Mar 28, 2014, 10:58 am
Last edit by: MasterCharge
Welcome to Manufactured Spending. If you are new here, please spend some time reading before posting. Most likely your questions have already been answered multiple times. Consider deals that you share. These threads are searchable by Google. A volatile deal may be worth holding close to the vest.
Hints
1) On FT, topics are heavily consolidated. Sometimes the title of the thread and first few posts may not properly reflect the broad range of discussion inside the thread. Be sure to visit any thread relating to the product or service you want to learn more about because you might be surprised by how in depth the discussion really is. Example: This thread... I know, the first few posts are confusing.
2) Use Google to search FT. It works a lot better than the built-in search.
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. That being said, always be nice and courteous in the face of rejection. The biggest secret for success is to lay low so you can try again.
2) DO NOT spend more than you can afford. START WITH SMALL AMOUNTS TO TEST THE WATER! As an example.. don't start with a $5000 purchase of VGCs if you can't afford to float that much! Instead, buy one and try it, and scale up once you are comfortable with a new method. It's easy to lose track, or get robbed, when you are handling so much money. Getting a refund is NOT always possible.
3) DO NOT ask employees, cashiers, customer service representatives, etc... about how to MS, or about things you read on this forum. The information you read here are very specific, unknown, legal uses of products or services. Most employees, cashiers, and even managers do not know about them. At best you'll get bad information. At worst you'll create a lot of unnecessary misunderstanding.
4) It bears repeating that there are no guarantees. you could easily buy $10,000 in gift cards or some other instrument, only to discover that your method for liquidating them vanishes the very next day. MS is not "normal" financial activity ("normal" being defined by the banks), and thus is often perceived as "suspicious" even if it is "legal."
5) never underestimate the risk of criminal activity. gift cards can easily be stolen, loaded onto a compromised account, loaded in a debit card skimmer, or even fraudulent (e.g., an already used card put back on the rack).
If you have a question that does not seem to fit anywhere, or you have not found an appropriate place for it, post it here.
a helpful note from seat17D about some of the inherent risks of MS:
Take what you read with a grain of salt. No law enforcement agency cares if you are loading 5k to a bluebird per month unless you are loading your money from illegal activities like crack sales. Even at that point they only care about your crack sales, not your bluebird load.
Nobody is going to ask you "why are you loading your bluebird" or "where did you get the money you want to load on your bluebird" when you go to walmart.
Hints
1) On FT, topics are heavily consolidated. Sometimes the title of the thread and first few posts may not properly reflect the broad range of discussion inside the thread. Be sure to visit any thread relating to the product or service you want to learn more about because you might be surprised by how in depth the discussion really is. Example: This thread... I know, the first few posts are confusing.
2) Use Google to search FT. It works a lot better than the built-in search.
Important Rules
1) MSing is very YMMV. It varies by store, manager, and right down to the cashier working at the moment. That being said, always be nice and courteous in the face of rejection. The biggest secret for success is to lay low so you can try again.
2) DO NOT spend more than you can afford. START WITH SMALL AMOUNTS TO TEST THE WATER! As an example.. don't start with a $5000 purchase of VGCs if you can't afford to float that much! Instead, buy one and try it, and scale up once you are comfortable with a new method. It's easy to lose track, or get robbed, when you are handling so much money. Getting a refund is NOT always possible.
3) DO NOT ask employees, cashiers, customer service representatives, etc... about how to MS, or about things you read on this forum. The information you read here are very specific, unknown, legal uses of products or services. Most employees, cashiers, and even managers do not know about them. At best you'll get bad information. At worst you'll create a lot of unnecessary misunderstanding.
4) It bears repeating that there are no guarantees. you could easily buy $10,000 in gift cards or some other instrument, only to discover that your method for liquidating them vanishes the very next day. MS is not "normal" financial activity ("normal" being defined by the banks), and thus is often perceived as "suspicious" even if it is "legal."
5) never underestimate the risk of criminal activity. gift cards can easily be stolen, loaded onto a compromised account, loaded in a debit card skimmer, or even fraudulent (e.g., an already used card put back on the rack).
