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The HfP chat thread – Sunday 13th December

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We have decided to run this daily chat thread on Head for Points during the coronavirus outbreak.

Historically, the daily ‘Bits’ articles were the de facto repository for random comments and questions.  With the news flow being lighter, we are running fewer ‘Bits’ articles.

The comments under this article are where you should post questions about travel and, indeed, anything else on your mind.  At this tricky time, and given that many of you are at home, we want the HfP community to have a place to chat.

Please only comment under the main articles on the site if your comment is directly related to the topic of the article.  This has long-term benefits as it keeps the commentary relevant for people who read those articles in the future.

Old chat threads are hidden from the HfP home page.  If you want to look for something in an old thread, click here.  This brings up all the articles in our ‘General’ category which includes the chat threads.

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General

Comments (264)

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

  • Andrew says:
    13 Dec13 December 13:52

    As they seem to be different websites I think you’ll get 40% off wines and hampers site and 20% off wines site.

    • Mike says:
      13 Dec13 December 14:34

      Hmm, every item on the hampers website is listed as ‘sold out’. None of them look particularly great anyway so looks like this is a pointless offer.

      If somehow the wines site uses the same merchant code then it’s a completely different situation as they actually have some items that although slightly overpriced at full price would be an absolute steal at 60% off.

      Not sure how I can find out without risking it though, unless somebody else has experience using these offers already?

      • TGLoyalty says:
        13 Dec13 December 15:34

        Exactly why I didn’t bother with the hampers site @ 40% off as it’s still rubbish

  • Tarmohamed says:
    13 Dec13 December 14:37

    Not points related. If you have Sky TV, call 0333 759 4702, say you have the Go Henry app, and have a code PARTGOHEN – you will get £50 off your next bill.

  • The real John says:
    13 Dec13 December 14:37

    Amazon has suspended my account after I tried to add £100 with my wife’s Curve.

    They want to see a billing statement, but Curve doesn’t have statements, any ideas what I should send them?

    • Ja says:
      13 Dec13 December 14:43

      What about a screenshot of Curve timeline tab

      • The real John says:
        13 Dec13 December 14:50

        But the transaction hasn’t processed so there is nothing to screenshot

        • Ja says:
          13 Dec13 December 14:58

          It will show a declined transaction. I assume you tried to pay and the transaction was declined.

          • The real John says:
            13 Dec13 December 15:10

            No – as reported by other people on here (which also happened when I used my own curve), they just take the card number and 1-2 hours later it goes through, or in this case it didn’t.

    • Matty says:
      13 Dec13 December 18:50

      It was the same thing for me – account locked. Managed to reactivate the account via text messages / emails / notifications. I managed to make three purchases only for each to be declined 15 to 20 minutes later. The charges have hit the underlying credit card. I keep getting text messages and emails from Amazon asking me to confirm the card details – that’s how I got the account locked. I’ve given up. Way too much faff. I’ll see if the charges are reversed in a week or two.

  • The Original Nick says:
    13 Dec13 December 15:25

    Under the current rules, in Tier 2 if you’re in a hotel can you just have a drink without ordering food?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:31

      Via room service yes. Not in bar/restaurant.

    • Harry T says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:32

      Need food if you’re eating in the bar or restaurant – basically any public area. Good excuse to order some cheesecake!

      • Andrew says:
        13 Dec13 December 15:34

        Not sure cheesecake constitutes a substantial meal (unless it‘a a whole one!)

        • Harry T says:
          13 Dec13 December 15:35

          I think the substantial meal aspect is being applied in a rather liberal manner!

          • Andrew says:
            13 Dec13 December 15:39

            I can imagine! I guess as long as it comes from a kitchen (rather than a bag of crisps) they’ll try and argue it’s substantial.

          • TGLoyalty says:
            13 Dec13 December 16:32

            Always the difference between the crap Boris talks and what’s in the SI

            As long as it’s via table service and plated it’s fine.

        • Peggerz says:
          13 Dec13 December 16:56

          I was in a London pub on Wednesday where the small pork pie became a ‘substantial meal’ with the addition of a teaspoon sized amount of piccalilli. Had two pints and departed, leaving the piccalilli.

          • Anna says:
            13 Dec13 December 17:10

            We got a takeaway last night from our favourite curry place as all our eateries are currently closed and gratifyingly got an email from Amex re Shop Small – had no idea it was taking part!

        • Andrew says:
          13 Dec13 December 18:11

          Ah, the joys of defining “Substantial”.

          A Waitrose Scotch egg has more calories than the many of the “Count on us to feel fuller for longer” etc meals.

          Reminds me of my boss and I going straight to McDonald’s after clients took us for a “meal” at Le Manoir…

        • Colin MacKinnon says:
          13 Dec13 December 23:46

          Maybe you can have ice cream with it?

    • Andrew says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:33

      Only for room service I would imagine as hospitality venues are not permitted to serve alcohol without a substantial meal.

  • Tim Rogers says:
    13 Dec13 December 15:33

    I’m getting a hard time from Amex after visiting a Shop Small restaurant yesterday that made me order through their app (with the payment being processed through Stripe) so the £5 credit didn’t track.

    Amex Customer Services are holding firm on chat and saying that transactions through third party payment processors aren’t eligible – despite the fact that I can’t know how a transaction will be processed before it’s processed.

    Any tips?

    • TGLoyalty says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:36

      How do you know it didn’t track after 24hrs? Has the transaction actually posted?

    • Harry T says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:36

      I think it’s best to just give up, unless you don’t value your time very highly. I don’t bother to chase up shop small credits that don’t work. It’s just not worth wasting the time. I know it’s frustrating.

