Buy Presidential Dollar Coins with CC @ Face Value, Free Shipping
Oct 2, 2010, 10:52 am
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: STL
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Posts: 120
Really? That was one of the most important posts in the thread in some time (to me). I am getting double points on my AmX Gold card right now and was going to switch my coin orders to that card from the SPG AmX. Obviously, that may have to be re-evaluated.
Oct 2, 2010, 12:09 pm
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: CLL
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Oct 2, 2010, 12:55 pm
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
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Posts: 4,820
Agree that grandstanding is simply bad for business. But we are craftly, and the professionals among us will adapt to the changes in the business environment.
The tips and tricks ought to be offline IMHO. No snobbery, but reality - they survive longer that way. Most take advantage of weaknesses in controls that will evenually get recognized and shored up.
What does not work is best posted - flag the landmines so others may safely pass (without a cash advance landmine blowing up in their pocketbook).
Agree no subterfuge, false identities etc. is necessary to obtain coins from the mint for distribution. Certainly if you have a business, let the mint know to accomodate your need. That said, some of us may need a steady cash flow, but do not want a van with 10 boxes a week stopping by the house. Security, weight and other concerns may create the desire for a balanced flow or maybe the coins are better delivered to different locations (lunch truck, coin laundry, car wash, festival, parking garage, etc.) closer to where they will be distributed.
Anyway, I see my orders all still stuck and have had a few hiccups with the mint site. The backlog may be taking its toll and I expect to have to cancel and resubmit orders before too long.
The tips and tricks ought to be offline IMHO. No snobbery, but reality - they survive longer that way. Most take advantage of weaknesses in controls that will evenually get recognized and shored up.
What does not work is best posted - flag the landmines so others may safely pass (without a cash advance landmine blowing up in their pocketbook).
Agree no subterfuge, false identities etc. is necessary to obtain coins from the mint for distribution. Certainly if you have a business, let the mint know to accomodate your need. That said, some of us may need a steady cash flow, but do not want a van with 10 boxes a week stopping by the house. Security, weight and other concerns may create the desire for a balanced flow or maybe the coins are better delivered to different locations (lunch truck, coin laundry, car wash, festival, parking garage, etc.) closer to where they will be distributed.
Anyway, I see my orders all still stuck and have had a few hiccups with the mint site. The backlog may be taking its toll and I expect to have to cancel and resubmit orders before too long.
That's what rubbed me the wrong way about this deal, and finally coaxed me to give out an email after lurking since 2001.
I've seen thousands of deals come and go over the years. Some are okay to share in the open, others can be openly posted but with veiled hints (intelligible to followers but not drive-by traffic), and others must be kept totally private to stay alive. This was none of the three.
Discretion is necessary for dealhunters, but this isn't discretion. What this is about is self-aggrandizement and forum snobbery.
Notice how the deal is slated to be blown open on a scheduled date, whether it's alive or not. The spoilers claim to be for benefit maximization, but only so long as it doesn't interfere with their big presentation and moment of glory. One can't claim they're trying to keep it under wraps "for the community" when they've already planned to give it maximum publicity at an opportune moment, whether the deal is alive or dead at the time they plan to spoil it.
This completely violates the spirit of collaborative dealhunting. It's hypocritical and elitist, and completely works against the idea of maximizing aggregate profit by striking the right balance between participant quantity and deal longevity; deals lacking either miss their aggregate potential. The entire reason we subscribe to these boards is because we can all do better in the long run when working together, rather than finding one deal and clutching it so tightly.
If we want to talk about deal killers, let's talk about useless braggart photos, having nothing but shock value, before we go blaming a blogger trying to help others by sharing.
I've been following this thread and the FW coin thread since the day they were posted. I have absolutely no clue what method P.T. Barnum plans to unveil in his three-ring miles extravaganza, but here's another:
For all of you who have been churning business deposit or credit card accounts (and you should, they're quite profitable), the mint is extremely loose in approving quantity exemptions addressed to accounts with a legal d/b/a recipient/payer. No subterfuge is even necessary as long as you're sufficiently general. Grab that spare d/b/a and get the churn rolling again.
This method is much more straightforward than whatever goofy combination of authorized users and mixed products was being secretly flogged prior to someone losing their precious. I've probably hurt myself in the long run by posting it, but a point is a point.
As much as I might not want to put this so out in the open, it's even worse precedent to distribute deals according to the host/audience model. If we want that, we can turn on the TV and wait for the stampede like everybody else. Internet forums were supposed to change that. I see this has come full-circle.
I've seen thousands of deals come and go over the years. Some are okay to share in the open, others can be openly posted but with veiled hints (intelligible to followers but not drive-by traffic), and others must be kept totally private to stay alive. This was none of the three.
Discretion is necessary for dealhunters, but this isn't discretion. What this is about is self-aggrandizement and forum snobbery.
Notice how the deal is slated to be blown open on a scheduled date, whether it's alive or not. The spoilers claim to be for benefit maximization, but only so long as it doesn't interfere with their big presentation and moment of glory. One can't claim they're trying to keep it under wraps "for the community" when they've already planned to give it maximum publicity at an opportune moment, whether the deal is alive or dead at the time they plan to spoil it.
