V-Flyer

Is anyone else having this problem?

I've just noticed 2 deductions of miles from my FC account listed as "shopping miles purchase cancellation".

88 miles on 16th June
1696 miles on 19th June

The first relates to an M&S purchase and I've checked through my account history going back to before the purchase - these miles were never credited! The reason being that I used a voucher code which means miles are not earned. So they weren't credited (AFAIK) but have been cancelled and deducted - only I didn't cancel the items or return them.

The second relates to a Hotels.com booking. I send a voucher code to allow me to earn double Hotels.com rewards, but otherwise paid in full, followed the same procedure as normal and did not cancel.

I've obviously sent off some "where's my miles" type emails via the contact form with details of the above. I'll let you know when I hear back.

Ive had this a few times.
Argue the point & I usually got credited.
Happened once with House of Fraser. 16 points per £1
I wasn't giving them easily. Problem usually happens if you part return an order as well.

Yes, I've a few of late including a big hotel booking. I've sent the query via the missing miles link to ask what's going on.

I was told and I think I have see it somewhere in the small print that if you use another offer code whilst purchasing via the Shops Away route, eg. M&S double points, 20% off etc then the Virgin miles get taken away or not credited in the first place.

Now I do the maths and work out if the retailer offer is better value than the miles.

if the Hotel clearing company/ agency is doing a special offer which requires a code this would probably fall into the same issue, but just using Hotels.com or Booking.com or similar should be okay surely.? I am now going to check all my hotel spends just in case.

I would love to be wrong if someone can correct me.

Shops Away has some of the worst customer service I've encountered. It's run by a third party (points.com - the same people who handle Miles Booster) and complaints or problems are not really investigated thoroughly (even though interactions with customer service are labeled as if you were dealing with VS).

If - in turn - you try and contact VS directly to complain, VS can't do anything about it (or at least they say they can't).

I've had this recently too but haven't got round to investigating yet

This will also be a problem with using the affiliate network to earn points/cashback.

Quidco is the same. If you use any voucher codes or any other special offer routes to make the purchase, the cashback (or points in this case) will often be declined.

As already discussed, the T&C's do mention this, from the shops-away T&C's:

9. If coupon/voucher codes are used that are not listed on our Shops Away website, the transaction will not qualify for miles.

I have noticed this myself this week with some hotel bookings which were deducted even though the booking went ahead....I've submitted an enquiry but nothing heard yet. Their customer service is appalling and over the last couple of years with the same problem I have found them to be dismissive.

It does make me wonder if its worth the bother.

Jon

horburyflyer wrote:Their customer service is appalling and over the last couple of years with the same problem I have found them to be dismissive.

I agree, absolutely. I've just looked up some recent correspondence. I'd sent in a fairly detailed complaint and received from them - after chasing them up - this reply: "You are earning the correct miles amount. Should you have any queries in the meantime please feel free to contact us. We hope you will continue to enjoy collecting and spending Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles."

Great work!

As has been said, when voucher codes are used the miles don't usually track. The voucher code I used for my hotel booking did allow me to earn double reward nights, which was a fair amount, but the miles did track, and this transaction was 6 months ago.

I'm going to try arguing my case, but it seems a few of us have had the problem even though we didn't cancel anything or use voucher codes. 88 miles isn't much, but when they didn't track in the first place, and you've not cancelled the purchase or done a partial return / refund, it feels like I've been done! And 1696 is even worse.

Unfortunately it happens to me all the time too, a quick email off to the ShopsAway missing miles people usually has everything resolved quite rapidly.

I do admit some of the communication with the ShopsAway people can be a touch long winded, (for example, who the hell notes the exact time that you purchase stuff? ) but I have found them quite good at adding miles when they are indeed due.

Has anyone had this in reverse where miles for a cancelled transaction were credited to your FC account in error?

Do they normally notice it?

ColOrd wrote:Has anyone had this in reverse where miles for a cancelled transaction were credited to your FC account in error?

Do they normally notice it?

Yes they'll notice at some point. I had some miles for a cancelled transaction take about 5 months for them to reconcile and take them back.

I got my 88 miles back by the way. I had to take a snapshot of my FC account page to prove they weren't credited in the first place and it took about 2 weeks.

Bretty wrote:I got my 88 miles back by the way

Good! Spend them wisely!

Would you adam & eve it? Another 840 miles removed from my FC account as a shopping cancellation and when I tracked it back, I never cancelled the purchase or returned anything, and the items are hanging in my bleedin' wardrobe! Another claim / complaint gone in, I earned those fair and square! "We are not amused".

I had to ring yesterday as over 3500 miles seemed to have dropped off my account , a figure I check regularly so I knew what the running total was . Sunday morning did seem a good day to ring though - they answered almost before the phone ringing tone kicked in at my end.

it seems 3596 had been deducted but I had been credited with a few so the amount on my total was a mix of both - hence i didn't recognise the figure. When I checked the account I could see what the detailed amounts were.

they were miles for flights we are taking via Canadian Affair in the nxt few weeks. we had received Air Miles for the original booking (not a per mile award) and we have now paid the balance and are definitely flying.

fortunately I had the original email, booking ref and time of purchase. The operator said it is all down the retailer and clearly Virgin FC had received information from Canadian Affair ( actual flights are with Air Transat) which alerted them and so they deducted the miles. so form has now been submitted.

I actually rang Air Transat to check our booking still existed as it seemed a bit odd. We fly Club (MAN to YVR) and there are only 12 seats in Club, the remainder all being Ec. Yep - seats all booked.

Goodness knows what is going on - sometimes earning these FC miles is so frustrating !

Hmmm... -258 showing on my account for a HoF order allegedly cancelled :(

I had 6 lots of 700 miles deducted ...all on 31st. August.
They bear no relationship to any purchases over the last 12 months
Flying Club are onto it.

Paul

Yes it seems odd doesn't it. I'm sure we'll all get it sorted but could do without the hassle!

Hmmmm... reply from Shops Away. "We have investigated your query with House of Fraser and they reported that you completed your order by using their MasterCard or Store car which violates their purchase conditions http://shop.virgin-atlantic.com/departm ... e-of-frase"

I do not have a HoF Mastercard or Store Card

Something similar happened to me, but sadly I don't know if I can claim. I had about 2,000 miles deducted from my account in June for a completed hotel stay in December. I remember what happened; the Amex I paid with was used for fraudulent charges, so MBNA sent me a new one and cancelled the old. When Hilton went to authorise the booking, the card didn't work, so they contacted us and I just paid immediately on the new card. Sadly I guess it still came up as a cancelled transaction when they were doing checks some six months later.

Yes I think it would Spacedog.

I've heard back and been told that the retailer said my final click to purchase came via another marketing source. Err, no it didn't, I never left the site until I completed my purchase. I've asked them to investigate further, given them the click ID from the click tracking list and asked them to find which other marketing source I supposedly clicked through from.

Very annoying.

about as pants as the response I got Bretty....

The system is erratic and I have to say Gate 365 with BA, which I use more frequently, is no better.

I now just count it as a bonus if anything goes through at all!

I've yet to have a purchase credited properly without me raising a complaint.. Now got two pending waiting their investigation.