Wal-Mart, Amex take on banks with Bluebird debit card
Oct 27, 2012, 1:12 pm
#826
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 994
I'd like some to post a photo of all the vanillas they've redeemed. Would be entertaining.
Oct 27, 2012, 1:34 pm
#829
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
That's hilarious! Post of the Year:-:
Oct 27, 2012, 1:49 pm
#830
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,708
How would they implement that? I think a more likely scenario is that OD stops letting you use a credit card to purchase the reloads. I expect that every time I go and I am surprised it hasn't happened yet.
Oct 27, 2012, 1:52 pm
#831
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
I know it would be difficult. I could see either one shutting this down. Just like WM doesn't accept CC for reloads, OD could do the same.
Oct 27, 2012, 2:38 pm
#833
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Florida
Programs: UA Premier Gold, TK Elite Card, AF Gold Medallion
Posts: 256
I think this is a good idea. I'm planning to do this next month when I reload on beans, and I've been using my BB card for lots of small everyday purchases so that the 2 big bill pays each month are surrounded by a bunch of smaller purchases, just like a regular account.
Oct 27, 2012, 3:55 pm
#834
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SFO
Programs: Starwood Gold, US Air Gold
Posts: 69
Another Data Point
Guys--Got an interesting call from Chase Business today. They asked why I started making OD purchases all of sudden in large amounts ($1k). I said I needed some stuff, they asked what. I said office supplies mostly and they asked if I could send them the receipt bc they were making sure people were not abusing the benefits. I asked what that meant and they said gift cards and such. Didn't mention reloads, but must be what they're thinking.
I have variable, but pretty solid, spend on my card. My last three statements have been $3,000, $750 and $7,500: restaurants, hotels, etc. The local OD is only a mile away and it is my regular stop for toner, printer paper, etc., but I probably only make a purchase there once every few months and usually under $75.
I'm going to lay off purchases for a while. Will report back if I get any calls.
Oct 27, 2012, 4:26 pm
#835
Used to be garyjr316
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX or SBA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, Gold Passport, Hilton HHonors, Marriott
Posts: 800
So people get called before Chase closes their accounts? That sure would be nice of them lol I was under the impression that Chase just closed them without asking any questions and that you were just up a creek. I think $2000 is a lot in 1 week. You would be wiser spreading it out throughout the month and varying the amounts you put on the card each time.
Oct 27, 2012, 4:43 pm
#836
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: MAD
Programs: DL, UA, AA, BA, Marriott
Posts: 599
So people get called before Chase closes their accounts? That sure would be nice of them lol I was under the impression that Chase just closed them without asking any questions and that you were just up a creek. I think $2000 is a lot in 1 week. You would be wiser spreading it out throughout the month and varying the amounts you put on the card each time.
They just liquidate it all and send me a huge check?
Oct 27, 2012, 4:57 pm
#838
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,433
Yours sounds like general fraud / dollar value issues and amay/may not be actually related to the merchant itself. The last guys was certainly merchant related.
Then I sure hope you have many thousands of dollars of normal spend on that card or you will no doubt be in the first batch to get the axe. Also if they are still in your UR account they could pull back the points for abuse.
Something sort of similar happened to me but they did not mention what I bought or anything about gift cards. I went to one OD and they only had 1 card so I went to another one and they had some so I bought two. Well next was the gas station to fill up and the card was denied. When I called them they said because of two large charges. I laughed and said I have been a customer for years and routinely make large purchases. They agreed and simply said the purchases just triggered a fraud alert. They apologized and removed it.
Two days later I had used the card 8-9 more times for misc. and decided to try to buy one more card to load my new BB. Well I got greedy hearing about all the short supply situations of the cards and grabbed 3 and the card didn't go through at the counter. The manager called it in somewhere from a binder with phone numbers and when asked he said he had to call the bean factory. It then did go through but of course 2 hours later during lunch I get the Chase Fraud Fang Woman calling. Again very nice and removed it but a definite red flag. I am going to go slow with regular spend for a couple weeks before I try to buy more beans
I echoed others includiing the bloggers sentiment on this topic that the Cardinals are watching and no doubt Dave and everyone is right that soon a batch of the biggest abusers are going to wake up to closed accounts.
I think 2k in office spending a month is reasonable for a business with say 10-20 employees.
Something sort of similar happened to me but they did not mention what I bought or anything about gift cards. I went to one OD and they only had 1 card so I went to another one and they had some so I bought two. Well next was the gas station to fill up and the card was denied. When I called them they said because of two large charges. I laughed and said I have been a customer for years and routinely make large purchases. They agreed and simply said the purchases just triggered a fraud alert. They apologized and removed it.
Two days later I had used the card 8-9 more times for misc. and decided to try to buy one more card to load my new BB. Well I got greedy hearing about all the short supply situations of the cards and grabbed 3 and the card didn't go through at the counter. The manager called it in somewhere from a binder with phone numbers and when asked he said he had to call the bean factory. It then did go through but of course 2 hours later during lunch I get the Chase Fraud Fang Woman calling. Again very nice and removed it but a definite red flag. I am going to go slow with regular spend for a couple weeks before I try to buy more beans
I echoed others includiing the bloggers sentiment on this topic that the Cardinals are watching and no doubt Dave and everyone is right that soon a batch of the biggest abusers are going to wake up to closed accounts.
I think 2k in office spending a month is reasonable for a business with say 10-20 employees.
Oct 27, 2012, 4:57 pm
#839
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 90
The masses are coming
Have not gotten in on the game yet, but saw a BB commercial during Gold Rush on Discovery yesterday. What do you think people will find if they Google BB...
Oct 27, 2012, 4:59 pm
#840
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 769
Yeah, I doub't they'd do much to your other accounts. I do have a lot of UR points from spending, signup bonuses, etc, so being a bit worried about them getting cancelled, I transferred them to my parent's account. Hopefully they won't shut down my CSP card for this and ink bold for too many OD purchase. That would be a big doh!
Last edited by leftpinky; Oct 27, 2012 at 5:11 pm