The HfP chat thread – Monday 4th October

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• Julian says:

  4 Oct4 October 11:21

  I’m looking to use up some Golden Circle points before they expire so have booked a table for breakfast at Ting at the Shard in a few weeks time as we don’t have enough points for a stay. If I’ve done my research correctly then you can use all of your points for an Instant Reward (providing you take membership card and photo ID) at the rate of 1000 points= US$100 and I assume they just use a reasonably current exchange rate so USD$100 = ca £70? (I did read that Jade member redemption rate included a 25% bonus but I think the small print says not valid at The Shard. Not sure if anyone can comment on that?) Any corrections/comments appreciated. Thanks

  • Rich says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:25

    Following, as I plan to do the same!

    I’ve also heard that the Shard doesn’t give the extra 25% to Jade members. Interested to hear any reports from people who’ve done it.

  • Young L says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:33

    I redeemed some points a few weeks ago, $100=£65. No bonus.

  • Young L says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:35

    And don’t order the lamb, portion was ridiculously small.

  • David says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:35

    I used mine up this way in August. Don’t recall any 25% uplift (also Jade). Converted the points in app before lunch, well afternoon tea, and went to collect printed vouchers from front desk on the day.
    Not sure if you can convert directly on the day, app rewards section seemed to suggest needed to book in advance picking the date you planned to eat there. Worked for me anyway.

    • David says:

      4 Oct4 October 11:36

      Meant redeem in advance, not book.

  • Anuj says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:10

    You don’t need to convert in advance you can just show your membership. I also just got an email to say my jade is being extended a year.

  • Benilyn says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:44

    Breakfast is rubbish, got for lunch, Asian mains are £30-35 each.
    But yes to all you’ve said, I’ve redeemed points twice at Shard, no uplift, easily done. Didn’t ask for ID, just showed app. FX rate was reasonable.

• John says:

  4 Oct4 October 11:52

  Should I purchase travel Insurance?
  I know this q comes around a lot but anyway….

  I have an Amex Gold CC and am travelling to the Maldives soon (cash ticket paid for using Amex Gold). Using points for hotel in the Maldives (I don’t think any of this matters of course).
  Is it worth getting extra travel insurance. I suppose my main concern is having to isolate at the resort in the Maldives and thus having to extend my stay. Having said that I’m not sure if travel insurance would cover this – any ideas / advice please?

  FYI – I got stuck in South Africa at Christmas when direct flights to the UK were stopped. I had Battleface insurance then who simply directed me to the airline re: accommodation and new flights.

  • Spurs drive me mad says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:59

    Does Amex gold cc insurance cover you if you need something medical broken leg heart attack etc? I can imagine it being very expensive being transferred off a remote island to a proper hospital. I would never travel all that way without proper insurance, but there again I’m a bit clapped out lol

  • Anna says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:27

    I think you need to read the Amex Ts and Cs very carefully! I would not like to be stuck forking out for extra nights in the Maldives.
    Presumably you were covered under EU261 for your flight being cancelled while in SA and that’s why Battleface directed you to the airline? Insurance companies often expect you to exhaust other options before they will step in.

    • Mikeact says:

      4 Oct4 October 16:04

      For all our long hauls, including Aruba in ’19, I always call to double check, and knowing that all calls are recorded is far, far better than trying to decipher the small print…..haven’t yet had to call about a broken leg, but I guess you never know.

  • Stephen says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:33

    Just FYI I bought additional insurance for my recent Maldives trip as we left 3 days after it came off red list but was still had FCO’s essential travel only guidance (they actually removed that a few days after we left but I thought better safe than sorry. For what its worth I used High Risk Voyager who insure people for all sorts of far flung insurance coverage and pay no heed to FCO advice – for them Maldives is low risk as opposed to say Afghanistan or Syria for example and it cost me £50 each for the week. They cover Covid treatment etc. but my understanding is they won’t cover any government-imposed costs for quarantine etc. where those are known before travel. Would be surprised if anyone more mainstream does. A lot cover travelling home early etc. but obviously many places actually stop you from leaving which isnt helped by that. Amidst all my searches I didnt find anything that would cover off that risk but I wanted peace of mind on the medical treatment front.

  • Laura says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:58

    Definitely need it for medical emergencies as anything serious would likely involve medical evacuation to India

  • Tracey says:

    4 Oct4 October 16:57

    I thought there was some specialist Maldives insurance you could take for this, from memory it was about £20. It only covers the cost of extending your stay due to testing positive.

    • Tracey says:

      4 Oct4 October 16:57

      Check tripadvisor Maldives

• Lee says:

  4 Oct4 October 11:52

  Just had my Jade status extended for another year with Shangri-la. This I got via Amex Platinum a year or so ago.

  Maybe I will finally use it next year!!