This completely violates the spirit of collaborative dealhunting. It's hypocritical and elitist, and completely works against the idea of maximizing aggregate profit by striking the right balance between participant quantity and deal longevity; deals lacking either miss their aggregate potential. The entire reason we subscribe to these boards is because we can all do better in the long run when working together, rather than finding one deal and clutching it so tightly.
If we want to talk about deal killers, let's talk about useless braggart photos, having nothing but shock value, before we go blaming a blogger trying to help others by sharing.
I've been following this thread and the FW coin thread since the day they were posted. I have absolutely no clue what method P.T. Barnum plans to unveil in his three-ring miles extravaganza, but here's another:
For all of you who have been churning business deposit or credit card accounts (and you should, they're quite profitable), the mint is extremely loose in approving quantity exemptions addressed to accounts with a legal d/b/a recipient/payer. No subterfuge is even necessary as long as you're sufficiently general. Grab that spare d/b/a and get the churn rolling again.
This method is much more straightforward than whatever goofy combination of authorized users and mixed products was being secretly flogged prior to someone losing their precious. I've probably hurt myself in the long run by posting it, but a point is a point.
As much as I might not want to put this so out in the open, it's even worse precedent to distribute deals according to the host/audience model. If we want that, we can turn on the TV and wait for the stampede like everybody else. Internet forums were supposed to change that. I see this has come full-circle.
Oct 2, 2010, 1:02 pm
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Btw, my 9/23 order is showing in process, too... I suspect that if the inventory is really completed, then the shipping will resume soon and don't be surprised to get shipping confirmation over the weekend, which happens sometimes especially when the backlog is huge.
Oct 2, 2010, 1:38 pm
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,638
the fear that this program will be shut down has been discussed since page 3 of this thread, which as i type this is at page 691. while many at flyertalk are used to the secret handshakes and code words for airline mistake fares, and the legend of pudding guy, the coin deal has lived on despite repeated public exposure for nearly two years. the mint has adjusted its policies at least three times to curtail our "abuse" of the direct shipping program, but each time they've left the door wide open. that's why i doubt that "blowing open" the open secret of adding additional cardholders will have much effect (and it's inherently self-limiting anyway, so it's not like a complete run around the $1000 limit).
frankly, if mrpickles* and the wsj article weren't enough to kill the program, then i doubt there's anything we, fatwallet, or slickdeals can do to kill it. in fact, there are only two real risks: how many coins you can get your bank or credit union to take, and whether your particular credit card will catch on and code mint purchases as "cash equivalent" that don't earn miles.
*mrpickles is the undisputed champion of this program, and anything he or she says or tweets is worthy of posting here.
frankly, if mrpickles* and the wsj article weren't enough to kill the program, then i doubt there's anything we, fatwallet, or slickdeals can do to kill it. in fact, there are only two real risks: how many coins you can get your bank or credit union to take, and whether your particular credit card will catch on and code mint purchases as "cash equivalent" that don't earn miles.
*mrpickles is the undisputed champion of this program, and anything he or she says or tweets is worthy of posting here.
Oct 2, 2010, 2:30 pm
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
the fear that this program will be shut down has been discussed since page 3 of this thread, which as i type this is at page 691. while many at flyertalk are used to the secret handshakes and code words for airline mistake fares, and the legend of pudding guy, the coin deal has lived on despite repeated public exposure for nearly two years. the mint has adjusted its policies at least three times to curtail our "abuse" of the direct shipping program, but each time they've left the door wide open. that's why i doubt that "blowing open" the open secret of adding additional cardholders will have much effect (and it's inherently self-limiting anyway, so it's not like a complete run around the $1000 limit).
So for those of you who purchased during the 23-30th period, even though your shipment has not been sent out, I'm guessing most are going to make another purchase 10 days after that order date?
Last edited by Astrophsx; Oct 2, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Oct 2, 2010, 3:00 pm
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Just to clarify, I totally agree valuable information should be posted here, such as whatever card is catching up and shutting down the miles/points-earning ability.
And frankly, there are many more workarounds to that $1k limit. So I am not too concerned about whatever someone is going to "announce" especially since I am not using that particular way. And as I have posted somewhere else, when one offer has ended or is killed, there are always more to come. Life just moves on.
In the mileage-earning world, I think everybody should just be champion and winners, and we should help each other out to reach that goal and to maximize whatever we can get or are offered. Picking a day to make that announcement is certainly not what it is IMHO.
And frankly, there are many more workarounds to that $1k limit. So I am not too concerned about whatever someone is going to "announce" especially since I am not using that particular way. And as I have posted somewhere else, when one offer has ended or is killed, there are always more to come. Life just moves on.
In the mileage-earning world, I think everybody should just be champion and winners, and we should help each other out to reach that goal and to maximize whatever we can get or are offered. Picking a day to make that announcement is certainly not what it is IMHO.
Oct 2, 2010, 3:01 pm
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
I think you just posted what a certain someone was going to speak about in two weeks.
