A total scam, the only point being to have you acquire a Shell credit card. The rub is that the Promissed 10 cents a gallon discount on all fuel purchases (that's what the flyer at the gas pump says!) applies ONLY to "participating dealers" of which there are NONE in, around or near to where I live and work. This should be on the desk of your state attorney general as CONSUMER FRAUD and the cunning bastards who are running this program should be in jail.
I signed up to Shell's Fuel Rewards program for 2 reasons: I have one very close to home & they promised 50¢ off gas for using the card the first time... How could I go wrong, right? Wrong!
I double check with the website that my local station is in the program, & they say it is. (Yay) so I sign up, which turns out to be an arduous process... They want a lot of info. After I sign up, I see that it's only a 25¢ discount initially, & that you earn the other 25¢ as part of a promotion when you link a credit card.... So I do it.
There is never an opportunity to earn the extra discount, because there is a lot of small print they don't disclose about this promotion. Well ok, I'll at least get my 25¢, right? Wrong.
I go to my local station few days later ( I also found that the initial discount only lasts a week )... I give the attendant my rewards card & he tells me the pump message says it's invalid & that I have to go to the cashier... Only there IS no cashier at this station! There is no convenience store here! I pay the attendant!
So, being this was a waste of time, I cancel my membership... Again, no small feat as they there is no info on how to do this anywhere on the site. I go to my email preferences & say send none, then email & ask to be canceled.
A week later, I get a weekly newsletter type email from them. I try to unsubscribe but am told that my info is not in the system. I email them & ask the emails to stop, but they tell me I'm not in the system. But I'm getting emails, so I have to be, right? Wrong.
I am told to re-join so that I can unsubscribe... Yes, you read that right.... Rejoin in order to cancel. I told them that sounds asinine, but I did it anyway. I am STILL receiving emails after canceling twice, & this time my account is not deleted as promised!
I am trying to cancel for the third time... I advise looking into this program with a fine tooth comb if you're interested in joining.
Regarding the Fuel Rewards Network ("FRN") referral bonus promotion. I properly forwarded the promotion email to my wife, who in turn signed up for FRN program. There are specific qualifications required:
1. Referral person must use link to sign up for FRN
2. Referral bonus of $0.25 is available once new FRN member completes one fillup (minimum 8 gallons)
3. Referral bonus of $0.25 is available 2 to 3 days after
I adhered to all above as well as the completed task by my wife. The referral bonus email was forwarded AS-IS, plus I copied the actual link provided by FRN and pasted it in my email body. My wife confirmed that she clicked the link to get onto the FRN registration page. My wife filled up, and entered her FRN number manually at the pump.
I called FRN customer support after 4 business days after my wife filled her tank, much more than the 8 gallons minimum requirement. FRN customer support advised me that a ticket was created and escalated. I patiently waited 1 week.
After 1 week, I again called FRN customer support to determine why my referral bonus has not posted. FRN customer support advised me that ticket was "On Hold/Still Being Reviewed." FRN customer support also informed me that it will take another 2 to 3 days to get a resolution. I asked that my ticket be marked urgent, since it has been several days since my initial call into FRN.
Today, I received a generic email from the "Advanced FRN Support Team": Thank you for contacting Fuel Rewards Member Support Team. Our Advance Support Team has reviewed the information. The referred friend did not use the link to sign up for the Fuel Rewards Network. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused you.
What a deceptive program. First, my wife took time to register for this FRN program. Then she went to a Shell gas station that is farther from our house. And now my referral bonus rewards will not post due to an error by FRN/Shell, even after I followed all the steps listed. DO NOT use this FRN program. Albeit, it might be nice to get $0.03 off a gallon of Shell gas, but I have noticed that Shell is usually 5 to 10 cents MORE than Mobil or Amoco. And definitely do not use the refer a friend/family promotion. Some it may have worked, while others who have not, FRN will give you a generice email response than to correct the error.
Fuel Rewards Network: Great rewards, IF you could only get them.... The Fuel Rewards Network (FRN) lets you earn rewards for things you buy through their online mall or at participating Shell stations and dining establishments. You can then use the rewards to purchase discounted fuel at Shell gas stations. But what happens when you don't receive the rewards you rightfully earned? First, if you happen to notice that you didn't get your rewards, you cannot make a claim for 45 days. Supposedly this is because some rewards may take that long to post to your account. In my personal experience, rewards almost always post within a few days.
So chances are, if they don't post in a few days, you're probably not going to get them. Ever. So why does FRN really make you wait 45 days before you can make a claim? Perhaps because after 45 days most people have moved on with their lives and conveniently forgotten about rewards they earned but never received? Anyway, for those with a great memory (and apparently no life at all) in 45 days you get the privilege of contacting FRN Customer Service to start the "resolution process." Don't get your hopes up just yet. If you made an online mall purchase, like I did, you will likely be informed that nothing can be done immediately because your claim must be "elevated to the corporate level." That's what I was told when I called customer service today.
