The HfP chat thread – Friday 26th November

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Anna says:

26 Nov26 November 08:14

Do we thing easyJet will release winter 22 flights after BF weekend? I’m sure they were already available to book by this time in previous years.
- Bill says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 08:43
  
  Last year they released them in December
  - Anna says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:04
    
    So hopefully after the weekend then! Need to make a change before Dec 10th.
Can says:

26 Nov26 November 08:15

A bit off topic but I am sure many of you experience the same: in my Amex app, all the cards I have cancelled so far still show and it is a bit of a crowd. Any idea how I can remove them?
- N says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 08:27
  
  Account > Remove a card
- Thom says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 08:30
  
  The app will show the cards linked to your online account. You can remove a card from the account by logging in online and then going to: account management -> card management -> ‘Remove a Card from Online Services’
  
  (You can re-add the card at a later date if you wish or add it to a new ‘online account’ if you wanted to).
- Can says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 12:09
  
  Gosh, I feel silly, Thank you.. I’ve spent a good 30min to figure this out from the app..
  - FCP says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:53
    
    Took me 2 years!
Rachel Robinson says:

26 Nov26 November 08:44

Today is the 8 week deadline for Creation to respond to my complaint. Nothing so far (unsurprisingly). But if they don’t respond, can I go straight to the Ombudsman or do I need to wait for their response?
- John says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 08:47
  
  Ombudsman
- DJ says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 08:47
  
  My last day of the 8-week period supposed to be yesterday, but I have heard nothing from them either, not even the automated refund on the card fee.
- Anna says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:11
  
  Mine should be December 8th, but I imagine they’ll be busy closing all the cards next week!
- stevenhp1987 says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:28
  
  I’d personally hold off a bit before going to FOS.
  
  They are meant to send you a letter explaining why it’s taken over 8 weeks with an ETA.
  
  Better to go to FOS knowing all the facts.
  - Maciek says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:35
    
    They are meant to send that before 8 weeks are up though…
    - stevenhp1987 says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 09:37
      
      Based on experiences with other companies (I’ve been to FOS a few times), it always gets sent after 8 weeks are up.
      - Anna says:
        
        26 Nov26 November 18:47
        
        Need more time to decide they’re not giving you your points and free nights?!
- JDB says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 12:14
  
  You can chase them but better to wait for response so that you can address their argument in your FOS complaint, otherwise you won’t get the the opportunity to do so until the FOS preliminary decision stage.
  - Anna says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:28
    
    How long do you wait though, @JDB?
    - JDB says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 21:00
      
      They probably won’t be very late and might ask for an extension which it is best to grant just once and max 2 weeks. Give them a couple of weeks otherwise.
- Chrism20 says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 16:59
  
  From my extensive previous experience with Creation and complaints they send the letter on the very last day possible even if it’s been looked at weeks earlier.
  
  Expect your responses or possibly a “We need more time” letter Monday or Tuesday.
Sam G says:

26 Nov26 November 08:50

I don’t suppose anyone took a screenshot of the 25x points at Tesco on perks at work? They’ve only posted at 8x. Definitely shopped at a correct store.

I realise now having logged in a few times that some discounts come and go or change in no relation to the dates/times promised. This is ridiculous – it was 25x in the morning but had potentially changed to 8x by the time I’d driven to the shop and done my shopping in the afternoon!

Not the end of the world, I bought gift cards for things I’d have bought anyway but means you need to check PAW in the shop before you go to the till I guess, though it could end whilst the cashier is scanning!
- S says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:23
  
  I took screenshot before and after entering each store. But mine all tracked at 25%
  - S says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:26
    
    Did you by chance shop on the last day of the offer? I noticed the offer had changed to 8% on the last day with an extended expiry date so it seemed to have ended early. Lucky I didn’t leave it for the last day!
    - Sam G says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 09:40
      
      Yes, the last day. It was showing 25x in the morning but suspect they changed in the afternoon & I didn’t check right before (as there was a countdown until midnight when I checked in the morning)
      
