I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[kidsfirsttrip]

Anytime outside Hurricane season. Actually even during hurricane season is good - as long as you don't get really unlucky with timing. Early November is technically at the end of hurricane season, but rare to get a bad one that late in the season. Temperature is pretty constant year round - sometimes more rain or wind, but I have probably spent close to 60 days in PR over the last 15 years and only 1 day was a complete washout due to a storm.

One observation on PR that baffles me - as I have said, I have travelled there reasonably frequently for a long time. It seems that since the Hurricane - hotel prices have jumped 20-30%. Maybe they are trying to make up for lost revenue, but I thought it odd at a time they really want to encourage tourists back to the island. Fortunately, I almost always stay on points.

PR is on my radar too. My kids really enjoyed snorkeling in the carribean can you recommend some areas that have good snorkeling (kids will be 10 & 13). Looks like most marriotts are in San Juan and other spots you’d recommend to stay?

 

[WVMomof3]

Do you call immediately after the AF hits so that you can get it refunded? If you call right away, do they refund the entire AF? Do they prorate if you wait a couple of months? I have a CSR/CSP and I have been wondering about this. I am thinking I should keep the CSR and product change the CSP to one of the Freedom cards. My only concern is I want to refer my DH to the CSP before I PC it, so I need to make sure I have received my referral bonus before I get rid of the card. Finally, because of my DD, should I be worried about calling Chase on this? Ever since last summer when Chase was going wild and shutting DD people down, I have become a little skittish on them...

I DD in December 2017 so just PC'd both my CSP and CSR. I was also worried about doing too much so close together. My CSP AF posted in December so I quickly PC'd that one to a Freedom as soon as the fee hit. All of the $95 was refunded. My CSR AF didn't hit until Jan 1st. I waited till almost when the payment was due at the end of Jan before I PC'd that to a CFU. I also used up my $300 travel credit first. I was refunded the whole $450. Also, my CSP link still appears to work. I am not positive what will happen if someone uses it - Quick someone use it! - but I was told that it worked for awhile and since the account number didn't change it should still credit to your card. I know people have reported that they will prorate the CSR AF, but I have not heard of any of the others being prorated.

 

[DisneyMandC]

I DD in December 2017 so just PC'd both my CSP and CSR. I was also worried about doing too much so close together. My CSP AF posted in December so I quickly PC'd that one to a Freedom as soon as the fee hit. All of the $95 was refunded. My CSR AF didn't hit until Jan 1st. I waited till almost when the payment was due at the end of Jan before I PC'd that to a CFU. I also used up my $300 travel credit first. I was refunded the whole $450. Also, my CSP link still appears to work. I am not positive what will happen if someone uses it - Quick someone use it! - but I was told that it worked for awhile and since the account number didn't change it should still credit to your card. I know people have reported that they will prorate the CSR AF, but I have not heard of any of the others being prorated.

My CSP link worked over two months after I PCed it to a CFU.

 

[vanjust14]

Did my first retention call with Amex today. Called in on my SPG Biz, $95 AF was due in a few days. After a little discussion about my business, what did I do? I said I sell on ebay, funny enough she said we have a lot of people who do that! what do you sell? it was casual chit-chat like, she asked if I had plans for Marriott this year I said I only had one stay planned at this point I wasn't sure about the back half of the year yet, she noted I haven't had much activity on my account where was my credit card activity going, I said Chase... FINALLY she gave me an offer of 5k points for keeping the card, 10k more points if I spend $1k on it within 90 days. 15k marriott points isn't much but I'll take what I can get. I was leaning towards keeping the card anyway with the cert since this year my fee is only $95 so it's a bit of icing on the cake.

Oh cool, good to know! When I called on my SPG personal last month, I got nada. I have to call soon for the biz, so this gives me hope

 

[GZanta77]

PR is on my radar too. My kids really enjoyed snorkeling in the carribean can you recommend some areas that have good snorkeling (kids will be 10 & 13). Looks like most marriotts are in San Juan and other spots you’d recommend to stay?

No good snorkeling around San Juan that I have found. Seas tend to be a little rough with strong undercurrents. The only place I have personally snorkeled in PR was at Coffin Island. It is a great day trip if you are staying at the Hilton in Ponce on the south of the island.

