By the way, I think the sharing of information is very useful. But the one flaw I see in the spreadsheet is that your experience in each of those stores is only a snapshot. Two stores were out of stock, but only on the day you went there. It might be useful to add a column of the restock day each week. So even if they are out of VRs on a Friday, they should have more on Tuesday. Also, the store that has "cash only" could have just been a single cashier who said cash only.

Otherwise, very good info!

wow, Im F-ed. that sucks. lol

Please for the love of FT take it down, and if DMV people send you a message to help them out then by all means, but dont publish that on the cloud.

I just checked the website--there are 25 CVS stores within 2 miles of my address. I have hit up four of them at various times, and have never had a consistent problem. It has always seemed to me that the region is pretty well stocked. So DMV people shouldn't have a problem in general.

Beginner's luck.

You are wrong. I have explored atleast 50 CVS in D/M/V from Ellicot City to Fairfax. Different times, multiple visits. Results vary.

But go ahead, post that list on the cloud. Good luck finding a VR after that... ever. :)

so lets keep it quite, like I have no idea what 4 stores you've hit up and you have no idea what stores I've hit up, if we run in to problems, we send a message and ask, not throw it out in the open.

I understand he wants to do something nice, but this isnt nice to the people that have done the legwork and found the CVS that works for them. if he needed a cvs that he could buy a VR with a CC, he could have asked people in the area in a message and I would have helped him, or Im sure you would have helped him.

Just stinks, I hope he takes it down and if people ask for help, then by all means help them, but do not give them the Key to the door.

either way. MY CVS runs out sometimes but Im already stocked up for the rest of the Feb.

All rationalizations for selfishness.

Since my DC area cohorts are in a generous mood today ;), feel free to PM me any NoVa locations that will consistently sell more than $1k.

East Bay News

The good: Piedmont CVS stacked with with VRs

The bad: Rejected CC, cash only :confused:

Usually if a CVS is absolutely stocked with VRs, it's a good idea to assume they're cash only until you get to register. No need to get your hopes up.

It was empty last week.

MS in DC seems to be getting some attention on this thread :)

I'd be willing to establish a small group of people in the city to share info (perhaps via a Google group email) if there is interest. Geographically, I'm thinking areas serviced and easily accessible by the metro since MSing without a car is a totally different challenge than with one! Send me a PM if you're interested.

To be honest that was what my general intention when posting my nascent list, it was just to give an idea and then coalesce DC area FT'ers so we could quietly maintain our own chart. Because in addition to discretion, local metropolitan information is of little interest to those outside that region.

Anyway, Washingtonians (and Baltimoreans) PM me if you like, we talk.

Had an interesting experience today at my local CVS. I just got my Citi AA Executive card and was going to buy some beans. I went to check out and the clerk said "Oh, someone else trying to get the 100,000 miles" when she saw the card.

She was super cool about the whole thing and said she was trying to get her manager to stock more of the beans so we could go there for the business.

Hi FTers this is my 1st post and please don't blame me if this info is duplicated - I didn't read the entire post so maybe someone already have this info.

My local CVS allows cc purchase for VR. But the cashiers always ask me to hand over my cc. Today when I was asked to show them the cc, I asked the girl why they need to see my card. She said that she needed to say that I wasn't using a prepaid card to purchase VR. So there it is, they are not checking the identity, nothing else, just to make sure that I wasn't using a prepaid card. Well, of course I wouldn't be using a prepaid card!

But why? They definitely have no problem with cc, just not prepaid card? Who would use a prepaid card to buy VR anyways?

Though new to the sport, I've had pretty good luck finding Beans. Today I went by one of my Continuous Vanilla Sources to see if they had anything. Still a big Bean-no for a week running! Cashier then told me, "they're cash only now, too." Sure, pony-tail man, sure.

On another front, I don't get why merchants are averse to letting someone CCing Beans but are ok with GCs? Does that $1 difference in load fee make or break their profit margins? There must be something else happening on the back end with reimbursements or other kickbacks--though why V, Vr or any other financial would discount $s is beyond me.

Finally...I'm really hoping to get asked sometime why I buy so many. My ready reply, is, "I do it to help a family member with traveling." All true, I just happen to be the family member!