American Express Blue Card

There is a market opportunity for a bank with a smaller market share to do a deal with AMEX, say NIB. At lot of people had AMEX for use in business travel and the like and these might make good customers.
 
ardmacha said:
There is a market opportunity for a bank with a smaller market share to do a deal with AMEX, say NIB. At lot of people had AMEX for use in business travel and the like and these might make good customers.
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I don't think non-Blue AmEx has been affected, has it?

I think the whole point of the American Express Blue Card is that's it's for personal customers, not business customers. Hence the fact that it's credit card rather than a charge card, and the money back scheme.

I know for certain that one of the largest American multinationals in Ireland use AmEx (Green). I assume there are many others.

Given the public's misguided negative attitude to the acceptance of AmEx, I don't see any institution providing American Express Blue for the foreseeable future. Internationally, I don't know if it's been a success though it was heavily advertised back in 2001. New Order providing the soundtrack. (Some age-targeted advertising there, I reckon).
 
Mr. David Courtney (Bank of Ireland Credit Cards),

I received your letter yesterday and I am most disappointed that you choose to give just two weeks notice that you are withdrawing the Amex Blue MoneyBack scheme on 31 Aug.

In light of consumer sentiment one would have thought Bank Of Ireland would have been a little more considerate towards their customers by having a planned phase out of the product rather than what appears to a curt execution.

I have secured long haul travel arrangements with airlines and hotels and have both regular and annual direct debits. I trust your withdrawal of the card will not cause me any embarrassment or financial loss and that if anything should go wrong you will honour any commitments undertaken.

In your letter to me you mentioned I could expect a call from one of your sales persons to sell me alternative products. As you don’t appear to have a comparable product to the AMEX Blue Cash back on the market I really don’t think you can offer me an alternative.

As you are withdrawing the card as opposed to me choosing to cancel it I do not consider it appropriate that you would expect me to pick up the full tab for the annual government credit card levy.

Yours….

 
Problem with Amex Blue is they never went chip and pin. Shop assistants think twice about accepting it or dont and customers think twice about using it and I think the banks see it as a security risk on themselves as transactions not verified by PIN. Amex Blue would still be around if it had chip & pin.
 
Sumatra said:
Mr. David Courtney (Bank of Ireland Credit Cards),

... having a planned phase out of the product rather than what appears to a curt execution.
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In fairness, 2.5 months is hardly a "curt execution" of the product, though 2.5 week may be a curt execution of the scheme.


Sumatra said:
Mr. David Courtney (Bank of Ireland Credit Cards),

In light of consumer sentiment...
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I don't think there were many American Express Blue Card consumers, even if it does appear that Bank of Ireland intended it to be this way.


Sumatra said:
Mr. David Courtney (Bank of Ireland Credit Cards),

As you are withdrawing the card as opposed to me choosing to cancel it I do not consider it appropriate that you would expect me to pick up the full tab for the annual government credit card levy.
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Firstly, this would depend on whether you intend to switch to another credit card or not.
Secondly, regardless of Bank of Ireland withdrawing the card or not, the stamp duty is something the card holder pays, not the issuer. I don't think you've a leg to stand on here.
Just like when you buy a flight but never fly, do you get those flight-related taxes, VAT, etc back?

Good luck!

I'm not sure if you were looking for a proofread, but I think my points above may be worth considering.
 
csirl said:
Problem with Amex Blue is they never went chip and pin. Shop assistants think twice about accepting it or dont and customers think twice about using it and I think the banks see it as a security risk on themselves as transactions not verified by PIN. Amex Blue would still be around if it had chip & pin.
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AmEx is an American card and the entire country didn't go chip & pin. Same with Diners Club, etc...
 
I think AMEX has chip and pin in the UK. More likely BOI couldn't be bothered introducing chip cards as they would cost money.

Bank of Ireland have been thinking about this for years. The proper thing to do would to have cancelled the cashback from year end and then allow the account run to March, so that there wasn't any issue with the duty.
 
moritorium said:
Looks like BOI may have dumped them, but you can also apply to AmEx directly.
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Directly? Where can I apply directly to Amex for a American Express Blue Card?

It states "The Blue American Express Credit Card is issued by the Bank of Ireland under licence from American Express Limited. For more information please visit www.bankofireland.ie"
 
Sumatra said:
Gautama, from your response I don't think you received the letter.
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I did receive the letter, I got it yesterday or the day before. I assume all AmEx Blue cardholders got the letter? It's mad too, seeing as I got my new card only a couple of weeks ago!

I'm annoyed that I won't be getting money back anymore.
I'm annoyed that a good relationship like this has come to an end:

Even back when I first got my AmEx Blue I got the feeling that it (product and scheme) would be a short term thing. It was the vibe I got from the start.

I had an AIB Gold MasterCard. When I applied for the AmEx Blue I emphasized that this was not a new credit card application as such, that it was a switch from MasterCard to AmEx. To complicate things further, for my last year with the MasterCard I was charged €40 stamp duty, as was the rate at the time. For my first year with AmEx Blue I was charged €30 stamp duty (the duty had been decreased). AmEx then refunded my stamp duty at the end of the year, but only refunded €30.
I had to go thru' a rigmarole to get my intervening €10.