I have been told that there is excellent snorkeling at Culebra, and to a lesser extent Vieques. There are Islands off the east of PR and can be done as a day trip from Fajardo. If you can stay at the Conquistador (Waldorf Astoria) that is perfectly located for Fajardo. It also has a water park so great for kids. Despite being a Waldorf, rooms can be surprisingly affordable - though everything else at the resort is way overpriced. I am not sure the Conquistador has re-opened yet though.

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

Thanks. I have the JetBlue personal (2 years) and AAviator personal (7 months) - both of which don't see much spend, but I do try to put $50 - $100 on them every couple months or so.

Hope yours gets unstuck soon.

Do you have a lot of cards recently. They denied me in the fall for too many new cards.

 

[punkin]

Since we're discussing Puerto Rico, I'd like input for a June honeymoon. I have not been to PRin almost 20 years. It's for my DD.

 

[Alexle2007]

Mostly just his personality. Some people have anxiety. He does verbalize and acknowledge his early losses. Being adopted, he is well aware that his birth mom and dad abandoned him. He takes that loss to heart and is afraid of losing the family he has now. My dad died when DS was 4, they were very close. He spent months and months worried that DH and I would die and leave him. We had to make a pact that even though we all have to die, we will meet in heaven. It did give him some comfort. Even now, he worries, mostly about me. So the things he is scared of in books involve injury or death, which he directly applies to his family.
So the Fortnight commercials show guys with guns. Guns can kill Mom or Dad. Nightmare.
Same with the tsunami, volcanoes, sharks. “No mom, volcanoes can kill you. Do you want to die? I don’t want to lose you.” We just try to work through it and avoid obvious triggers. But irrational fears are..well, irrational.

So sorry for your DS. I wonder what they do for the students when they have to start reading those types of things in school. DS's 7th grade Honors ELA class just did a Survival Unit that them reading The Lottery and watching clips for Divergent and The Hunger Games for they could identify external and internal conflicts and how those conflicts effected the protagonist. He actually ended up watching them at home again so he could take more thorough notes for the essay he is writing today.

 

[miztressuz]

I also once just bought a large gift card for Verizon to meet an MSR and paid my bill for a few months with it.

I haven't figured out the Verizon GC thing. Did you buy it from the website directly from them? Do they let you do more than $500 that way? I'm not sure I'd get buy in from the other half to do more than $500 at a time but if something crazy came up it'd be good to have a back up plan. Although $500 doesn't go as far for us, I could buy that every 3 months, or thereabouts; so it hasn't been an issue.

 

[GZanta77]

Since we're discussing Puerto Rico, I'd like input for a June honeymoon. I have not been to PRin almost 20 years. It's for my DD.

Well - don't know what your budget is but for a honeymoon I would definitely be looking at the St Regis Bahia Beach resort.

 

[amcc]

Somebody (@DisneyMandC maybe?) mentioned mostly listening to audiobooks. Do you have any you recommend? I had never listened to an audiobook until the beginning of this year and now I have one going every day on my commute to work. So far, I've loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Graveyard Book and Magpie Murders. I'm finding that I'm totally a sucker for a narrator with an accent.

This summer we listened to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on our drive up (and down!) to Savannah. I had read it years ago and loved it but I wanted my husband to “read” it before our trip and, we’ll, he’s just not a reader. He LOVED it.

 

[elgerber]

I haven't figured out the Verizon GC thing. Did you buy it from the website directly from them? Do they let you do more than $500 that way? I'm not sure I'd get buy in from the other half to do more than $500 at a time but if something crazy came up it'd be good to have a back up plan. Although $500 doesn't go as far for us, I could buy that every 3 months, or thereabouts; so it hasn't been an issue.

Yes I just bought directly from their website, you could buy it in a store too. I am not sure if you can do more, but considering phones sell for over $1000 I would bet you could.

 

[miztressuz]

Do you call immediately after the AF hits so that you can get it refunded? If you call right away, do they refund the entire AF? Do they prorate if you wait a couple of months? I have a CSR/CSP and I have been wondering about this. I am thinking I should keep the CSR and product change the CSP to one of the Freedom cards. My only concern is I want to refer my DH to the CSP before I PC it, so I need to make sure I have received my referral bonus before I get rid of the card. Finally, because of my DD, should I be worried about calling Chase on this? Ever since last summer when Chase was going wild and shutting DD people down, I have become a little skittish on them...

