As of a few minutes ago, the site was not accepting orders. Click "Buy", but you just get a screen that says "your shopping cart is empty."

i just clicked on buying one of the magazines, went to checkout and though i didn't buy anything, it let me get to the last step.

sure you didn't have a cookie problem?

And no one believed me yesterday! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I can get in through www.valuemags.com, but not GoldPoints. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

hey

still works for me http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

OK, I don't know what the deal was with the site, but I was just able to place another order. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

For those who have gotten through to Valuemags over the phone, how did you do it?! Whenever I call it goes to the machine.

Also, I saw something on the Radisson board about this but do you all now get a goldpoints window saying that you'll get 450 points when you go into valuemags? Never had this before today and it's making me worry a bit my transactions won't be credited... Valuemags seems to be slow on e-mail as well.

Also these terms of the Goldpoints program aren't helping me to feel any better:

"Gold Points Corporation (D.B.A 24k Gold Points) ("Licensor") reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to terminate the Gold Points Rewards program, to add and delete Gold Points Rewards partners, and to alter, limit, modify or add to the Gold Points Rewards Program rules, regulations, terms and conditions, including but not limited to imposing time limits and changes in point values, rewards, and reward levels without prior notice at any time and from time to time."

I've just put in my $300 worth.

The way I see it, if I don't get the points I'll have to dispute the transaction with my credit card company.

I guess it was too good to last though.

The credit card company is not responsible for the points not being posted. As long as your magazines are delievered, what does it have to do with them??

If it comes to that, do I have to dispute the ValueMags bills with my credit card company (Citibank AAdvantage) before I pay them? The 4-8 week delay in posting Gold Points to AAdvantage, and the fact that I use the card for other purchases, could make this confusing.

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Middle_Seat

Folks, Gold Points is not a dot com.

Gold Points is part of the Carlson Companies, a multibillion dollar company.

Among other Carlson Companies:
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Radisson Hotels
T.G.I. Friday's
Carlson Marketing Group
Radisson Seven Seas
Regent Hotels

Once the points have been credited to your Gold Points account, I wouldn't worry about it. It's getting them in there that's the concern.

IIRC, Carlson also runs the U.S. version of Executive Club for British Airways.

As far as the economics of this deal, I would guess it's the magazine publishers who are footing the bulk of the bill. As someone correctly pointed out above, magazines make the bulk of their money off advertising. (A few exceptions ... e.g. Consumer Reports)

The more subscribers they have, the more they can charge for ads. The catch is according to auditing rules, they can't count you as a paid subscriber if they sell below a certain price.

But they can give ValueMags a lot of money to get you to sign up. (As long as ValueMags charges you enough that you're paid circ.) VM is incenting us to sign up through them.

I wouldn't be surprised if VM is losing money on the deal, but they're not bearing the full cost.

that's standard legaleese - i'm sure one of our lawyer-type friends here can attest to that. i don't think they can retroactively change the number of goldpoints awarded per dollar. it would constitute fraud. imagine being promised that you'd get a free blender with every mixer purchase. wow - great...two for one. i'll buy at that store! then suddenly they say NO BLENDER FOR YOU! well, you probably wouldn't have bought the mixer in the first place had you not been getting that blender.

mmm blender-action-drinks http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

It has never taken that long for the points to transfer from Goldpoints to any airline that I have used. They are very efficient. If you have your paperwork, I am sure you will get your Goldpoints and in turn can transfer the points to miles.(if you went through the site).

I got to the VM site via GoldPoints via Radisson. Seems to be ok.

further info related to my post above

Gold Points Rewards Ownership
Gold Points Corporation is a subsidiary of Carlson Marketing Group, the world's leading Relationship Marketing company with international capabilities that span 27 countries. Carlson Marketing Group helps global Fortune 1000 clients improve their sales and profits by designing marketing strategies which create and strengthen relationships with employees, channel partners and consumers.

Carlson Marketing Group is one of the major operating groups of Carlson Companies, Inc., a $31 billion marketing, hospitality and travel company, and one of the largest privately held corporations in the United States.

Gold Points Corporation is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.