If you have a question that does not seem to fit anywhere, or you have not found an appropriate place for it, post it here.
a helpful note from seat17D about some of the inherent risks of MS:
I will speak to only the impacts and actions that have been taken (or threatened) to me personally over the years
1. Account closure - always got my money back. Moderate frequency. Little to no long-term impact UNLESS my wife was the first one to find out when her card was declined in public setting
2. Blacklisted by an FI - lower frequency. Short- to medium term impact. Eventually the FI's greed heals all wounds.
3. Blacklisted by a governmental agency -- lower frequency. Variable long-term impact as governmental agencies never actually forget, they just don't take action (see below)
4. Banned from a retail establishment -- threatened, but never actually banned. Mostly just pointed discussion from a misguided manager. Low-medium frequency.
5. Banned from an online establishment -- lower frequency, generally lower impact. Generally permanent, at least for me so far.
6. Cashback forfeited or clawed back -- generally happened to me as part of a credit card shut down. so far only forfeits and not clawbacks, but they are possible
And then there are the things law enforcement can and has done
1. Executed a warrant to subpoena my banking and other financial records without my knowledge
2. Contacted my FIs to inquire as the nature of my financial relationship
3. Frozen the portion of my assets that were currently involved in the activity they were investigating
4. Visited my home -- when I was not there -- to "interview" my spouse, etc. regarding their knowledge and involvement ... and to attempt to obtain additional documentation not already obtained by the subpoenas
5. Threatened to seize my assets. Not just the ones frozen. Not just those I currently possessed. But all assets they deemed as ever having been part of the criminal activity. (Think every GC, MO, etc. you have purchased over the past 3-5 years)
6. Threatened one or more felony charges. (Consider having to explain THAT to your wife or boss.)
And that all was for something that was completely legal, once the 'splaining was done.
Of course once LEO opens a criminal investigation, it never actually closes unless they take you to court and fail. So even though I was cleared of the charges, the original case file is out there ready to be dusted off.
In the end, my biggest concern is the extent to which something will permanently impact my marriage or ability to enter into financial contracts (felony charges would be one example). Fortunately once the initial shock of LEO's investigation wore away, both my marriage and financial relationships were intact. Very thankful both she and a few key FI's stood by me.
When you MS, you are running with scissors.
1. Account closure - always got my money back. Moderate frequency. Little to no long-term impact UNLESS my wife was the first one to find out when her card was declined in public setting
2. Blacklisted by an FI - lower frequency. Short- to medium term impact. Eventually the FI's greed heals all wounds.
3. Blacklisted by a governmental agency -- lower frequency. Variable long-term impact as governmental agencies never actually forget, they just don't take action (see below)
4. Banned from a retail establishment -- threatened, but never actually banned. Mostly just pointed discussion from a misguided manager. Low-medium frequency.
5. Banned from an online establishment -- lower frequency, generally lower impact. Generally permanent, at least for me so far.
6. Cashback forfeited or clawed back -- generally happened to me as part of a credit card shut down. so far only forfeits and not clawbacks, but they are possible
And then there are the things law enforcement can and has done
1. Executed a warrant to subpoena my banking and other financial records without my knowledge
2. Contacted my FIs to inquire as the nature of my financial relationship
3. Frozen the portion of my assets that were currently involved in the activity they were investigating
4. Visited my home -- when I was not there -- to "interview" my spouse, etc. regarding their knowledge and involvement ... and to attempt to obtain additional documentation not already obtained by the subpoenas
5. Threatened to seize my assets. Not just the ones frozen. Not just those I currently possessed. But all assets they deemed as ever having been part of the criminal activity. (Think every GC, MO, etc. you have purchased over the past 3-5 years)
6. Threatened one or more felony charges. (Consider having to explain THAT to your wife or boss.)
And that all was for something that was completely legal, once the 'splaining was done.
Of course once LEO opens a criminal investigation, it never actually closes unless they take you to court and fail. So even though I was cleared of the charges, the original case file is out there ready to be dusted off.
In the end, my biggest concern is the extent to which something will permanently impact my marriage or ability to enter into financial contracts (felony charges would be one example). Fortunately once the initial shock of LEO's investigation wore away, both my marriage and financial relationships were intact. Very thankful both she and a few key FI's stood by me.
When you MS, you are running with scissors.
