FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Deal Killing Blogs: List deals which were pulled, and the blogs which published them.
Old Nov 18, 2012, 11:30 am
  #57  
TroyMcClure
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 147
Originally Posted by gregorygrady
Recently, I like many of you, have become more and more disgusted as many of the travel bloggers think only about their wallets and their own personal gain. They come and swipe info off FT, package it up so even a monkey can understand it, and proceed to spoonfeed it to everybody and anybody that will listen. And it seems they mainly do it just to get more CC affiliate referral links (ie, money in their pocket). And even, then the hat tipping copycat bloggers come in and give the deal 5x more exposure. So basically they are using the collective knowledge and postings of FT to make money for themselves, and are quickly killing deals in the process by overexposing deals that simply are NOT sustainable for the tens of thousands of readers that they spoonfeed this info to.

The obvious example is the Chase INK Bold/Plus Vanilla Reload 5x deal that bloggers just ruined for everybody this past week at Office Depot. I read on one thread that Chase was offering roughly $200 for affiliate referral applications for the Ink CCs. So bloggers pushed all these readers to apply for the INK Bold CCs, like lambs to a slaughter. And then when the deal died the bloggers laughed all the way to the bank at us peons, not much caring that it died because they had already pocketed all their hundreds of thousands of dollars from referring us suckers to apply for their CCs. BTW, this fantastic YouTube video by FTer "amolkold" about sums up my feelings perfectly about this whole Office Depot Vanilla Reload fiasco (I cry from laughter everytime I rewatch the video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=r6R5cEEqXpk

Anyways, my main purpose of this thread is not to rant about bloggers, there is a fantastic new blog (ironic, huh) by FTer "gpapadop" that does just that, feel free to go there and rant about bloggers in the comments (the link for that brand new blog is at the bottom of the following post):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19662237-post4172.html

The main reason I am starting this thread is to identify bloggers as well as the specific deals they have posted & killed over the years on their blogs. I know it is somewhat arbitrary, but I'd say if a blogger has posted about a deal and then that deal died within the next month (give your input, this could be as little as even a week or two), then they are partially to blame for the death of the deal. I plan to update the first post in this thread often, so please post examples of deals that bloggers have killed. If there is strong evidence that certain bloggers kill deals more than others, it would be my hope that this thread will make it known and will help steer you AWAY from these bloggers links if/when you decide to apply for your next credit card.

Although he is not the only one (or perhaps not even the worst offender), I will use Gary from View From the Wing as an example of how I'd like to list this (only cuz I have already been giving him a hard time recently in his blog comments for ruining lots of deals over the past month). Please use my example and give your own examples for any other bloggers you read that kill deals, and I will update this post and add those examples to this list:

Gary (View From the Wing):
- Alitalia Free $320 Off Flights
- Wyndham 16k promo (FF miles for 0.8cpm)
- Fairmont Lifetime Plat for $2k
- Virgin Atlantic Instant Gold Status
- Travelocity $200 deal
- 4 mile HKG F award tix
- FTD (30 miles/$ + 1500 bonus per purchase)
- AviancaTaca 0.3cpm (250 miles per purchase)
- Netflix churns
- Office Depot Vanilla Reloads 5x
- etc
- etc
- etc (I can probably list another 25+ deals this blogger has prematurely killed over the years if I think a little harder)


Darius (Million Mile Secrets):


Lucky (One Mile At a Time):


Rick (Frugal Travel Guy):


Brian (The Points Guy):


? (MileValue):


(MommyPoints):


BTW, I also wouldn't be against keeping a list of those bloggers who DON'T kill deals. Examples of those (I think) would include Seth (Wandering Aramean), Ric (Loyalty Traveler), etc.

FTers: Please keep it civil in this thread as I don't want it shut down cuz I truly do want a thorough list of bloggers who kill deals.

Bloggers: Please don't come on this thread picking fights to try to get this thread shut down.
Love the bottom feeding internet coupon clipper who has never shared anything complaining that other bottom feeding internet coupon clippers share deals! Priceless.
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