So for those of you who purchased during the 23-30th period, even though your shipment has not been sent out, I'm guessing most are going to make another purchase 10 days after that order date?
So for those of you who purchased during the 23-30th period, even though your shipment has not been sent out, I'm guessing most are going to make another purchase 10 days after that order date?
Last edited by buschoi; Oct 2, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Oct 3, 2010, 12:20 am
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 79
It's not the shortage of workarounds that's the problem. I've seen two others not explicitly mentioned, but with hints in this thread. Anyone following along should be able to figure out one or both, but it cuts down on the instruction-laden 1-2-3 posts which attract the attention of deal providers and journalists.
The resentment I've seen and felt myself stems from this supposedly proprietary claim to community information, and the dual standard of keeping something so tight that some regulars miss out, up until the point it's blown wide open while still alive.
That's killing a community deal for personal gain and goes against the spirit of the whole thing. If it needs to be kept close for the benefit of the community, then it shouldn't be blown wide open on a planned schedule in some sort of videotaped, instructional presentation.
Pictures of $70k+ didn't help our cause.
I can already picture the journalist vultures circling this condemned deal, just waiting to make a story out of the second round of churn, as told by the guy who exemplified the most gratuitous overuse the first time around.
A late October presentation will coincide well with the November elections. A certain demographic is eager to hear flagrant tales of wanton government waste, and here somebody who claims to be "for the community" is going to give them a video/presentation tutorial.
That WSJ reporter must be licking his chops for a follow-up, and yet some people would harass a blogger for trying to help others earn a few extra miles?
It's a total double standard. If you're for the community, then you keep it shrouded until it dies. Otherwise, you're just paying lip service to discretion.
When it comes down to one person's moment of glory, or perhaps months more of churn for the community, it's clear what is the greater good.
The resentment I've seen and felt myself stems from this supposedly proprietary claim to community information, and the dual standard of keeping something so tight that some regulars miss out, up until the point it's blown wide open while still alive.
That's killing a community deal for personal gain and goes against the spirit of the whole thing. If it needs to be kept close for the benefit of the community, then it shouldn't be blown wide open on a planned schedule in some sort of videotaped, instructional presentation.
Pictures of $70k+ didn't help our cause.
I can already picture the journalist vultures circling this condemned deal, just waiting to make a story out of the second round of churn, as told by the guy who exemplified the most gratuitous overuse the first time around.
A late October presentation will coincide well with the November elections. A certain demographic is eager to hear flagrant tales of wanton government waste, and here somebody who claims to be "for the community" is going to give them a video/presentation tutorial.
That WSJ reporter must be licking his chops for a follow-up, and yet some people would harass a blogger for trying to help others earn a few extra miles?
It's a total double standard. If you're for the community, then you keep it shrouded until it dies. Otherwise, you're just paying lip service to discretion.
When it comes down to one person's moment of glory, or perhaps months more of churn for the community, it's clear what is the greater good.
Oct 3, 2010, 12:24 am
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 79
I guess so, but we will need to test it. Many have reported their orders being cancelled after waiting 10 days from last order. When they called the Mint, they were told the 10-day count starts on the shipping day. In my own experience, the count starts on the day the order is placed.
I'm wondering it it's 10 second-days (86400*10) from one order's timestamp to the next, rather than 10 calendar days. I've seen that on deals before, and it always seems to elude reason and drive people crazy until somebody figures out the sloppy programming practices.
There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to the rash of cancellations on the tenth day mark, such that other forums have discussed counting out ten, then placing the order the day after, as though a buffer is the only way to not risk cancellation.
Oct 3, 2010, 12:45 am
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,737
That's killing a community deal for personal gain and goes against the spirit of the whole thing. If it needs to be kept close for the benefit of the community, then it shouldn't be blown wide open on a planned schedule in some sort of videotaped, instructional presentation.
Pictures of $70k+ didn't help our cause.
Pictures of $70k+ didn't help our cause.
I have a hard time believing that there was multi people doing $250k a week... If I remember correctly mrpickles used his employees from time to time to process large loads of coins. Anyone pushing that kind of load either has a lot of time on their hands or has some help. The only downside to having $1k limits is the new packaging can now fit more coins and uses less packing. I'm guessing there is some sort of weight limit for packages through UPS.
I've never had a order canceled while placing them 10 days apart. Should be interesting to see what happens with this delay.
Oct 3, 2010, 8:37 pm
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: FL
Programs: AA
Posts: 207
My 10/01 order request is still "on hold"...Waiting sucks.
Oct 4, 2010, 6:40 am
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 275
Anyone else with a 9/22 order still in process? :/ Hopefully that status will change today!
Oct 4, 2010, 6:59 am
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,998
Oct 4, 2010, 7:13 am
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: DCA/IAD/BWI
Posts: 323
Call Costumer Service to get old order moving
I also had a Sept. 22 order pending plus a previous one from Sept. 2 that was in limbo. Both had been done after the magic ten days. I called the CS rep and she did not understand why it had not been sent. Both orders did not break the 10 day rule. She sent an internal email, and one order was moving within 24 hours. The second is still up in the air. So give them a call and see if they can help you out.