1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

Mlife ... bye bye Express Comps

Discussion in 'Comps' started by shifter, Apr 6, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2010
    Messages:
    10,096
    Location:
    At the tables
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    so as if the EC program couldn't get anymore screwed up after the underhanded "adjustments" they did to our ECs last year and then capping the amount that we could save and then reducing the amount we earned to a fraction previously and even using them before primary comps at some resorts, Mlife has reached a new low.

    it's been confirmed from one of my hosts that they're doing away with the EC program entirely this fall. not sure exactly when, he says about 6 months or so, so it's possible that it will coincide with the new year starting in Oct. or it might not be that soon because they move at a glacial pace with any changes, but it's definitely coming. they're going to go back to all discretionary comps applied by hosts or the player's club like they had with the original MGM Player's Club program.

    this is the same host that told me they were capping them at 5k for Plat and 10k for Noir early last year. for that it took them a little longer than he said, but he was right in the end. so if he says this is happening, it's guaranteed sooner or later. he advised me to blow all my ECs in the next couple of trips or lose them. definitely don't keep them around if you're not planning on being back in Vegas for a while.

    while it's possible that they'll let you keep and use whatever you have left, just stop awarding any more, it's also quite possible they just cut them off and you lose. they've proven they'll do whatever they can, however unpopular, to cut their balance sheet so the top execs get those big bonuses!
     
  2. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,420
    Location:
    Colorado Springs
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    12
    Thanks. I'll make sure to use all mine on this trip.
     
  3. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

    Joined:
    May 4, 2009
    Messages:
    23,220
    Location:
    TN
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    40
    When I go back, I am planning to blow through most, if not all of them.
     
  4. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2012
    Messages:
    3,414
    Wow this is the most schizo program I've ever heard of. It's still fairly new and they changed it so many times and now they're already getting rid of it. Crazy.

    It really sucks for you big players who never come close to using all your comps so at least you ended up banking a bunch of it into your ECs. I bet it has something to do with the accounting issues they've had with ECs. They made the decision to make them a second tranche to primary comps so they ended up having big balances of them left on their books as liabilities. CET treats them as the first tranche so doesn't have that issue.
     
  5. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2010
    Messages:
    10,096
    Location:
    At the tables
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    yeah as much as I hate that policy (they do that at the Beau) it certainly seems like any reasonable person at the top would come up with that as a solution to their issue of large EC balances as liabilities on their books. just start using ECs first for everyone and eventually all the balances will come down to $0. low rollers can still use them to comp themselves like the program was originally designed, but nobody will be able to save up large balances. instead some idiot decides to change the program 20 times in convoluted ways that nobody can understand and piss everybody off in the process and then scrap it completely.

    I got some more information and it looks like they probably won't be taking them from anyone, but they will just discontinue the program so you can't earn anymore. and they are already taking any discounts/airfare from your ECs. so eventually everyone will go down to $0 which is what they want.
     
  6. evoni

    evoni High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2008
    Messages:
    825
    Location:
    Bay area, California
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    101
    Thanks for the information. It's good to have a heads up.

    I used most of mine up last Thanksgiving after experiencing one of their surprised audits where they decided 7 months after the fact that they didn't deduct something from express comps the previous year. Since then even though I'm currently NOIR and suppose to gain EC's faster and haven't changed my level of play the EC rate I'm seeing is about 80 percent less then before October 1st 2012 so I for one won't miss the EC's.
     
  7. grosx2

    grosx2 Have fun storming the castle!

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2013
    Messages:
    3,086
    Location:
    Chicago
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    31
    Well for someone who was looking to make a break from CET and start anew with MGM, this does not appear encouraging. My Vegas group and I are planning on trying our luck with M life due to TR comps really drying up in the last couple years. For veteran MGM players: Do you think this will reduce the amount of comps players receive? Or merely change the way in which they receive them?
     
  8. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2010
    Messages:
    10,096
    Location:
    At the tables
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    that's what I don't understand about the whole thing. I understand they severely underestimated what this would cost them when they first rolled out the program. it honestly was too good to be true to get everything comped every trip and still build up a significant amount of comps to use later. the fact that i was able to throw a party for a bunch of friends and blow almost 20k on their dime after getting all my previous trips comped as well really is too good to be true.

    so i understand that they needed to make some changes so they severely cut back on how fast you earn them and changed a bunch of rules on the whole thing. but overall the concept has worked fine for CET for years, so cutting it out entirely is just another dumb decision from the kings of dumb decisions.
     
