Simon mall gift card(2014-2015)
Mar 25, 2015, 7:21 am
#976
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I got a rather remarkable call today.
Backstory:
A month ago I bought $2K worth of cards as a test.
Then I went to a different, more convenient mall, and bought $9K. When I went in, they suggested I fill out a corporate form and submit it for approval.
Last week I was on vacation and went to two malls very far from home and was allowed, on the spot, to buy $12.5K cards as a corporate account, at the corporate price.
I redeemed almost all the above cards for MO as WM.
Then this week I went into the second mall, the one close to home, where I had submitted the corporate form and was allowed to buy only $10K at the consumer price.
This morning I got a call from someone at Simon Corporate (whose name I will omit). She said "We know you're doing manufactured spending, so we will be happy to sell you $10K a day, 7 days a week, at the personal price, but we can't sell on a corporate basis if you're doing manufactured spending because it's a personal activity." She used the phrase "manufactured spending" 3-4 times.
So this should add quite a lot of clarity. You don't have to stay under the radar if you're doing it as an individual.
It's possible that if I had been more subtle, like spreading around the MO purchases and doing it less frequently, they wouldn't have realized, but to me that would defeat the purpose. I don't want to carry an inventory and find multiple locations for MO's - I just want to walk into WM and walk out.
If anyone has issues of getting shut down for personal purchases, PM and and I'll share the individual's name. She was really nice and on the ball. She said they are limited by federal regulations. (Unlike WM, where "federal regulations" are whatever they decide they might be that day at that store, I actually believe this lady.)
Backstory:
A month ago I bought $2K worth of cards as a test.
Then I went to a different, more convenient mall, and bought $9K. When I went in, they suggested I fill out a corporate form and submit it for approval.
Last week I was on vacation and went to two malls very far from home and was allowed, on the spot, to buy $12.5K cards as a corporate account, at the corporate price.
I redeemed almost all the above cards for MO as WM.
Then this week I went into the second mall, the one close to home, where I had submitted the corporate form and was allowed to buy only $10K at the consumer price.
This morning I got a call from someone at Simon Corporate (whose name I will omit). She said "We know you're doing manufactured spending, so we will be happy to sell you $10K a day, 7 days a week, at the personal price, but we can't sell on a corporate basis if you're doing manufactured spending because it's a personal activity." She used the phrase "manufactured spending" 3-4 times.
So this should add quite a lot of clarity. You don't have to stay under the radar if you're doing it as an individual.
It's possible that if I had been more subtle, like spreading around the MO purchases and doing it less frequently, they wouldn't have realized, but to me that would defeat the purpose. I don't want to carry an inventory and find multiple locations for MO's - I just want to walk into WM and walk out.
If anyone has issues of getting shut down for personal purchases, PM and and I'll share the individual's name. She was really nice and on the ball. She said they are limited by federal regulations. (Unlike WM, where "federal regulations" are whatever they decide they might be that day at that store, I actually believe this lady.)
Mar 25, 2015, 8:01 am
#977
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Lifetime Platinum, MR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 249
I got a rather remarkable call today.
Backstory:
A month ago I bought $2K worth of cards as a test.
Then I went to a different, more convenient mall, and bought $9K. When I went in, they suggested I fill out a corporate form and submit it for approval.
Last week I was on vacation and went to two malls very far from home and was allowed, on the spot, to buy $12.5K cards as a corporate account, at the corporate price.
I redeemed almost all the above cards for MO as WM.
Then this week I went into the second mall, the one close to home, where I had submitted the corporate form and was allowed to buy only $10K at the consumer price.
This morning I got a call from someone at Simon Corporate (whose name I will omit). She said "We know you're doing manufactured spending, so we will be happy to sell you $10K a day, 7 days a week, at the personal price, but we can't sell on a corporate basis if you're doing manufactured spending because it's a personal activity." She used the phrase "manufactured spending" 3-4 times.
So this should add quite a lot of clarity. You don't have to stay under the radar if you're doing it as an individual.
It's possible that if I had been more subtle, like spreading around the MO purchases and doing it less frequently, they wouldn't have realized, but to me that would defeat the purpose. I don't want to carry an inventory and find multiple locations for MO's - I just want to walk into WM and walk out.
If anyone has issues of getting shut down for personal purchases, PM and and I'll share the individual's name. She was really nice and on the ball. She said they are limited by federal regulations. (Unlike WM, where "federal regulations" are whatever they decide they might be that day at that store, I actually believe this lady.)
Backstory:
A month ago I bought $2K worth of cards as a test.
Then I went to a different, more convenient mall, and bought $9K. When I went in, they suggested I fill out a corporate form and submit it for approval.
Last week I was on vacation and went to two malls very far from home and was allowed, on the spot, to buy $12.5K cards as a corporate account, at the corporate price.
I redeemed almost all the above cards for MO as WM.
Then this week I went into the second mall, the one close to home, where I had submitted the corporate form and was allowed to buy only $10K at the consumer price.
This morning I got a call from someone at Simon Corporate (whose name I will omit). She said "We know you're doing manufactured spending, so we will be happy to sell you $10K a day, 7 days a week, at the personal price, but we can't sell on a corporate basis if you're doing manufactured spending because it's a personal activity." She used the phrase "manufactured spending" 3-4 times.
So this should add quite a lot of clarity. You don't have to stay under the radar if you're doing it as an individual.