It's been arduous getting an AmEx blue, getting the stamp duty refund :(
And it's a dose to be losing it.
They refunding the €30 stamp duty without questions, then the €10 without questions.
And when I set up my original direct debit, my bank screw up meaning that the direct debit did no go thru and I got a fine. When I phoned and explained what happened, they refunded that too as a goodwill gesture, without questions.
 
Gautama said:
...regardless of Bank of Ireland withdrawing the card or not, the stamp duty is something the card holder pays, not the issuer. I don't think you've a leg to stand on here.
Just like when you buy a flight but never fly, do you get those flight-related taxes, VAT, etc back?
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I disagree. A closer analogy would be if the airline cancelled the return leg of a round trip flight and offered to refund you that portion of the fare, but not the associated taxes and duties.

I put it to Mr Courtney this way:
Given that Bank of Ireland has taken a commercial decision to close the Amex account, it seems only reasonable to assume that they and not their customers will be absorbing the cost of the €30 Government levy charged last April 1st and I shall expect to be reimbursed pro rata for this when the final balance on the account is calculated; otherwise, I shall have to consider closing our MasterCard accounts too.
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I expect they're quaking in their boots. :eek:
 
Sorry Gautama. The unique selling point of this card is the 1% cash back on all purchases and that's why I feel they can't offer an alternative. In my opinion the September call is only an excuse to sell. I had no problems on long haul travel, AMEX is a global brand with worldwide recognition and travel accident insurance. I too received the letter yesterday and they stated the cash back finishes on 31 Aug. When is the gov levy due? Did I pay in April for the previous years or in advance?
 
Hear, hear Dr Moriarty!

On the point of a pro rata reimbursement I wonder how many AMEX Blue customers they have?

On the letter I received just above the salutation was a number. The number was just below 1,800 so I assume this is a count on the number of letters they sent out.
 
Sumatra said:
Hear, hear Dr Moriarty!

On the point of a pro rata reimbursement I wonder how many AMEX Blue customers they have?

On the letter I received just above the salutation was a number. The number was just below 1,800 so I assume this is a count on the number of letters they sent out.
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Interesting its 2209 on mine,and my surname begins with T, so assuming they are going alphabetically, its probably possible to work out the numbers.
 
Here it is!
I'll type this in verbatim from the "Blue American Express Credit Card Agreement".
In the section at the back (it's one of those A4 cards folded into three leaves) "Blue American Express Credit Card MONEYBACK TERMS AND CONDITIONS".

10) These Terms & Conditions are subject to variation at the sole descretion of the Bank, which may amend the MoneyBack Programme and/or rate at which the MoneyBack is calculated and/or suspend and/or withdraw the MoneyBack Programme upon giving the Cardmember 14 days written notice of such variation, amendment, suspension or withdrawal. Upon termination, suspension or withdrawal of the MoneyBack Program , the MoneyBack accrued to the date shall be credited to the Cardmember's Account.

I can honestly say that I hadn't read the Ts & Cs before now, but there you go... in terms of the two weeks notice we don't have a pot to ppiisssss in or a window to throw it out of!

My letter has the number 2170 at the top. My surname begins with B.
 
Presumably there are not that many card holders.

A pro rata reimbursement wouldn't cost them a few full page adverts in national media and would certainly maintain goodwill.

Take the recently introduced govt levy on life policies. That's paid monthly or annually etc. If you cancel the policy mid term wouldn't you get a pro rata refund or would they refund you the annual premium less the 1% govt levy?
 
Also recieved the letter, mine had number 355 on it. Am a cardholder since 2000 so it might be based on the date you opened the account.

Am dissapointed that the account is being closed as the 1% moneyback was very useful. I put all my business travel on the card, so this added up over the years.
More then paid for the fact that you had to have a second credit card (Additional Govt Stamp Duty) as the Amex wasnt accepted everywhere.
 
My "number" is 1820 - surname F.

I received a pleasant e-mail today from David Courtney advising that he and his team are looking into the Stamp Duty issue which I raised and he'll be back to me.

I'd imagine that if Bank of Ireland receive lots of queries from Am Ex Blue cardholders asking for a pro-rata refund of Stamp Duty, it may help to influence the outcome.
 
LDFerguson said:
I'd imagine that if Bank of Ireland receive lots of queries from Am Ex Blue cardholders asking for a pro-rata refund of Stamp Duty, it may help to influence the outcome.
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A pro-rata refund would be sweet if you're not going to apply for a replacement card.

However, if you're going to get a replacement card it'll cost you more.
There's a timely article in today's Irish Times about credit card reward schemes:
[broken link removed]

The Brown Thomas card reads like the best to me. Gotta say though, nothing is as attractive as the Amex Blue MoneyBack. :( You got more, and you got it in cash!
 
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