The HfP chat thread – Monday 29th November

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

• Mco says:

  29 Nov29 November 10:20

  What is the best way to use the £100 off £400 at Amex travel if you don’t need to book anything right now. Was thinking book a flight on a route that I want to travel on as far out as possible and then hope for a schedule change to be able to change the dates or worst case would BA give a travel voucher on Amex travel bookings?

  Also has anyone with the MBNA visa managed to get Amazon to show the £20 off for changing from a Visa card? Changed mine on Friday and still no luck. It’s showing up as Visa/Electron on my account.

  • ChrisC says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:29

    You would get a BA travel voucher but you would have to use it via Amex travel and not via BA

    Several comments yesterday about the Amazon / Visa thing

    • Mco says:

      29 Nov29 November 10:43

      Thanks will go through yesterdays chat.

  • E says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:15

    Yes, using my MBNA Horizon Visa. Removed other cards on Saturday. Made a purchase using the Visa on Saturday. £20 available on Amazon today.

    • Mco says:

      29 Nov29 November 12:39

      Where did you see it today? I have made a few purchases over the weekend.

      • Rob says:

        29 Nov29 November 12:50

        It’s on the desktop home page – not at the top, in one of the tiles / panels further down.

        • Mco says:

          29 Nov29 November 23:38

          Thanks all.

  • Paul says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:47

    purchase a refundable hotel room for far out then cancel in a few months. You will get a full refund and the rebate shouldn’t be reversed

• High Grade says:

  29 Nov29 November 10:30

  Creation cancellation. I hope everyone is going to email Which? as requested in their article. See comments Friday (page 3). Having a consumer champion of their calibre fighting our corner and shining a spotlight on Creations dodgy practice and abysmal customer service can only help push them towards doing the right thing. I have not engaged in any MS and feel entitled to the points I have accrued since receiving ‘the letter’. I would also like my free night award having hit the £10k spend since my anniversary in August. Surely any involvement from Which? can only help us as customers. If enough people write to them about it, they might take up the fight on our behalf. At the very least they could write to the Ombudsman and/or Regulator expressing their concern at Creations actions, which surely carries more weight than we do.
  I really valued my IHG card and am sad to see it go, if only they had warned customers to stop using Curve or risk having their accounts closed, I would have immediately ceased using Curve with Creation and kept my card. I realise I was not a profitable customer for them and as such they are probably pleased to see me go. I accept that, but they should at least close accounts the right way and fulfil their obligations.

  • Anna says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:39

    Which? wrote that Creation had stated that customers had been misusing cards so I’m not sure why anyone would want to draw attention to that …

    • High Grade says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:00

      Anna, I agree if you have been misusing your card then perhaps don’t email Which or if you do, don’t give them permission to discuss your specific case with Creation. Although, if I had misused my card, I wouldn’t complain to creation or the FOS either. I’d slip away quietly and hope nobody decided to take things further as the risk of credit file markers, action via IHG or Creation deciding to pursue you for their losses all become more likely IMO.
      For those of us that haven’t misused our cards, then it might be a case of throwing baby out with the bath water and perhaps Which can shame Creation into doing the right thing and giving us our points and vouchers.

      • Anna says:

        29 Nov29 November 11:12

        They clearly think that Curve usage constitutes misuse, as per the Which? article, regardless of whether there was any MS.

      • Anna says:

        29 Nov29 November 11:16

        Though are you JDB in disguise? How is Creation going to justify pursuing anyone for “losses” they authorised for several years?!

        • High Grade says:

          29 Nov29 November 12:17

          Cmon Anna, that’s a bit harsh. I’m going after the points I am owed and free night voucher too. All the way to FOS if I have to. I’m just saying if I was doing MS then I would just go quietly with my stash of points and not draw attention to myself.
          If I was JDB I’d be claiming (or implying) some kind of expert/insider knowledge of the situation or how we should all be handling our complaints without actually saying anything tangible anyone can use. I’m sure he’ll be along soon to tell us that the regulator is aware of Which’s article.

        • Anna says:

          29 Nov29 November 12:31

          I’m just saying I’m not going give the loose cannons at Creation the opportunity to accuse me of unspecified misuse in the media with no details and seemingly no right of reply!

      • Char Char says:

        29 Nov29 November 13:32

        “Creation deciding to pursue you for their losses all become more likely IMO.”
        The whole Premium card was a loss for them, to think that they are going to sue customers for their poor management of the card from losing money on points earned to it being able to be paid off with a credit card is ridiculous, especially when they were in control of whether they accepted Curve or not.

