Yes, but.

These are the successes. There have also been too-good-to-be-true offers that either the company backed out of (Sheraton Bora Bora), or it was so much hassle and followup to get the miles that it just wasn't worth it.

Sometimes, the risk is low. This latest DL offer was like that. If the miles don't post (I think they will), all I've lost is 10 minutes of my time. I jumped on that one after seeing the cross-post (thanks!)

Other times, the risk is higher. For example, with the InterContinental 25K DL for $150, the risk was much higher, especially for a non-targeted non-elite. Was I really eligible? Would I spend my hard earned cash and end up only with a hotel status that I might not use and no miles? So that one, I waited a month, and only jumped in after others had reported that their miles were posting. The early adopters on that got an extra 5K due to another bonus, but I figured that was their reward for taking the risk.

Oddly, I'm a risk taker at a lot of other things. I love the blackjack table, for example. But I'm gun-shy on many of these mileage offers, especially those requiring cash outlay for flowers, magazines, etc.