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-   -   Bay Area MS Thread (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/manufactured-spending/1774258-bay-area-ms-thread.html)

gotsomegetsome Jun 24, 2016 2:38 pm

Bay Area MS Thread
 
Hi Folks,

I'm new to this forum, so hello and thanks for having me.

I was hoping to start a thread that is specific to the Bay Area (SF San Jose regions and surrounding) since this area is particularly rough when it comes to MS. For example, I have been to about 5 office supply stores in the area and cannot purchase prepaid gift cards with a CC since it is hard coded into their systems.

Personal experiences:
- Walmart on Almaden, Moneycenter person was completely unknowledgable about how to use their system, so I will try again in a week
- Heard stories about Walmart on Story Road being very strict about MS, so this might be a wasteland
- Have not tried Post Office for MO but I might try if I have time this weekend


Any thoughts, experiences, suggests, please share away! :]

kaiotes Jun 24, 2016 5:28 pm

*Ms in bay area dead.

*No Wmt allows reload or mo w debit gc.

*Buying mo w debit gc at po is a hit or miss. YMMV

OliverB Jun 24, 2016 8:06 pm

Hi, I'm checking in to ask about liquidating Staples Visa GCs in the city. If anyone has info to offer and would feel more comfortable sharing via PM rather than on the forum, that would be very much welcomed and appreciated. Thanks!

iqbalt80 Jun 25, 2016 9:07 pm

LOL :)

dordal Jun 26, 2016 12:28 am

I haven't had a ton of luck around here, but I know many who have.

There's an SF Travel Hacker Meetup that you might consider coming to: http://www.meetup.com/San-Francisco-Travel-Hackers/

umich07 Jun 26, 2016 9:00 am

You have to just try things and see what works. The worst the store can do is turn you down. Nobody is going to let you in on anything around here, it's already tough enough.

slack455 Jun 26, 2016 2:48 pm


Originally Posted by umich07 (Post 26832767)
You have to just try things and see what works. The worst the store can do is turn you down. Nobody is going to let you in on anything around here, it's already tough enough.

This X 1000

Airman000 Jun 26, 2016 3:03 pm

Anyone remember the CA gold rush? Asking about getting started in San Fran at this point is the equivalent of showing up with a pale and bucket two years after the gold rush ended.

Red Raider LV Jun 27, 2016 11:17 am

You could move to Texas or Florida.

AlohaDaveKennedy Jun 27, 2016 1:41 pm

Bite your tongue! :eek: Send the herd elsewhere. The grass is much greener in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. And the alligators there much less nasty. :p


Originally Posted by Red Raider LV (Post 26837746)
You could move to Texas or Florida.


livestrongforever Jun 27, 2016 3:51 pm


Originally Posted by Airman000 (Post 26834376)
Anyone remember the CA gold rush? Asking about getting started in San Fran at this point is the equivalent of showing up with a pale and bucket two years after the gold rush ended.

LOL THis.

Seriously though. You are way too late to the game here in the bay area. Especially if you are in the San Jose Area. Kates are dead, ALL WM cashiers are trained to say no to any Debit card without your name on them if you try to convert to Money Orders. ALL USPS are now trained to decline Money Orders as a Memo went out to all USPS in the bay area.

Your best bet is to find something new that no one knows about. Hit it really hard by yourself. Don't let anyone know. This is how I did over 2 million in MS in the bay area back in 2012-2014 before the loophole closed. Please no PM regarding this as I may not be telling the truth. Just be creative. Come on we're all engineers right? :D

carlitos Jun 27, 2016 4:38 pm


Originally Posted by Red Raider LV (Post 26837746)
You could move to Texas or Florida.

Or even better, you can be living in Florida and just fly to the Middle of Nowhere MidWest for work during the week and have a Kroger, Walmart, CVS and Staples in a 1 mile radius outside of your hotel :D

Then you get to go back to sunny Florida for the weekend and enjoy all the miles, cash back and points MS after work ;)

It is amazing, this week I got sent for work to the LA Area, and did not even feel the rush to MS in Cali. I just do it for fun in the Mid West 3 times a month. But yes, you are way late to this game if you live in California or now Florida and even Texas (at least the metroplex).

Only good thing about deep south Florida is that Simon sells VGC without a problem, even knowing it is for points, as it is very difficult to liquidate @ Wally there. So Simon has lost plenty of customers :o

eccentricfusion Jun 28, 2016 1:20 pm


Originally Posted by livestrongforever (Post 26839137)
Come on we're all engineers right? :D

Basically... too many engineers with too much free time. Glad I no longer live in the Bay Area, far too many systems engineers to working on breaking the system. :D

Mamibear Jun 28, 2016 2:10 pm


Originally Posted by OliverB (Post 26827535)
Hi, I'm checking in to ask about liquidating Staples Visa GCs in the city. If anyone has info to offer and would feel more comfortable sharing via PM rather than on the forum, that would be very much welcomed and appreciated.

since you're the only one online now, you win a RAOK...check your PM.

Alcibiades Jun 28, 2016 10:28 pm

MS is dead in BA. Try sactown.


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