DM shopping mall [master thread]

Old Aug 25, 2011, 9:18 pm
  #16  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 109
Originally Posted by ArizonaGuy
Buy something from Amazon that you were going to buy anyway. But just use the mall to get there. Simple. In previous years I too bought B&N gift cards as well as Sears gift cards. As long as it doesn't say "no miles earned on gift card purchases" you should be fine.

I used an Amazon gift card to buy something from Amazon through the DM Mall link and the 30 miles posted. But apparently YMMV based on Nikolaos' experience.
I was planning on buying things I needed. I just didn't know if I should disable the gift card balance for the purchase or not, especially if the balance is more than the purchase price.

I was hoping someone had used a giftcard to purchase through a DM Mall partner and were awarded miles.
wc4572 is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 1:41 am
  #17  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA
Programs: US,DL,UA,Wyndham,Hilton,IHG,Choice
Posts: 11
Gift card purchases

There seems to be a lot of confusion and questioning regarding gift card purchases. Merchant T&C's often state "no mileage awarded for gift card purchases." But in my experience, this means buying the card itself, not buying an item WITH a card you already have.

Specifically, many merchants will deny mileage when BUYING a gift card. The reason being, you're not actually buying an item. You're depositing money so that someone ELSE can buy item(s) at a later date. All you've done is converted money from one form to another. If they gave you miles for the card... and you later used the card to buy something and got more miles, you'd essentially be "double dipping." I think THAT is what they are trying to prevent, since miles cost them money.

There SHOULD be no problems with REDEEMING a gift card, i.e., using funds that you already have on a gift card to make a purchase of an actual product. A merchant would be foolish to deny you miles for that. A gift card is as good as cash, since they already have the funds "on deposit" for you.

I would strongly recommend that you NOT try to buy gift cards and hope to get DM credit for them. (Last year, Home Depot allowed me credit for a gift card I bought for my father. It was the only store I remember that actually did allow that, and even that may have been a fluke.) But there is no valid reason for a merchant to withhold miles for a purchase of an actual item, that you paid for with a gift card.

Having said all of that, YMMV. Read the T&C of every merchant. Carefully. And then read it again. Lawyers are sneaky. It wouldn't hurt to ask in advance, and to document the details of the conversation in case you need it later.

Oh, and as has been commented elsewhere in this thread, don't try to use coupons in conjunction with mileage offers unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure you have read the T&C and it says it is allowed. Remember, miles cost the merchant money. If you reduce their profit margin with a coupon, you also reduce the chance of getting the miles. Merchants exist to make profit, not to give away miles as pure good will.
travelwolf is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 2:47 am
  #18  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Purgatory
Programs: Too many to list. Status is a half dozen.
Posts: 9,235
Originally Posted by travelwolf
I would strongly recommend that you NOT try to buy gift cards and hope to get DM credit for them. (Last year, Home Depot allowed me credit for a gift card I bought for my father. It was the only store I remember that actually did allow that, and even that may have been a fluke.) But there is no valid reason for a merchant to withhold miles for a purchase of an actual item, that you paid for with a gift card.
Home Depot, Barnes & Noble and Sears were the only merchants last year that explicitly allowed miles to be earned from gift card purchases through the Dividend Miles Mall. I know B&N and Sears both permitted this in 2009, not sure about Home Depot because I never looked. But the info was listed directly on the merchant page in the mall before ever linking to the merchant site.

The problem now is that in the past year the mall has been completely redesigned, there are countless partner stores now and that info about gift cards (with a yes or a no to miles) isn't there.

