QL_714

Very cute FTG but you also avoided the two questions.

ingy

No, you avoided the possibility it could have just as easily been one of the haters. The blogger side of the argument is not spewing venom and starting threads accusing blog haters of killing deals. The aggravated party seems to me to be the most logical choice to try to kill the deals. All you guys lose are miles and points. We lose money and miles and points.

From this side of the coin it appears you have a larger motivation than any blogger does

All right, Who called the card issuers? and spilled the beans and killed all of our commissions?

Lets start a thread "Which "blog hater" killed our commissions?"

When you guys realize we have more to lose than you do when a deal dies, maybe we can finally be done with this nonsense

QL_714

I don't think so.

I didn't avoid any question. If you have a question lets have it.

We all can see why you and others won't answer the two simple questions so we will just let it go.

ingy

Isn't it logical that a "blog hater" killed the deal to keep bloggers from earning an affiliate commission?

and my follow up question: "Can you prove it wasn't?"

longhorn11

On the contrary, common sense would dictate an opinion based on the given evidence. We have a number of deals people were participating in and with further publication and excessive advertisement by the blogs, one could easily come to that conclusion. You are more than welcome to wait to form an opinion until you know all variables in play but that is never going to happen. The evidence before you is what we have to work with to formulate an opinion.

Let's just look at the past few years, what variables have changed? More blogs have been created to introduce people to this "game" as it is now called. With more simplistic instruction and greater exposure this has led to an influx of new members to FT, lurkers, and so many people beyond FT. On a personal note, another forum that I participate in that has nothing to do with flying, miles, etc. was talking about a specific method and blog that we all know quite well here on FT.

Over the last few months I (along with countless others) have tried to help some of these new posters. One can only take so many posts of "can I apply for 4 chase cards in one day?" "Can I apply for 8 cards now and then 8 in 90 days?" "Can I use my AAdvantage miles on United?" It's almost as if the blogs create this mess and count on FT to clean up after. I'm more than willing to help people but come on!

QL_714

I would say logic tells me that one person did not kill this deal. The second question I would say I can't prove it one way or the other but common sense tells me that was not the case. Would you be so kind to now answer my two simple questions?

Mommy Points

Against all of my better sense, I'll bite.

We all know that VR’s at OD for all practical purpose is dead. Did the constant posting of this at blogs/forums/blogs kill this deal?

Did blogs and forums kill the deal?

Well, they probably didn't help in the long run. That whole thing blew up pretty quickly once the bird came out I think the big bank was onto what was going on as well with 5x UR and wasn't thrilled. I also think there probably were separate fraud issues that were happening at OD that didn't help.

If this deal was never posted on a blog/forum would it still be going on?

Maybe. Doubt it would have lasted forever, but might have lasted longer.

I have always believed that there is a small group of people who would be better off if there weren't miles and points blogs (and frankly without FT and MP at this point). They have their own "off the grid" community and share within that group. Heck, there may even be some crossover from those on this thread. However, the majority of people learn about the majority of the deals either from a forum or a blog. The major deals can be found on both.

I do think at times some blogs have contributed to an early demise of some things (though I think the list here is a bit off). However, I think threads, forums, and individuals who get greedy are also to blame. There is no way to accurately point to an individual deal and an individual blogger and assign blame for "the kill" (unless of course you can get some verification from the company as to why they ended a deal/promo/etc).

I'm all for constructive comments about blogs, learning from history, etc. However, in my mind, "witch hunts" and things done with a mean spirit aren't really helpful for the community. Though I'm sure not everyone in this thread agrees.

QL_714

You get points for answering.

IMHO the 5x had nothing to do with it. Chase doesn’t play games in this field. Just look at the AARP thread at FWF. If they see something they don’t like they just start closing cards.

DavidAL

FTG,

I do appreciate you showing up here and posting your viewpoint. I appreciate that you're the only blogger that is actually willing to respond, so kudos there.

However, I'm pretty sure that if a "blog hater" wanted to kill this deal, they wouldn't have the same public exposure that all the public blogs have. I would go back and count how many times in about a month span a blogger as yourself, or on BA, or MMS, or TPG had a blog post talking about Bluebird, talking about how to buy VR's, and links to sign up for IB or IP. I'm sure it's astronomical. So, assuming the $200 per IB/IP application that Chase pays bloggers for each app, times them blasting the sky is falling about getting in on this deal, the bloggers had already suckered in all that would sign up via their links.

Facts are that you posted, with your links about VR's on 10/28 and 11/5. You posted with your links and pictures of the VR's on 11/6. You mentioned it again on 11/8.

Prior to those 4 blog posts (which were done in a 10 day timeframe), you only mentioned "vanilla reloads" twice in the previous year, and you did it discretely.

So, 3 days after your last blog post on 11/8 they were pulled from OD, after you pimped your CC links hard. And remember, this is just from your blog. If you added up all the BA blogs, TPG, MMS, etc in the same 10 days posted about this, it's in the hundreds of posts.

So, looking at the facts. This deal lasted for many moons. Then Bluebird came out. Then bloggers blasted about it (yourself included) for 10 days straight. 3 days later the deal was pulled at OD. That's pretty obvious evidence. Enough so that in a civil court, bloggers would be found guilty.

QL_714

There is always one guy that has to bring up the facts!

phdtomd

I heart mommy points

QL_714

Wrong thread, this one is to "bash" or as FTG puts it "hate" bloggers.

mile ho

Found this in the November 12 edition of the Frequent Miler blog, referring to the demise of the VR at OD:

Before, I told you step by step how to win. That contributed to the aforementioned Tragedy of the Commons. I realize that repeating history is inevitable, but let’s try to avoid, or at least delay, that fate this time. With the new game, I’ll describe the rules and the pieces, but I’ll leave it up to you to figure out how to win.

ingy

you have no more proof or evidence than I do, only circumstantial assumptions that it was bloggers that killed the deal. Otherwise by now, you would have supplied the evidence.

All it took from your side of the argument was one disgruntled reader calling the card issuer because they didnt like us getting paid anymore. One disgruntled blog reader. I can assure you it wasnt a blogger that contacted the card issuers. We had too much to lose. It had to be one of you. Shame on you. We have freedom of speech. This is all public information. How dare one of you infringe on our livelihood.

Why you don't even know who all your followers are. We know who the bloggers are.

Bloggers: Did you notify the card issuers of the great 5x Deal? and vanilla reload cards?

Was it Gregorygrady? QV_17? How about abcx? maybe HikerT. They all seem awful mad that bloggers got paid for affiliate links. What about gpapodop? maybe it was him. he just started a blog. I'll bet it was him.

Remember the thread " Don't call the airlines" because newbies were doing just that. It was probably a newbie "blog hater" that just didn't know any better, or maybe a VR buyer that told an employee at Office Depot and they told the card issuers what was going on.

you don't know know and won't know until somebody in a position that knows, tells us all what happened. Until then, drop the witch hunt and just move on to the next deal you can accuse us of ruining.

QL_714

WOW, you really have lost it. Just for the record is it your position it was a blog hater as you call them that called OD/Chase that ended this deal.