Nearly two months ago I wrote about my frustration with Amex when they failed to award me the Starpoints promised at the time I signed up for the personal SPG card. At the time, I was told it would take four weeks for a report to be filed, reviewed, and resolved. When the promotion in question came back in early December, I called again but was rebuffed since the previous request had not been resolved. At the time, the agent also mentioned that I should have a response shortly and I should call back after that if I had questions. Since it has now been nearly two months and Amex had not contacted me, I decided another phone call was past due.
It took about 20 minutes of waiting on hold, getting passed to the marketing dept, back to the original agent, then on to a supervisor before I got an answer. Sensing my frustration (and the validity of my request, supported with documentation), the supervisor with whom I spoke said she would like to resolve the issue today and would be awarding me the 20,000 Starpoints in question. I was relieved to have this ordeal behind me and happy that someone at Amex was willing to take responsibility and do the right thing.
In case you’ve missed it, the moral of the story includes three important tenets:
- Document everything.
- Call back until you get the answer you want to hear.
- Be courteous, but insist on getting the benefits that have been promised.
This is a fun game and can be very rewarding. However, there are always bumps along the way. Being organized and keeping track of the promotions, spending requirements, and deadlines can’t be overstated.
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