10K miles through car purchase
Jan 1, 2006 | 10:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 24
10K miles through car purchase
A few weeks ago, while buying a car, I decided pay the puchase price with an
AAdantage credit card.
The vendor said only 5K will be accepted since "it is our policy".
I negotiated it to 10k after threatening to walk away from the
sale. For 2/3 mins of work I ended up with 10K miles.
AAdantage credit card.
The vendor said only 5K will be accepted since "it is our policy".
I negotiated it to 10k after threatening to walk away from the
sale. For 2/3 mins of work I ended up with 10K miles.
Jan 1, 2006 | 10:53 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,037
There have been several threads on using credit cards at car dealerships, with some strategies that have worked and some that haven't. Here are a few:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446719
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=447305
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=409277
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=446719
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=447305
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=409277
Jan 1, 2006 | 5:39 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: LGA
Programs: AA - GLD; MR - GLD;
Posts: 173
I just charged the 3K downpayment for my Accord lease. Dealer didnt wanna take the CC at first but since it was the holiday weekend (12/26) I said no banks were open (they wanted a bank check) and well how bad do they want the sale before the end of the year, since I was going away on the 27th til 30th.
They did not take AmEx though. They get charged 4% using Amex. They only accepted Master and Visa.. so i went with my Amazon card...
They did not take AmEx though. They get charged 4% using Amex. They only accepted Master and Visa.. so i went with my Amazon card...
Jan 2, 2006 | 10:59 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA 2P
Posts: 164
When we bought my '05 Acura RL, they originally let us put up to $10,000 on a credit card. After that, we'd pay half of the merchant fee. After some haggling we got it up to $12500 then $16000, then finally $24,000. We were happy. We were going to pay cash anyway, so why not charge it when we'll just pay it back next month? We were denied at first, but I called up Citibank and they lifted my "per-transaction" limit.
Then, on our next car purchase, for an '05 Honda Odyssey, they had a strict limit of only $4500 on credit cards, but we got it up to $6,700. The month before we did this, my wife opened a new Discover Platinum card. She decided to charge it to that. We had no interest for 11 more months and then paid that little down payment off. So, with a little research and haggling, you could put the whole car on a 12-month 0% APR credit card and get the miles (and Blue from AMEX (not Blue Cash) gives you 0% for 15 months)!
Then, on our next car purchase, for an '05 Honda Odyssey, they had a strict limit of only $4500 on credit cards, but we got it up to $6,700. The month before we did this, my wife opened a new Discover Platinum card. She decided to charge it to that. We had no interest for 11 more months and then paid that little down payment off. So, with a little research and haggling, you could put the whole car on a 12-month 0% APR credit card and get the miles (and Blue from AMEX (not Blue Cash) gives you 0% for 15 months)!
Jan 3, 2006 | 4:57 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,789
When I bought my new 1999 Buick LeSabre in Ohio, the dealer let me charge the whole price to my Citibank AA MC but charged me the 2% merchant fee. I said OK because my CD would mature the following month & it was more convenient than applying for a loan 2B repaid in 20--30 days. The fee & the miles neutralized each other for me.
When I bought a car here in NC in 2004, no go.
When I bought a car here in NC in 2004, no go.
Last edited by Brendan; Jan 3, 2006 at 12:45 pm Reason: In response to Mbreuer's correction below!
Jan 3, 2006 | 8:28 am
#7
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: AA, United
Posts: 280
Car dealers hate the dispute mechasnism in credit cards more than they hate the merchant fee. The ability to pull back part of the payment is very annoying to a car dealer. If you were able to do the whole thing on a credit card that quite impressive, it would be unheard of in CA to be able to do anything similar.
Jan 3, 2006 | 11:02 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: CO Gold; SPG Gold***; AvisFirst;
Posts: 3,970
Originally Posted by Brendan
When I bought my new 1999 Buick LeSabre in Ohio, the dealer let me charge the whole price to my Citibank Amex but charged me the 2% merchant fee. I said OK because my CD would mature the following month & it was more convenient than applying for a loan 2B repaid in 20--30 days. The fee & the miles neutralized each other for me.
When I bought a car here in NC n 2004, no go.
When I bought a car here in NC n 2004, no go.
Jan 3, 2006 | 12:46 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Programs: Avis Pref+, Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Life Gold, Honors Silver, IHG Plat via MC.
Posts: 6,789
Originally Posted by mbreuer
Huh? Citibank Amex? I thought that was coming this month for the first time?