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Hm. Is American Express Business Gold discriminating against blogger affiliates?

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Old May 8, 2013, 5:56 pm
  #1  
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Hm. Is American Express Business Gold discriminating against blogger affiliates?

Interesting phenomenon today: in case you didn't notice from EVERY SINGLE POINTS AND MILES BLOG, Amex Business Gold Open is doing a 75k point bonus with 5k spend in 3 months.

I clicked on 4 or 5 affiliate links to get the offer, but each time it landed on a 50k point offer rather than the much talked about 75k offer.

But once I went into stealth browse mode I was able to get the 75k offer from many of the blog affiliate links.

I dont even recall whose blog I got there from to eventually get approved for the card (it is a great deal, after all!)....will that blog get credit for my approval since I got there in stealth mode?

In any case, it is pretty clear that Amex discriminating against blog affiliate links? I wonder why.
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Old May 8, 2013, 6:18 pm
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Originally Posted by kokonutz
Interesting phenomenon today: in case you didn't notice from EVERY SINGLE POINTS AND MILES BLOG, Amex Business Gold Open is doing a 75k point bonus with 5k spend in 3 months.

I clicked on 4 or 5 affiliate links to get the offer, but each time it landed on a 50k point offer rather than the much talked about 75k offer.

But once I went into stealth browse mode I was able to get the 75k offer from many of the blog affiliate links.

I dont even recall whose blog I got there from to eventually get approved for the card (it is a great deal, after all!)....will that blog get credit for my approval since I got there in stealth mode?

In any case, it is pretty clear that Amex discriminating against blog affiliate links? I wonder why.
I think they still track as long you have cookies enabled. I'm pretty sure you got the 50k offer because you had cookies from your previous visits to amex. Someone more technologically educated can comment on this much better than I can.
Definitely surprised you aren't bashing the multiple posts!
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Old May 8, 2013, 8:00 pm
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Wow I just saw that...they all knew that the big bonus would earn them a lot of money so all of them immediately added it up there...

Not that I would do anything differently if I was running a blog, it is a good deal and a good story, and surely Amex has high kickbacks.
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Old May 8, 2013, 9:34 pm
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Originally Posted by yerffej201
Definitely surprised you aren't bashing the multiple posts!
This actually IS a great deal. My wife did it last time it was offered and we ended up with $800 in Home Depot gift cards for basically nothing. Bought a shed with it.

So the enthusiasm is warranted whether it lines bloggers pockets or not.
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Old May 9, 2013, 7:04 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by yerffej201
I think they still track as long you have cookies enabled. I'm pretty sure you got the 50k offer because you had cookies from your previous visits to amex. Someone more technologically educated can comment on this much better than I can.
Definitely surprised you aren't bashing the multiple posts!
No they won't through cookies - at least, not if stealth mode is working right. Cookies are not used in stealth/incognito mode. That said - if the URL was not modified, then the backend at AMEX should still parse it and count it as a successful conversion.
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Old May 11, 2013, 11:07 pm
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Originally Posted by kokonutz
This actually IS a great deal. My wife did it last time it was offered and we ended up with $800 in Home Depot gift cards for basically nothing. Bought a shed with it.

So the enthusiasm is warranted whether it lines bloggers pockets or not.
You cashed out MR for gift cards? Isn't that against the FT ToS?

Or are you running for SD BoD now?
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Old May 12, 2013, 7:06 pm
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Originally Posted by hobo13
You cashed out MR for gift cards? Isn't that against the FT ToS?

Or are you running for SD BoD now?
Lol, been there and done that at the FRA FCT. We wanted a shed!
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Old May 12, 2013, 8:00 pm
  #8  
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Originally Posted by ScottC
No they won't through cookies - at least, not if stealth mode is working right. Cookies are not used in stealth/incognito mode.
My understanding (at least of Chrome) is that cookies ARE used, but they are session cookies isolated to that browser instance and they are deleted when the window is closed. But within the session there are cookies.
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Old May 12, 2013, 9:37 pm
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Also, if you are logged in to your Amex account, you likely won't see the better offer.
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Old May 13, 2013, 7:52 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by amolkold
Also, if you are logged in to your Amex account, you likely won't see the better offer.
Taking a page from Orbitz and Expedia, apparently.

Honestly, at some point someone needs to class action these online hucksters who use cookies to not give customers the best price/deal possible.

It's fraud.
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Old May 13, 2013, 6:58 pm
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Originally Posted by kokonutz
Taking a page from Orbitz and Expedia, apparently.

Honestly, at some point someone needs to class action these online hucksters who use cookies to not give customers the best price/deal possible.

It's fraud.
I agree, Amex do this all the time. The only way to get the good Amex offers is to go incognito if you are an existing customer
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Old May 13, 2013, 8:22 pm
  #12  
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Originally Posted by kokonutz
It's fraud.
When in the process does AmEx promise you that you're getting the best possible deal? If they're not advertising that then how are they committing fraud?
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Old May 13, 2013, 8:59 pm
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Originally Posted by sbm12
When in the process does AmEx promise you that you're getting the best possible deal? If they're not advertising that then how are they committing fraud?
I wouldn't say it's fraud but definitely a discriminatory practice.
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Old May 14, 2013, 6:42 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by sbm12
When in the process does AmEx promise you that you're getting the best possible deal? If they're not advertising that then how are they committing fraud?
I click in a 75k ad. I land on a 50k offer page because of my cookies. Bait and switch is a form of fraud.
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Old May 14, 2013, 12:13 pm
  #15  
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It appears AMEX IS INDEED discriminating against bloggers!

The 75k bonus is back but only through a non-affiliate link.

Of course, the savvy blogger can still find a way to turn a nickle on the news!

Note that the Chase applications above use my referral links, while the American Express card is not a referral link.
^
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