Club Carlson Free Night Certs
After they slaughtered the value of their co-branded credit card, Club Carlson tried to make things right over the summer. At first they offered 30,000 points for one stay and then they began giving certain credit card holders a free night e-cert.
Unfortunately many people including myself were left out of this free night offer. After hearing about others in the same boat who were successful, I was able to contact US Bank and was eventually promised that I would receive the certificate in 6-8 weeks. Then the waiting began.
Downgrading My Card
During that time the annual fee on my Club Carlson card came due and I didn’t want to pay it. With my Hyatt obsession taking up most of my hotel nights, I just don’t have the need for the card anymore. I worried if I cancelled it that they wouldn’t give me the e-cert, so I decided to downgrade to the no annual fee version in what was one of the strangest calls ever.
When I wrote about that move, some people wondered if they would still give me the cert now that I only have the basic card. Thankfully the answer to that question came today. Rene from Delta Points alerted me on Twitter that his wife’s free nights had posted. After seeing his post I checked my account and discovered my shiny new e-cert! Good for one year. 100% off. Yes!
Check Your Accounts &/Or Ask For Your Own
If you were promised a free night cert from Club Carlson then go ahead and check your account. It will be listed in the “My Account” section after you login. If you have the credit card and weren’t offered the free night, follow the instructions in this post. They worked for me and several other people.
Now that I have my free e-cert, I just need to figure out where to use it. I’m over Radisson Blu properties in Europe and their New York location has bad reviews. I’m thinking Chicago!
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To those of you who received a call, how soon after submitting a request for certificate did you get a call? I emailed about a week ago and got reply stating it was sent to president’s office. I got a strange call today that said no caller id and didn’t hear anyone on the line. Hoping I didn’t hang up on them.
Their New York location was my best Carlson stay ever. Great location near Broadway, was upgraded and got free full breakfast thanks to the Gold status from the card.
RC – I got the same thing when calling. Then the secure email (contact us) to USB worked.
Thanks, Carl. We failed using the Secure email contact process. Open to any further suggestions that has worked for folks. BTW, we are Carlson Gold Members.
Here’s what they say:
Dear Mr. xxxxxxx,
We appreciate you taking the time to contact us with your concerns.
We appreciate your recent message and apologize for any confusion. This
E-Cert was sent to a select group of Club Carlson members, and is not
available to everyone. If you have any further questions regarding the
offer, please contact US Bank at 1-800-236-4012.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to assist you.
Regards,
xxxx | Member Services Online Customer Care Specialist, Carlson
Rezidor Hotel Group
Thanks for the reminder about this offer. I’d actually send in the secure email, then got a curious reply of apology along the lines of “we don’t service Club Carlson credit cards via email.” I was then instructed to call for help. Tried that today (upon your reminder) and was told that “the offer was only made to select cardholders who had complained” (about the devaluation, etc.)
That’s actually NOT true — but I wasn’t going to argue with the boilerplate. (I know folks who got the offer w/o any complaining.) In my case, if I don’t get the offer, then you betcha, it will become a complaint.
For the moment, I’m awaiting for a call-back from a “supervisor” who may, or may not be able to help. We shall see.
Tried your suggestion w/o letter and was turned down flat! Was told offer only made to selected cardholders. 🙁
Used the BOGO in Chicago in July and it was the best: fabulous location, beautiful hotel and very very nice staff. We were nice with them and in return they gave us a better room plus few souvenirs gifts on departure day. Did a barbecue on the hotel outside area after shopping to the excellent Marinos super market across from the hotel. Cannot recommend the hotel more: best value in US. Also swim in the lake. But do Chicago only in summer since winter is brutal.
Thanks for the earlier advice recommending contacting them via email. After 15 days both my wife and I received letters saying we were eligible for a free night certificate. Just waiting for them to post so I can use them at the Radisson Blu in Cape Town S. Africa next summer. Thanks again !!
AnonMom – I got a letter saying I could cancel card and get AF refunded or get 7,500 points. I took the 7,500. Then I heard about the e-cert later and did the secure email route, It took a month from when somebody called to seeing it on the account yesterday.
Mine and my husband’s have NOT posted yet. Did you get a letter from US Bank also? We each got a call from the “Executive Office” or something, then a letter from the “Office of the President” saying that we could either close the account and receive a credit for the AF, or if we choose to keep the account open they will issue an E-cert for a free night’s stay — but we had to call back to let them know which. We obviously chose the E-cert, but nothing has appeared yet.
I had taken the same approach a few days before seeing your post (and commented there). I also got the e-cert posted yesterday.
the Radisson Blu in philly is pretty nice
My cert posted yesterday and my annual fee is due this month. Do you think I can cancel the card and not have the cert clawed back?