American Express Blue - cashback changes/problems

nibelung

When I applied for my Amex Blue card the offer was 2% cashback on all spending for the first three months. I received the card and saw no details about the special offer, so called to confirm it was on the account. I went through to an Indian call centre, and I was told that I had 'double moneyback' instead of 2% cashback, which means only 1% for the first £2,000 spending instead of 2%.

I explained that this wasn't the offer I'd applied for, and she told me that was the offer on my account; I was going round in circles with her, so I asked for a query to be put through on this. I was told I'd receive a letter within 5 to 7 days, and two weeks later I've had no response.

Looking on Amex's website (see below), it seems that they no longer offer 2% on everything and do indeed offer double moneyback instead on new accounts, but this wasn't the case when I made my application.

http://www.americanexpress.com/pes/uk/benefits/blue_credit.cgi

---lee---

I applied for mine a few weeks ago.

I actually applied for the blue one by mistake instead of the 2% cashback platinum one (that will teach me to follow links from Google without reading them) :rolleyes:

I realised half way though that I was completing the wrong application but as I saw they had 6 months 2% cashback offer on, I thought I would just stick with it and complete the application then try to get an upgrade after 6 months.

I’ve not got my card yet, but like you the 2% cashback deal was on at the time, so I hope they get it right. Please keep us updated. In the meantime, I'm going to dig out the T&C's.

Lee.

nibelung

What bothered me particularly was that the woman I spoke to seemed to think that there was never any offer available for 2% on everything and what I'd got was the only offer they did, and she was implying that I'd misunderstood. Thats clearly not the case; lots of people on here have benefited from the 2% on all spending offer, and it's even mentioned on the 'best cashback' article on here.

---lee---

BTW, did they email you the T & C's and ask you to print them, sign them and post them back? They did this with me and I thought it was a bit strange. The T & C's were actually an editable word document!

---lee---

This is the only reference I can find in the T&C's to cashback:

1. REBATES
1.1 An annual rebate on the aggregate amount of all Transactions (other than Cash Withdrawals) will be payable to you by us at the following tiers and rates:
1.1.1 0.5% for aggregate amounts up to £2,000 and
1.1.2 1% for aggregate amounts in excess of £2,001

That does not sound like 2% to me either . Another battle to add to my ever increasing list.

nibelung

They did, but it wouldn't open in OpenOffice (I don't use MS Office) so I had to get them to send them to me - there was no mention of any promotional offer there. Now that Amex has changed the offer on the website I'd have trouble proving the original offer even existed.

---lee---

nibelung wrote:

They did, but it wouldn't open in OpenOffice (I don't use MS Office) so I had to get them to send them to me - there was no mention of any promotional offer there. Now that Amex has changed the offer on the website I'd have trouble proving the original offer even existed.

Found it . Try this link:

https://www66.americanexpress.com/eapp/uk/blue/welcome_affl_uk_blue.jsp?PID=827&BUID=CCG&PSKU=TB&CRTV=textlink&AFFID=414046&source=I&parent=17&tduid=dfcd790e79f6df7ecb382b72ca3db7fe

It's ony 2% for 3 months though, then 1% after that so the platinum one is still better.

nibelung

Cheers. That's the same offer as I'd applied for. They did give me the old typical APR (14.9%) instead of the better 6.9% of the new offer, but they gave me the new poorer cashback offer instead of the better old one. Interesting, eh.

---lee---

nibelung wrote:

Cheers. That's the same offer as I'd applied for. They did give me the old typical APR (14.9%) instead of the better 6.9% of the new offer, but they gave me the new poorer cashback offer instead of the better old one. Interesting, eh.

Well there's a surprise . I would be interested to know how you get on with sorting it out as I guess I will probably have to do the same. Are your T & C's the same as the ones I posted? Just so I know if I can expect the same.

Cheers,

Lee.

nibelung

The printed T&Cs they sent me say the same as above (0.5% and 1%), along with the previous typical APR of 14.9%

nibelung

The letter that accompanied the T&Cs said "If the product that you have applied for carries a specifc offer, which differs from the terms and conditions, this will be honoured following final approval of your card".

So it seems the T&Cs are always generic and don't include any promotional offers. It also makes it difficult to prove the offer you signed up for.