        • High Grade says:

          29 Nov29 November 15:12

          Almost as ridiculous as withholding points customers have legitimately earned because Creation have decided to close their account. Or telling me they are keeping my annual fee and then refunding it… This Is Creation we are talking about after all.

        • High Grade says:

          29 Nov29 November 15:22

          Also, I doubt they would sue anyone, but if they start looking in detail at specific accounts due to complaints, etc. They might ask IHG to give back some points/close accounts if they think you were taking the piss.

          I appreciate you might not agree, just sharing my opinion.

      • Alan says:

        29 Nov29 November 16:36

        Can anyone explain how Creation loses out from spend, MS or not, going through Curve.

        Is it perhaps simply that Creation has Identified Curve users as an unprofitable customer cohort, whether are not they are using it for MS.

        • Chrism20 says:

          29 Nov29 November 22:52

          Points costing them more than they are making off the accounts particularly if the balances are being paid in full with no interest which on cards like this it would be madness to run a balance and if they are making anything off the card after buying points a large chunk of it is wiped out by costs leaving not very much.

          Re the potential for Creation to take action to recover costs etc I’d be astonished if they had the bottle to do it as all it would take is one person to challenge it and a whole new can of worms would be opened for creation themselves with questions asked by courts, the defence and the regulators as to why they have allowed what has went on to go on for as long.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:24

    🥱

• Richie says:

  29 Nov29 November 10:45

  With credit cards, if merchants don’t want to accept certain cards can’t they simply block ones beggining with certain numbers?

  • mark2 says:

    29 Nov29 November 10:47

    Amazon are going to block Visa shortly

    • Richie says:

      29 Nov29 November 10:54

      I was thinking if say NS&I wanted to block all curve cards could they do this.

      • stevenhp1987 says:

        29 Nov29 November 10:57

        It would be trivial to block the Curve BIN (the first 6 digits indicates the issuer of the card).

        It might be against the Mastercard rules to block a specific issuer though. I believe you can only block levels, e.g. block Pre-Paid, Debit or Credit.

        • Yorkie Aid says:

          29 Nov29 November 12:09

          Post Office Savings blocked Curve cards but not other debit cards.

• Mco says:

  29 Nov29 November 10:48

  Would anyone know if you are allowed to have your booster 1 week before the 6 months is over? I am travelling after that.

  • roberto says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:04

    Currently you cant book it before 6 months , however its suggested today that the government will reduce it to 5 months. A walk in center will probably accommodate you a little earlier but YMMV.

  • Aston100 says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:06

    Had mine just after 5 months.

    • Yorkie Aid says:

      29 Nov29 November 12:10

      +1

    • Roy says:

      30 Nov30 November 00:35

      Was that at a walk-in centre? I’ve read reports of some giving jabs after 5 months even though I’m not sure they were supposed to.

      All changes from today, of course – 3 months. BUT, with talk of prioritising by age and/or being in a risk group.

  • Polly says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:43

    Mco, yes you can

    • roberto says:

      29 Nov29 November 15:10

      As I said earlier the gap between the second jab and the booster has indeed been reduced to 3 months and should be bookable online “soon”. Until now you were not able to book sub 6 months online on the NHS site – you now can.

• Definitas says:

  29 Nov29 November 10:53

  I flew back from ORD last night and was hoping for a couple of bottles of spirits. When I enquired, I was informed that they don’t carry DF any more and that it has to be pre-ordered. Obviously, I had no idea that was the case. Am I just out of touch or is it not common knowledge?

  • Anna says:

    29 Nov29 November 12:33

    Which airline? It’s usually cheaper to buy it in the airport anyway, even though they do that annoying thing of taking it away until you get to the gate in the US!

    • Definitas says:

      29 Nov29 November 14:29

      Sorry, BA. I saw they were having a sale and the prices were very good. Sadly I didn’t see anything that said you could only get stuff on pre-order.

• Super Secret Stuff says:

  29 Nov29 November 11:02

  Omnicorn community transmission in Scotland, time to seal the border and reinstate Hadrian’s Wall! Damn wee Nicky, ruining it all again 😉

  • Super Secret Stuff says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:02

    On a serious note, we’re probably going to be on everyone else’s red list now 🙁

    • James says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:05

      When you look at where cases are being reported it’s everywhere to be honest so everyone will probably on everyone’s red lists if we continue at this rate

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        29 Nov29 November 11:19

        True but there is a distinct difference between a positive case with travel history and a positive case that can only be community transmission

  • Anna says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:14

    It’s being found everywhere now people are looking for it, no reason to single out the UK. Agree that Ms Sturgeon will use any opportunity to wield power over the English though!

