"Other partner" hits (not Shopping Mall) [master thread]
#46
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 441
You mean $5 in taste? That's the make-or-break with this hit for me. If the bottles are any good or at least passable, I'm in, but any wine that tastes $5 has headache, groan and oops written all over it. I'm seeing mixed reviews from GSers. Hopefully we'll know soon whether Vinesse's accessories count again. That'd be the "wine" hit here.
#47
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
You mean $5 in taste? That's the make-or-break with this hit for me. If the bottles are any good or at least passable, I'm in, but any wine that tastes $5 has headache, groan and oops written all over it. I'm seeing mixed reviews from GSers. Hopefully we'll know soon whether Vinesse's accessories count again. That'd be the "wine" hit here.
#48
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,782
You mean $5 in taste? That's the make-or-break with this hit for me. If the bottles are any good or at least passable, I'm in, but any wine that tastes $5 has headache, groan and oops written all over it. I'm seeing mixed reviews from GSers. Hopefully we'll know soon whether Vinesse's accessories count again. That'd be the "wine" hit here.
#49
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,837
i think both of you are right-one solution could be to split into 3-5 threadsby alphabetical order
Last edited by bryanwallace; Sep 1, 2011 at 6:19 am
#50
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: AVL
Programs: Hhonors Diamond, Bonvoy LT Plat, TSA vilifier extraordinaire, Once upon a time... US Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 1,284
You mean $5 in taste? That's the make-or-break with this hit for me. If the bottles are any good or at least passable, I'm in, but any wine that tastes $5 has headache, groan and oops written all over it. I'm seeing mixed reviews from GSers. Hopefully we'll know soon whether Vinesse's accessories count again. That'd be the "wine" hit here.
All in all, I found the WI wine to be decent, drinkable weeknight spaghetti wine. As in all things, YMMV.
#51
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
For Wine Insider, I only see that you can enter your DM # if signing up for the 12 bottle offer... went all the way through to purchase form trying to buy one bottle (dummy order) for $14.99 + tax and there was no entry form for the DM.
Guess the hit only applies to the 12 bottle offer? Any guidance from folks who did it last year (can't remember if this was a member).
Guess the hit only applies to the 12 bottle offer? Any guidance from folks who did it last year (can't remember if this was a member).
(Dear US: When you decide you need someone a) with even modest reasoning abilities b) who is also competent to write clear, unambiguous T&C, I'm available.)
#52
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SYDNEY
Programs: *A Gold, HH dia,Hyatt plat,Sixt PLAT,QF , EY Gold
Posts: 1,890
Im in favour of having separate threads for each shopping hit. I just read 4 pages and already getting side tracked.
All I can remember from reading is the wine hit will be expensive you have to buy 12 bottle and it's taste like $5 wine.
Maybe we can leave this to the wine hit and move the office hits etc to their own thread.
Can we not delete them after we use them if it becomes a bit of a mess ?
All I can remember from reading is the wine hit will be expensive you have to buy 12 bottle and it's taste like $5 wine.
Maybe we can leave this to the wine hit and move the office hits etc to their own thread.
Can we not delete them after we use them if it becomes a bit of a mess ?
#53
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 52
So how does Dividend Miles keep track on this? When you spend with parter, do you have to use link from their website or provide dividend mile number when sign up for service? Also when I book hotel stay, do I have to provider US dividend number when I check out?
#54
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Also when I book hotel stay, do I have to provider US dividend number when I check out?
#55
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CAE,AGS
Programs: AAExP, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Gold, IHG Spire, Marriott Plat
Posts: 3,124
I'm a current verizon customer, but my contract is close to coming up. I wonder whether there's any way to get the 10k miles and a hit for resubscribing? All I seem to see is the offer where you get a droid phone plus 2 years. I don't want the droid phone.
If anyone figures out a way to reup with verizon and get the points, please post!
If anyone figures out a way to reup with verizon and get the points, please post!
Are we sure of this yet?
#56
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,837
for the hit but there are other ways to get indirect hits thru aud rewards
sorry after cking the small print there isnt
Last edited by bryanwallace; Sep 2, 2011 at 5:13 am
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
#58
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Energy Plus
Anyone thinking of signing up for Energy Plus -- which will require a 6-month subscription, owing to US's new T&Cs -- should proceed carefully. Here's what one travel blogger reported earlier this year:
While the switch itself was seamless, Energy Plus quickly proved to be a bait-and-switch proposition.
EP offered a price of 9 cents per KWH, compared to [Connecticut Light & Powers] 10.5 cents. Each month for the first three months of my service with Energy Plus, the rate per kilowatt hour (KWH) of power moved up 10-15%. By the third month, my power rate was over 14 cents per KWH, 30% above the price charged by CL+P!
[...]
I did end up collecting 13,430 miles from Energy Plus for four months of service (inclusive of the 10,000 mile sign up bonus). For a house that uses a significant number of KWHs each month, the significant incremental cost of EP wasnt worth it. This really was a bait and switch they wooed me with a low rate and miles but quickly ratcheted my rate up to a price that was well above market.
Ive done more research since this on the independent retail power market and it really is a marketing business, not much of a power business. It is akin to the way the mortgage business used to be purely about origination volume. Based on the data I have and the prices they were charging, EPs gross margins run well over 50%. All without the burden of inventory or owning power plants.
