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One of the basic tenets of the miles and points world or anything where you have to follow “rules” to get achievements / prizes whatever is that many times you don’t get what you “should” (whether due to poor company’s IT systems, misreading of the rules, dishonest companies trying to wriggle out of their obligations, etc).  I learned this maxim first about 10 years or so ago when I did a deal that involved getting a laptop for free after filling out 47 mail-in rebates (SEE: The parable of the 47 mail-in rebates – a lesson in persistence).  The lesson being that a) you have to track your promotion requirements and b) you often have to call / follow-up / fight

Since then, here are just a FEW of the times where I’ve had to do that

a group of children sitting around a table with papers

Choice Hotels Fall 2017 promotion

Back in 2017, Choice Hotels had a promotion where you got a “free night” (actually 8000 points) after 2 stays.  I had a few paid stays coming up, so in October 2017 I decided to hotel hop in Colorado Springs between the Econo LodgeInvalid request error occurred. ($56 / night) and the Clarion Hotel and Conference CenterInvalid request error occurred. ($84).

Fast forward a month or so, and I noticed that I hadn’t received any points for the stay.  I emailed the Choice Privileges Service center, which I have generally found to be a giant waste of time, and eventually (after WEEKS delay) I finally got a response that somehow my account had been set to earn “miles” instead of points.  I’m not sure what had happened as there was an account number listed under “miles” but no actual airline listed.  So not only did I not get any Choice points, I didn’t get any airline miles either!

Then it was time to call in to the Choice Privileges service center.  The first person I got was not helpful, but after HUCA, I got a friendlier agent who credited me my points (560 for the Econo Lodge stay and 840 for the Clarion stay).

But here we are nearly at the end of February 2018, and I haven’t received the bonus points from the promotion.  So given the waste of time that is emailing Choice Privileges, I called back in. The first lady I spoke to was nice, and sympathetic, but said there was nothing she could do.  I asked to speak to a supervisor, who, after about 15 minutes of hold, granted me my promotion points!

a screenshot of a hotel

Sweet success!

Have you had to “fight” to get a company to honor a promotion?  Leave your stories in the comments


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