bank free stuff you have got

renovation · Post by **renovation** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:35 am

stuff you have received using the points collected. using your banking ,credit cards ,checking ,gas cards , shopping cards ,airplane trip mile points & so on .

i have received wireless speaker systems , gift cards , hand tools ,magazine's. never collected enough points for any of the really nice cool items avail. but im sure some one who owns a company and spends a ton would .like lcd tv's , fancy outdoor grills ,trips and such .

i want to see what us normal folk mostly get and qualified for.

EvilHorace · Post by **EvilHorace** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:58 am

i want to see what us normal folk mostly get and qualified for

Just overdraft fees here

, great!

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:58 am

I just got $625 in BestBuy gift cards yesterday. My TV in the living room is going out.

I have cashed in several hundred dollars in restaurant gift cards.

TheSovereign · Post by **TheSovereign** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:04 am

the only thing i ever got from a bank was a notice telling me they lost my 4000$ CD. suffice it to say I was not happy and from then on only used my neighborhood ma and pa bank, they are alot more cautious than the 17 year old dropout at chase

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:40 am

I find that most of those points things on credit cards are useless to me. I had points on my old Amex card and it was all crap, and you still paid for shipping.

I switched to an Amex Platinum Cash Back card several years ago (Amex offered it to me when I called to cancel my old Amex card because I was tired of paying an annual fee - I love Amex but the fee was annoying). Anyway, the Cash Back Platinum has no fees, and since I use it to buy several thousand dollars worth of computer hardware for clients during the year, I generally get a few hundred back at the end of the year.

I don't sell hardware (I don't want to deal with the hassles of collecting state tax) - I just have my clients re-imburse me, and I take my credit card cash-back at the end of the year.

Err · Post by **Err** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:54 am

I have an Amazon Chase card that I use for food, gas, etc and pay it off at the end of the month. I get a $25 gift card to Amazon every other month or so. I use to use my debit card for everything but my bank changes a fee everytime I use it.

MegaVectra · Post by **MegaVectra** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:07 am

EvilHorace wrote:Just overdraft fees here , great!

ditto

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:21 pm

i go for the cash rewards i get w/my CC.
recv'd about $800 over the yrs.

Pugsley · Post by **Pugsley** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:30 pm

The only points I use are the ones i get from staying at a Holiday inn. I have gotten several free rooms.

ZYFER · Post by **ZYFER** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 2:37 am

Basically, Cash, gift certificates, statement credit.

I use my Amex Blue Cash for most stuff. Though I pay my water bill with a Mastercard, (city only takes MC and Visa). A suggestion to anyone, best to avoid using your Debit card at all costs. If your information is compromised, it isn't just your credit limit being used up on some card, its your actual money in your bank account.

It is easier and quicker to deal with a credit card fraud claim than your bank account. Most people can't afford to wait, sometimes a couple of weeks for their money, when their bank account was just drained.

A good number of stores recently have had this data compromised, in some cases, its not just your credit card, your pin number as well.

I wouldn't bother with any card with an annual fee. I am not going to pay for the shear satisfaction of having your credit card...

As FP mentioned, that is one way to rack up some rewards, I wouldn't bother selling hardware either, unless its some old stuff you happened to have leftover. Simply not profitable to keep it around as the market changes too quickly.

I would never bother with rewards you exchange for specific items. They are either subpar, or end up being more in rewards than its value would be with rewards for another card.

Amazon's rewards are automatic and can only be exchange for a gift certificate for Amazon.com. But, at least Amazon is competitive, selling many items at good prices. Even sell stuff like coffee, tea, peanuts, heck even toilet paper.

Has anyone here taking advantage of a store credit card for No Interest, No Payments types of promotions?

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:07 am

A suggestion to anyone, best to avoid using your Debit card at all costs. If your information is compromised, it isn't just your credit limit being used up on some card, its your actual money in your bank account.

AMEN! I tried out a debit card for a year because I tend to pay for groceries and retail purchases with checks (when I buy things for myself, I prefer just paying cash or check and not seeing it on a credit card).

HOWEVER I got very nervous about the lack of security and protections. My debit card was linked to an account with overdraft protection, so there was literally no limit to how much someone could rob from me if they compromised my card and pin number, and there are NO protections for loss. Unlike a credit card YOU are solely responsible for any losses on a debit card.

The more I started researching recent security lapses and break-ins at major retailers (both card numbers AND pin numbers have been compromised even though the pin number is SUPPOSED to be immediately discarded by the retailer), the more nervous I got. It's like Russian Roulette - eventually you WILL get screwed. Moreover (and I complained about this to the bank with no effect) even though my debit card was not linked to a credit card account, it's ridiculous that it can be treated as a credit card REQUIRING NO PIN NUMBER. So some kid steals my Debit card and they can clean me out at gas stations until I notice I'm hemorrhaging money. NOT SMART.

A few weeks ago I replaced the debit card with a regular ATM card. Yeah it was convenient, but I'll just use my credit card instead. IT's MUCH more secure. Debit cards are an insane security risk today.

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:56 am

FlyingPenguin wrote:A few weeks ago I replaced the debit card with a regular ATM card.

i did not know you could do that, ~ i thought you were stuck w/what the bank gave you,,
i need to go to the bank to activate the new ATM/debit card they mailed me for an account recently opened.
so, i can just say i want a plain ATM card, only?

OT, ~ many stores around by me do not even require you to sign your name if the purchase is under $100.
that makes me nervous.

ZYFER · Post by **ZYFER** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:25 pm

Also, avoid checks at all costs too. They are far too insecure. You write me a check, I got your routing number and account number. That is enough information for me to draft from your account or reproduce checks.

Some banks do not give you the option of just a regular ATM card, credit unions tend to give you more options than standard banks.

darcy, does signing really mean anything? They don't even compare the signature on the back of your card to the signature you just used. Almost all the time, they don't even touch your card or look at the back of it to make sure it is signed. If you ever looked on the back of your credit card, it has "Not valid unless signed".

At some point, retailers who don't perform these actions should bear some of the responsibility. Ultimately, a credit card system should be better designed. If I swipe my card, it should come up with a picture id and recorded signature for which to verify automatically. Heck at this point, they should all have PIN numbers.

I am sure some would argue against the idea, screaming "privacy" concerns and the sort, but it is a reasonable step to avoid "unauthorized" use. I am still at a loss of how PIN numbers are compromised, why isn't it being encrypted? That information shouldn't even be stored yet alone able to be interpreted by anything other than the bank.

These are the regulations regarding debit cards:
http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/cons ... c.htm#loss

Though it is pretty hard to prove when a person "learns" of loss or theft of your card or your credit card number. Not everyone looks at their credit cards on a daily basis.

One important fact is, if you don't look at your statements, you would be liable by the time you found out later. You might get an exception if you were away on vacation though.

nitro237 · Post by **nitro237** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:40 pm

My wife is a branch manager for Chase. You wouldn't believe some of the things she sees involving scams.

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:57 pm

so, i can just say i want a plain ATM card, only?

I can only speak for my bank, which is Wachovia (and depending on what day of the week it is, it may be owned by either Citi or Wells Fargo next month).

Yes, the debit card was only an option. I tried it, but I insisted on going back to an ATM card last week. New card came in, and I put the debit card (at the bank officer's suggestion) in my safe deposit box instead of destroying it. If my ATM card gets lost I can still use the debit card in an emergency.