The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread
 

fern76 - thanks for reporting back!

Statement audit - here I come!

UOB (Singapore banks in general?) seems super scared of MAS just for forwarding complaints under MAS cover.

HK banks are a bit more recalcitrant, but HKMA does show up in flesh, body and spirit into their offices if a complaint does drag on and involve a number of similar complainants.

"From 15 May 2015, the earn rate will be 1.4 miles for every $1 spent (every $5 gives 7 miles), and 2.4 miles for every $1 spent OVERSEAS (every $5 gives 12 miles)."

Needs updating. 1.4 miles for every S$1 spent is for blocks of S$10, or every S$10 gives 14 miles.

If charge S$5, give 6 miles, S$15 give 20 miles etc, due to 3.5x decimal place rounding off.

The 'Best credit cards for KF miles accrual' master thread
 

@percysmith - hasn't HKG always been more Laissez Faire?

Ask kaka

No, thank you for the tip otherwise I will still be waiting around for the multiple call-backs UOB promised.

I only ever audit my UOB bills. AMEX and Citi never give me any issues. In fact, I will go as far as saying that AMEX is the best. They show the bonus rewards clearly on the statements and if and when they do make mistakes, they make amends.

For me, once was when their concierge service did not follow up on a purchase of mine properly with the delivery arriving after I had left SG. I had needed to take the items with me so of course I was really annoyed. They made good the charge on the items.

Another was just recently when they furnished some wrong info on the Ascend 35k bonus miles promotion, giving the wrong spend limit and the wrong figure for what I had used so far. After I pointed out the mistakes (total of 3!!!), they did a check and admitted fault. They proceeded to award the full miles "out of courtesy" and I did not need to fulfil the 10k limit.

The AMEX customer service is why I am still a sucker paying for the charge card annual fees. It can't be beat.

The UOB CSO I spoke with still has to verify some calculations for me. I actually feel sorry for him as it is a whole year's worth of things he has to go through for my case and I used the cards heavily up till this year. But, as I told him, this could all have been avoided if someone had done the right thing and called me back as promised.

I suspect UOB uses an archaic IT system which does not help the CSOs in their jobs. From what I figure, there is an actual record of UNI$ against transactions but it is quite messy and difficult to trace.

I am very glad that this matter is on its way to being fully resolved. For me, it is not a matter of arguing over a few hundred points monthly or just taking my business elsewhere. No offence to those who suggested that but it is PRECISELY because many consumers sweep things under the carpet that the general service standards in SG is abominable and it is how UOB became "clawback king". That should not be the way.

I don't churn miles and my transactions are all legitimate. If so, the bank should deliver what it promises. And if they can't, the reasons they have should be made known clearly to me as well. It is as simple as that.


I don't know about other banks and I don't hope to have to make another official MAS complaint like this again. But yes, it was like lighting a dynamite under their bottoms. Very quick.

So what exactly was the UOB root cause of the problem? That every transaction was given the correct miles, but the monthly statement doesn't capture exactly the transactions reported for that month - i.e. some transactions from previous statement spill over to current month's statement, and some transaction from current month's spills over to next statement? Is this why it's a nightmare for even the poor CSO to reconcile properly... much less us mortals?

Thanks for sharing this. I was about to make a significant air ticket purchase in foreign currency so this has helped determine which card to use!

The CSO mentioned that some of the UNI$ may have spilt over to the following billing cycle but that would not have made sense for my end Sept txns since the cycle ends in the middle of every month for me.

I am not sure but I think UOB gives out the UNI$ corresponding to every bill unlike DBS WWMC which gives out bonuses only the following month.

Also, I questioned him about a mysterious claw back for myself in my Aug statement and he claimed that UOB had wrongly credited some cardmembers with extra UNI$ in the June and July bills. I asked him to tell me clearly where the mistakes were to be found when he next calls me. I don't know if any of you experienced that.

I would hardly be surprised if the UNI$ statements are handwritten pieces of paper although it wouldn't make sense for them not to have an automated system. Well, even if it was automated, it surely can't be difficult to skim some UNI$ off unsuspecting cardmembers.

Seeing as they did get back to me very quickly, I agreed to give the CSO a week to iron out my remaining questions. If they are not satisfactorily answered again, I will request to see the UNI$ statement. I seriously don't see why the bank can't show proper calculations if everything is above board.

It has been very obvious to me, over the many convos I have had with the UOB CSOs, that they also have problems understanding and reconciling the UNI$. Like I told the latest one I am dealing with, if the system is so bad, then certainly it is something for their higher ups to do something and improve upon.

Best credit cards to use for miles accumulation in Singapore
 

Hey all, long time follower, first time posting.

Not sure if you Gurus already know about all these information i'm about the post but its a more visual experience to see it from this site that my friend made to explain which cards to use and when to use it.

http://deetiles.com/lists/57/best-cr...s-in-singapore

Hope this helps you guys, feel free to share it!^^ Good stuff must share!

Don't forget to register using SMS code PM50.

Strange thing I registered via SMS and returned a message thanking me registering, with a link to T&C. The T&C indicate must register during one of the promotion periods. I will register again on May 1 to make sure!

For Citi PM, do internet purchases in non-SGD currency qualify as "foreign spend?" Or do I have to physically go on holiday somewhere and swipe $1000+ on the card? :confused:

Sorry, foreign spend was my word which is wrong, as "foreign" spend in SGD is ineligible. Basically it is non-SGD spend. From T&C:
And

Hmm, a first post with flattery and self-promotion. Not sure I'm buying it. Looks more like generating traffic to the site.

All the info on that blog can be gained from this forum or HWZ with a bit of effort. While you guys can do what you want, highlighting certain earn methods over and over to broader audiences will sooner or later lead to their elimination. Just saying.

Frankly I don't see the need to go to any other site for collective intelligence than this very FT thread. I find the responses from regulars here are more measured and well thought as opposed to the Singlish-ridden and haphazard conjectures of HWZ.

Just my personal preference.