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Using CC to purchase "Forever" Stamps

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Old Sep 25, 2010 | 10:43 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by Efrem
You find an auction like this one. Then you do the standard eBay thing.
Any clue as to why this is worthwhile for the seller?

There's got to be something interesting going on here.
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Old Sep 25, 2010 | 11:35 pm
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Originally Posted by josephstern
Any clue as to why this is worthwhile for the seller?

There's got to be something interesting going on here.
The same is true for gift cards. I often see gift cards for $500 listed BIN for $485. It's usually the same sellers selling cards over & over. Not only are they taking the $15 hit, but there are the ebay fees too. I have no idea how they're coming out ahead.
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Old Sep 26, 2010 | 12:01 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by jw713
The same is true for gift cards. I often see gift cards for $500 listed BIN for $485. It's usually the same sellers selling cards over & over. Not only are they taking the $15 hit, but there are the ebay fees too. I have no idea how they're coming out ahead.
The stamp guy has too much feedback to be stealing credit cards and laundering like this.

Clearly, something is working for him. I just can't see what it is.
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Old Sep 26, 2010 | 1:17 am
  #19  
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My guess is these guys are able to obtain these items at a lower price point than they are selling them for, probably in bulk.

This actually happens less frequently than the more common situation where a $100 gift card might sell for $105-110. Promos like the now extinct Bing cashback, and ebay bucks would inflate the prices of these kinds of items.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 12:21 am
  #20  
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Originally Posted by jw713
The same is true for gift cards. I often see gift cards for $500 listed BIN for $485. It's usually the same sellers selling cards over & over. Not only are they taking the $15 hit, but there are the ebay fees too. I have no idea how they're coming out ahead.
Sometimes the gift cards are obtained through "rebate" programs (like MyPoints) or other "incentive" programs. The seller received them "in kind" for activity of some sort, and now is trying to monetize them.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 8:19 am
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Originally Posted by Counsellor
Sometimes the gift cards are obtained through "rebate" programs (like MyPoints) or other "incentive" programs. The seller received them "in kind" for activity of some sort, and now is trying to monetize them.
This is correct.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 8:24 am
  #22  
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I know the USPS discounts stamps that it sells to it's contract stations and Costco. I don't know if it's a 5% or 10% discount, but they could be coming from someone able to get them at wholesale pricing.

The max discount that you could get on them, that I'm aware of is 2-2.5%, from cashback on a card, although if a promo came out, maybe as much as 5%.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 9:22 am
  #23  
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Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
I know the USPS discounts stamps that it sells to it's contract stations and Costco. I don't know if it's a 5% or 10% discount, but they could be coming from someone able to get them at wholesale pricing.

The max discount that you could get on them, that I'm aware of is 2-2.5%, from cashback on a card, although if a promo came out, maybe as much as 5%.
Right - that's what I'm figuring. So by the time you pay PayPal fees and eBay fees and shipping, how can you make any money?

More and more, I think it's a tax scam. Deduct the stamps as a business expense, and don't report the proceeds.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 10:02 am
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Originally Posted by josephstern
Right - that's what I'm figuring. So by the time you pay PayPal fees and eBay fees and shipping, how can you make any money?

More and more, I think it's a tax scam. Deduct the stamps as a business expense, and don't report the proceeds.
Look at this: http://reportyourcomplaint.com/count...its-like-i-di/ People are just selling fake stamps.
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 10:29 am
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Originally Posted by kshahk
Look at this: http://reportyourcomplaint.com/count...its-like-i-di/ People are just selling fake stamps.
Makes sense, but with feedback as high as this guy?

But the quantities are big for these auctions. So maybe he's just doing one last sprint and then he leaves this all behind?
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 5:39 pm
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Originally Posted by Efrem
You find an auction like this one. Then you do the standard eBay thing.
Also on ebay be sure to go thru a portal like Mypoints for United miles as well
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Old Sep 27, 2010 | 5:59 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
Right - that's what I'm figuring. So by the time you pay PayPal fees and eBay fees and shipping, how can you make any money?

More and more, I think it's a tax scam. Deduct the stamps as a business expense, and don't report the proceeds.
I guess anything is possible.

I know when Bing was giving big bonuses on some eBay purchases, people were putting high dollar stuff up, and then bidding from another account to get the Bing Bonus. Against all the rules, of course, but it happened.
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Old Oct 2, 2010 | 10:42 am
  #28  
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Update: Post Office can't raise rates

To return to the original idea--buy forever stamps with a CC before the proposed January rate hike--the Postal Regulatory Commission recently refused to let the Post Office increase the rate. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68T54Z20100930.)
This means the advantage would be limited to the CC reward and any discount.
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Old Oct 2, 2010 | 11:59 am
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by travel light
To return to the original idea--buy forever stamps with a CC before the proposed January rate hike--the Postal Regulatory Commission recently refused to let the Post Office increase the rate. (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68T54Z20100930.)
This means the advantage would be limited to the CC reward and any discount.
Good, so I did not buy yet. Have about 50 left bought before last hike.
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Old Oct 2, 2010 | 12:07 pm
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Originally Posted by icurhere2
This has always been my tactic, especially given the stamps sell below value and one can stack a few programs / discounts on eBay purchases ...
using big crumbs, you get cash back on ebay purchases too! (Shameless plug -- use my referal link to sign up for big crumbs: http://home.bigcrumbs.com/carsonheim)
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