caGALINDO

over here is seems all the stores in low income areas take CCs for VR and at high income areas they dont. word.

pcharles

Celebrity update: wifey will posing showing gang signs and wearing colors for each 'neighborhood'. Ink colors for potential dealing districts, red for delta leaning districts, and crypt colors for former OD bean districts.

gardengirl

I've wondered if I'm figuring a reasonable return on this venture.

My mortgage is about $3,200 + change. If I purchased $3,500 in VGC at OD to get the 5x spend the activation fees would total ($5.95 x 7 = $41.65) $42. Then to the CVS for 7 VR's for another ($3.95 x 7 = $27.65) $28. Roughly $70 in fees for 17,500 UR points (miles). Not knowing exactly what we'll do with the miles but it would most likely be Business Class from DTW or ORD to Europe. I checked DTW to LHR next June and came up with a sample fare of $4,200. To be conservative I then figured a point would be worth roughly $.03 - $.04. At $.03 the 17,500 UR points are a return of $455.

Am I doing this right?

The $3,500 in GC's from OD would be a very aggressive move on my part and I'm still not sure I'm comfortable with it but my Chase banker told me as long as I stay within the allowable limits for office supply purchases I would be fine.


Thanks,
gg

nwflyboy

Well said.

There are lots of ways we can screw this up. We need to be careful not to.

After a LOT of searching, I recently found one outlet nearby that will allow purchasing of VRs with a credit card. I've tried 3 times. First two times, cashiers were relaxed, younger, and never questioned my purchase - just checked my ID, reminded me that the reload cards were non-refundable, and let me buy them. A very low key transaction, no drama at all.

Today I went back for a third round. Different cashier, older lady - looked like she could be a manager. As soon as I handed the card and started going for my credit card, she reared up and firmly scolded me: "Oh no, we do not accept credit cards for these. You can't buy a prepaid card with another card." I probed gently: "Really - are you sure? I've bought them before with a credit card..." She responded: "It's corporate policy. I hope it wasn't here - if you paid for one with a credit card here, someone made a mistake and violated our policy..." (implied: and they're gonna get in trouble...). Me: "Oh, no, not here - at a different store in (name of another city)". Her: "Good." I apologized for "my mistake" and offered to put the VR back on the rack to save her the trouble of restocking it. She nodded, and that's what I did. I thanked her and left.

Of course, this was BS on my part - I had been in there the previous 2 days, and when I paid for the VR, their register offered me the choice of cash, debit or credit. In other stores, the cashier would show me a popup window on their screen that said "CASH ONLY!". This register was not set up that way.

Safely out of sight back in my car, I then made a note of what the day/time it was, and what she looked like. I will be sure that the next time I try, it'll be with a different cashier. I remember what the others look like and the day/time they were there.

The moral of the story: we are skating around the periphery of what's allowed, and we all need to be careful not to wreck the fragile status quo. Your efforts should be low-impact. If you have success, or if you get turned away, don't screw it up for yourself and everyone else - keep things discreet, don't push it, and don't give anyone a reason to make a stink about it. I could easily see this lady circulating a memo to all employees warning them not to take credit cards for VRs. I think I convinced her that wasn't needed. I'll be careful to note the cashier before I try again.

I want this to last. Slow and steady, below the radar, is the way to get the biggest benefit out of this. Resist the temptation to go "all-in".

Marathon Man

I am a bit curious, however, of this: Unless it messes up with a specific store's inventory and/or is noted by barcode sets or something, what use would the blank card be to anyone unless the person with it were to go back INTO a store and actually buy/load it anyway? In other words, it could be like you walked out of a store with a pack of gum, drove away, realized you took it and stopped into the next store of that chain and walked in and paid for it. A bit like that, that is.