It's possible that if I had been more subtle, like spreading around the MO purchases and doing it less frequently, they wouldn't have realized, but to me that would defeat the purpose. I don't want to carry an inventory and find multiple locations for MO's - I just want to walk into WM and walk out.
If anyone has issues of getting shut down for personal purchases, PM and and I'll share the individual's name. She was really nice and on the ball. She said they are limited by federal regulations. (Unlike WM, where "federal regulations" are whatever they decide they might be that day at that store, I actually believe this lady.)
I've been doing SM for well over a year at $10k every two weeks without any issue. I firmly believe that SM & BH know full well what is going on and don't seem to care as they must be making money. More power to them both, if they don't mind neither should we. SM CG's are a nice way to add $$$ to Serve (WM employees and I are on first name basis). This in addition to having RC, this is the easiest MS has been in a while.
Mar 25, 2015, 9:01 am
#978
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: MOD/SFO
Programs: Whole Lot of Nothin' anymore - Thanks to baby!
Posts: 582
I've been doing SM for well over a year at $10k every two weeks without any issue. I firmly believe that SM & BH know full well what is going on and don't seem to care as they must be making money. More power to them both, if they don't mind neither should we. SM CG's are a nice way to add $$$ to Serve (WM employees and I are on first name basis). This in addition to having RC, this is the easiest MS has been in a while.
Mar 25, 2015, 12:58 pm
#979
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 908
SM does know very well. I was talking to my local SM CS rep and he told me that customers like "us" do not need to have our cards packaged individually even though its policy. So they are very aware of what we're doing and don't seem to mind. In fact my guy seems to enjoy the company, otherwise its a pretty boring job.
Mar 25, 2015, 2:13 pm
#980
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,337
Another data point: I've gotten chummy with an actual SM Mall Manager the past month at one of the DFW malls. She says corporate is well aware of us and that's why SM/BH upped the charge to $3.95. I've heard the same thing from CSRs at different malls, so they are all aware of it. I don't even hide what I'm doing any more. The CSRs generally ask what I'm "going for this time" and I tell them.
The main issue of MSing with SM is not SM. Its liquidating large amounts without drawing scrutiny. Back when I had Serve, an off duty WM employee wanted to fight me (I kid you not, he got in my face) because I disagreed with the MC that loading over $3k on Serve (had 2 cards) was not a write-up/SAR transaction. They acted like I was some kind of criminal. I had to try hard not to laugh when the off duty employee asked, "So do you work at WM? Because I do."
Mar 25, 2015, 2:53 pm
#981
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 688
I have the same problem. I was going to a WM twice a month and now they won't let me do split payment or use GCs. For a BP I never showed them my card but that's what they told me last time I went. Now that's three WMs that won't let me use GC's. When you do $2k BPs with multiple swipes, they think you're up to no good.
Mar 25, 2015, 3:30 pm
#982
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: MOD/SFO
Programs: Whole Lot of Nothin' anymore - Thanks to baby!
Posts: 582
I have the same problem. I was going to a WM twice a month and now they won't let me do split payment or use GCs. For a BP I never showed them my card but that's what they told me last time I went. Now that's three WMs that won't let me use GC's. When you do $2k BPs with multiple swipes, they think you're up to no good.
Mar 25, 2015, 3:58 pm
#983
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SoCal
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Lifetime Platinum, MR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 249
Love my WM as I unload ~$20k a month onto Serve. No mess no fuss!
Mar 25, 2015, 7:58 pm
#984
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
My favorite was the high-school-aged employee at a mall in SoCal who rubber-banded the cards together and slapped them down in front of me with nary an offer of a sleeve. I took it I wasn't the first customer of our type...
Mar 26, 2015, 7:38 am
#985
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
I finally ventured back into my local Simon Mall after close to a year. The manager was admanant back then about not selling me ANY VGCs. Never a reason why but just said no. I had only do a few $2k transactions and filled out the paperwork. Now with so many others having success in this thread, I guess it's time to try again. I just tested the waters yesterday with a $500 card. Plus it's a new CC so I didn't want to set off the fraud alert bells at the same time. I'll try for more next week and be ready to fill out more paperwork. I just think my local store wasn't use to the volume so didn't know how to handle it.
Mar 26, 2015, 8:26 am
#986
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,044
Was it because this SM didn't carry the VGC - up until the switch last fall there were many SMs that only carried AmEx - or did the manager flat out refuse to sell VGC even though they were available for sale?
Mar 26, 2015, 8:39 am
#987
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: Hyatt Globalist No More..., Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,375
They sold VGC with more than enough supply. No idea why the manager was such a pain. First they wouldn't let me use Amex GC, even personalized, which I understood and just switched to a real CC. However I was always baffled why she told me no. And it wasn't even in person. It was over the phone with the cashier called. I turned around and called her back less than 5 mins later to get an answer and she didn't answer. I just gave up. It wasn't worth the hassle at the time for me.
Mar 26, 2015, 8:42 am
#988
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,044
They sold VGC with more than enough supply. No idea why the manager was such a pain. First they wouldn't let me use Amex GC, even personalized, which I understood and just switched to a real CC. However I was always baffled why she told me no. And it wasn't even in person. It was over the phone with the cashier called. I turned around and called her back less than 5 mins later to get an answer and she didn't answer. I just gave up. It wasn't worth the hassle at the time for me.
Mar 27, 2015, 8:28 am
#989
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 350
Any issues with getting Simon GCs using Citi AAdvantage card?
