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-   -   Bogus AMEX Offer (https://www.fodors.com/community/asia/bogus-amex-offer-847558/)

Gpanda Jul 1st, 2010 10:27 AM

Bogus AMEX Offer
 
Got an offer for a First Class ticket JFK-Hong Kong for $2000. One had to click in at exactly 2:00 pm. I did so using my cell phone for timing. I was blocked and told to try again, I did so ten times. Blocked and then told it was sold out. beth did the same thing. This stemmed from an E-mail sent to millions of card holders. In other words, it's in the nature of spam for AMEX to send out an offer to millions of people that covers acceptance by only one or two applicants. They raised my hopes and crushed them. Bogus.

Marija Jul 1st, 2010 10:47 AM

Sounds like the iPhone 4 ordering process!

rhkkmk Jul 1st, 2010 12:11 PM

a fool is born every minute...

now lets see a HK trip, first class--which the OP NEGLECTED to mention----for $2000?? yup, a fool is born every second and most live in cambridge....

pathetic, einstein

Gpanda Jul 1st, 2010 01:53 PM

One of us is driving eight hours to get to Pittsburgh and the other lives in Cambridge. Not too difficult to determine which one is the fool.

Craig Jul 1st, 2010 01:56 PM

If it sounds too good to be true...

Pittsburgh - is that in Asia?

Kathie Jul 1st, 2010 03:25 PM

Do you remember a couple of years ago Leading Hotels of the world had a similar deal? You had to log on to their website and request the rooms at a very low price. The website went down, they had to construct a new website... I don't know anyone who managed to snag the great deal.

BTW, I'm miffed, AmEx didn't offer me that deal.

BillT Jul 1st, 2010 03:45 PM

Sort of reminds me of the cash for appliance deal- I tried for hours to get in on that deal to no avail. The website for this crashed and it created a lot of frustration!

rhkkmk Jul 1st, 2010 03:54 PM

bill.. i did the same thing this spring... the einswteins in the MA statehouse did not design the internet site correctly and exactly no one was able to get through at all... they all came from cambridge and their employees union made them do it...

rhkkmk Jul 1st, 2010 06:35 PM

we still bought the fridge will no rebate

solosingle Jul 1st, 2010 09:39 PM

These kinds of email are meant to generate publicity for a company for a fraction of a price which is just one ticket. I'm sure the one who gets it will also have to pay for tax and fuel etc. which costs more than 35% of the ticket. Don't have high hopes for it. Not worth the time & effort.

Gpanda Jul 2nd, 2010 02:20 AM

Exactly, it's in the nature of bait and switch. Essentially, the offer does not exist, but it generates lots of action on the website, so they can go to their bosses and demonstrate massive visits. Bogus!

sylvia3 Jul 2nd, 2010 08:43 AM

"I don't know anyone who managed to snag the great deal."

I got the Leading Hotels of the World deal; $19 for a night at the Posada de Santa Fe, and when I e-mailed the place and asked for another night at the same price (all they could say was "no", right?), they gave it to me! Had a nice getaway...

Kathie Jul 2nd, 2010 09:08 AM

sylvia, I'm glad to hear someone got the great deals. The Posada de Santa Fe was one of the places I selected... but didn't get.

Gpanda Jul 2nd, 2010 12:23 PM

I will sway that the bait and switch worked, sort of. We were excited about the chance, when we did noy get it, we ended up bookoking a Hong Kong trip anyway. But, we went with continental. We liked their long flight to Shanghai and decided to go with them.

Becalm Jul 3rd, 2010 05:02 AM

FWIW, I actually was able to get a great designer purse through this AMEX "lottery" for Mrs. Becalm a few years back. Of course, the odds are very low to get one of the few items available but you can get lucky. Haha GP, I love the turnabout of telling an attorney that he didn't read the fine print. Offer clearly stated only two tickets were available.

rhkkmk Jul 3rd, 2010 06:18 AM

i just got the deal myself.... because noone tried to get the original offering they reduced the price to $1599 per person...

Gpanda Jul 3rd, 2010 07:40 AM

Becalm-I know it said only two tickets. My whole point is that the bogosity of the offer extends from the audacity of sending an E-mail to millions of potential customers for an offer of two ticts. It is equivalent to spam. It's not a real offer. essentially, it does not exist. A nullity. A genuine offer is extended only when there is a possibility of an acceptance. Not the case in this instance. Bogus!

lincasanova Jul 3rd, 2010 11:04 AM

Kathie, We were two of the many lucky ones at the L. Hotels of the W deal. Website was overloaded first time but we were lucky the second time! Went to Cascais. It was fabulous and fun!


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