Again I am just curious. I also hope this thread doesnt get all 'psuedo-moral-ethical...' The whole world of miles and points deals with many arguments on what is right and moral and yet so many times its the customer who is left scrambling to receive missing points from some botched promo or deal some lazy marketer hiding behind 'for security reasons, sir" has put forth to bait & switch the public. Don't even get me goin'...

then again maybe the assistant manager is so unhappy with HIS life, he has to find someone to take it out on. I mean, why IS he fat? Is it medical, or could it be that he's unwilling to get up and do some exercise, eat correctly and take care of his body and thus his mind. Therefore he cant do better than this meager job and so when you come in yielding $2k in spend he can finally turn down someone he sees as the enemy: A happy rich person!

^

with this renewal of Beans at stores like CVS, WG, I agree with this. I have gotten only a few per buy at each store... doing them as single transactions on my CC. I have been lucky so far with clerks processing them without issue on my CC but it is true that so many stores, managers and employees see things differently depending on who knows what. Is it corp policy? Is everything debatable? Could it be some are afraid to screw up so they say no to everything? Do some employees want to say NO to everything and they now have that chance when you walk up looking to buy these, or are things already changing. Who knows. I say ride it smooth but ride well. It will eventually end so just plan on every visit being like your first and potentially your last; planning for the good and the end at the same time.

caGALINDO

And keep in mind those damn FRs... if you can't afford one I'd reconsider anything over 1k/month at a pharm store.

DL172

Everyone please be really discreet! No phoning corporate management to complain about x story not allowing one to buy y amount of VR. Please! I've had certain people PM me about this.

Marathon Man

indeed!
regardless of how much money you have available to pay off the bal and repeat the spend!

Also don't forget that since many casinos look down on "card counters" (even though the practice is not illegal), so do many such chain stores. If not initially focusing on and perhaps later dismissing potential fraud issues, that's what many of these stores begin to think 'we' are when they start to look at the numbers and the spikes going on with certain items on the racks. It is holiday season but they can and do eventually work out what went and how and maybe even why.

TravelTexan

I got to talk to Bluebird CS today and it does not bode well. Had a check cut through Bluebird and sent for my mortgage. Bank said it has never arrived and AE says it was supposed to be there by the 16th. Long wait time and AE kept saying it was there and to talk to bank. I kept saying that I had talked to bank fifteen minutes earlier and they can not find any receipt of check. Bank says I need proof from AE that the check cleared through them and supposedly AE is going to send me proof through the mail (can not email it or fax it) in 7 to 10 business days. I am not holding my breath. AE CS seemed to think that the bank should be able to take a printout of my transaction history on Bluebird account (????). I can go in and pay mortgage (not due for a couple of more weeks) but thought that this would be a good way to earn some miles on something I had to pay every month anyway. Now, not so sure it is a good idea. Guess this is a case of caveat emptor.

deant

Did you put your account number on the "memo" line? I do that just as a double check that BB notes the account number on the "check".

webazoid

yah, their bills tracking system is terrible for checks. i did get a copy of check mailed to me last week upon request.

TravelTexan

Yes, I did put the account number on the memo line (and even noted it was for my mortgage).

TravelTexan

Just curious- how long did it take for you to get a copy of the check?

sweetz_21_83

Reports are that even though you put the memo, it doesn't actually appear on the check BB sends.

shopper711

Datapoint:
I went to three different Extracare stores in the greater Sacramento area. The concentration area was southeast section of the Metro Sacramento.
GC purchase for VR.

1/3 stores (1 store didn’t carry VR, other store refused GC, but allowed CC purchase)

I had 10 $100 visa GC. It went thru up to $700, then the computer said max allowed transactions. The purchase was voided, then made it two separate purchases for $500 each VR. It was successful. The cashier was young. When the computer declined the further purchase after 700, the cashier called manager. The manager suggested to void the purchase. Then I suggested to the cashier to split the purchase into two.


If you know other Extracare stores in Greater Sacramento area that accept GC purchase, please PM me.


I also tried Save Mart as it carries VR. No go as it only accepts debit purchase.