New frontier for bonus whores? gift certs

[memphis57]

Just reading this thread over at fatwallet. Did you guys know there's a whole racket going on with buying gift certificates for like 80% of face value through clubs and special groups? Use 'em for stuff you want to buy at Best Buy, Amazon, Macy's, etc or maybe even sell them at 90-95% if you're lucky.

No play requirements and no changing the rules post facto. And it sounds like quite a few people have made hundreds-to-low-thousands of dollars doing it. Sounds like bonus whore material to me.

I don't know chit about it and I'm not recommending anything, just calling it to the attention of the gang. Anybody have any experience doing it?

I started to label this topic "OT" but on reflection, there's probably enough risk somewhere in the deal to justify topicality on a forum called Internet Gambling.

[AsiaKurosawa]

Hi, I joined w/ dealpass earlier this month and bought certs from amazon & sears for big purchases I was planning on making. Most will limit you to $500/retailer/year (per credit card) and you don't buy them @ 80% off but at 100% and get 20% credited back to the credit card @ the beginning of the next month.

For me it's not worth it except when I am making purchases for myself (they have Home Depot, Lowes where big home purchases could be saved on too-- Target would be good for RX purchases for those w/out ins, of course electronics purcahses)... ebaying them has been a problem for a lot of ppl @ FW by getting ripped off from buyers who claim no receipt (people were emailing them) or not having insurance on large purchase shipments (told that sig confirm wasn't enough). Also, ebay has a limit of 1 card/week (the cards are sold in $25 increments only), so a definite limit figuring you're getting max <$5 auction, figure in ebay & pp fees...

Also, the program you join costs $160/year-- you have a 30 day free trial to be able to buy, but you can't cancel before getting your 20% credit, otherwise they won't give it to yuo (so ie becomes a dance of ordering, receiving, getting credit and then cancelling in 30 days). I don't think most ppl stay w/ the programs after the 30 days (at least the posters on FW).

Main Street Savings is one where you actually buy @ 80% (except HD) but you're limited to $100/retailer/month and 400?500? a year per (not greta for big purchases unless you "save up" -- but MSS also has grocery (Safeway companies)... since Safeway often sells GCs (disney, food, gas), some reported buying the Safeway GCs and using them to purchase other GCs sold by Safeway companies.

Dunno how its a bonus whore thing? GL though. I did get mine from dealpass already.