  • Rich says:

    4 Oct4 October 11:53

    This would be nice.

    I only ever managed one stay – a Hotel Jen – and was very impressed with the Jade benefits. It’s a shame it’s been dropped from Amex

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:03

    I signed up just a few weeks before the link was closed, but it shows ‘gold’ now! Do I have to call Amex?

    • Anuj says:

      4 Oct4 October 12:12

      I would say contact Shanghai la, don’t mention Amex, just ask why your jade has dropped off (if you’re sure it was activated).

  • Lee says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:20

    Thanks, got the same email. Who is next to extend? Marriott or IHG

    • JDB says:

      4 Oct4 October 12:43

      For what is worth Discovery/GHA has extended elite status for a year to 31 Dec 2022.

  • Gavin says:

    4 Oct4 October 13:13

    Mine still expires 12/21, although it was over 2 years ago that I got it via Platinum. So maybe it’s only more recent ones that get another extension.

    • JDB says:

      4 Oct4 October 14:06

      I only got the Discovery extension email in the early hours of Saturday, so may still be on its way to you if they are doing it in batches, but it has already updated the app.

    • meta says:

      4 Oct4 October 14:47

      I had Jade status for well over 4 years via Amex Plat and it’s been extended.

  • Mike says:

    4 Oct4 October 18:29

    Just got mine extended too – last time I was a Amex plat holder was 4 years ago !!!

• James. says:

  4 Oct4 October 11:53

  Spoke to creation today and have been told they have taken the business decision to close my account. I asked if this is something I have done or are they closing the product as it’s no longer available on the market.

  Confirmed product so I can still apply for the White (FREE) card.

  Think we should petition for IHG to find a different provider as the White free card is worthless.

  • Youllnever says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:19

    I don’t think that’s true regarding the product – others have had their white card closed as well.

    • James. says:

      4 Oct4 October 12:21

      Interesting. But then nothing stopping me getting a White unless they have black marked me some how?

      • Youllnever says:

        4 Oct4 October 12:23

        I guess not, but the application page for the white card is offline anyways, so it might be that they are retiring both black and white.

      • stevenhp1987 says:

        4 Oct4 October 12:23

        Right now the fact the application page is down will stop you. Creation have taken it down.

        • Anna says:

          4 Oct4 October 12:32

          Interesting to see if this is a permanent move or temporary defence against 1800 determined HFP readers!

    • Sam G says:

      4 Oct4 October 12:53

      my white was cancelled

  • John says:

    4 Oct4 October 13:20

    No closure letter for me (yet!)

  • SteveJ says:

    4 Oct4 October 14:16

    As everyone above, my White was cancelled. And White application page is conveniently down. I for one am sceptical that it will ever come online again.

  • Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

    4 Oct4 October 15:01

    IHG tried to find a different provider. No one else responded to the RFP.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      4 Oct4 October 15:23

      Recently or originally?

      I imagine the expectations from the credit card companies will be different a few years on from the interchange cap.

      • Rob says:

        4 Oct4 October 16:15

        Originally. Andrew is correct, I was told the same.

        I agree that things are now different. Credit cards were a licence to print huge sums of money for many years. Suddenly it became hard and everyone said ‘we can’t be bothered with this’.

        The people who lived through the ‘easy’ years have now quit / gone / retired and been replaced by a new generation who know that credit cards are not easy money, and hopefully appreciate the benefits a co-brand partnership can bring.

    • James. says:

      4 Oct4 October 17:31

      Is this the end of a IHG credit card in the UK?

      • Rob says:

        4 Oct4 October 17:34

        Creation deals seems to be fine. I was emailing the woman at IHG who looks after the card a couple of weeks ago, when discussing the free night voucher extension, and all seemed well.

• Safety Card says:

  4 Oct4 October 11:57

  Just had my LHR – LAX flights on VS 7 downgraded from a A350 to B787 in November – I thought this was always a A350 route?

  • David says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:55

    Mine in November is still A350 lhr to lax and my sfo to lhr has gone from B787 to A350.

    • David says:

      4 Oct4 October 12:59

      Oh and my VS7 was cancelled and I was moved to VS23

  • happeemonkee says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:56

    Just noticed this too!! Was looking forward to the A350

• Tarmohamed says:

  4 Oct4 October 12:18

  Discounts with UPS shipping – is “Founders Card” the only way to get a discount?

  • AL says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:38

    Try comparing at parcel2go.com (or upstoday.com if you want P2G in a naff brown and gold colour scheme). You’ll sometimes find that the bulk discount that P2G get for volume makes it significantly cheaper than direct with UPS unless you’ve got an account with a decent volume already. Plus, no need for Founders Card or other such malarkey. AND collect points.

  • Benilyn says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:47

    Google UPS Small Business
    Much better rates for larger/heavier/high value items.