[...]
The only scenario I would consider using Energy Plus is for the initial bonus. My bonus posted within two months, so you might just grin and bear it, paying Energy Pluss above market rates, for a short period of time to get the sign up bonus. Unlike signing up for a credit card, this wont have any impact on your credit score. Just be sure to switch off of them the day after the bonus posts.
In general, beware.
EP offered a price of 9 cents per KWH, compared to [Connecticut Light & Powers] 10.5 cents. Each month for the first three months of my service with Energy Plus, the rate per kilowatt hour (KWH) of power moved up 10-15%. By the third month, my power rate was over 14 cents per KWH, 30% above the price charged by CL+P!
[...]
I did end up collecting 13,430 miles from Energy Plus for four months of service (inclusive of the 10,000 mile sign up bonus). For a house that uses a significant number of KWHs each month, the significant incremental cost of EP wasnt worth it. This really was a bait and switch they wooed me with a low rate and miles but quickly ratcheted my rate up to a price that was well above market.
Ive done more research since this on the independent retail power market and it really is a marketing business, not much of a power business. It is akin to the way the mortgage business used to be purely about origination volume. Based on the data I have and the prices they were charging, EPs gross margins run well over 50%. All without the burden of inventory or owning power plants.
[...]
The only scenario I would consider using Energy Plus is for the initial bonus. My bonus posted within two months, so you might just grin and bear it, paying Energy Pluss above market rates, for a short period of time to get the sign up bonus. Unlike signing up for a credit card, this wont have any impact on your credit score. Just be sure to switch off of them the day after the bonus posts.
In general, beware.
#59
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 441
OfficeMax
Just thought of a possibly legitimate way to avoid OfficeMax.com's shipping fee altogether while ordering a $1 item. If this works, it's a virtually free hit:
Order two items from OfficeMax.com -- something $1 and something $50. Receive both by mail with no shipping fee, then return the $50 item in-store locally. Keep the $1 item. You've paid just $1. Points for the small item post.
OfficeMax's return policy for online purchase doesn't forbid returning part of a shipment in store, from my read. I'll verify and edit this post yes or no. And nowhere does it indicate an entire shipment's miles will all be reversed if just part is returned. I'll verify this too and report back. Anyone know if I missed it online or misread? Happy to be proved wrong (or right!).
UPDATE:
Good news. Online purchases can be returned in-store as long as the store stocks the same item being returned. So if you're planning on it, be sure the $50 item is carried at a local store to know they'll take the return. Now to confirm the miles part...
SECOND UPDATE:
Also good news. We do keep miles for items kept and only forfeit miles for returned items. $1 hit, no shipping! Screenshot of online return policy is worth keeping. And I'm not concerned about revealing this strategy in plain view of possible lurkers because it's past Sept. 1 and GS terms are fixed. If FTers want me to remove this post to be on the safe side, no problem.
Order two items from OfficeMax.com -- something $1 and something $50. Receive both by mail with no shipping fee, then return the $50 item in-store locally. Keep the $1 item. You've paid just $1. Points for the small item post.
OfficeMax's return policy for online purchase doesn't forbid returning part of a shipment in store, from my read. I'll verify and edit this post yes or no. And nowhere does it indicate an entire shipment's miles will all be reversed if just part is returned. I'll verify this too and report back. Anyone know if I missed it online or misread? Happy to be proved wrong (or right!).
UPDATE:
Good news. Online purchases can be returned in-store as long as the store stocks the same item being returned. So if you're planning on it, be sure the $50 item is carried at a local store to know they'll take the return. Now to confirm the miles part...
SECOND UPDATE:
Also good news. We do keep miles for items kept and only forfeit miles for returned items. $1 hit, no shipping! Screenshot of online return policy is worth keeping. And I'm not concerned about revealing this strategy in plain view of possible lurkers because it's past Sept. 1 and GS terms are fixed. If FTers want me to remove this post to be on the safe side, no problem.
Last edited by NewArrival; Sep 5, 2011 at 11:29 am Reason: Confirmed two ways. Would love more/other confirmation.
#60
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 1,627
Just thought of a possibly legitimate way to avoid OfficeMax.com's shipping fee altogether while ordering a $1 item. If this works, it's a virtually free hit:
Order two items from OfficeMax.com -- something $1 and something $50. Receive both by mail with no shipping fee, then return the $50 item in-store locally. Keep the $1 item. You've paid just $1. Points for the small item post.
OfficeMax's return policy for online purchase doesn't forbid returning part of a shipment in store, from my read. I'll verify and edit this post yes or no. And nowhere does it indicate an entire shipment's miles will all be reversed if just part is returned. I'll verify this too and report back. Anyone know if I missed it online or misread? Happy to be proved wrong (or right!).
Order two items from OfficeMax.com -- something $1 and something $50. Receive both by mail with no shipping fee, then return the $50 item in-store locally. Keep the $1 item. You've paid just $1. Points for the small item post.
OfficeMax's return policy for online purchase doesn't forbid returning part of a shipment in store, from my read. I'll verify and edit this post yes or no. And nowhere does it indicate an entire shipment's miles will all be reversed if just part is returned. I'll verify this too and report back. Anyone know if I missed it online or misread? Happy to be proved wrong (or right!).