RIP Ruhr :(

RIP??? Care to tell us why you think/say that?

I've been giving them my CVS card all along. And my DL since they've been asking. I'm not worried.

Today I went to the west side CVS to buy some GCs with an AmEx GC, and I asked the cashier if they had any VRs. We got into a detailed conversation -- he said they've been going really quickly, and they have ordered more, but haven't received any for a while.

I told him that when I bought some two weeks ago at the downtown CVS, they had a stack about 2 inches high and were out within two days. He told me he had a stack this high (indicating about 4 inches) and they were gone in the same time.

I guess VRs are heating up here, because they seemed to last a lot longer a few months ago. I've noticed Vanilla and OV GCs running out many places, too, but I have several sources for them.

Perhaps it's because you publicly posted just how easy it is to get VR cards at the two CVS stores in MSN. I was there on January 31 and was told they had run out completely. This was after you mentioned that you never had a problem finding VRs in MSN. Things change, sometimes for the worse. :(

Not to mention the fact that 2 people PM'd me from MSN trying to get Buxx cards to supplement their VR purchases. Yeah. New to MS'ing too... You brought this upon yourself. Leak that VR's allowed and you get wiped out.

Neither am I. It's kind of amazing just how paranoid some people get when it involves their own privacy. It's justified in the case of information like your SSN that crooks use to steal identities, but not your CVS ExtraCare card number! And CVS isn't going to call the IRS or NSA just because you used your number. If you want ExtraCare coupons, by all means hand CVS your EC card or tag. You won't get any points on your card for the VR purchases, but you will for anything else that is not on the excluded list.

Was in Albuquerque for a work trip and what's the first thing I did after I left my hotel? Hit up my favorite ice cream shop. No beans though. :(

Probably not. I'm guessing MS is spreading generally. In any case, I'm not that selfish, nor am I that worried. I only have one BB to feed and I imagine they'll be available again. It's most likely just a distribution problem.

A selfish attitude. I don't think you're correct anyway -- people tend to hyperventilate about these things, but reality is not often as extreme as their nightmares make them believe.

Selfish? Really. Others would differ from your opinion.
If you doubt what I say, spread the oh so vast knowledge you have to the sharks that lurk these waters. Rest assured your beans will dry up.

You simply have no way of proving your claim. And I've always been upfront -- I feel no need for secrecy.

And yes, it is selfish, because you're saying others shouldn't be able to get in on it so that you can have better and continued access to the benefits. Any other claim is mere rationalization.

I PM'd a FTer several months ago about where he could find VRs in DC. Shortly after that PM, all the VR cards at the store would vanish - I was told by store staff that someone was hiding them around the store, in places no one would ever look. They saw him do it!

Now it may just be a coincidence. I don't know for sure. But I didn't have enough VRs for a few months to even buy $5K per month - more like $2K. Sometimes zero. I like to think FTers are nobler than that and share farely. Unfortunately, a few don't and they buy all they can get their greedy hands on. People in Madison are very friendly and most would never buy up all the VR cards. Things are just a tiny bit different in the cutthroat atmosphere of Washington, DC. Sorry, if that seems like stereotyping but it's not just me who feels that way.

Fortunately, a very nice FTer gave me the location of another CVS store that had cards in stock. I'm grateful to him and never abused the information. I only bought $2K at that store and only shop twice a month at CVS.

I urge other DC residents to open a SunTrust checking account to get a ST SkyMiles Debit Mastercard. Then, they can go to the local Walmart (near Union Station) and transfer $1K to get 1,000 SkyMiles - in case VRs run out.

It's been a bit of a barren wasteland in the San Francisco Bay Area lately. However, I stopped by a CVS off the beaten path today and found the mother lode; there must have been 50+ beans on the rack! I snatched up 20x$500 (s.o. was with me). And relief washed over me in an awesome wave...

Point of the story: The sky isn't falling, beans are still out there and they can be bought with CC. Some of the posts this afternoon had me nervous.

That's my one fear about moving back to the Bay Area. There's far too much competition. :p