The HfP chat thread – Wednesday 28th April

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

• Robert says:

  28 Apr28 April 08:30

  Anyone had their double Nectar from the Avios sign-up promotion come through? Or yet tried to merge Nectar accounts that got the bonus 500 Avios?

  • Craig says:

    28 Apr28 April 08:36

    Nothing for the double Avios bonus, can’t help with the second question.

  • Andrew says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:40

    No to both

  • AJA says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:59

    No. I expect the double nectar points to post around 17 May which is 28 days after the end of the promotion period per tge t&cs.

    • Harrier25 says:

      28 Apr28 April 11:46

      Any news yet on when we may be able to transfer points from Avios to Nectar online?

• Patrick Cold says:

  28 Apr28 April 08:30

  Good morning. If I refer a complaint to the Financial Ombusman regarding Virgin`s shambolic handling of my current account switch is it likely to affect the way that they view my Virgin Credit Card account – an account that I value highly? Thank you.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    28 Apr28 April 08:54

    Yes If they decide they no longer want to do business with you. Which is their prerogative.

    • Pete M says:

      28 Apr28 April 09:57

      I think that’s a bit too negative, TGLoyalty – at that rate there would be no point to the Financial Ombudsman! I would absolutely pursue that complaint if you feel they did a particularly bad job, Patrick.

    • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

      28 Apr28 April 11:42

      Not entirely. Their decision to manage/terminate the relationship would have to be consistent with their regulatory obligations, in particular regarding the fair treatment of customers.

      • TGLoyalty says:

        28 Apr28 April 11:44

        We have no idea what they did or didn’t do and how the OP is affected

        If the question is purely can they (as above) the answer is yes they can.

      • kitten says:

        28 Apr28 April 11:56

        You have to follow their complaints procedure first and this should reveal whether the issue or their handling of your complaint was reasonable

  • Jonathan says:

    28 Apr28 April 10:17

    What did they do? If it’s to do with the wine/points mix ups & you now have what you wanted then I would let it lie. Can’t see you’d get much compensation for the hassle & they could easily invite you to take your business elsewhere.

    • Patrick Cold says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:22

      It wasn`t to do with that; the points were posted as advertised. A £4,000 transaction “went missing” for four weeks; they have paid me £100 as an apology.

      • Paul says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:42

        I wouldn’t expect much more from FOS, I’d put it in the moderate bracket and would say it may not be quite enough compensation but wouldn’t make the bank award any more.

        • Lady London says:

          28 Apr28 April 12:04

          +1.
          Technically on calculation of your loss grounds they will get away with it. Unless you want to prove and claim some further consequential loss.

          So you can pursue something like this just to ensure they too sufferinconvenience handling it / tell everybody and post publicly about their rotten service / close your account.

          A longer sting in your tail could be wait and log 2 further equally unacceptable messups then bring it to regulator as competence/compliance issue. Life may be too short, however.

          I can think of lots of ways not having access to £4,000 they lost for a month could have cost far more than £100 though and if I could prove it I’d bill it and take it as far as it needed to go.

      • Sandgrounder says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:54

        The ombudsman generally look to put you back to where you would have been without the mistake, so unless you can evidence more than £100 loss you may struggle to get more.

        • Patrick Cold says:

          28 Apr28 April 12:08

          Thank you all, most helpful.

  • BP says:

    28 Apr28 April 12:24

    Unlikely I’d say. Having got almost £2k back from them for packaged account mis-selling, they didn’t close any of my accounts with them.

• Fred S says:

  28 Apr28 April 08:52

  Have BA CE flight to Paris (1st Booking) to connect to ex-EU Club World to NYC (2nd Booking) this weekend. All in all 4 out of the 6 flights have been cancelled by BA across the 2 bookings. Do I need to deal with it now or can I wait to later in the year to change flight date? Not looking for a FTV or a refund as the fares on both bookings were cheap as chips including an UUA from Prem to CW which brought the Paris-LHR-NYC return cash element down to about £250!

  • Optimus Prime says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:00

    You can change the flight date later, though you may want to check if your potential new date is within 365 days of your original booking date.

