Survey on Potential Changes to the 50% Off Starpoints Platinum Gift

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Oct 24, 2008, 3:19 pm

#16

yosithezet

Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: SIN

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I found the survey in my Gmail SPAM folder with a bunch of other stuff form starwood.delivery.net.

Anyway, I also was unable to use it because of the cutoff date. I wasn't able to travel on leisure until August when I would have used it. If it was available for use later in the year I'd have used it.
I ranked them as follows:

50% off one Starpoints redemption for up to five nights.
$150 Gift certificate (Starbucks, Amazon, Pottery Barn, Nordstrom, etc) [I get Amazon to ship stuff to my mother in the US]
50% off SPG Flights redemption
A One Time 10,000 Starpoint bonus
One Free Weekend Night
$150 donated to charity (Red Cross, Make-a-Wish, Special Olympics, etc) on your behalf

Oct 24, 2008, 3:37 pm

#17

Starwood Lurker

Company Representative - Starwood

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: Austin, Texas

Programs: Marriott Employee Level

Posts: 31,593

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanthepilot

...I'm surprised that they offered a gift certificate. Am I supposed to fly to USA and stay in a SPG hotel to be able to use a Gift Cert?

I don't think a hotel gift certificate was among the options...was it and I missed it?

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Oct 24, 2008, 3:48 pm

#18

yosithezet

Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: SIN

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker

I don't think a hotel gift certificate was among the options...was it and I missed it?

I think the idea is that the GCs are for mostly US-based retailers.

Oct 24, 2008, 4:13 pm

#19

docbert

Join Date: Jul 2007

Location: San Francisco/Sydney

Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC

Posts: 8,165

Quote:

Originally Posted by yosithezet

I think the idea is that the GCs are for mostly US-based retailers.

Last I looked Amazon would ship to most places in the world...

Oct 24, 2008, 4:31 pm

#20

Starwood Lurker

Company Representative - Starwood

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: Austin, Texas

Programs: Marriott Employee Level

Posts: 31,593

Quote:

Originally Posted by docbert

Last I looked Amazon would ship to most places in the world...

I honestly can't imagine that there isn't a merchandise partner we have that offers gift certificates that doesn't...but I could be wrong, I guess. So who doesn't allow global shipping or doesn't have international brick and mortar outlets where a gift card could be redeemed out of this group?

Amazon
Banana Republic
Bliss
Brookstone
Conde Nast
GAP
Hasbro
Life is good
Nordstrom
Pottery Barn
Starbucks
Westin-at-Home
Williams-Sonoma
iTunes

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Oct 24, 2008, 4:56 pm

#21

Starwood Lurker

Company Representative - Starwood

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: Austin, Texas

Programs: Marriott Employee Level

Posts: 31,593

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starwood Lurker

LOL. Okay, I'll almost answer my own question from spg.com.

In most cases gift cards, gift certificates, and merchandise awards are available to members who have a mailing address in the U.S. or Canada and are redeemable at websites and/or locations within the U.S and Canada. Condé Nast magazines and Hasbro Games can only be shipped to addresses within the U.S. and Canada. Avis® and Sixt rental car certificates may be ordered by members worldwide and are redeemable at eligible locations worldwide. Please be sure to review terms and conditions for each redemption partner option, as details vary. Once ordered, all gift cards, gift certificates, and merchandise awards may not be returned. Starpoints for these awards are non-refundable. Please allow 4-6 weeks to receive your award.

So, who exactly was on the list of gift cards mentioned as an option? Please tell me Conde Nast and Hasbro weren't.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Oct 24, 2008, 5:07 pm

#22

chrisinacton

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: SFO

Programs: UA Silver SPG Lifetime Gold

Posts: 530

The SPG 50% only applies to the Rack Rate, right? I wouldn't be able to apply it using my SET rate?

Oct 24, 2008, 5:16 pm

#23

Starwood Lurker

Company Representative - Starwood

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: Austin, Texas

Programs: Marriott Employee Level

Posts: 31,593

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisinacton

The SPG 50% only applies to the Rack Rate, right? I wouldn't be able to apply it using my SET rate?

This is a different 50% off redemption.

But, the one you are referencing is off the RACK rate. It cannot be applied to another rate because it has its own rate plan: SPG50, which is programmed to give 50% off the RACK rate when it is activated.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Oct 24, 2008, 5:26 pm

#24

chrisinacton

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: SFO

Programs: UA Silver SPG Lifetime Gold

Posts: 530

Thanks Lurker!

Do Plats receive an annual 50% certificate that can be applied to any rate?

Oct 24, 2008, 5:32 pm

#25

Starwood Lurker

Company Representative - Starwood

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: Austin, Texas

Programs: Marriott Employee Level

Posts: 31,593

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisinacton

Thanks Lurker!

Do Plats receive an annual 50% certificate that can be applied to any rate?

Not that I'm aware of. The gift mentioned in this thread was sent to a select group of Platinum members last year. It was for 50% off a Preferred (free) Night Award redemption, up to Category 5 for a limited number of nights, I believe.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Oct 24, 2008, 6:51 pm

#26

u2vox

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: PDX

Programs: UA Global Services / Million Miler, Marriott Ambassador / Lifetime Titanium

Posts: 594

William, was this sent to all Plats who received/qualified for the promo but did not use it, or just a portion? I fall into that bucket but did not receive a survey invite (checked my SPAM folder, too). I'd love to provide my feedback as well. I value this promo greatly - I was just unable to use it in the timeframe offered.

Oct 24, 2008, 10:39 pm

#27

yosithezet

Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2005

Location: SIN

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Posts: 12,026

Quote:

Originally Posted by docbert

Last I looked Amazon would ship to most places in the world...

First let me state that I was just clarifying why someone would not find a GC to be attractive. I would not mind the GC. As to shipping to most places in the world...

While Amazon will ship books (unless very heavy), DVDs. music, and VHS videos anywhere there are other items that they won't ship outside the US. There goes using that GC on a new iPod, Kindle or earphones.
Pottery Barn only ships to the UK.
Nordstrom.com was closed when I wrote this so no clue. (No, really, I was redirected to http://closed.nordstrom.com)
Starbucks Cards are accepted at "most Starbucks locations in North America and in select countries internationally. Most stores in Australia, Hong Kong and the U.K. can accept the Starbucks Card. Please note that Starbucks Cards issued in Japan or Spain may only be used in the countries in which they are issued. " ... "At this time, the Starbucks Card is not accepted at all airport, grocery, bookstore, casino, university, and hotel locations; nor at stores in Puerto Rico or Guam."
"Gift certificates and gift cards purchased on the iTunes Store are valid for use only in the country in which they were purchased. Gift certificates purchased in the United States may only be redeemed by residents of the United States." If you don't have a US-based credit card then you aren't going to be able to open a US-based iTunes account to redeem the card.

Oct 25, 2008, 7:56 am

#28

Richard_SVO_SPG_Platinum

Join Date: May 2005

Posts: 96

Like others the timing for using the 50% off reward didn't work for me. Would be great if they extended the redemption and use period to cover the entire year.

Oct 25, 2008, 9:02 am

#29

yosithezet

Moderator, El Al and Marriott Bonvoy, FlyerTalk Evangelist

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Quote:

Originally Posted by yosithezet

[*] Nordstrom.com was closed when I wrote this so no clue. (No, really, I was redirected to http://closed.nordstrom.com)

Someone finally showed up with the keys to the store.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordstrom.com

"Special Locations: Expedited orders shipping to Alaska and Hawaii will require an additional business day to arrive. Rural domestic addresses require one or more additional business days to deliver. Currently, we are not able to send orders internationally."