Originally Posted by
Cheapskate Travels
So the wife doesn't drive on government roads? Or use the government-run air traffic control system? Or drink water (or shower, etc.) from public water supplies?
God forbid she'd ever need a government-run fire department or ambulance.
When I posted the topic, I really didn't want this to become an OMNI type thread, however, what does a public utility have to do with a motor company? The fact that the government can manage a water utility (and in some parts of the country, adequately at best) doesn't mean they'll be successful in the automobile business as well.
There are other issues at play as well. For example I feel bad for shareholders in
Tesla Motor Company, since they've been running a solvent business they should be able to expand at this juncture and perhaps buy production facilities from a bankrupted competitor (such as how GM had some of it's most rapid growth during the 1930's), but, instead they have tax dollars that they contribute to going to their competition and subsidizing the production of vehicles to directly compete in their niche (i.e. Chevy Volt)...
At any rate, I digress...
Back to the topic at hand.
Originally Posted by
GetawaysRus
Yes, I too have one of these cards, left over from many years ago.
I did buy a GM car (a 2000 Pontiac Firebird) at the end of 1999. My spending on the card helped me save nearly $2000. And I'm still driving the Firebird.
I don't use the GM card anymore, though. I haven't gotten around to canceling it - there's no annual fee, so there has been no rush to cancel.
When I talk with my wife about it, she says that she now absolutely refuses to consider buying a "government car." So it doesn't look like we'll be purchasing a new GM vehicle anytime soon. So the GM card just stays in the drawer while I carry other cards in my wallet.
I also receive those "top off" offers every now and again.
Interesting similar tastes in cars, I went with a GTO.
I do use the card still only because I still think a 5% reward is decent, and there are a couple GM cars I actually like, sadly as mentioned earlier, that number is shrinking. Besides, since the earnings cap at $500/year it doesn't take much effort to hit that in one US Mint $1 coins purchase.
My issue with the program though is it seems those with little or no earnings get topped off to $3000 in earnings when GM wants to move some vehicles, but, those with high earnings (i.e. $3,000 or higher) get ZERO top off. Thus it seems pretty much pointless to go trying to put spending on the card to accumulate earnings if your buddy will be bumped up to the same earnings as you every time GM wants to have a sale, and your buddy has been enjoying the accumulation of awards on a different card all that time.
So, agreed, I don't think I'll ever cancel the card; no annual fee and it is my oldest credit card as well. However, I just can't rationalize spending on it any more given that 'everyone' with the card no matter what their spending will have 'equivalent' earnings during GM's periodic fire sales. Thus, just hold the card, and if (or rather 'when') they bump $3000 into your account, go consider one of their vehicles.
If anyone else perhaps know a bit more about the program, something that I've overlooked perhaps, please feel free to chime in.