      I raised a help ticket with them, see what they say. May bother you for the screenshots if they deny all existence if you don’t mind!
      - s says:
        
        26 Nov26 November 11:28
        
        sure, but the timestamps will be from day before your shopping. I’m afraid you’ve most likely been legitimately credited at 8% because the terms did say the % could fluctuate, and for sure I saw it at 8% on the last day. I’ve never had a mistracking issue with PaW so I’d be inclined to believe they’re not in error here
Rui N. says:

26 Nov26 November 09:06

Which? published an article about the Creation-Curve saga: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/11/creation-cancels-some-credit-cards-linked-with-the-curve-smart-card-should-you-be-worried/
Apparently one the reasons our cards were cancelled is because Creation was worried that we didn’t get S75 protection with our Curve purchases! You can’t make this stuff up.
Which? also recommends asking for a pro-rata refund for the annual fee. Maybe it was Which?’s enquiry for the article that prompted Creation to refund some fees? (That theory of some here that Creation must have pretty good lawyers to justify their actions, sounds more funny by the day. I’d bet that it was Which?’s legal advisers that told Creation they were in deep “mud” if they refused to give annual fee refunds)
Which? also contacted a number of banks that said it was OK to use Curve.
- Anna says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:13
  
  Lol, that makes me giggle thinking that Creation is getting its legal advice from Which?!
  - Anna says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:16
    
    “Creation told us it could not comment on individual cases. A spokesperson said: ‘As part of our review of customers using Curve I can confirm that we did find that some customers were misusing their accounts, however, this may not have been the reason for giving notice to close a specific account.’
    Which? contacted Curve for a comment but it did not respond.”
    
    The usual clear and unambiguous response from Creation!
    - Harrier25 says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 09:36
      
      Their request is in the Curve chat queue and a response from Curve customer services will arrive anytime within the next 6 weeks, but they apologise for the delay! 😂
      - Char Char says:
        
        26 Nov26 November 09:40
        
        I’m still waiting about 3 months
- rams1981 says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:39
  
  good find.
  
  If your Creation account has been randomly closed, or if you’re struggling to get a refund for your annual fee, get in touch at yourstory@which.co.uk.
  
  Wonder if it’s worth highlighting to Which about the lack of points/rewards night and seeing if they take it up with Creation.
  - Char Char says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:41
    
    Yes why not its about time Creation is exposed for their foolishness tactics to intimidate everyone.
  - Anna says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:56
    
    Not sure I’d want to be discussing my card use with Which!
    - Rui N. says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 10:04
      
      You can also mention what you want. No need to discuss any MS. Stick to the relevant facts: annual free night not posted and points not transferred. And of course don’t give them permission to discuss your individual case with Creation.
- Char Char says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:44
  
  “But what about the terms and conditions, you said we could keep their annual fees”*
  
  *David shouts over to JDB in a Birmingham accent
  - David says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 15:18
    
    Idiot.
- Char Char says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:46
  
  Perhaps they should close every account using Paypal if S75 is such a concern to them, idiots!
  - Harrier25 says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 10:12
    
    If being worried about customers having s75 protection is their only defence then I think they’re in trouble. Anyway I thought the credit card companies like the fact that s75 protection is given up?
    - Rui N. says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 10:32
      
      Yes, it’s quite ridiculous. “We don’t want this customer anymore because he/she is saving us money by going through an intermediary!”.
  - Andrew says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:23
    
    Maybe they have? There are people who have reported closure that claim they didn’t use Curve, they may have used PayPal.
    - Char Char says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 18:24
      
      Yes perhaps, if true then they are complete idiots.
- Ian_H says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:53
  
  So why arent they closing accounts of those who have previously used Paypal with its lack of S75 if thats their concern.
  
  This total radio silence from everyone who was cheerleading both Curve and Creation is frustrating someone MUST have the right contacts to get to the root of this.
  
