Goldpoints & Hallmark Certificates
Jan 22, 2002, 3:28 pm
#1
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Goldpoints & Hallmark Certificates
I preorder a bunch of stuff from Macy's Home sale in 2 weeks & went to GP to order a Hallmark gift certificate from Hallmark for it...
Guess what? This is the message on the Hallmark screen:
"Please note Gold Points are not awarded for purchases of gift certificates, stamps & services."
There goes that one.... used the certificates for several purchases. It was nice getting the points for them.
Mary
Guess what? This is the message on the Hallmark screen:
"Please note Gold Points are not awarded for purchases of gift certificates, stamps & services."
There goes that one.... used the certificates for several purchases. It was nice getting the points for them.
Mary
Jan 22, 2002, 4:44 pm
#2
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Yeah, I know. This stinks.
Was reported initially last week here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum91/HTML/000154.html
Was reported initially last week here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum91/HTML/000154.html
Jan 22, 2002, 9:04 pm
#3
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So now there is no incentive whatsoever to buy the certs. Are the merchants and goldpoints better off assuming triple points are not involved?
Jan 22, 2002, 9:40 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2001
Location: IN
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Actually I bought an e-certificate and sent it to a friend on Jan 20, 02 and had the following show up in my account today:
HALLMARK.COM 20-Jan-2002 600 0 0 0 600 Batch Point Update Transaction
So they may still be awarding for certificates as long as they are not to yourself.
Audiolover
HALLMARK.COM 20-Jan-2002 600 0 0 0 600 Batch Point Update Transaction
So they may still be awarding for certificates as long as they are not to yourself.
Audiolover
Jan 22, 2002, 10:28 pm
#5
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Double check the statment that reads "Gold Points are not offered for gift certificates". I believe it says Gold Crown Points can't be earned with gift certificate purchases. Gold Crown points are not the same as Gold Points. I just did a purchase through Hallmark and received my points two days later. I believe some mention of this was made in some of the other threads. Easy to miss with so much info and so many postings.
Jan 22, 2002, 10:48 pm
#6
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by birdyy:
Double check the statment that reads "Gold Points are not offered for gift certificates". I believe it says Gold Crown Points can't be earned with gift certificate purchases. Gold Crown points are not the same as Gold Points. I just did a purchase through Hallmark and received my points two days later. I believe some mention of this was made in some of the other threads. Easy to miss with so much info and so many postings. </font>
Double check the statment that reads "Gold Points are not offered for gift certificates". I believe it says Gold Crown Points can't be earned with gift certificate purchases. Gold Crown points are not the same as Gold Points. I just did a purchase through Hallmark and received my points two days later. I believe some mention of this was made in some of the other threads. Easy to miss with so much info and so many postings. </font>
"Hallmark.com
Earn 40 Gold Points for every dollar spent!
Shop Hallmark.com for extraordinary gifts, fresh flowers, Hallmark collectibles, paper cards and more! (Please note Gold Points are not awarded for purchases of gift certificates, stamps and services.)"
The Goldpoints.com website is NOT talking about Gold Crown points, it is talking about Gold Points.
Kathy
Jan 23, 2002, 7:19 am
#7
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T'was great while it lasted!
Not only did my gift cert points post (although the last batch I ordered on 12/31 only posted @ 40 pts/$ and they had to manually correct it to 120 pts/$), but they transferred over into my mileage account WITH A 10% BONUS which I'm sure is a mistake...
I forwarded the opportunity with clearly explained directions to several friends, who forwarded it to several friends, and I heard back that one person bought $8k in Home Depot gift certs since he was remodeling his home anyway... always nice to know you've done someone a service!
Not only did my gift cert points post (although the last batch I ordered on 12/31 only posted @ 40 pts/$ and they had to manually correct it to 120 pts/$), but they transferred over into my mileage account WITH A 10% BONUS which I'm sure is a mistake...
I forwarded the opportunity with clearly explained directions to several friends, who forwarded it to several friends, and I heard back that one person bought $8k in Home Depot gift certs since he was remodeling his home anyway... always nice to know you've done someone a service!
Jan 23, 2002, 3:34 pm
#9
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by birdyy:
Kathy sure is correct. Just spoke to CS at Gold Points who checked with a supervisor. No more Gold Points for gift certificates.
