Old Jan 2, 2017, 9:18 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Travelz
This is a new thread for 2017. The previous discussion can be found here.

READ the posts in this thread before asking questions. Many have already been answered.


10k per day limit including fees - must fill out a form (use cards as a budget tool or whatever you want to put)
Check the Simon website for locations.
VGC issued by meta for 3.95 - Count your cards before you leave the mall
When ordering online, Simon uses GCM.
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Simon Mall Gift Cards(2017-2018)

Old Apr 14, 2017, 6:29 pm
  #301  
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Originally Posted by NoonRadar
Curios where this (in wiki) came from and what's the data points' story behind it.
I can give you a DP from a friend - his account at GCM was blocked for unknown reason. He could not order Simon GC online as a result, even though he went thru Simon site to order his cards. It is a no go for him. This is never reported on this thread, hence is not the basis of the information in the Wiki. However, rest assured the Wiki is a collective pool of DPs from various sources on the internet. Personally I would trust it but if you do not trust it, you should try to do it against the advice and may be you will be a DP yourself - for good or bad - then you can either affirm or overturn the info posted in the Wiki. Very simple, no need to wonder any more.
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Old Apr 14, 2017, 8:51 pm
  #302  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Originally Posted by Happy
I can give you a DP from a friend - his account at GCM was blocked for unknown reason. He could not order Simon GC online as a result, even though he went thru Simon site to order his cards. It is a no go for him. This is never reported on this thread, hence is not the basis of the information in the Wiki. However, rest assured the Wiki is a collective pool of DPs from various sources on the internet. Personally I would trust it but if you do not trust it, you should try to do it against the advice and may be you will be a DP yourself - for good or bad - then you can either affirm or overturn the info posted in the Wiki. Very simple, no need to wonder any more.
It makes sense that if you're already banned from GCM you won't be able to order from the same site (Simon online), but the reverse didn't make much sense to me, especially without any DPs. I already know someone who has ordered Simon online at least once and didn't get banned from GCM consequently, but that's an old data point by now, things could have changed.

I asked because I searched and didn't see any such DPs in this or last year's thread. I know we can try it our selves (that goes without saying), but this is forum, hence we also ask, and report. If it was all about being on our own we wouldn't be here.
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Old Apr 14, 2017, 10:20 pm
  #303  
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Wiki says
<<When ordering online, Simon uses GCM, so if you also order from GCM you may be blocked from ordering from Simon.>>

You ask:

Originally Posted by NoonRadar
Curios where this (in wiki) came from and what's the data points' story behind it.
Then I provided the "basis" that is never posted in this thread or anywhere else, but a friend's own experience.

Originally Posted by Happy
I can give you a DP from a friend - his account at GCM was blocked for unknown reason. He could not order Simon GC online as a result, even though he went thru Simon site to order his cards. It is a no go for him. This is never reported on this thread, hence is not the basis of the information in the Wiki. However, rest assured the Wiki is a collective pool of DPs from various sources on the internet. Personally I would trust it but if you do not trust it, you should try to do it against the advice and may be you will be a DP yourself - for good or bad - then you can either affirm or overturn the info posted in the Wiki. Very simple, no need to wonder any more.
Now you claim you are not questioning about what Wiki says, but a "reversed" scenario.

Originally Posted by NoonRadar
It makes sense that if you're already banned from GCM you won't be able to order from the same site (Simon online), but the reverse didn't make much sense to me, especially without any DPs. I already know someone who has ordered Simon online at least once and didn't get banned from GCM consequently, but that's an old data point by now, things could have changed.

I asked because I searched and didn't see any such DPs in this or last year's thread. I know we can try it our selves (that goes without saying), but this is forum, hence we also ask, and report. If it was all about being on our own we wouldn't be here.
So I really dont understand why you now talk about the "opposite" direction as it is not even mentioned in the Wiki and not what your original post is about.

Since there is no "reversed" DPs, again, why would you not be willing to be a DP since you are the one who wants to know? One of the reasons why we are here is, we are also contributing, not just taking. So for once, be a contributor and not always a taker.

Last edited by Happy; Apr 14, 2017 at 10:27 pm
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Old Apr 14, 2017, 10:51 pm
  #304  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 891
Originally Posted by FrankMS
Never happened to me at WM, but it happened several times at K. In my experience, if the money doesn't come back on in five minutes, it doesn't come back on.
thanks everyone for the feedback. money never came back on the card, and I kept calling the WM manager every day and finally they gave me the MOs manually. I could have filed an issue with Simon but it would have took long time to resolve it.

Glad it got resolved it without major heartburn.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 10:03 am
  #305  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 123
I noticed that Simon GC are distributed by Blackhawk and not US bank.
Are these cards any different? Can I liquidate them at WM buying MO's ?
I have about 3k worth
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 10:38 am
  #306  
 
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Originally Posted by rocco24
I noticed that Simon GC are distributed by Blackhawk and not US bank.
Are these cards any different? Can I liquidate them at WM buying MO's ?
I have about 3k worth
Simon VGCs are issued by Metabank and will work many places (including WMT) but not USPS.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 11:02 am
  #307  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 123
Originally Posted by Carl
Simon VGCs are issued by Metabank and will work many places (including WMT) but not USPS.
Thanks that's a relief.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 12:14 pm
  #308  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 81
Just had an annoying experience at my usual Mall. There were some marketing ladies at the desk rather than the usual staff and when doing the standard authorization call they did the full amount of the vgc's I planned on buying rather than $1. Didn't realize until it came time to swipe and my card declined that after calling the bank I realized the decline was because that pending authorization had eaten up most of my available credit.