Apparently, the customer service reps at FRN are not empowered to help customers until after the matter becomes a "corporate" issue. (Folks, we're probably talking about a 20 cents per gallon reward here. Talk about making a federal case out of it, huh? Perhaps these corporate wizards at FRN should move on to greener pastures and find jobs in government where their bureaucratic skills can really be appreciated? Just a thought.) After you finish up with the nice customer service rep, stand by for an email from FRN. When you get it, the email will tell you you need to submit written documentation in order to "expedite the resolution process." Expedite? I've already waited 45 days. Let's not rush into anything. Now, try to find that 45 day old order confirmation email you got from the online mall merchant. Keep looking. Have you got it? Great!
Print it out, scan it, make a PDF, now attach it and REPLY to that email you just got from FRN. Now be sure to reply to that email ONLY because sending a new email to FRN with the attachment will likely mess up the whole process. (I'm not kidding friends. This is the FRN "resolution process" you're supposed to follow if you didn't get your rewards and want to do something about it. Pitiful, huh?) Almost finished. All you need to do now is wait for someone from FRN to get back to you. Hopefully, they'll soon be sharing the "good news" that you've finally received that 20 cents (or whatever) reward you were promised sooooooooo long ago. Now in fairness, when things work as they should (i.e., rewards post to your account a few days or so after you make a purchase), the FRN program definitely has merit. By participating you should save money when you fuel up at Shell. I have. The bottom line: When something goes wrong and rewards don't post, 45 days is too long to wait to initiate a claim.
That should change. FRN really needs to take the hassle out of its woefully inadequate and painfully slow resolution process. And while they're at it, they must empower their customer service representatives to help customers immediately when a claim is made. No more of this "escalating to corporate" nonsense which only serves to cause more delays and unnecessary frustration. Update January 19, 2015: This program has gotten much worse. Rewards constantly do not post to your account even after receiving a confirmation email from FRN stating that you have earned rewards. And when this happens, FRN insists that you wait 45 days to make a complaint. Only after waiting 45 days will they "investigate." Wait. Why should you have to wait 45 days to complain that you did not receive your rewards after FRN sent you an email confirming you earned rewards? This FRN program is a ripoff. Sure, you will receive SOME rewards, but don't expect to receive ALL of the rewards your rightfully earned.
Fuel Rewards Network Reviews
Scam artists! How do they get away with this!
A total scam, the only point being to have you acquire a Shell credit card. The rub is that the Promissed 10 cents a gallon discount on all fuel purchases (that's what the flyer at the gas pump says!) applies ONLY to "participating dealers" of which there are NONE in, around or near to where I live and work. This should be on the desk of your state attorney general as CONSUMER FRAUD and the cunning bastards who are running this program should be in jail.
I signed up to Shell's Fuel Rewards program for 2 reasons: I have one very close to home & they promised 50¢ off gas for using the card the first time... How could I go wrong, right? Wrong!
I double check with the website that my local station is in the program, & they say it is. (Yay) so I sign up, which turns out to be an arduous process... They want a lot of info. After I sign up, I see that it's only a 25¢ discount initially, & that you earn the other 25¢ as part of a promotion when you link a credit card.... So I do it.
There is never an opportunity to earn the extra discount, because there is a lot of small print they don't disclose about this promotion. Well ok, I'll at least get my 25¢, right? Wrong.
I go to my local station few days later ( I also found that the initial discount only lasts a week )... I give the attendant my rewards card & he tells me the pump message says it's invalid & that I have to go to the cashier... Only there IS no cashier at this station! There is no convenience store here! I pay the attendant!
So, being this was a waste of time, I cancel my membership... Again, no small feat as they there is no info on how to do this anywhere on the site. I go to my email preferences & say send none, then email & ask to be canceled.
A week later, I get a weekly newsletter type email from them. I try to unsubscribe but am told that my info is not in the system. I email them & ask the emails to stop, but they tell me I'm not in the system. But I'm getting emails, so I have to be, right? Wrong.
I am told to re-join so that I can unsubscribe... Yes, you read that right.... Rejoin in order to cancel. I told them that sounds asinine, but I did it anyway. I am STILL receiving emails after canceling twice, & this time my account is not deleted as promised!
I am trying to cancel for the third time... I advise looking into this program with a fine tooth comb if you're interested in joining.
Regarding the Fuel Rewards Network ("FRN") referral bonus promotion. I properly forwarded the promotion email to my wife, who in turn signed up for FRN program. There are specific qualifications required:
1. Referral person must use link to sign up for FRN
2. Referral bonus of $0.25 is available once new FRN member completes one fillup (minimum 8 gallons)
3. Referral bonus of $0.25 is available 2 to 3 days after
I adhered to all above as well as the completed task by my wife. The referral bonus email was forwarded AS-IS, plus I copied the actual link provided by FRN and pasted it in my email body. My wife confirmed that she clicked the link to get onto the FRN registration page. My wife filled up, and entered her FRN number manually at the pump.
