Another Round Of Amex Shutdowns: Targeted Offers This Time Around
Just when we thought we knew what was going on we see another round of massive Amex shutdowns. Late last week, and early this week, we had reports of multiple shutdowns. At first we weren’t sure what was causing them. Over the next few days, as the data points rolled in, we realized that they were from no lifetime language offers that came from one Amex employee, Adam. I had warned that this could spread in that article and it appears it has.
I have received multiple reports over Thursday and now into Friday that people were shut down by Amex. The people reporting it swear they have never heard of Adam or used a business manager for applications. The common theme seems to be the “expand your membership” offers from American Express. The sad thing is that Amex has been sending them out like candy on Halloween. That is the working theory right now at least. People that used multiples of these, even when they were personally targeted for them, have sometimes run into issues. Some others have questioned if gift card purchases have done the trick.
Right now we don’t know for sure what the common thread is but it has spread past Adam customers. This seems like the great culling or something. Amex has smelled blood in the water and continues to make their cuts.
I am sorry, but if you had a mailer with your name and info on it why should you think you are doing anything wrong? If they keep sending them, and approving the applications, why wouldn’t you take the offer? It seems like Amex marketing and Amex rewards abuse team (RAT) are not on the same page here.
If you do have your accounts shutdown be sure to call in to the Membership Rewards department. If you catch it quickly enough you should be able to still transfer your points out before a complete lock down. I’ll keep you informed as more info rolls in.
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Is this article applicable for the recent targeting of multiple business platinum cards with NLL?
I have not seen anything come from those.
Yeah I’m guessing these were people who realized spending $15k in 3 months would be hard and resorted to some methods of generating spend that weren’t quite above the board.
By Targeted Offers do you mean who signed up for multiples of the same card (meaning targeted for 3 Platinum Business cards on 3 different logins, and signed up for more than 1)?
Some people were sent offers saying to add an additional Business Platinum card even though they already had one etc.
Ok, just checking. I had quite a few offers on different cards, and signed up for one. It’s my first one in many years.
Y’all are acting like you’re totally innocent here. Pleeeeease…
Comparing Amex to being in an abusive relationship…
#FinancialPrivelege
I wish I could like this and pin this comment.
There are people caught up in this that didn’t do anything outside of sign up for an offer that was mailed to them.
I’m pretty sure they aren’t talking about the people who signed up with a mailer. Most reasonable people would agree that punishing them is unreasonable.
Now, I feel that you won’t agree with what I am about to say, but at some point, hobbyists in the points-and-miles game need to practice some degree of discernment.
Time after time, Amex has consistently shown us with their actions that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
Here are a few examples that come to mind:
Oh, snap, I can self-refer myself and get an extra 20,000 – 40,000 MR points. Let me do it.
Yippie, I keep getting these “expand your membership” with NLL offers, and I already have a regular Platinum / Business Platinum.
Well, since they sent it my way, I can’t say no. Why would I pass on such a great offer? That would be so silly of me.
Hey, fellow points-and-miles hobbyist friend, I know this guy named Adam who can get you a 150K offer with NLL. You should call him; you’re guaranteed to get approved. Thanks, Buddy. Yeah, let me get in on that action.
I appreciate that the MTM crew sticks up for the “little guy.” However, I feel like hobbyists in the community need to take some accountability.
I’m risk-averse, which is why I don’t:
1) MS
2) Buy gift cards with AMEX CC’s
3) Resell
4) Do a high volume of spending on my CC’s that exceeds my yearly income as stated on my income tax or what I listed cc application.
Discernment is critical, and I will repeat, just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should because time after time, Amex has shown us that they will shut you down and clawback points.
Sounds like you’re saying that you can’t trust Amex. They clearly say you can do something but they don’t actually mean what they say and since they won’t abide by their own rules, you have to decide where to stand between what they say and what they actually mean. When your customers can’t trust you, that’s ethically problematic and bad business.
I trust AMEX and have accumulated 300K MR points during the Pandemic, without having to MS, Buy Gift Cards, use NLL offers or have a buddy refer me to Adam.
You can rack up MR points and other currencies without doing things that AMEX clearly doesn’t like.
Discernment is key. If your discernment is off when it comes to AMEX, perhaps ask someone who isn’t in the hobby and see what they say. Heck, why play with fire…. it just isn’t worth it. I don’t feel bad for anyone who got Adam’s information from a buddy because it was a NLL offer, so they can get around previously having X AMEX card in the past or currently.
Some people were reached out to by Adam or a Centurion Lounge employee (Amex Employee) told them to call the business manager (Amex Employee) because he had a better offer then if they signed up online. So while agree plenty of people took it too far there are just as many caught up in this that did nothing that should be considered risky.
What does “without having to MS” mean? So much jargon to figure out. I thought MR was Marriott Rewards since my AMEX is with Marriott.
This guide should help with an terms you are not sure on. MS means spending without spending any money really. Reselling gift cards, buying groups etc.
https://milestomemories.com/resource-award-travel-acronyms-abbreviations/
Are you kidding?
A relationship with Amex is abusive.
It’s like Amex has multiple personality disorder, offering customers something then severely penalizing them a few months later. Maybe, just maybe, they could set up rules and actually stick with them, even if it works out inconveniently for the company. There’s a lot to be said for trustworthiness and consistency, and right now American Express isn’t doing well on either.
[…] at Miles to Memories and Doctor of Credit indicate a wave of Amex shut downs in recent days (several waves I believe). I […]
Yeah Amex is going cray cray. I’m nervous to send out any referral links, because who knows whether even normal spend for the +4MR for 3 months would get you “shut down” because you are too unprofitable of a customer.
This is getting totally ridiculous. I was given Adam Winslows contact by the manager of Amex Centurion Lounge as they were friends. I got a cardd off the guy, never used it for any gift card or MS and this morning..boom i’m banned. I called in and they treat me like i’m some common criminal before referring me to a law firm. Thank you Ostermann for standing up for us while the other bloggers hide in their bathtubs.