• JK says:

  4 Oct4 October 12:25

  Re Creation/Marriott – is there anyone out there, who did use Curve for Apple Pay, but not for any form of MS – who has managed to reach Creation and get them to review their decision?

  I appreciate it’s still early days, and we still don’t know with certainty if they’re shutting down the Marriott Card for absolutely everyone, or just some people…

  Their lack of clear information is highly frustrating!

  • Memesweeper says:

    4 Oct4 October 13:38

    I have written (by ye olde post) a formal request asking for, among other things, a reason for their decision. “Business decision” is a non-answer to the question – it’s obviously a decision by the business!

    I used the card with Curve, incl. for Ernie, but left money in situ for months or years. Perfectly normal savings behaviour IMO.

    • Memesweeper says:

      4 Oct4 October 13:41

      The reason for asking is that some possible reasons for closure would undoubtedly be “unfair” under the Financial Ombudsman and/or Consumer Rights act terms. I think a flat refusal to provide any reason at all puts them at risk of loosing a subsequent complaint/legal action on the grounds that their reasoning cannot be determined.

      • JK says:

        4 Oct4 October 13:50

        Yes! This is kind of my logic too. I’m sure the Ombudsman would not look kindly on some being allowed to keep it, and others not. This is the crux of the issue I want to get to.

        • Memesweeper says:

          4 Oct4 October 14:04

          If they want to shut their lending book ASAP that’s probably fair. Everyone who ever linked their card with Curve? Killed off with no warning or notice? I can’t see that standing up to independent scrutiny. However, they’ve not said that to me in writing (yet), nor, it seems, any other customer who’s asked.

        • JK says:

          4 Oct4 October 15:16

          Weird forum system won’t let me reply directly to Memesweeper’s latest comment, but:

          100% agree! Shutting the entire product down is a shame, but I can live with that. And won’t feel singled out.

          Selecting a handful of customers with no warning who have not been shown to be doing anything dodgy – that is hugely untoward, and as though they’re labelling me some kind of criminal.

          Appreciate there are many who have aggressively MS’d. But there are also plenty who haven’t done anything more than use Curve for convenience/Apple Pay or FX on holidays.

      • Jonathan says:

        4 Oct4 October 14:32

        They have to treat you fairly but that will never trump their right to decide you don’t meet their risk profile or lending criteria.

        You will get absolutely nowhere with ombudsman (plenty of published decisions to back this up) over a decision to close an account. Nor will the ombudsman compel Creation to give you a reason.

        Where the ombudsman will step in is over Création’s failure to award earned free night vouchers & potentially a failure to give pro rata refund if Creation do in fact play hardball over this.

        • Roy says:

          4 Oct4 October 20:35

          I’d be interested to know if there *are* any comparable FOS decisions.

          Sure, they have the right to make a business decision based on your overall risk profile. But that’s not what they are doing – they are, it is suggested, closing accounts based on use of Curve, regardless of overall risk profile.

    • JDB says:

      4 Oct4 October 14:33

      There is no legal obligation (in CCA 1974) or anything within the T&Cs that requires Creation to give a reason for closure. That right to say nothing is accepted in multiple FOS decisions, but Creation could respond if it suits its case. At the FOS, Creation loses about ½ of its cases vs 35% average, but if they choose to be aggressive on this one, I am sure they will only do so if they think they are on solid ground.

      • JK says:

        4 Oct4 October 15:17

        Great intel, thank you.

  • Wollhouse says:

    4 Oct4 October 13:42

    I linked my white IHG card to curve and used my curve for day to day spending when Amex wasn’t accepted. The ONLY non day to day transaction I used it for was to pay HMRC, with a fronted metal card, as advertised by curve. So, I don’t believe I did any MS and I’ve still been cancelled. Their app is rubbish, and reaching customer service has always been a pain so I don’t think I can be bothered to see if they’ll review. after the unimpressive service I recently had with Virgin, I’m now going to use either my Amex or my NatWest Black which has good cash back which I can convert to Avios, if I wish. Now annoyed I didn’t push shedloads through Ernie!

• Gormlesstraveller says:

  4 Oct4 October 12:25

  Che has a “turn off recurring subscriptions” feature.
  Do other card providers offer this without having to call?
  Can the merchant set the payment up again without the customer’s consent?
  Thanks

  • JDB says:

    4 Oct4 October 12:56

    That’s a good feature! Merchants shouldn’t set up recurring payments without reminding you before they take the next payment, but many don’t. Which? was recently criticised as an offender! iTunes makes it easy to switch renewals, but not aware of any standard cards that do. DDs/SOs easier to stop.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    4 Oct4 October 13:15

    I use PayPal for most recurring subscriptions. You can manage all payments in one place any time.

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