36902BRF

Interesting I don't use AAA for insurance personally so not a big deal (they could never compete with USAA whenever I checked). Essentially I was about to get rid of them last year because about the only thing I use them for is the AAA discount at some hotels and even that is less useful than it once was. Their road side assistance is more expensive than what I get from my insurance company and less generous. I don't really use their maps or tour guides any more nor trip tiks (in an age of GPS they are more or less superfluous). Part of my calculation in renewing this year was the gift card access. Without that I am not sure the discounts are enough anymore In any case i have nearly a year to think it over.

As for a "disposable account" GC purchases that hardly seems worth it unless there is a way to figure out how to make this scalable. It looks like the cheapest plan near me is $71 which means I'd have to buy $7500 worth of gift cards (during the no fee promotions) before I broke even (more than me and a number of other folks were able to do prior to shutdown) with the cost of OVs. The pay back is even worse if you have a lower cost options for GCs (and there are some).

djca

No fees on Visa GC also at AAA NY (Scarsdale office). Just bought $1K.

While I was there I saw a printed email posted on the wall, describing that someone bought $4K worth of GC at a Queens location, and when he/she returned to buy more, was told that he/she reached the limit and wasn't allowed to purchase any more. The restriction was supposed to be for 30 days. But from posts on this thread, it seems that GC bans can last a lot longer than 30 days, or indefinitely.

36902BRF

I think it depends on whether Metabank or AAA is imposing the restriction. If the former so far I have seen no reports of folks getting de-banned (at lest in the six months since the first bans were implemented).

svasandani

Has anybody tried to buy GC around the St. Louis, MO area. Also, does it matter if your home office registration is in Texas.

hti5t45

it is tough to find these wish they had an online method to verify who sells them

danpeake

I bought in the DC area (mid Atlantic AAA region) with a Hartford region AAA card. Wasn't a problem at all.

getagb

There is: use the store locator to verify that your local AAA store is in the "mid-atlantic" region. The offer is posted on their website: http://midatlantic.aaa.com/banking/visagiftcard

PtsJunkieWI

Thanks for the follow-up points and questions.

I purchased right around $4500 during the holidays, across 3 visits ($2500, $1000, $1000). I cashed them all out within 24 hours in single transactions (guess where!)

Metabank is the authority behind the ban. It is just noted in my AAA account memo field or whatever. She had it up on the screen and was reading it for a sec before telling me she couldn't sell me anymore.

Like 36902BRF, I use USAA for insurance, and AAA can't even get close. I keep AAA for roadside emergency (I needed them a few times in my 20s.. and not in the last 20 years... hrrm..). But mainly I keep it for the discounts on eyeglasses, etc and hotels.

The $4.95 fee for OVs doesn't bother me that much, so I'm not going to play any game with AAA or create a throwaway account. I'll just move along to the other methods currently in play, some of which are actually more lucrative. Whatev!

TMKTakot

Had a AAA store deny me for trying to use AGC because "when they reconcile at the end of the day AMEX will kick back the charge". Probably a load of horse-feathers, but whatever.

On a different note, Citi cards are posting as purchase correct? I saw a couple posts about it looking like they'd post that way, but no definite confirms...

taildragger

AAA Mid-Atlantic today said they will not sell gift cards except for cash now because there has been fraud. I'm not sure if this is a widespread policy or just directed at me. I bought 4k during last December's promotion. The receptionist was very evasive and called the central financial office, mentioning that they had just received some emails about selling gift cards.
Last year it was so easy. This year it seems impossible to buy these, at least with a credit card. Anyone else been shut down very recently?

dsauch

the branch where I normally get stuff is not part of the promo, but they had no problem selling me gc. I have a good relationship with them and they know exactly what I need when I come. I also called another branch in NJ and they are also not running promotion. Very strange, perhaps NY only..

36902BRF

Sounds like you have been hit with a Metabank ban. I got banned after $4500. There are several other reports around that amount as well though others have exceeded it by a wide margin and seemingly have not been banned. Time to move to the next thing.

taildragger

Thanks 3690. I kind of thought that could have been it but 4k is not that much and it's been 6 months. On to Simon Mall!

Adirondacker

Stopped at AAA Northway (Northern NY) was waited on by the manager who said he thought they were not accepting credit cards anymore but would try it. Went through for two card on my Chase United no issue.

Checking on my first purchase with Citi AA Exec it looks like it is considered a cash advance

Cash Advances $1,000.00

AAA NORTHWAY-QC SARATOGA SPRI NY $1,000.00
Transaction Type: 3
Post Date: 05/14/2014
Reference Number: 4WSP092M
Person: CLIFF W PARKER
Merchant Category: MORTGAGE CO/NONFINANCIAL INST/TRAVEL CHK

36902BRF

Wait till it posts before you get too worried. Reloads on certain debit cards show up as a pending cash advance on Citi but post as a purchase so you just might get lucky. The negative is even after it posts as a purchase the pending CA hangs around a few weeks (no kidding) so your credit line/CA limit it reduced by that amount till it falls off.

Edit nevermind hadn't had my coffee yet and I now see it posted on 5/14. Yeah that is not good. I only used Chase cards at AAA before my ban and they posted as purchases.