Denial of Mileage Plan Shopping Miles
Jul 17, 2019, 2:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 41
Denial of Mileage Plan Shopping Miles
On May 29, I decided to take advantage of the Mileage Plan Shopping Apple 7X bonus offer and purchased a $3500 MacBook Pro. I expected to receive 24,500 miles. When the miles failed to post I followed the procedures prescribed on the Alaska Airlines website to elevate the issue. To make a long story short, I was summarily denied any miles with no real reason given. Mileage Plan Shopping, which is not part of Alaska Airlines, is difficult to communicate with, at best. I got nowhere with them after much subsequent back and forth so I contacted Alaska Airlines Customer Service. They said they'd help me as best they could to try to get a valid answer.
Today, I received what seems to be a final decision from Mileage Plan Shopping. They have denied my miles because I used the Government Store on the Apple website, which offers a discounted price. When you click the Government Store link, there isn't any indication that you are leaving the Apple Store. I received a receipt and the computer product from Apple and the credit card charge posted as Apple. I'm about to give up, but I hate to lose 20,000+ frequent flyer miles if I'm entitled to them. I'm wondering whether anyone has insight into, or experience with, my situation?
Today, I received what seems to be a final decision from Mileage Plan Shopping. They have denied my miles because I used the Government Store on the Apple website, which offers a discounted price. When you click the Government Store link, there isn't any indication that you are leaving the Apple Store. I received a receipt and the computer product from Apple and the credit card charge posted as Apple. I'm about to give up, but I hate to lose 20,000+ frequent flyer miles if I'm entitled to them. I'm wondering whether anyone has insight into, or experience with, my situation?
Jul 17, 2019, 2:22 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
I've been denied miles in the past for using a discount code I found online while still purchasing from the Mileage Plan shopping link. I believe they don't allow discounts or deviation from the standard link they've provided, and it looks like the Apple Govt store discount is technically a different "Apple Store" than the normal. Imagine someone/a computer is reviewing these to approve/deny miles, especially when it meets a higher threshold like this. If it had been a pair of Airpods, maybe they'd have just let it go.. You can keep trying, but you're probably not gonna get them to budge too much unless you can confirm you're within the terms/conditions.
FAQs: https://www.mileageplanshopping.com/faq____.htm
T&Cs: https://www.mileageplanshopping.com/terms____.htm
FAQs: https://www.mileageplanshopping.com/faq____.htm
T&Cs: https://www.mileageplanshopping.com/terms____.htm
Jul 17, 2019, 5:29 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 41
I can't help but think they are looking for any excuse to keep me from getting the treasure trove of miles. I wish I could return the laptop, but I gave it to my niece as a birthday present. I'm not quite ready to give up entirely. Maybe I'll contact Apple and see what they have to say about whether or not the Government Store is part of the Apple Store website. Thanks to all for your input. I wonder if I can somehow take this matter to Small Claims Court?
Jul 17, 2019, 5:57 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Read the agreement linked to above. Emphasis added.
The validity, construction and interpretation of this Agreement, and the rights and duties of the parties hereto, will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, excluding its conflicts of laws principles. Each party hereto agrees that all claims relating to this Agreement, the Program, the Site or the Network will be heard exclusively by a state or federal court in Washington. Accordingly, each party hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of any state or federal court in the State of Washington over any proceeding related to this Agreement, irrevocably waives any objection to the venue of any such court, and irrevocably waives any claim that any such proceeding in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
Last edited by eponymous_coward; Jul 17, 2019 at 6:05 pm
Jul 17, 2019, 6:05 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Whatever was or was not disclosed when OP purchased, the fact remains that she seems quite aware that she was using a government, e.g. discounted site. If anything, her beef would be with Apple if she could prove that she did not know that she was being directed to that site.
Even if OP lives in Washington State down the street from some courthouse, the small claims procedure there is only available for monetary claims. That gets into the entire issue of what points / miles and other goodies are worth and how one proves that (and then reports it as income).
These sites are indeed a means to drive traffic to an expensive alternative. The points are paid for by someone, e.g. the retailer and they certainly aren't paying for them for discounted merch.
Even if OP lives in Washington State down the street from some courthouse, the small claims procedure there is only available for monetary claims. That gets into the entire issue of what points / miles and other goodies are worth and how one proves that (and then reports it as income).
These sites are indeed a means to drive traffic to an expensive alternative. The points are paid for by someone, e.g. the retailer and they certainly aren't paying for them for discounted merch.
Jul 17, 2019, 7:29 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,842
Quite often discounts aren't stackable with these kinds of deals, etc. So very often it's an either/or: best possible price or pile o' miles because the margin that Cartera gets paid out of is based on an inflated price (the retail Apple Store vs. the .gov/.edu Store).
Jul 17, 2019, 7:39 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,539
I had a similar problem with an Apple Iphone I bought a few months back.
I didn’t use any discounts, and went through the AS site. After a month, 4000 or so miles showed up, but then were immediately removed.
Cartera says the phone was returned, which is certainly not the case. Such dishonesty.
I didn’t use any discounts, and went through the AS site. After a month, 4000 or so miles showed up, but then were immediately removed.
Cartera says the phone was returned, which is certainly not the case. Such dishonesty.
Jul 17, 2019, 8:38 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,842
From all I can tell (from reading horror stories about Cartera over the years), they are just terrible. I would spend ten minutes sending a brief factual complaint to
- Tim Cook
- Brad Tilden
- my state’s attorney general consumer unit
It’s unlikely to directly do anything for you, but if enough people complain, maybe Cartera eventually gets put out of business.
- Tim Cook
- Brad Tilden
- my state’s attorney general consumer unit
It’s unlikely to directly do anything for you, but if enough people complain, maybe Cartera eventually gets put out of business.
Jul 18, 2019, 7:19 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: UA
Posts: 444
The individual stores often have a variation of the following warning which Apple has:
“Not eligible on purchases made with coupon or discount codes that are not found on this site.”
Education discount is on the site but Government is not.
I got tripped up by that but not a lot of miles so I did nothing about it.
“Not eligible on purchases made with coupon or discount codes that are not found on this site.”
Education discount is on the site but Government is not.
I got tripped up by that but not a lot of miles so I did nothing about it.
Jul 18, 2019, 11:53 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 41
The individual stores often have a variation of the following warning which Apple has:
“Not eligible on purchases made with coupon or discount codes that are not found on this site.”
Education discount is on the site but Government is not.
I got tripped up by that but not a lot of miles so I did nothing about it.
“Not eligible on purchases made with coupon or discount codes that are not found on this site.”
Education discount is on the site but Government is not.
I got tripped up by that but not a lot of miles so I did nothing about it.
Jul 18, 2019, 12:22 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 1,445
Can you please clarify what you mean regarding Government Store not being found on the site? The link I clicked for the Government Store is at the bottom of the Apple Home Page, two columns over from the Apple for Education link. I was not taken to a site outside of Apple.
Jul 18, 2019, 12:47 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,329
I think it has been solved, or at least a reasonable loophole for them to use as an excuse has been found. The real test would be knowing if using the apple education store punchout on the mileage plan shopping portal still yields the bonus miles when you shop with education pricing.