Not sure what happened with IHG Rewards Club back in 2013, but they suddenly started to close and terminate some accounts that had signed up for multiple promotions.
IHG Rewards Club didn’t cover this on the Terms and conditions governing the program before this fall (read more here), when they updated the program T&C’s (access the T&C’s here).
I have covered this IHG Rewards Club account issues (at least) four times previously:
IHG Rewards Club Terms & Conditions Update September 10, 2014
UPDATE: IHG Rewards Club Account Audits & Terminations
IHG Rewards Club Account Audits & Terminations
IHG Rewards Club Account Audit
Here’s the email from a LoyaltyLobby reader:
I really need your advice in this situation and will be very grateful if you can help me here.
I have an account with IHG since 2004 or maybe even for longer with platinum status and over 250,000 points. Yesterday i could not access my account online, and said that i should contact a IHG representative. So i called, and a very rude representative told me that my account was closed due to violation of terms and conditions, because i had registered to some promotions that were not targeted for me. I was devastated to know this, as i have been a loyal customer and a promoter encouraging all my friends to become members and enjoy the benefits from being a member. I always choose to stay at a IHG property over any other property, even that some times i spend more money or sacrifice location just to keep my account status and to have the benefits from it.
I am certain that i haven’t done anything wrong ( I have registered for some promotions listed on your web page, but my point are gained from my stays and the 1000 point from a promo or two don’t make a difference) and that i love this program, but this time i feel like if i was robbed, they told me that a representative will contact me in a 72 hours period.
What can i do? who should i talk to? i have invested so much effort and time in this account, i just can’t loose it!
Please help!
From a reader of your web page that has saved me thousands of dollars in hotels, thanks for keeping up all the updates!
First of all there has been very few targeted promotions in 2014 that everyone could have signed up for compared to other years. Also, there haven’t been practically any new promo codes out for months.
Here’s what I would do:
1. Contact the Customer Relations in the United States and try to clear the issue with them. I truly doubt that they wouldn’t clear your account if there is only few promo sign ups here and there.
2. You can try contacting the head of loyalty programs at the IHG. You can find the public LinkEdIn profile of the person here. Remember that the IHG email addresses are formatted as firstname.lastname@ihg.com.
3. You can always contact the consumer ombudsman of the jurisdiction that you live. In the United States, you can open a complaint with the office of the Attorney General of the state that you live in or where InterContinental Hotels Group is based (Georgia).
Conclusion
Considering the number of very few “targeted” promotions that anyone has been able to sign up for in the 2014, I cannot understand why IHG still continues this account terminations/closures. It really shouldn’t be THAT difficult to make sure that these targeted promotions can only be signed up for by select members. IHG has this procedure already on some promotions they have had.
Makes me cringe when I think about just buying IHG points. Questionnable business tactics, I’d say!
What happens if some of those points in a closed account were earned from the IHG Credit Card? Wouldn’t a member have additional protections as that falls under banking rather than just a loyalty program transaction?
Why would that fall under banking?
Scenario: I sign-up for a credit card that promises 50,000 points for $3,000 in charges in 3 months. Then they take away the points a month later? The credit card company (I thought fell under banking regulations), affiliated with IHG, just did a bait and switch.
I would hope that is illegal.
I don’t about know laws in different countries, but in UK there is an “Unfair Terms & Conditions” law that basically means that the T&C’s must be “reasonable” or they are unenforceable.
In the case of IHG cancelling accounts for ‘irregularities’ and removing the points they gave as a ‘bonus’, that probably is “reasonable”.
But what about IHG points that have been PURCHASED? Can they sell you a product, then take it away again without warning – or is that just “daylight robbery”? I know what I think….
Well one prob with this site is that it promotes all these targeted offers – and of course by sharing them some will apply. The sad truth is I was robbed of an Accor card doing the same thing so I learned my lesson. Advertising these targeted offers is pointless. As companies get smarter about spending their promo budget it is not going to be with readers of this site if not advertised. So beware ! Ps the site is great but sharing all these targeted offers is obviously causing more grief than it is worth and just knowing someone else is offered it is pointless.
I totally agree with Dave Huntley, people see your notes & think they can sign up too. They can’t! Targeted is targeted! They should not be surprised when their points are taken away.