B&Q stop accepting Amex

I was told yesterday at B&Q that they have stopped accepting Amex due to Amex increasing their charges.
Being in the middle of a house renovation, which has been a nice little mile earner, it will be a sad loss.

[RichardMannion]

Interesting, as AmEx and B&Q did a joint mail promo recently...

[Neil]

Hmmm, I used my VS AmEx at B&Q on Saturday without problem.

Homebase are ceasing their partnership with Airmiles w.e.f from 10th May.
I saw a notice in one of their stores yesterday. The lad serving me says that Homebase are going over to Nectar.
I'm full of useless info[:D]
R-P

[Nottingham Nick]

Interestingly National Express trains stopped taking Amex a couple of months back. A month or so after it was discontinued, they started taking it again. [?]

Maybe, there is some sort re-negotiation process afer the plug is pulled - better leverage and all that?

Nick

I saw a notice in B&Q last week - thought they were stopping AMEX at the end of the month. Won't be buying a new kitchen from there then! Seem to be less and less places that take it. Any suggestions how to turn my living room into my own Clubhouse?!

quote:Originally posted by Neil
Hmmm, I used my VS AmEx at B&Q on Saturday without problem.


The cashier told me they had been told that morning, so perhaps she misunderstood and it stops at the end of the month.
And maybe again it is leverage in the fees negotiation process.

Still an annoying loss as my local B&Q is bigger and better than other options.

Slightly OT but I believe National Express (certainly on the East Coast route) stopped Amex earlier this year but last/this month announced that they had re-evaluated the situation and are now accepting Amex again; one could assume that a drop off in sales esp co-orporate ones, sggested they re-evaluate. B&Q may do likewise.

[Neil]

quote:Originally posted by hackneyguy
Slightly OT but I believe National Express (certainly on the East Coast route) stopped Amex earlier this year but last/this month announced that they had re-evaluated the situation and are now accepting Amex again; one could assume that a drop off in sales esp co-orporate ones, sggested they re-evaluate. B&Q may do likewise.


Have you just copied what Nick wrote above [:D]

quote:
Still an annoying loss as my local B&Q is bigger and better than other options.

I agree, hopefully like the others have mentioned, they will be back accepting it, sooner rather than later.

quote:Originally posted by Neil
quote:Originally posted by hackneyguy
Slightly OT but I believe National Express (certainly on the East Coast route) stopped Amex earlier this year but last/this month announced that they had re-evaluated the situation and are now accepting Amex again; one could assume that a drop off in sales esp co-orporate ones, sggested they re-evaluate. B&Q may do likewise.


Have you just copied what Nick wrote above [:D]

[quote]


No - it is just a case of great minds thinking alike and me concentrating too much on my sandwich rather than on other posts [:I]

I tried to use my Amex in Paperchase the other week and was told that they too had stopped accepting Amex. Also had problems in Habitat a month or so ago where it was just the Virgin and BMI Amex's that they had stopped accepting as it apparently caused their tills to crash!

Many thanks

Jonathan

I know amex charge a lot to use there service but it seemed quite easy to negotiate a rate of 1.5% on all transactions when i enquired about accepting it in my showroom! which btw is currently cheaper than mastercard & visa for us anyway.
So the fact that huge companies start and then stop using the amex service is strange as these companies have much larger turn overs than us who build pools and supply hottubs, so i reckon there must be something with the day to day operation within amex that puts off these companies, and not just the high rate charged for the privelige.

cheers

alex

Maybe we need to start telling these companies how much we've spent at their competitors that do accept Amex.

I see that Paperchase had signs up yesterday saying they have stopped accepting Amex as of 1st May.

G.