      • Andrew says:
        13 Dec13 December 15:37

        +1 And generally I can’t really be bothered with Shop Small, especially now that half the places aren’t even open.

    • Andrew says:
      13 Dec13 December 15:36

      Unfortunately that’s the case now, Amex have tightened up quite a bit over the last couple of years – lots of people were caught out with transactions going through Stripe terminals in pubs etc. Going to need to chalk the £5 up to experience this time.

    • Matty says:
      13 Dec13 December 16:04

      I bought some tea from T2 on Friday. I was surprised when I got the Shop Small email. You win some, you lose some.

    • AndyGWP says:
      13 Dec13 December 16:26

      I had this in Summer – almost identical experience and I escalated with Amex, and they basically said that the T&C’s say that ordering online is excluded from the offer, so I wouldn’t expect you to get anywhere with this Tim

    • Jonathan says:
      13 Dec13 December 16:36

      Same as when they present you with a sumup terminal to pay. 90+% chance it won’t credit so you either walk out or take it on the chin. It’s now like the sites-that-shall-not-be-named, you need to exclude the shop small credit from purchasing decisions.

      • KBuffett says:
        13 Dec13 December 16:52

        Agree. It need better regulation. If AmEx are promoting a retailer, the retailer should be banned from accepting AmEx using an attentive provider during these dates and AmEx pay out the customer and claw back from retailer. Minefield though and not really practical for AmEx

    • Gormlesstraveller says:
      13 Dec13 December 17:19

      Post a review of the restaurant somewhere pointing out that the food was good (if it was) but they were awkward about how you paid. They might then change how they do it.

      • ChrisC says:
        14 Dec14 December 00:12

        How were the restaurant ‘awkward’ ?

        They didn’t decline the card and processed it using the card reader they normally used.

        Not getting £5 cash back isn’t a reason for posting an adverse comment in a review expecially when they aren’t the ones funding the cash back.

    • DodgyDCF says:
      13 Dec13 December 18:45

      Well that really is your fault, only Shoreditch would qualify.

      • Mike says:
        13 Dec13 December 20:05

        So why did the retailer put the Shop Small sticker on the front of their store on Covent Garden? Deciem passed the sticker from Shoreditch to Covent Garden?

        • BuildTheWall says:
          13 Dec13 December 21:56

          Did it say Dec 2020? Suspect they never removed the sticker from a previous shop small promotion.

    • Pid says:
      13 Dec13 December 19:23

      When I called up in the summer, Amex were happy to credit all of the transaction processed by third party. So strange others are not having luck.

    • Tim Rogers says:
      16 Dec16 December 07:09

      Thanks for your help all. I pushed it with them and they reiterated the policy but gave the credit in the end. I won’t be including Shop Small in my purchasing decisions in future!

  • John says:
    13 Dec13 December 16:50

    I’m not worried about staying in a hotel at all – if I was that worried getting platinum status would be the furthest thing from my mind – not sure where you seem to be getting that from. It is a matter of being allowed to stay in the hotel, which is a different matter altogether

    • TGLoyalty says:
      13 Dec13 December 17:03

      Are you platinum already?

    • Ken says:
      13 Dec13 December 17:09

      No one is going to stop you from staying in a hotel near an airport, there will be no roadblocks, no police on the doors, Heathrow will be open, no one will be questioning why you have to stay there if you live in London , and besides the Tier 3 ‘rules’ will be suspended.
      Marriott will likely do nothing for you, you are making a fuss over nothing – at the same time as saying you will take your business somewhere else.
      Does anyone care ?

      • Rob says:
        13 Dec13 December 17:59

        Bizarrely, as per our review, Rhys had to sign a disclaimer at the DoubleTree Tower Hill the other day saying he was staying on business – even though the lockdown had finished the day before!

        • Chrisasaurus says:
          13 Dec13 December 20:02

          Colleague of mine had to show actual proof, signing something wasn’t enough. Definition of proof was not given so quite how high the bar was I’ve no idea (he had the project plan which included the said visit, and that was accepted)

      • John says:
        13 Dec13 December 21:37

        You clearly do seeing as you’ve replied multiple times, on a Sunday no less. Thanks for the entertainment though, always good to have a reminder that there are far bigger problems in life, I could be constantly grumpy like you after all!

        • TGLoyalty says:
          13 Dec13 December 22:32

          Some people just hate entitlement

          • John says:
            13 Dec13 December 23:55

            I’ve said clearly I will make a mattress run to get the 1 missing night and I’m hoping that Covid restrictions do not prevent that. I’m not asking Marriott to gift me platinum status, as a matter of fact I’m not asking Marriott anything yet because if I can go ahead with my booking I will have earned it and it will be a non-issue. At the same time I would expect Marriott to consider the exceptional circumstances, as they can easily see what business they would have gotten from a client if travel restrictions were not in place, what is already booked for next year, etc. Hypothetically speaking, if it ends up that I do have to ask them and they decide they won’t do it, they are fully within their rights. Just as I am to move my business elsewhere – I will not stop all my business with them, but simply stop going out of my way to stay at Marriott branded properties over alternatives which offer a better quality/price proposition on a specific date / location. Don’t see how that’s entitlement, but then again taking a page out the grumpy Ken’s playbook I shouldn’t really care about what his grumpy friend posts on the internet either

  • Roostee123 says:
    13 Dec13 December 17:25

    Looking at going to the Maldives next December via Dubai with Emirates utilising miles (F)
    Does anyone know if we can have a long stopover in Dubai 4 nights & it all be booked on the same ticket as the miles requirement is substantially less? 180K V 312K?

  • Lady London says:
    13 Dec13 December 18:46

    Makes a change from Harrods on here :-). plus there’s B & M up North as well

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

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