I then tried to explain to those ladies that any other time I had been there they would only do a $1 authorization hold and that putting a hold for the full amount makes no sense as it leaves no credit to complete the purchase but instead of simply just admitting they made a mistake despite my completely normal polite tone they decided to get entirely defensive and say that that is absolutely how it's supposed to be done and that I should "just call my bank and have them clear the hold".

Oh well, just gotta go back when the staff who know what they are doing are back at the desk.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 4:54 pm
  #309  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 542
Originally Posted by Spiral1
Just had an annoying experience at my usual Mall. There were some marketing ladies at the desk rather than the usual staff and when doing the standard authorization call they did the full amount of the vgc's I planned on buying rather than $1. Didn't realize until it came time to swipe and my card declined that after calling the bank I realized the decline was because that pending authorization had eaten up most of my available credit.

I then tried to explain to those ladies that any other time I had been there they would only do a $1 authorization hold and that putting a hold for the full amount makes no sense as it leaves no credit to complete the purchase but instead of simply just admitting they made a mistake despite my completely normal polite tone they decided to get entirely defensive and say that that is absolutely how it's supposed to be done and that I should "just call my bank and have them clear the hold".

Oh well, just gotta go back when the staff who know what they are doing are back at the desk.
What exactly are they doing with a hold in the first place? I've only recently started but my SM, I just walk in, pay on the cards I want, then walk out. There is no phone call or hold.
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Old Apr 20, 2017, 8:48 pm
  #310  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Metro ATL
Posts: 359
Originally Posted by Happy
I can give you a DP from a friend - his account at GCM was blocked for unknown reason. He could not order Simon GC online as a result, even though he went thru Simon site to order his cards. It is a no go for him. This is never reported on this thread, hence is not the basis of the information in the Wiki. However, rest assured the Wiki is a collective pool of DPs from various sources on the internet. Personally I would trust it but if you do not trust it, you should try to do it against the advice and may be you will be a DP yourself - for good or bad - then you can either affirm or overturn the info posted in the Wiki. Very simple, no need to wonder any more.
My experience is that I was able to order SM VGC online via GCM and everything went fine. However, no name printed on the card.
When I tried to use the same email address to login to GCM I was denied.
That was the only problem I encountered.
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Old Apr 21, 2017, 12:05 am
  #311  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Originally Posted by omghaxcode
What exactly are they doing with a hold in the first place? I've only recently started but my SM, I just walk in, pay on the cards I want, then walk out. There is no phone call or hold.
I am going to agree here. That is absurd that they are calling your bank and putting a hold. It is a huge recipe for this exact disaster. What on earth is the point?

Sometimes, I personally call and give my card a heads' up that I will be making a large purchase. That is usually only the first few times I am using a new card - basically to prevent the card from declining.
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Old Apr 21, 2017, 12:33 pm
  #312  
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by omghaxcode
What exactly are they doing with a hold in the first place? I've only recently started but my SM, I just walk in, pay on the cards I want, then walk out. There is no phone call or hold.
I have no idea why they have to do this hold thing. I've asked before but they don't seem to know either, just insist it's something they have to do. I'm not sure what placing a $1 hold on my card is supposed to achieve but it's just a few minutes of waiting so I don't really care as long as they do it properly and don't put $5000 holds on my cards blocking me from completing my purchase lol.
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Old Apr 21, 2017, 12:50 pm
  #313  
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
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Originally Posted by Spiral1
I have no idea why they have to do this hold thing. I've asked before but they don't seem to know either, just insist it's something they have to do. I'm not sure what placing a $1 hold on my card is supposed to achieve but it's just a few minutes of waiting so I don't really care as long as they do it properly and don't put $5000 holds on my cards blocking me from completing my purchase lol.
it was discussed in another thread some time last year, can't remember which one, that if done correctly, it's suppose to be a hold/authorization and they're given a code. When the actual charge is done (not sure how exactly) that code is suppose to be used.
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Old Apr 22, 2017, 5:03 am
  #314  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 523
Originally Posted by omghaxcode
What exactly are they doing with a hold in the first place? I've only recently started but my SM, I just walk in, pay on the cards I want, then walk out. There is no phone call or hold.
My SM doesn't do that, but I've been to other places that do. As soon as they pick up the phone, I ask them who they're calling and why. If it's a pre-authorization, I cancel the transaction as this will tie up several K in credit limit for days. The only way to release a pre auth is to have the merchant call your cc company from their phone.
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Old Apr 23, 2017, 8:34 am
  #315  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 595
The SMs in Las Vegas have done the $1 pre-auth call on me before (not 100% consistent tho), but my regular mall doesn't. They never pre-auth'd the whole amount.
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