For that reason, I would ignore gift cards entirely - including the three stores referenced above - for 2011. Thanks to Amazon it's a near certainty you can find something useful at an acceptable price anyhow if no other mall partner is of interest.
ArizonaGuy is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 11:53 am
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, Priority Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 38
I just placed an Amazon.com order today for $30, with $10 on an existing gift card and $20 on my credit card. I'll let you know how many miles post.
rachel645 is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 12:01 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,464
Originally Posted by rachel645
I just placed an Amazon.com order today for $30, with $10 on an existing gift card and $20 on my credit card. I'll let you know how many miles post.
The miles will likely post, but you will not get a "hit". The Grand Slam starts on September 14.
echino is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 1:55 pm
  #21  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,643
Originally Posted by beltway
I think they ship a feel-good certificate or some such (as well as putting you on the list for their hilariously hippy-dippy catalog), but do not ship an actual tree.
Wait, then where did that tree come from that I found on my doorstep?

Mike
mikeef is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 5:53 pm
  #22  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: LAX
Posts: 2,851
Newbie for U.S. frequent flier, U.S. Dividend Credit card and Grand Slam promotion.

Will be receiving my card in the mail within a couple of weeks I hope. I just opened a frequent flier with U.S. Airways and enrolled in E-Miles.

Do I need to enroll in Skymall and Dividend Miles Shopping mall before September 14, 2012. Any bonuses for signing up?

Thanks
metoo is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 6:45 pm
  #23  
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 441
Originally Posted by metoo
Do I need to enroll in Skymall and Dividend Miles Shopping mall before September 14, 2012. Any bonuses for signing up?
No enrollment required. Just be sure to log into your Dividend Miles account at USAirways.com and then use the site's links to redirect to Skymall and Shopping Mall.
NewArrival is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 9:46 pm
  #24  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Houston
Programs: AA Plat Pro, IHG Plat, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 206
I was doing a little browsing this evening to plan what I may purchase once Sept. 14 rolls around. I saw that Skymall sells Marriott Giftcards. Would those qualify? I could get an easy hit for some money I will spend at Marriott anyway this year.
darkhawkkg is offline  
Old Aug 26, 2011, 9:58 pm
  #25  
 
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 1,627
Originally Posted by darkhawkkg
I was doing a little browsing this evening to plan what I may purchase once Sept. 14 rolls around. I saw that Skymall sells Marriott Giftcards. Would those qualify? I could get an easy hit for some money I will spend at Marriott anyway this year.
I'd start by looking at any limitations mentioned when you follow the link to SKyMall from the US Airways Dividend Miles web page.
starflyer is offline  
Old Aug 27, 2011, 4:00 am
  #26  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,289
Originally Posted by starflyer
Amazon.com was not associated with Dividend Miles Shopping Mall last year. I'd suggest reading the merchant details for Amazon.com on DM Shopping Mall to see if they say anything about the use of credits/giftcards.
Amazon aside, *buying* gift cards/certs sometimes doesn't count. Read T&Cs to check in each case.

*Spending* gift cards/certs, however, always counts... they are treated no differently than cash when paying for a purchase.
mooper is offline  
Old Aug 30, 2011, 9:52 pm
  #27  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,782
I got the 2 pack chap stick with free shipping from walmart last year for $1.94 and a whopping 1 mile plus hit. Looks like it is still there.
lkar is offline  
Old Sep 1, 2011, 12:33 pm
  #28  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: US CP, MR Plat, SPG Plat, HHonors Gold, National X
Posts: 917
UPDATE!!! My miles from my purchases on Amazon using a gift card posted today!! It took a little bit more time, but they are finally here!!

Guess that it won't be a problem to use a gift card to make a hit through Shopping Mall!!
Nikolaos is offline  
Old Sep 2, 2011, 9:53 pm
  #29  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 109
Originally Posted by Nikolaos
UPDATE!!! My miles from my purchases on Amazon using a gift card posted today!! It took a little bit more time, but they are finally here!!

Guess that it won't be a problem to use a gift card to make a hit through Shopping Mall!!
Just to be clear, your whole purchase was paid for using a gift card, correct?
wc4572 is offline  
Old Sep 2, 2011, 10:31 pm
  #30  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: US CP, MR Plat, SPG Plat, HHonors Gold, National X
Posts: 917
Originally Posted by wc4572:17046067

Just to be clear, your whole purchase was paid for using a gift card, correct?
Yes!!
Nikolaos is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.