  And as for Curve’s pending announcement on the matter I expect may happen on Dec 4th when the accounts are closed.
  - Ian_H says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 09:54
    
    Char Char – Snap must have posted at same time!
  - Char Char says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 18:25
    
    Well our chief here is not allowed to comment due to regulations, so we have to guess and take anonymous comments onboard instead.
- Lady London says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 11:33
  
  Which? really needs to up their game.
  
  They’ve missed the fact that your contract with Creation gave you IHG points;1 free night for £10k spend at a choice of hotels – some eyewateringky expensive that HfP has readers who can show air tickets they booked to go to these hotels and also booked to pay adjacent nights to their planned free night at these high cash rates; plus IMV you should be denanding pro rata value of any partially accrued night if you’re in a new card year where you’ve earned some.
  
  Creation worried that we made the choice to have Dection 75 protection when we chose to use Curve? I’ve had to watch that claptrap in the financial services industry for tge past 18 months. Anytime a new measure or obstruction is introduced opening with “for the good of customers” it’s like a pointing arrow to “for our (the financial industry or a player in it) own good”.
- Aston100 says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 12:15
  
  Maybe they should interview JDB the Creation apologist?
  - JDB says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:29
    
    @Aston 100 they would be better to interview the two posters who precipitated all this with their outlandish MS boasts/posts in mid August. If you really think I am a Creation apologist, you don’t read my posts. Unless people understand what is going on and read the T&Cs until the end rather than stop when they reach a phrase that suits their case, they are going to be making rubbish complaints. That has been my point throughout.
    - Lady London says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 16:47
      
      Quite.
      
      I feel a bit sorry for Creation’s in-house lawyers. (Do they have any?).
      
      I’ll take a fair bet that their in-house lawyers advised Creation that they couldn’t just close accounts unilaterally and expect to keep full annual fees, not award IHG points earned, and not provide all free nights that had been earned however early in the cardholder’s year.
      
      I suspect the management throwing their toys out of the pram once they began to realise their incompetence had been exposed were, indeed, correctly advised by their own company lawyers, but ignored it.
    - joe Jordan says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 20:03
      
      “two posters who precipitated all this with their outlandish MS boasts/posts in mid August”
      
      That suggests it wasn’t their behaviour, but their boasting that was the issue. Someone here raise an issue when they saw the boast ?
  - Anna says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:29
    
    Does that make them a Creationist 😁?
- JDB says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 12:20
  
  I don’t think the fee has ever really been the issue – lots of people have reported getting that back before this week.
  - jj says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 13:32
    
    Not all have received a refund. I was charged on 20 November and haven’t received anything back.
    - Char Char says:
      
      26 Nov26 November 18:27
      
      Yeah didn’t hear anything either…
Josh says:

26 Nov26 November 09:41

So I just spoke to Amex regarding the delay in receiving the BA voucher and they’ve told me on their side they issued it Nov 10th and so it’s a problem from BA’s end whom I must contact.

Does anyone know which number I’d even call for BA to discuss this??
- Nick B says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 09:59
  
  Josh. Mine was delayed for several weeks and has just turned up yesterday. They are coming through but it appears to be taking a little time.
  - Nigel says:
    
    26 Nov26 November 12:12
    
    Did yours turn up with the extra 6 months validity or 24 month expiry?
Yuff says:

26 Nov26 November 09:45

Does anyone have a code for a Collinson rapid PCR test?
All the usual ones not valid on the rapid tests!
- Benilyn says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 11:30
  
  AMEX20 ? Worked on Monday
Olivia says:

26 Nov26 November 10:10

So I’ve had my BA Amex for 3 years yet today I’ve been credited with 6,000 Avios welcome bonus…… I had my card stolen 2 months ago and got a new physical card as a result, and that is the only explanation I have for the situation.. very strange, but most definitely not complaining!

Thanks BA!?
- FFoxSake says:
  
  26 Nov26 November 10:12
  
  Thank Amex I reckon. For once not a BA IT fail.