    I’ll let others correct me if I’m wrong (quite likely), but there are lots of reports over in FT about people who can’t rebook their bookings made during the 50% avios sale past October 2021 (or November due to some bookings not being ticketed until Nov 2020).

    • Sam G says:

      28 Apr28 April 12:05

      My understanding is if the first flight in each booking was cancelled then you’ll be OK to leave it and rebook as long as the first flight you have in mind departs within 1 year of booking.

      You can get a refund for up to 6 years so no need to rush

• Steve says:

  28 Apr28 April 09:03

  Just got declined for the AMEX BAPP, which came as a big surprise to me. I currently have the platinum and the blue card, and I’ve been with AMEX for years. I cancelled my BAPP 2 years ago so now it’s a good time to get the added bonus before 12 May. I wonder what went wrong.

  How many days do I need to wait to begin a new application? I tried to reapply but not able to proceed.

  • Harry T says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:15

    By blue card, do you mean the free BA card? I wouldn’t reapply online, you’ll probably just get rejected again. Ring Brighton and ask about your application.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:22

    If you have the free BA card you are not eligible for any bonus for upgrading to a BAPP.

    • Rob says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:14

      Most people do receive a mysterious 6,000 Avios, however, and have for at least 5 years. No-one knows why …

      • TGLoyalty says:

        28 Apr28 April 11:45

        Yes but the 12th May statement implies it’s for the boosted referral bonus which they won’t be eligible for.

• Sal says:

  28 Apr28 April 09:24

  Anyone having success buying nsi, through curve ihg? I have moved so could be issue

  • Crafty says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:28

    So which addresses have you updated and which haven’t you?

    • Sal says:

      28 Apr28 April 09:37

      All updated now but keeps declining

      • SwissJim says:

        28 Apr28 April 09:39

        Have you let the systems update overnight? Failing that, who knows, just keep trying and hope that things return to normal… Never question curve, IHG, etc though!

      • Genghis says:

        28 Apr28 April 09:55

        Likely Curve billing address, not mailing address

        • Pete M says:

          28 Apr28 April 09:58

          Bought earlier today using that route – no issues. But I did have no end of issues when I moved house back in January and took some time for all the addresses across the three organisations to match and play ball!

  • SwissJim says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:38

    Never fails for me. Likely an address issue.

  • blenz101 says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:58

    I found that it took NS&I weeks to stop declining after an address change although it was a different card combo.

    The NS&I address can be easily changed back to your old address online. Just attempt a test transaction with the address reversed back. If it works keep your old address as the one you use for NS&I until such time as you start getting declines, that is your cue to switch it to your new place.

    • Sal says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:43

      Thanks all. It must be nsi as the transaction goes through to creation and then gets refunded. I’ll keep trying

      • BuildBackBetter says:

        28 Apr28 April 15:39

        NSI check the pin code against your curve. I had to email Curve a few times specifically instructing them to ‘search and destroy’ my old address.

        • Sal says:

          28 Apr28 April 21:28

          I chatted to curve today and they said my shipping address was my new address. I asked about billing and they stated it was my old address. Then came back very slowly to say it was all a mistake and both are at my new address.

          So do you think this pin check means I should go back to curve and ask them to delete any old address?

• David says:

  28 Apr28 April 09:30

  It’s looking like the NHS app ( the one for viewing your medical records) will be used as the vaccine passport. In order for it to work your GP surgery has to enable on line access – so I would get this sorted before the rush starts!

  • Craig says:

    28 Apr28 April 09:55

    😎

    • Pete M says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:01

      Oh joy…! It’s been a month I’ve been fighting my GP surgery to get this done – I suspect they have no idea how to!

      • meta says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:17

        I managed to finally sort it last week. It’s been a mess of a process, they initially loaded my records mixed with someone else’s.

        However, the app doesn’t show much detail about the vaccination. It basically 2-3 lines with date and batch number and the name of person administering. Absolutely nothing else. Are they going to update it?

        • Craig says:

          28 Apr28 April 10:21

          That’s all it needs, those two doses will link into some sort of add-on page or tab.

        • Optimus Prime says:

          28 Apr28 April 11:11

          Lucky you, our surgery is rubbish.

