point Balance, or other topics?

There were posters who had to try 4 to 5 times to eventually get theirs. May be your luck would change to the better.

Belllaaa

I also sent SM last night asking for the 75k, I also got a response this morning from Fort Lauderdale. but I was successful and they response that they will add 60k in addition to the original 15k that I sign for.

samdori

Thanks for your reply. Both times I directed it to membership rewards - point balance. Maybe I will direct it to other topics this time and if still unsuccessful I will try calling although it seems people have been less successful doing that. In their message they did mention about the offer only being for new cardmembers but I don't know if that was specific to me or just part of their canned response. (I already had an Amex delta converted to blue sky, but never had a membership rewards card).