FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Earn 40 SkyMiles Per $ Purchasing Gift Certificates @ Spa Finder.com (Through 5/31)
Old May 12, 2011, 12:01 am
  #30  
mooper
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,289
Originally Posted by moebod
thanks. most I acctually found was 10% off. did anyone find a larger discount?
A.M. UPDATE FRIDAY MAY 13 : THIS DEAL IS NOW OFFICIALLY DEAD! THE SPAFINDER SITE NOW OFFERS 10 MILES PER DOLLAR - STILL AN APPEALING DEAL, BUT NO LONGER THE DEAL OF THE YEAR.

Below is my summary of all the steps to include to best leverage this 40 Delta miles per dollar spent at SpaFinder.com offer. The offer is scheduled to expire May 31st, but given its appeal, I suspect it is at risk of being pulled sooner. Act now! I've incorporated information gleaned on my own and from others, including from FT, The Points Guy, and other sources. If there are any incorrect steps or areas you can improve, speak up! I'm assuming you value Delta SkyMiles at 1.5 cents each and your choice of cash back sites is ShopAtHome (5% back), but you can change these variables to suit you.

1) Make sure you are a member of SpaFinder's "Club Spa" rewards program (my ref link included, thanks). New members get 100 points (worth $5). You'll also earn 1 point per dollar spent. Every 1,000 points is worth a $50 certificate, so you may view these points as worth 5 cents each, or another 5% discount.

2) [OPTIONAL STEP - NOT THOROUGHLY VETTED - CAVEAT EMPTOR!] Browse to the SpaFinder site via ShopAtHome (my ref link included, thanks), which will earn you 5% cash back. There are reports that SpaFinder customer service confirmed this is stackable with the Delta offer, despite the terms stating otherwise, but this is somewhat loose information. Include this step at your own risk. If you opt to skip this step for fear that it will invalidate the miles, then simply type http://www.spafinder.com/delta directly into your browser address bar, instead.

3) Order spa gift certificates. There is no maximum, and no expiration. They are good at thousands of spas, but you might check their directory (search via the top of the page) to be sure it is usable at ones you or your recipient will prefer. However, as certificates must be wholly used, else leave the remainder as credit at the particular spa, it's probably wise to order multiple smaller-denomination certificates instead of fewer larger ones. This makes gift-giving easier, and multiple smaller denominations may be combined on one redemption, anyway. SpaFinder terms clarify that certificates are transferable, so no worries about the giver and recipient names you use. If you get emailed or printable certs, there is no shipping charge. There are minimal shipping charges for mailed certificates.

4) On the checkout page, *first* enter the coupon code NYC12, then press apply. This should yield a 12% discount. Multiple people have received and posted emails from SpaFinder customer service confirming that discount codes *are* stackable and will not invalidate the Delta miles offer. Write them yourself if you're still worried, save the response for backup later, if needed.

5) After the 12% discount has applied, select Delta as your mileage partner to earn 40 miles per dollar charged, not including any shipping fees (selecting American will earn far fewer miles). Enter your Delta Skymiles account number. Take a screen-shot of this page for later reference, if needed.

6) Enter your payment information. If you use a rewards-earning credit card, you'll leverage the discounts even more. For example, if you use a Delta-branded credit card, you'll earn one more mile (1.5% discount, or 1.5 cents) per dollar spent.

7) Check to be sure that both the discount and your SkyMiles number are showing, then submit your order. If you have a data entry error and need to re-type, check again to be sure that all needed information is present before resubmitting. Save your screen shot and if you are worried, write to SpaFinder customer service to confirm that your SkyMiles account is showing on their side correctly. The T&C for the Delta offer state that miles are supposed to post 6-8 weeks later, so don't worry about anything until at least mid-July. If they still haven't posted, write to SpaFinder and include your documentation along with a polite request for them to post.

8) Be aware that the longer you hold onto the certificates, the greater the risk that SpaFinder will default and they will become worthless. I do not say this because I have any information indicating they are weak financially; I say it just to remind everyone that not every company stays around forever.

9) Especially if you are in a higher tax bracket, you might consider donating some certificates to charity for both the good will and the tax write-off. Also, FSA, HSA, etc participants might be able to leverage them as health care costs. Consult a tax attorney if you aren't sure if you qualify to do this or how to go about it properly.

If you stack *all* methods above, you should effectively receive a 5% + 5% + 12% +1.5% + plus 40 miles per dollar (60%) for a total of 83.5% off. Leave off the 5% cash back for prudence sake, and you're still at 78.5%. If you're like me and you value SkyMiles at 2 cents or above (I use 25K for last-minute domestic business round trips, easily saving me 2+ cents per mile), then you might view this opportunity as pre-purchased frequent flier miles at face value, with matching spa credit absolutely free!

Last edited by mooper; May 13, 2011 at 7:03 am Reason: improvements
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