Discounts/rebates on Visa/MC gift cards at Office Depot/Office Max(2014-2017)
May 15, 2015, 8:47 am
#541
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 171
I drained mine at three different Targets in FLL and ATL with no issues. Business as usual and pleasant employees all around. Some still thought I could use credit.
May 15, 2015, 8:48 am
#542
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Amtrak Guest Rewards (SE), Virgin America Elevate, Hyatt Gold Passport (Platinum), VIA Preference
Posts: 3,134
Went to Office Max yesterday. I bought the last three cards in the store and asked the person checking me out (name tag said store manager) if they had any more, I said they were a great deal since they were basically giving away free money. He told me they were completely out and I commented that free money must be pretty popular. His reply freaked me out a bit. He said that the reason why they were out is because they were all being bought up by people trying to earn hotel points. He said they basically do a bunch of money transfers, like money laundering and maybe it costs them a few dollars but they at least break even with the hotel points in the end. It was clear he didn't completely understand the process. He said the store wasn't allowed to accept any hotel branded CCs because he didn't want to be involved. He then let me pay with an Amex GC.
I wasn't around then, but didn't the US Mint deal end because the rewards frenzy actually made it onto the news? It's happening again.
We are CLEARLY completely out of control.
I wasn't around then, but didn't the US Mint deal end because the rewards frenzy actually made it onto the news? It's happening again.
We are CLEARLY completely out of control.
The other thing is that...let's face it, with the "$20 off of $300" offer, assuming a mechanism to unload them I'd expect a stampede. What surprises me about this isn't that it's blown up like this...it's that OM was caught by surprise at what happened.
Edit: Actually...in a sense, the internet is the problem. Witness the United Denmark fiasco (where at least 15k people were affected...15k being the number of "comments" the DOT got).
Last edited by GrayAnderson; May 15, 2015 at 8:58 am
May 15, 2015, 11:44 am
#543
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: AZ
Posts: 186
Do all Metabank VGC have default PIN as the last 4 card number? The packs I got didn't specify it. The previous ones had that verbiage on the back of the cards. I am asking do I need to manually set PINs?
May 15, 2015, 11:53 am
#544
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
I once got a very old Metabank with an expiration year of 2021 I believe and last 4 digits worked as PIN, as usual.
May 15, 2015, 12:02 pm
#545
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Midwest U.S.A
Programs: Too many to list. Since the early 90's.
Posts: 1,407
Managers, cashiers and ms'ers all need a lesson in what money laundering really is. It amazes me how much those words get thrown around when they have no connection whatsoever with ms. ML is about the cleaning (legitimizing) CASH that a criminal has obtained illegally. It's about cash, not credit cards, not hotel points or airline miles, just plain old cash. When a drug dealer sells their stuff they end up with lots of cash. They don't want to take all the cash to the bank so they launder it. That does not mean taking their cc to OM to buy VGC. Now, if I were a OM/OD manager I would be much more concerned if I saw a dude come in with $xxxx in cash who wanted to buy VGC. But, ml is not cc fraud. cc fraud is another animal entirely, but it is not ML. And, they're doing the right thing when they ask cc users to show their DL for photo ID. That cuts down on a lot of fraud. Besides, many of us frequent OM enough and even buy other goods like printers, toner paper and other supplies we're certainly not going to come in with stolen cards to buy VGC. If they see our faces many times, don't treat us like criminals. The frausters they have caught they usually have never seen before, they travel together and most aren't U.S. citizens.
May 15, 2015, 12:54 pm
#546
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Orange County, CA
Programs: AMEX Plat, Hyatt Explorist, JetBlue Mosaic, Wyndham Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 169
May 15, 2015, 1:59 pm
#548
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: DFW
Posts: 478
Got 'Not Authorized' when trying to buy MO at Kroger right out of door from OD with $200 VGC Blue Package. Used the last 4 digits as PIN. Called Vanilla CS, was told I was trying to get cash advance... Any waiting period needed for these new blue Packaged VGC? The old white packaged worked as usual.
May 15, 2015, 2:29 pm
#549
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
Managers, cashiers and ms'ers all need a lesson in what money laundering really is. It amazes me how much those words get thrown around when they have no connection whatsoever with ms. ML is about the cleaning (legitimizing) CASH that a criminal has obtained illegally. It's about cash, not credit cards, not hotel points or airline miles, just plain old cash. When a drug dealer sells their stuff they end up with lots of cash. They don't want to take all the cash to the bank so they launder it. That does not mean taking their cc to OM to buy VGC. Now, if I were a OM/OD manager I would be much more concerned if I saw a dude come in with $xxxx in cash who wanted to buy VGC. But, ml is not cc fraud. cc fraud is another animal entirely, but it is not ML. And, they're doing the right thing when they ask cc users to show their DL for photo ID. That cuts down on a lot of fraud. Besides, many of us frequent OM enough and even buy other goods like printers, toner paper and other supplies we're certainly not going to come in with stolen cards to buy VGC. If they see our faces many times, don't treat us like criminals. The frausters they have caught they usually have never seen before, they travel together and most aren't U.S. citizens.
Accusing anyone of 'fraud' without the proof/substantiation is defamation of character , a criminal act punishable by Jail time is taken very casually
9/11, patriot act, terrorist, 'for your protection' are few more phrases abused randomly!
May 15, 2015, 2:41 pm
#550
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
I think the fear of fraud is spread much more than the actual fraud. Fraud prevention is job of police and security dept. not the cashiers and store managers...
The best way of 'fraud prevention' is to stop giving 5% rebate CC to my Dog @:-)
May 15, 2015, 2:47 pm
#551
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Got 'Not Authorized' when trying to buy MO at Kroger right out of door from OD with $200 VGC Blue Package. Used the last 4 digits as PIN. Called Vanilla CS, was told I was trying to get cash advance... Any waiting period needed for these new blue Packaged VGC? The old white packaged worked as usual.
May 15, 2015, 3:08 pm
#552
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angles
Posts: 2,101
sometimes not always, I walk from OD to WMT (less than 5 min) mostly has worked but also experienced 'not available' to come back next day.
May 15, 2015, 3:35 pm
#553
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 8,460
Snagged $1,400 worth of the $200 VGC's from 2 different stores today. Ya!!!!!! ^
May 15, 2015, 3:57 pm
#554
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 51
Man, been to 7 different stores in the past week. No luck at any of them