  9. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2010
    Messages:
    10,096
    Location:
    At the tables
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    30
    it will definitely reduce the amount of comps lower level players get who come in on a room comp and rely on those ECs for F&B. now they will have to go to the player's club or host office and probably be told that they don't have any comps available. on the higher end, it won't make any difference trip to trip as your host will still comp you the same, but it definitely will make a difference in that it was nice to be able to save up ECs and use them to splurge for a nice bottle of wine or something occasionally.
     
  10. engicedave

    engicedave VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2005
    Messages:
    1,154
    I don't understand how earlier this week, that as a Platinum player, who' supposed to get a 30% credit bonus on my play, I can play several thousand dollars (coin in) on standard $5/$10 reel slots at Bellagio (not video game/VP) and when I check my MLife account, it shows an increase in POINTPlay and Express Comps, but ZERO earned points....not a low amount, but ZERO.

    How is that possible?

    I do not understand the MLife system at all

    (and yes, I made sure the card was in and counting)
     
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2013
  11. jpw711

    jpw711 Is that your cat?

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2009
    Messages:
    10,966
    Location:
    Southwest Missouri
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    74
    There went my reason to fly to Vegas for 5x tier credits per basepoint (VS. Mississippi earn rate) to reach a higher tier. (10 tier points/base point in Vegas, two/base point in Mississippi). The only tier benefit I considered worthwile was accelerated EC earning.

    I'll continue staying off strip while in Vegas and satisifying my sickness in between with trips to Tunica.

    Thanks for the heads up.
     
    No reason to go home yet.
  12. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    2,711
    Location:
    East
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    11
    As a low roller, it does not bother me any. I have long since stopped playing with Mlife. I emptied out my free play last trip and got a Bellagio buffet the prior trip, and I have only $2.72 for ECs left.

    Unused ECs were probably huge liabilities. There were probably plenty of people not in-the-know dropping thousands and not knowing what they were receiving for it.

    Despite another mlife blunder, I am proud of them. In 2 months, I have received more in comps from playing myvegas than I have ever received from them in 2 years of being an mlife member or could ever expect to receive in 2 more years combined.

    I love the strip though. And I am certain MGM officially knows they have my vote after CET did their thing about (shh!!) resort fees. This is not to say I am loyal to MGM because I am not, but CET rates are now on-par with MGM and there's no contest. Add myvegas to the mix (who knows how long that will last?) and I do not even see them at all. When I officially get tired of the strip, I am headed to Henderson and Summerlin. I love it there (it lacks the Vegas atmosphere though)! Not a huge fan of DT or off-strip (although I like a few of them).
     
  13. ACgambler

    ACgambler Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2011
    Messages:
    296
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    6
    Wow! Every change just gets worse for the player. They probably don't like the fact that a saavy player could always figure out exactly what his PC's should be by doing the math from the EC's. They want us back into the dark.
     
  14. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    2,711
    Location:
    East
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    11
    Sounds spot-on.
     
  15. FJD

    FJD Tourist

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2012
    Messages:
    85
    Location:
    USA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    13
    You can't trade these in for Freeplay at MGM like at CET, right?
     
  16. Naturaleight

    Naturaleight MIA

    Joined:
    Jul 27, 2012
    Messages:
    1,146
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    10
    I really don't get it. Will eliminating the EC's really save them THAT much money? All the tweaking and fine tuning they are doing to the program is just pissing people off and they're gonna lose more customers than they're gonna gain out of the pennies they will save by not giving a few measly EC's.
     
  17. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2012
    Messages:
    2,420
    Location:
    Colorado Springs
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    12
    I don't know about that. I kind of like the way it was before they started the whole EC thing.
     
  18. engicedave

    engicedave VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 27, 2005
    Messages:
    1,154
    If everyone knows, as part of the program they can spend XX number of EC's, they will, and that comes off the books.

    If they remove that and any comps become discretionary, meaning the customer has to ask, then you're likely to have less customers using less amenities, because they won't know to ask or be afraid to ask for fear of denial.

    Hosts will be held accountable to any comps given, so they won't be too loose with them but with only the bigger or loyal player.

    Removing EC's from the players hands (and minds) will be less off their books by way of comps
     
  19. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 8, 2012
    Messages:
    10,845
    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    35
    When you say "points", do you mean tier credits? Because if that's the case, then that just sounds like a straight-up glitch, which I'd call them about.
     
  20. chuckM

    chuckM Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2011
    Messages:
    230
    Location:
    Central NY
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    21
    EC's are pointless. I went Platinum in Oct. I left $30 worth when I left then. After $3k, all at MGM props. in March, I went all the way to $70. Wow...leave them, take them away, doesn't matter. Just get me to the front of the buffet line and I'm happy.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.