          Last week we popped in to get our login details and we were told they only allow us ordering repeat prescriptions. No way to access our records online.

        • Tracey says:

          28 Apr28 April 13:09

          One shows the date and dosage, but not the batch number.

        • The Savage Squ irrel says:

          28 Apr28 April 13:55

          “However, the app doesn’t show much detail about the vaccination. It basically 2-3 lines with date and batch number and the name of person administering. Absolutely nothing else. Are they going to update it?”

          Er, it’s not reconstructive surgery. What else is there to record? Needle bore and whether you said “ow” or not? 😀

        • meta says:

          28 Apr28 April 14:35

          @The Savage Squirrel. The detailed non-official looking print out I got shows type of vaccine, procedure of how it was administered, full address of the vaccination centre and their contact details as well as my GP details plus a bunch of codes. So yes, much more detailed.

  • Wollhouse says:

    28 Apr28 April 10:13

    see my post on the first page about trying to actually get proof of your own records before this actually rolls out….

    • meta says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:21

      I also got a detailed print out from my GP from online system which has more substantial detail, but it’s not very official looking.

      • Pete M says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:49

        Maybe they could stamp it, meta? Everyone loves a stamp! 🙂

        • meta says:

          28 Apr28 April 14:36

          They said since they didn’t administer they can’t put a stamp on it. 🙄

      • Wollhouse says:

        28 Apr28 April 10:54

        That’s what she was asking for! They refused to provide it. She did say that others arriving in Thailand had very dodgy looking scrap of card which were being accepted.. So perhaps she should have made her own;)

  • BP says:

    28 Apr28 April 10:41

    NHS Scotland don’t have an app!?! Looks like Scotland could be missing out. No doubt the SNP will blame Westminster rather than trying to resolve the issue as independence is the only priority.

    • Ghosty says:

      28 Apr28 April 13:32

      Neither does NHS Wales have an app, although you have to realise the WAG have only just discovered pen & paper.

  • Magic Mike says:

    28 Apr28 April 10:47

    I have nothing in my NHS app apart from my AZ jab, that appeared automatically after registering for the app.

    I am sure my GP have a bunch more medical records for me (Mrs Magic has a full set going back decades in her NHS app) but if you just want the vaccination proof, you might not need to fight the “computer says no” bureaucracy at your GP’s reception desk…

    • Yuff says:

      28 Apr28 April 10:53

      I can see my gp health record but it only shows allergies and adverse reactions plus medicines, nothing for vaccinations

      • TGLoyalty says:

        28 Apr28 April 12:56

        should be listed under medicines > acute (short term) medicines

        • YC says:

          28 Apr28 April 13:59

          Nope not there for me. Same as Yuff for me

        • Yuff says:

          28 Apr28 April 14:29

          I have sent a message via the app about it

        • meta says:

          28 Apr28 April 14:36

          Mine is listed under Consultations!

        • Yuff says:

          28 Apr28 April 16:49

          Reply from nhs app

          “ With regards to the vaccine information not appearing in your record, you will need to speak to your GP surgery in the first instance. They need to ensure 1) access to your full medical record has been turned on and 2) the information has been added to your record. If both are correct and you are still unable to see this information, please come back to us and we can investigate further.‘

          Impressive response within a couple of hours

    • Sandra says:

      28 Apr28 April 14:49

      My vaccination is listed in the app under a section headed Immunisations, giving the date and time and saying Administration of first dose of SARS-COV-2 vaccine. Exactly the same for 2nd dose but doesn’t say which one – AZ and batch is on card they gave me.
      Magic Mike – To get my whole set of records on there after I downloaded the NHS app I had to contact the surgery and then complete and sign a form allowing them to upload. This was done within a few days of me returning the form. Other friends downloaded the app and their records appeared automatically so I think it depends on your GP surgery

  • Definitas says:

    28 Apr28 April 13:29

    In our case it we received an instant confirmation by email from our GP

• Aston100 says:

  28 Apr28 April 10:41

  During direct conversation with a Kimpton in the USA, I have been offered a rate considerably lower than shown on the IHG site, with payment only due at check-out, and room upgrade if available on arrival.