Nobody is going to ask you "why are you loading your bluebird" or "where did you get the money you want to load on your bluebird" when you go to walmart.
New to Manufactured Spending? Start Here.
Aug 19, 2014, 10:42 am
#961
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 31
I don't think this deserves it's own thread, so I'll just post it here:
After a couple of months lurking around and learning, I successfully MS'd my first $6k this month. I was able to pay rent and other bills that cannot be paid with cc!
Cashed out about 1/2 in Walmart MOs and the rest through Serve/BB reloads at WM Kate.
Thanks for the info here from all of the community - great stuff!
After a couple of months lurking around and learning, I successfully MS'd my first $6k this month. I was able to pay rent and other bills that cannot be paid with cc!
Cashed out about 1/2 in Walmart MOs and the rest through Serve/BB reloads at WM Kate.
Thanks for the info here from all of the community - great stuff!
Aug 20, 2014, 11:44 am
#962
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 155
Question about AP. If I set up an account and my husband sets up an account, our address will be the same. Will there be a problem doing $1K xfer every month back and forth ? TIA
Aug 20, 2014, 4:35 pm
#963
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 437
Shouldn't be. I do something similar. I wouldn't transfer "back and forth" though. I would just do it one way. (ie. from your account to his)
Aug 20, 2014, 5:38 pm
#964
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, MLife Gold, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, Caesars Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,934
I send $ to spouse every month but never back and forth. That's a red flag. If you need to loop it, get a third payee in there to loop back to you.
Aug 20, 2014, 6:31 pm
#965
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 186
Why do people keep saying this like it is true? I've been doing 2k/mo. A<->B for about a year now.
Aug 20, 2014, 10:06 pm
#966
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: San Antonio
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,276
Because they read that someone else read that it's true. And things do happen in the jungle, so it may be true in a few rare instances. Or maybe someone didn't realize that you shouldn't link the same bank acct to two AP accounts, nor look at the new moon over your left shoulder. Could be just about anything.
Aug 21, 2014, 6:56 am
#967
Join Date: May 2014
Location: GSP
Posts: 129
I'll be in Vancouver BC for a month and was looking to do some MS...any tips for an American?
Use Serve and PP and MO
Use Serve and PP and MO
Aug 21, 2014, 12:21 pm
#968
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 8
If I dont have an AMEX credit card, can I still order the gift cards from AMEX website and be able to pay the $99 per year to get the express/overnight shipping?
Thanks in advance for the response.
Thanks in advance for the response.
Aug 21, 2014, 1:49 pm
#969
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 437
Aug 21, 2014, 3:12 pm
#970
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 109
Besides Gift card mall is there any other site online that we can buy Visa/MC gift cards (the non-vanilla kind) with Amex GC`s ?
Aug 27, 2014, 10:48 am
#974
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
I just returned from a trip to S. Louisiana this past week. They have more WalMarts there than Starbucks! The ease of purchasing a OV at the CVS then walking up to the MC at WalMart, unloading to a MO was amazing! Of the 4 WMs I went into only one had an ATM and it wasn't working but that didn't stop me.
If you're reading and from the Lafayette Louisiana area you basically have a little gold mine.
Also, Capital One has bank branches there if you're interested in getting into the Amex For Target, but check first with the bank about the ATM withdrawls.
If you're reading and from the Lafayette Louisiana area you basically have a little gold mine.
Also, Capital One has bank branches there if you're interested in getting into the Amex For Target, but check first with the bank about the ATM withdrawls.
Aug 27, 2014, 1:37 pm
#975
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 50
I can't seem to find info on the workaround for the wm checkout machines. I thought it was in a wiki but I can't find it. Is the workaround dead or am I just not searching for the right terms?? Help!
Edited to add that I think I found something in post #158 of the WM MO thread but I tried today for the first time at a wm with a OV and it didn't work. I ended up getting a different card that worked fine. Luckily I was able to liquidate the OV into MO at a drug store.
Edited to add that I think I found something in post #158 of the WM MO thread but I tried today for the first time at a wm with a OV and it didn't work. I ended up getting a different card that worked fine. Luckily I was able to liquidate the OV into MO at a drug store.
Last edited by OreD; Aug 27, 2014 at 6:11 pm
