[Crafty]

degsy wrote:

@Crafty – which Moxy was it? I’ve just booked a similar 5k offer at the NEC version in a couple of weeks’ time.
Great deal.

Yes, it was this hotel.

[Crafty]

That one says new cardmembers only for me. Hmm, don’t think I’ll risk resetting my fallow period without a screenshot, as this one feels bound to go wrong.

[Crafty]

Hello, for anyone following, ADR dismissed my claim entirely. They backed TUI’s claim that the doors opened 2 hours and 58 minutes late and that this was suitable. Although they acknowledged that it’s only an “assumption” that doors being open allows passengers to leave, they would have wanted evidence that we could not leave.

They also rejected my claim to 52 euros for food and drink. I found the reasoning odd. ADR claimed that such costs could ONLY be INCURRED at least 3 hours after scheduled departure time in order to be eligible. I don’t think there is any such stipulation in the actual guidance, which refers to flights being EXPECTED to be 3 hours late or more! Not going to pursue it given the small value but found this a bit irritating.

[Crafty]

Update for anyone interested –

1. The four week deadline passed without response. The day after the deadline, ADR told me TUI had requested a 2 week extension, which was granted.

2. On the final day of the extension, a highly legalistic and quite aggressive document was uploaded. Unfortunately, a flight log was included with a doors opening time 2 hours and 58 minutes behind schedule. Although I contend that, as a passenger on the flight, the door was visibly closed at this time and there was no prospect of disembarking, I feel the evidence is stacked against me (I have none of my own).

3. They have even had the gall to say that even if the delay had been 3 hours, claiming 10 euros per person (52 euros in total, for a family of 5) for food and beverage is “excessive”! I’d like to see them cope with 3 children during a 3 hour late night flight delay!

I assume I have nowhere left to go with this, and that ADR will automatically find in TUI’s favour due to the flight log, but would appreciate any thoughts just in case.

[Crafty]

Thank you. I will. Encouragement appreciated.

[Crafty]

No, they had zero staff presence at the outstation airport at all.

TUI have come back trying to say the delay was 178 minutes, from a no-reply email address. Looks like the arrival time has been “manipulated” so to speak. Speaking to customer service, they won’t listen to anything further on the matter, saying just to go straight to ADR. At which I expect it’ll be my word against theirs, since I’ve no proof of the time the doors opened, just that of my own eyes and ears.

Any ideas or recommendations from others who’ve been in such a position? Correct course of action to go straight to ADR as they have told me?

[Crafty]

Can we claim duty of care in addition? We incurred 52 euros of food and drink costs during the 3+ hour delay at the airport (there were 5 of us). I filled in the TUI Airways claim form for the delay, but all fields are closed so I couldn’t add a claim for this.

[Crafty]

Matt wrote:

Do you know that the airplane doors were all still closed at 02:05? You haven’t said what time the doors opened, but presumably you must know since you were there.

Thank you. In the original post, I stated that I do know this – I could see the closed door – but won’t be able to provide evidence.

[Crafty]

Thank you.

The reason for delay was given as:
1) In writing, during the delay period, ” ” (yes, a series of blank spaces, in an email from Tui)
2) Verbally by the pilot, “technical problems at Manchester”, which had led to a replacement plane for the preceding flight, and direct knock-on effect for this one.

I don’t think this qualifies as extraordinary.

So, in principle, I believe we’re due the comp, but in practice will face a battle proving it, unless there are better sources of arrival time-stamps than Flight Stats which doesn’t have the applicable time?

[Crafty]

Really? They had access to my Curve account. They could even reel off specific, genuine transactions. Surely it seems highly likely (I am not an expert, but I would’ve thought) that this is also the source of the personal information?

[Crafty]

timajackson wrote:

Reveived a phonecall from an 0203 number yesterday claiming to be from Curve Security Team. Knew my name and last 4 card digits.

I have had this today but, unfortunately, gave them one of the OTP codes before I clocked what was happening. It was quite sophisticated, to give them credit. Luckily the underlying card issuer, Barclaycard, appears to have blocked all transaction attempts and reissued the underlying card, so fingers crossed there shouldn’t be any getting through. But pretty unnerving nonetheless.