I called FRN customer support after 4 business days after my wife filled her tank, much more than the 8 gallons minimum requirement. FRN customer support advised me that a ticket was created and escalated. I patiently waited 1 week.
After 1 week, I again called FRN customer support to determine why my referral bonus has not posted. FRN customer support advised me that ticket was "On Hold/Still Being Reviewed." FRN customer support also informed me that it will take another 2 to 3 days to get a resolution. I asked that my ticket be marked urgent, since it has been several days since my initial call into FRN.
Today, I received a generic email from the "Advanced FRN Support Team": Thank you for contacting Fuel Rewards Member Support Team. Our Advance Support Team has reviewed the information. The referred friend did not use the link to sign up for the Fuel Rewards Network. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused you.
What a deceptive program. First, my wife took time to register for this FRN program. Then she went to a Shell gas station that is farther from our house. And now my referral bonus rewards will not post due to an error by FRN/Shell, even after I followed all the steps listed. DO NOT use this FRN program. Albeit, it might be nice to get $0.03 off a gallon of Shell gas, but I have noticed that Shell is usually 5 to 10 cents MORE than Mobil or Amoco. And definitely do not use the refer a friend/family promotion. Some it may have worked, while others who have not, FRN will give you a generice email response than to correct the error.
Fuel Rewards Network: Great rewards, IF you could only get them.... The Fuel Rewards Network (FRN) lets you earn rewards for things you buy through their online mall or at participating Shell stations and dining establishments. You can then use the rewards to purchase discounted fuel at Shell gas stations. But what happens when you don't receive the rewards you rightfully earned? First, if you happen to notice that you didn't get your rewards, you cannot make a claim for 45 days. Supposedly this is because some rewards may take that long to post to your account. In my personal experience, rewards almost always post within a few days.
So chances are, if they don't post in a few days, you're probably not going to get them. Ever. So why does FRN really make you wait 45 days before you can make a claim? Perhaps because after 45 days most people have moved on with their lives and conveniently forgotten about rewards they earned but never received? Anyway, for those with a great memory (and apparently no life at all) in 45 days you get the privilege of contacting FRN Customer Service to start the "resolution process." Don't get your hopes up just yet. If you made an online mall purchase, like I did, you will likely be informed that nothing can be done immediately because your claim must be "elevated to the corporate level." That's what I was told when I called customer service today.
Apparently, the customer service reps at FRN are not empowered to help customers until after the matter becomes a "corporate" issue. (Folks, we're probably talking about a 20 cents per gallon reward here. Talk about making a federal case out of it, huh? Perhaps these corporate wizards at FRN should move on to greener pastures and find jobs in government where their bureaucratic skills can really be appreciated? Just a thought.) After you finish up with the nice customer service rep, stand by for an email from FRN. When you get it, the email will tell you you need to submit written documentation in order to "expedite the resolution process." Expedite? I've already waited 45 days. Let's not rush into anything. Now, try to find that 45 day old order confirmation email you got from the online mall merchant. Keep looking. Have you got it? Great!
Print it out, scan it, make a PDF, now attach it and REPLY to that email you just got from FRN. Now be sure to reply to that email ONLY because sending a new email to FRN with the attachment will likely mess up the whole process. (I'm not kidding friends. This is the FRN "resolution process" you're supposed to follow if you didn't get your rewards and want to do something about it. Pitiful, huh?) Almost finished. All you need to do now is wait for someone from FRN to get back to you. Hopefully, they'll soon be sharing the "good news" that you've finally received that 20 cents (or whatever) reward you were promised sooooooooo long ago. Now in fairness, when things work as they should (i.e., rewards post to your account a few days or so after you make a purchase), the FRN program definitely has merit. By participating you should save money when you fuel up at Shell. I have. The bottom line: When something goes wrong and rewards don't post, 45 days is too long to wait to initiate a claim.
That should change. FRN really needs to take the hassle out of its woefully inadequate and painfully slow resolution process. And while they're at it, they must empower their customer service representatives to help customers immediately when a claim is made. No more of this "escalating to corporate" nonsense which only serves to cause more delays and unnecessary frustration. Update January 19, 2015: This program has gotten much worse. Rewards constantly do not post to your account even after receiving a confirmation email from FRN stating that you have earned rewards. And when this happens, FRN insists that you wait 45 days to make a complaint. Only after waiting 45 days will they "investigate." Wait. Why should you have to wait 45 days to complain that you did not receive your rewards after FRN sent you an email confirming you earned rewards? This FRN program is a ripoff. Sure, you will receive SOME rewards, but don't expect to receive ALL of the rewards your rightfully earned.