  The date range includes a number of days where there is no availability on the IHG site.

  I’m puzzled. I thought the IHG best price guarantee was supposed to prevent what looks like a back door transaction like this? Or have I missed something?
  Also, how would the hotel be able to provide me with accommodation that they don’t officially have on certain dates?

  BTW, on a related note, does anyone else feel the IHG best price guarantee is not fit for purpose?

  • Anna says:

    28 Apr28 April 11:00

    Isn’t Kimpton some sort of franchise – I’ve noticed that some of the hotels seem to have separate websites from the ones you see via the IHG ones, and sometimes you can search for availability via those websites? So I don’t know whether they are officially “allowed” to do this, but I recall someone posting that they looked into making a similar arrangement with a hotel (can’t remember which chain) and was told she had to give bank details. My memory of the exact details is rather hazy but she was obviously advised to only provide credit card details so as to be protected if the hotel charged her then went bust or closed due to Covid.

    • Jay says:

      28 Apr28 April 11:12

      Many Far East large chain brands have ‘off the book’ reservations (especially at hotels which are non corporate property owned or managed i.e. just the brand over the door and using the res system. They then use a local payment processor to handle the payment to keep it off the corporate radar. Very popular in HK and Thailand.

  • Jay says:

    28 Apr28 April 11:08

    It is common for hotels not to release the full rooms inventory online the central res system and assuming the hotel is franchised this is even more common. They will also have hundreds of ‘corporate’ type rates within their system and will often use these to entice guests. These rates often have lower franchise fees back to the corporate and the fee structure of points being issued will also be different. All in all, this is common behind the scenes. The best price guarantee is smoke and mirrors and just a driver to get direct bookings to cut out 3rd party agency fees – in reality selling hotel roos is no different to selling airplane seats… there are hundreds of rates being charged for the same room type and room night on any particular day of the week. in the same way hat your neighbour on the plane will have paid a different price to you.

• AJA says:

  28 Apr28 April 10:44

  The Guardian is reporting that “Dixons Carphone has decided to permanently shut all of its Dixons Travel stores in airport, blaming the UK government’s decision to scrap tax-free shopping. Almost all 24 shops are currently closed because of Covid-19 restrictions on international travel, and will not reopen, at airports from Aberdeen to Southend.”

  • Andrew says:

    28 Apr28 April 10:59

    In a year’s time once travel is (hopefully) getting back up and running again, it’ll be interesting to see what shops are in places like T5 – will the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton reopen or will it be mostly food places or convenience products people actually need to buy when travelling? I think there is a value for the brands in having these shops in the airport as you have a captive audience with literally nothing better to do than browse, and for brands like that who take out double page adverts in Vogue with a celebrity ambassador, for the price of a month’s shop rent and staff costs at LHR, then perhaps that what they will see it as glorified advertising with little expectation of direct sales at that location. LHR will need to change the way it charges rent though as they won’t be making much on commission of sales. I still think the government might review this whole decision, not just for the benefit of airports but also shops in London etc – the conversation has been kicked into the long grass it as it’s quite immaterial with no overseas tourists here anyway.

    • Rob says:

      28 Apr28 April 11:43

      Is the Govt so keen to bail out the Qatari owners of Harrods, the Canadian owners of Selfridges or the French-owned luxury brands?

      • Lady London says:

        28 Apr28 April 11:47

        Too late. You already said the UK government gave Chanel £600 million. Which this needy company promptly invested in securing the lease on their Mayfair premises.

      • Andrew says:

        28 Apr28 April 12:01

        They are keen to keep Harrods employing 3000 people in the U.K., yes.

        • Rob says:

          28 Apr28 April 12:14

          Clearly not! £833 of VAT on that £5k bag pays for a lot of unemployment benefit too.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          28 Apr28 April 13:00

          or look at it another way … Not only wont they get 833 of VAT because the bag won’t be sold but they wont get any corporation tax on any resulting profit.

    • Tim says:

      28 Apr28 April 12:25

      They’ve all been open through most of this lockdown. Before with shutters closed, now fully open to walk in.

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