Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
Dec 4, 2012, 4:04 pm
#3616
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
Sounding the alarm again. Just went into my closest OD. They no longer have Visa/MC/Amex cards for any value over $100. All of the Amex prepaid cards are gone as well. Might want to go check your local one soon...
Dec 4, 2012, 5:12 pm
#3618
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
Staples has never had anything over $200. For that, I'd rather just buy fee free GCs to specific stores than pay $6.95 for 1035 UR points (an alright deal but not worth going out of the way for, if even at all). I was surprised that OD had dropped even the $200 ones...
Dec 4, 2012, 5:26 pm
#3619
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: MKE
Programs: Fly: AA EXP UA Gold MM Stay: Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat Drive: Avis PC, Hertz PC
Posts: 782
I purchased 2 Amex cards last night at my local OD. These were the $25-500 variety. I also saw Visa cards up to $500
Manager rung me up, and asked for ID, but was perfectly pleasant, and i didn't get any impression that there was a problem. SHe did say that credit cards are fine, but not gift cards for GC purchase.
Dec 4, 2012, 6:36 pm
#3620
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Can you please stop going to OfficeDepot? You are clearly cursed
Dec 4, 2012, 7:42 pm
#3622
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
. At least now I have no reason to go to that depressing dump of a store. They don't have any worthwhile GCs that weren't Visa/MC/Amex/Amex PP/VR, Staples has a much better selection of other store gift cards.
Dec 4, 2012, 8:00 pm
#3623
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
As can I - up to 40 hours but beyond that, $0
People often talk about the 'value' of their time. Unless you're forgoing the opportunity to actually work and get paid for it, you're time is worth $0. I get paid a fixed salary and I'm not going to take a 2nd job, so the time I spend outside of work playing this game is essentialy worth nothing (in fiscal terms). Everything I "earn" while doing this becomes the monitary value of that time.
People often talk about the 'value' of their time. Unless you're forgoing the opportunity to actually work and get paid for it, you're time is worth $0. I get paid a fixed salary and I'm not going to take a 2nd job, so the time I spend outside of work playing this game is essentialy worth nothing (in fiscal terms). Everything I "earn" while doing this becomes the monitary value of that time.
The current BB program is moderately attractive (financially/travel-wise), depending on your travel patters...but you have to like the points game to do it. If you find it to be an effort, then move along to the next deal.
Dec 4, 2012, 8:01 pm
#3624
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
I plan to go again, they will prob go bankrupt the next day . At least now I have no reason to go to that depressing dump of a store. They don't have any worthwhile GCs that weren't Visa/MC/Amex/Amex PP/VR, Staples has a much better selection of other store gift cards.
. At least now I have no reason to go to that depressing dump of a store. They don't have any worthwhile GCs that weren't Visa/MC/Amex/Amex PP/VR, Staples has a much better selection of other store gift cards.
Dec 4, 2012, 8:02 pm
#3625
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
Dec 4, 2012, 8:05 pm
#3626
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Time is never worth $0. I get value from spending time with my kids or relaxing and reading a book. Do you not?
The current BB program is moderately attractive (financially/travel-wise), depending on your travel patters...but you have to like the points game to do it. If you find it to be an effort, then move along to the next deal.
The current BB program is moderately attractive (financially/travel-wise), depending on your travel patters...but you have to like the points game to do it. If you find it to be an effort, then move along to the next deal.
Yes, I value time with my family, but it has no monetary value.
Dec 4, 2012, 8:10 pm
#3627
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
Dec 4, 2012, 8:18 pm
#3628
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
As for our hobby, aside form time spent here, I probably put in less than 10 min/day so in that respect, I make a pretty good hourly wage at it when you consider the return on that nominal investment. I suspect you do as well.
Dec 5, 2012, 2:04 am
#3629
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 514
Lost payment. How to deal with BB?
Has anybody ever seen a paper check from BB?
I sent $525 to my landlady (her address was the same as my own address). The delivery date shows Nov 29, and the transaction status is "Completed".
To initiate the transaction, I entered the name of my landlady and the address (as apparently no account number exists for my landlady). I expected BB to send a paper check, like what banks do when one uses their online bill payment to pay a person. However nothing has shown up in the mail box.
I called BB three times and they first advised me to wait till Friday (Nov 30), then Monday (Dec 3), then Tuesday (Dec 4). And now it Wednesday and no check yet. They didn't seem prepared or willing to address this issue in any other way rather than advising me to wait.
I spoke with my landlady and she confirmed that she didn't receive anything. I am concerned that they might have sent the money to somebody else's account. Or probably the check has been lost.
Any thought or comment as to how to deal with BB regarding this?
(I followed and benefited from all posts about VR and reloading the card. But that would be good if we can also talk about BB and its issues...)
I sent $525 to my landlady (her address was the same as my own address). The delivery date shows Nov 29, and the transaction status is "Completed".
To initiate the transaction, I entered the name of my landlady and the address (as apparently no account number exists for my landlady). I expected BB to send a paper check, like what banks do when one uses their online bill payment to pay a person. However nothing has shown up in the mail box.
I called BB three times and they first advised me to wait till Friday (Nov 30), then Monday (Dec 3), then Tuesday (Dec 4). And now it Wednesday and no check yet. They didn't seem prepared or willing to address this issue in any other way rather than advising me to wait.
I spoke with my landlady and she confirmed that she didn't receive anything. I am concerned that they might have sent the money to somebody else's account. Or probably the check has been lost.
Any thought or comment as to how to deal with BB regarding this?
(I followed and benefited from all posts about VR and reloading the card. But that would be good if we can also talk about BB and its issues...)
Last edited by mizzou1; Dec 5, 2012 at 2:20 am
Dec 5, 2012, 3:38 am
#3630
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Mountain View, CA (near SJC and SFO)
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, and no status whatsoever on the airlines (!)
Posts: 468
Okay, I sincerely apologize if I'm thrashing a dead horse that was already killed on page 42 of this thread (I've actually read the last 5 pages or so...), but... can some kind soul suggest how I can actually find these darn VR cards in the San Francisco Bay Area?!?
I have gone to 7 CVS stores and 5 Walgreens. None of the CVS had them, though I got sent on a wild goose chase to several of the CVS stores that supposedly had them. Not a single CVS employee has ever seen the card (I've shown them a picture of it on my phone). However, one CVS manager was fairly sure that "any day now, we're supposed to get them!" and pointed to a spot on the rack with the item number, just waiting for VR cards. 6 weeks later: no VR cards.
Walgreens: found VR cards at 2 of the 5 stores, both insisted "cash only."
Gah. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can offer
P.S. -- Also tried 2 Valero gas stations and a Rite Aid.
I have gone to 7 CVS stores and 5 Walgreens. None of the CVS had them, though I got sent on a wild goose chase to several of the CVS stores that supposedly had them. Not a single CVS employee has ever seen the card (I've shown them a picture of it on my phone). However, one CVS manager was fairly sure that "any day now, we're supposed to get them!" and pointed to a spot on the rack with the item number, just waiting for VR cards. 6 weeks later: no VR cards.
Walgreens: found VR cards at 2 of the 5 stores, both insisted "cash only."
Gah. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can offer
P.S. -- Also tried 2 Valero gas stations and a Rite Aid.