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:23

      I am wondering if it has been in the UK for a couple weeks, a friend of mine had no loss of smell, taste or anything really other than extreme tiredness and a migraine. Unlikely I know but does make you wonder

      • meta says:

        29 Nov29 November 13:06

        They said it was first detected on/around 11 Nov. As usual, it was probably around much earlier.

      • Lyn says:

        29 Nov29 November 16:23

        Extreme tiredness was one of the Omicron symptoms reported amongst young people in South Africa, and without loss of smell or taste.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:24

      Appears the power flexing has already begun, looking at the BBC News live feed

    • Andrew says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:49

      Well, Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon have jointly made demands about 2 Day & 8 Day testing for arrivals.

      Sometimes it feels that the official leader of the opposition at Westminster hasn’t quite worked out that he needs step up and be decisive ahead of Nicola and Mark.

      • Super Secret Stuff says:

        29 Nov29 November 11:57

        Yes I have been wondering where Keir is, he’s always a step behind them two but somehow still ahead of Doris

        • Anna says:

          29 Nov29 November 12:34

          He’s hiding in a cupboard wondering who he can get to tell Angela Raynor about the reshuffle!

        • SteveW says:

          29 Nov29 November 17:51

          Starmer is waiting to see what happens so he can tell Boris what he should have done. Sir Kier Hindsight.

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:31

    Why do you want to cut Northumberland off England?

    • GeorgeJ says:

      29 Nov29 November 14:38

      Quite!

  • BuildBackBetter says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:36

    Is that a new type of corn?

• Aston100 says:

  29 Nov29 November 11:08

  Brentwood KFC Omicron hotspot
  https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/essex-omicron-variant-targeted-testing-6274186

  Is it possible that this new variant actually originated in the UK?

  • James says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:11

    Is it possible that this has been around in a number of places for a while but only just discovered by South Africa? There’s numerous cases in a number of countries showing up.. don’t think this is something that’s just been around recently now

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:25

      Anything is possible but one would assume that because we sequence (or at least used too) every positive case it is unlikely but as I said above, a friend of mine would fit the anecdotal Omnicorn symptoms perfectly

      • Rui N. says:

        29 Nov29 November 11:30

        We don’t sequence every positive case, nor did we ever did so. We were the country that did more sequencing (don’t know if that is still true), but we didn’t sequence every single positive case.

        • Sandgrounder says:

          29 Nov29 November 11:41

          Radio 4 said about 60k per week this morning.

        • TGLoyalty says:

          29 Nov29 November 12:16

          They deffo genotype (probable) and sequence (confirmed) around 60k a week but it’s not clear how many are actually sequenced.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      29 Nov29 November 12:02

      Yes because the s gene drop out was assumed to be an alpha marker so probably not routinely sequenced.

      It’s now back for omnicron and all of a sudden everyone has cases popping up …

    • Roy says:

      30 Nov30 November 01:02

      Yes, certainly possible that it originated somewhere where they don’t sequence cases, and SA was the first place it hit where they do.

• Ant says:

  29 Nov29 November 11:11

  OTT: just after some advice, i know i shouldn’t take advice from strangers but also aware some people on here know a lot about investments and i am not looking into investing a life changing amount.
  Is it worth topping up my Vanguard today/this week?I have some money in a “FTSE Developed World UCITS ETF (VEVE)” it has gone down a bit but not as much as i thought it might. Should i top this one up or another one? Thanks

  • Richie says:

    29 Nov29 November 11:30

    Your capital is at risk if you can’t be bothered to do your own research or pay for advice.

    • Super Secret Stuff says:

      29 Nov29 November 11:59

      Capital at risk regardless tbh. But yes if it is life changing then pay for some advice. Also Crowd Cube is good as you can offset it against your tax bill but higher risk so be careful

  • AndyW says:

    29 Nov29 November 12:19

    It is in index ETF – it was down pretty much in line with the market. You might expect more if you only look at European markets, or daily mail FTSE down 4% headlines, but the US didn’t get hit as badly on Friday and is the 50%+ of the fund. Not going to comment on whether it is a good time to buy – really all about the new variant and its ability to spread/evade vaccines, at the moment it is just guess work.
    If you are investing for the long term there is loads of good research out there on not attempting to time the market that a google will give you.

  • John says:

    29 Nov29 November 13:35

    Logically speaking, if you expect the fund to generate a positive return over time, then you should add money as soon as you have funds available, as statistically the longer the money is in the higher it will grow.

  • Scott says:

    29 Nov29 November 13:37

    If you need the money in the next, say, five years, then no, now is not a good time to increase your investment (irrespective of whether the markets’ next moves turn out to be upward or downward.)
    If your outlook is over the long-term, then yes, now is a good time to invest (irrespective of whether the markets’ next moves are upward or downward.)

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