They have also managed to get me locked out of my Curve account (presumably this was done before they called me, so I could not verify their claims), which is a pain as there appears to be no way (!) to contact Curve “live” outside the app. No phone number, no live chat service. Can this actually be the case?!

They knew much more than name and 4 digits. They had my full address and previous addresses too. They clearly had direct access to my account and my personal data, suggesting there has been a data breach.

For me – this is the final nail in the coffin for Curve; if they cannot even man a phone number to deal with fraud, let alone protect my card details (it never leaves my person or my house), then I cannot justify continuing to have their product. Once I have finally been able to get back in touch with them, I will cancel.

Everyone else – be vigilant.

[Crafty]

I’ve downgraded to free. To their credit, once I finally got to a human on this, they processed efficiently and even refunded current month pro rata which I had not asked for.

Has anyone worked out whether the CurveX 3 months £1 offer is worth bothering with?

[Crafty]

If you haven’t been advised, make a complaint, as this is against the terms.

[Crafty]

What other cheap methods would anyone recommend? My wife’s in the same boat and we are on a break from MR earning cards.

[Crafty]

Notwithstanding the potential “bonus” £3k, I can’t see an economic rationale to keep the card now. £3,000 at 0.5% (few if any cards have a return exceeding that nowadays) is only £15, which is now less than the new monthly fee.

Have I missed something? Or will others all be cancelling too after the “bonus” £3k is spent?

[Crafty]

IHG replied from the Ambassador email within 2 hours, splitting it down into separate stays, and triggering all the qualifying nights and points promotions that I had hoped for.

A brilliant result – and absolutely astonishing level of service, compared to my usual very low expectations from hotel groups!

[Crafty]

Thanks. Looks like I would usually have triggered 4 nights with my overall stay, but the merging of the two bookings appears to have somehow caused the system to incorrectly code the first 2 nights as non-qualifying.

I’ve put it all in an email to Ambassador hoping they’ll deal with it in a common sense way – fingers crossed.

[Crafty]

Should the Ambassador Weekend Certificate nights count as “qualifying” from a stays and offers perspective?

We stayed 4 nights this week, the first 2 on a weekend certificate, and then nights 3-4 as a normal paid stay. The stays were consecutive, and merged at check-in.

In practice this has posted as non-qualifying for 2 nights and qualifying for 2 nights. Full points have been awarded in terms of USD amount paid. But I’ve only been given 2 nights despite staying 4, which means I haven’t been given the 10,000 points from the recent promotion.

[Crafty]

We’re staying there later this week. Two nights on an Ambassador weekend voucher, booked the one bedroom suite as that’s what we need, followed by two nights on best flex rate with a suite upgrade voucher that otherwise would have expired unused.

Initially I was deeply unimpressed by my contacts with the hotel, especially the myriad categories they have split junior suites into so that true upgrades can be denied. However, all is forgiven as they have now graciously agreed that nights 3 and 4 will be in a one bedroom suite (as an “extra” upgrade from the junior suite that is all the voucher apparently gets you), so that we don’t have to switch rooms halfway through.

Disappointed to hear the pool is cold. My kids are really looking forward to the pool but hate when they aren’t heated sufficiently.

[Crafty]

We’re potentially back to square one anyway, as IC O2 is trying to insist a “junior suite”, i.e. a large room, counts as a suite. And get this, it would be 4 further room category upgrades to get to a one-bedroom suite (i.e. an actual suite), because of all the subcategory gradings they have introduced.

[Crafty]

Thanks. Yes, just found in the terms that returning it can take 5 working days

[Crafty]

If one applies a suite upgrade voucher, and later cancels the stay (during the refundable window), is the suite upgrade voucher restored?

[Crafty]

truthbetold wrote:

Two nights required. Billed for both at first but bill reduced at checkout when you show proof of a valid free night

What proof is this? Logging onto one’s account sufficient?

[Crafty]

Closed mine last week straight after going into year 2 – no retention offer.

[Crafty]

Chat said flat no for me. Only had the card 4 months or so. Using the restaurant credit then will try again and cancel.