Mar 12, 2015, 11:57 am
RIP Redbird... Fun while it lasted
Mar 4, 2015, 3:49 pm
#121
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
You're able to zero in on a single line and ignore the context, and in so doing misread the message. Your speculation is not fact, it's stubbornness.
Mar 4, 2015, 3:51 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
Who doesn't load any type of prepaid card with round numbers?
Why would you ever do otherwise, unless you're down to your last change, or you had a specific purchase in mind?
Round numbers to load anything are likely the norm.
Why would you ever do otherwise, unless you're down to your last change, or you had a specific purchase in mind?
Round numbers to load anything are likely the norm.
Mar 4, 2015, 3:52 pm
#123
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
Outside blog shutdown letters (2) plus response #10.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....bird-accounts/
All mention round numbers as one reason why the account was shut down. For those of you who want to continue to use round numbers and quickly unload your loads, I encourage that behavior. You're the low hanging fruit that will divert Target's attention for a couple more months.
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....bird-accounts/
All mention round numbers as one reason why the account was shut down. For those of you who want to continue to use round numbers and quickly unload your loads, I encourage that behavior. You're the low hanging fruit that will divert Target's attention for a couple more months.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:02 pm
#124
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: ONT/LAX
Programs: IHG Plat
Posts: 496
so do they not want us to use the BP feature?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
Mar 4, 2015, 4:08 pm
#125
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 20
Silver lining?
Trying to take the optimistic view... If this letter is real, it basically says Target and Amex collectively discovered that they were being gamed by manufactured spenders and decided to take action.
It would have been substantially easier for them to simply say, effectively immediately, no more credit card loads on Redbird, than it would be to try to ferret out the "bad actors" by looking at transaction history. Just like CVS did with Vanilla reloads, etc.
That would suggest that the ability to load with a credit card is likely to continue, at least for those who can avoid their "suspicious activity" algorithm.
It would have been substantially easier for them to simply say, effectively immediately, no more credit card loads on Redbird, than it would be to try to ferret out the "bad actors" by looking at transaction history. Just like CVS did with Vanilla reloads, etc.
That would suggest that the ability to load with a credit card is likely to continue, at least for those who can avoid their "suspicious activity" algorithm.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:13 pm
#126
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: KSTP KSPG
Programs: AOPA
Posts: 974
Trying to take the optimistic view... If this letter is real, it basically says Target and Amex collectively discovered that they were being gamed by manufactured spenders and decided to take action.
It would have been substantially easier for them to simply say, effectively immediately, no more credit card loads on Redbird, than it would be to try to ferret out the "bad actors" by looking at transaction history. Just like CVS did with Vanilla reloads, etc.
That would suggest that the ability to load with a credit card is likely to continue, at least for those who can avoid their "suspicious activity" algorithm.
It would have been substantially easier for them to simply say, effectively immediately, no more credit card loads on Redbird, than it would be to try to ferret out the "bad actors" by looking at transaction history. Just like CVS did with Vanilla reloads, etc.
That would suggest that the ability to load with a credit card is likely to continue, at least for those who can avoid their "suspicious activity" algorithm.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:20 pm
#127
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
There are two flags that are being addressed. The first flag involves round numbers - $500, $750, $1000. It's not 'money in' - it's exact round numbers in. Strange thinking that you and several others ignore the first flag.
In summary, two flags noted in almost all letters:
1) Round numbers ($500, $750, $1000) in.
2) Money quickly withdrawn.
No one is arguing about flag #2; failure to acknowledge flag #1 by some is baffling.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:20 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 20
Then why bother shutting specific people down if you're planning to shut everyone down ASAP? That would be a total waste of time. I think it's far more likely that they're shutting specific people down because they aren't willing to hard code "no credit cards" into the system. And that's good news if I'm right...
Mar 4, 2015, 4:25 pm
#129
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
so do they not want us to use the BP feature?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
Mar 4, 2015, 4:30 pm
#130
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: KSTP KSPG
Programs: AOPA
Posts: 974
Then why bother shutting specific people down if you're planning to shut everyone down ASAP? That would be a total waste of time. I think it's far more likely that they're shutting specific people down because they aren't willing to hard code "no credit cards" into the system. And that's good news if I'm right...
Also, I would want to know how many tgt team members are "using" this card.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:30 pm
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
So the OP has 1271 posts.
Anyone want to vouch for him/her?
Anyone want to vouch for him/her?
Mar 4, 2015, 4:31 pm
#132
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: Marriott LT Tit; Hyatt Explorist; Hilton CC Gold; IHG CC Plt; Hertz (MR) 5 star
Posts: 5,536
so do they not want us to use the BP feature?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
When I started buying VRs from CVS, I was amazed at how many people bought groceries, etc at CVS. To stereotype, it was a lot of poor people who seemed to fit the average Walmart customer. Target's just trying to poach others' market share.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:43 pm
#134
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
so do they not want us to use the BP feature?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
ex. I owe $230.20 on my credit card/phone/insurance/student loan but I only have $200 right now, so I load $200 then BP immediately because it's due.
that will throw up flags because 1. it's a round amount and 2. I BP'd immediately....?
Isnt this card made for people who don't have much cash on hand?
If you are carrying balances on credit cards you have, living paycheck to paycheck, just barely getting by (like the expected consumer for these products) - you would very likely be loading money and then immediately paying those same funds out. You would also likely pay even numbers for many bills.
What I think does raise red flags is $1k + $1k + $500 in rapid succession. Or, in the case of BB / Serve 500 x 5 using gift cards. This is easy to spot and is the signature of someone "abusing" the system.
Mar 4, 2015, 4:50 pm
#135
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 565
If you all believe AmEx would put their discovery mechanism in the email, you would be mistaken.
Their internal system picked up on some behavior based on some undisclosed rules, and put the account into a queue. A human takes a look, decide that the computer was right, and then grabbed the boilerplate template with 2-4 pre-approved reasons, and picked whatever was closest to what the analyst decided to be the abusive behavior.
Over time, they can improve those rules based on new understanding, but still use the same bad template language. They can even run the rules on past transaction history at any time.
So to the folks that says "it hasn't happened to me yet!" Computers are like elephants.
Their internal system picked up on some behavior based on some undisclosed rules, and put the account into a queue. A human takes a look, decide that the computer was right, and then grabbed the boilerplate template with 2-4 pre-approved reasons, and picked whatever was closest to what the analyst decided to be the abusive behavior.
Over time, they can improve those rules based on new understanding, but still use the same bad template language. They can even run the rules on past transaction history at any time.
So to the folks that says "it hasn't happened to me yet!" Computers are like elephants.