</font>
Kathy sure is correct. Just spoke to CS at Gold Points who checked with a supervisor. No more Gold Points for gift certificates.
</font>
Case in point, there's no way that they've got their hand out to Home Depot or Macy's to fork over the miles... $8k = 240,000 miles, even at a paltry $0.005/mile that is still $1,200. Between GP and hallmark someone is paying that...
Jan 25, 2002, 4:04 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2001
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by EWR-COflyer:
As someone who took advantage of this one, I am reasonably certain that they lost their a$$ on that deal. There is no "margin" per se in gift certs, and thus no profit to use to buy the miles with... I would be willing to bet that there are some wildly heated (a la Enron) discussions going on b/t Hallmark.com (giftcert.com) and goldpoints over who the hell is going to pay for all those miles...
Case in point, there's no way that they've got their hand out to Home Depot or Macy's to fork over the miles... $8k = 240,000 miles, even at a paltry $0.005/mile that is still $1,200. Between GP and hallmark someone is paying that...</font>
As someone who took advantage of this one, I am reasonably certain that they lost their a$$ on that deal. There is no "margin" per se in gift certs, and thus no profit to use to buy the miles with... I would be willing to bet that there are some wildly heated (a la Enron) discussions going on b/t Hallmark.com (giftcert.com) and goldpoints over who the hell is going to pay for all those miles...
Case in point, there's no way that they've got their hand out to Home Depot or Macy's to fork over the miles... $8k = 240,000 miles, even at a paltry $0.005/mile that is still $1,200. Between GP and hallmark someone is paying that...</font>
Jan 25, 2002, 6:13 pm
#11
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OK, I'm stupid.
Assuming I could still get Goldpoints for gift certificates, aren't all merchants on the debit system now?
I thought that a Macy's gift certificate was just debited off the card until you were through with it. Are there people who are getting cash back from Macy's, Home Depot, etc., gift cards?
If there's no cash back, I'm not sure of the value of stockpiling gift cards that I may or may not really need, just for the points. Heresy, I realize....but I really think I'm missing something.
Responses, education, and links are appreciated.
Assuming I could still get Goldpoints for gift certificates, aren't all merchants on the debit system now?
I thought that a Macy's gift certificate was just debited off the card until you were through with it. Are there people who are getting cash back from Macy's, Home Depot, etc., gift cards?
If there's no cash back, I'm not sure of the value of stockpiling gift cards that I may or may not really need, just for the points. Heresy, I realize....but I really think I'm missing something.
Responses, education, and links are appreciated.
Jan 25, 2002, 6:41 pm
#12
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by shinbal:
Assuming I could still get Goldpoints for gift certificates, aren't all merchants on the debit system now?
I thought that a Macy's gift certificate was just debited off the card until you were through with it. Are there people who are getting cash back from Macy's, Home Depot, etc., gift cards?</font>
Assuming I could still get Goldpoints for gift certificates, aren't all merchants on the debit system now?
I thought that a Macy's gift certificate was just debited off the card until you were through with it. Are there people who are getting cash back from Macy's, Home Depot, etc., gift cards?</font>
But with no points awarded now, your question becomes, well, pointless. :-)
Jan 25, 2002, 7:44 pm
#13
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Shinbal,
There was incentive to stock up last month while GP had its triple point promo going, thus earning you 30 miles/$ for ordering GC for a store you would spend money at anyway.
Target gave me cash back of a couple dollars. The certs are all paper, not debitable plastic cards, at least the couple I got. I think most stores will give small change back, say less than $5. since it isnt worth the extra time and plastic to reissue plastic cards for a couple bucks.
But the point is moot now anyway.
There was incentive to stock up last month while GP had its triple point promo going, thus earning you 30 miles/$ for ordering GC for a store you would spend money at anyway.
Target gave me cash back of a couple dollars. The certs are all paper, not debitable plastic cards, at least the couple I got. I think most stores will give small change back, say less than $5. since it isnt worth the extra time and plastic to reissue plastic cards for a couple bucks.
But the point is moot now anyway.
Jan 27, 2002, 9:05 pm
#15
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Wow - $8,000 in gift certificates. Weren't we limited to $250 per order (with the paper certs which carried a $2.50 fee)?
That would be 32 orders and $80 in fees, of course the fees would be worth it for the points. I stopped at $750,
That would be 32 orders and $80 in fees, of course the fees would be worth it for the points. I stopped at $750,