Each card issuer has rules for it. AmEx will refund the full AF if you cancel within 30 days of the statement closing date that has the fee posted. Outside of that, no refunds on cancellations but you get a prorated one if you PC to another card. Chase will fully refund the AF if canceled within 30 days of the AF posting date. Outside of that I think you get nothing, but if you PC a card within 40 days you should get a full refund of the fee, outside of that it will be prorated.

As for the referrals on Chase, the CSP referral link should continue to work after you change the card. And since the card number and everything else about the account stays the same, you'll still receive the referral points. You can only call to PC cards now, so worried or not, that's you're only option. But I'm not worried, I will be doing it in a couple months myself. People had both cards from before the rule was enacted so unless the CSR digs into all your accounts to see the opening/anniversary date on each one, it probably won't even phase them. I haven't heard anything bad about it yet.

ETA: DoC has a page that list out the basics - https://www.doctorofcredit.com/annual-fee-refund-rules-for-each-card-issuer/
The comments have newer information as people update.

 

[miztressuz]

Yes I just bought directly from their website, you could buy it in a store too. I am not sure if you can do more, but considering phones sell for over $1000 I would bet you could.

I didn't think about in store. Most of our Verizon stores only Authorized Resellers so never thought about looking for GC there. The ones I see outside of that advertise minutes or data so they seemed like Verizon Wireless. But I'll keep that in mind now if we ever go crazy

 

[amalone1013]

With the ebook/reading talk, today Amazon has the kindle edition of the 51 Harvard Classics for 49 cents
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Har...2695e534d25205060b7af7be5105c3&language=en_US

This wiki link actually lists everything that is included. Thought some might be interested for that price.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Classics

 

[amalone1013]

Wow, all of you who accompany your non-precheck spouse through the regular security line are making me feel bad for leaving DH alone in the regular line. Although suffering through the regular line while I went through precheck did inspire DH to get his GE application submitted so maybe I won't feel too badly.

I think if we go anywhere before I get mine, it will be an argument for DH... I'd hope to send him through so he can go put his name in at Timerline

This is happening??? Do you know if it will be after security and what terminal? I hate LGA is before security. I like being through security early lol

It’s supposed to be happening. Lax, lhr, Jfk and Cleveland are all getting centurion lounges.

I'm still waiting on new for DEN, last I heard was summer I think.

 

[DisneyMandC]

This summer we listened to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil on our drive up (and down!) to Savannah. I had read it years ago and loved it but I wanted my husband to “read” it before our trip and, we’ll, he’s just not a reader. He LOVED it.

I've had that book on my shelf forever and still haven't read it... need to make it a priority! Everyone says it's good.

 

[punkin]

Well - don't know what your budget is but for a honeymoon I would definitely be looking at the St Regis Bahia Beach resort.

I was thinking the El San Juan. I love Isla Verde beach. The budget is $5k not including flights. They're going for 9 days.

 

[Judique]

Thanks. I guess after the weather over the past month, we decided not to wait for a "catastrophic event" lol...carbon monoxide scares me as does having no heat! Supposed to continue to be unseasonably cold. Being that it was 15 yo and we hope to escape IL in <5 years, we decided to pull the trigger. Didn't go top of the line but still $6K.
That being said, DH jumped on the GrAAvy train this morning. Found the $200 gift card via incognito. We won't do a ton of AA but those miles might be nice for flights to the Caribbean.
DH questioned why I felt we needed another card...first time he's questioned it. Dude...chill!

Carbon Monoxide would certainly pull the trigger for me.

I haven't escaped this year yet to any warm weather spot. I keep making plans and then finding a reason to cancel. By the time April rolls around, I'll have no reason to leave. So, will I make it through the next month? We will see.

 

[Haley R]

So sorry for your DS. I wonder what they do for the students when they have to start reading those types of things in school. DS's 7th grade Honors ELA class just did a Survival Unit that them reading The Lottery and watching clips for Divergent and The Hunger Games for they could identify external and internal conflicts and how those conflicts effected the protagonist. He actually ended up watching them at home again so he could take more thorough notes for the essay he is writing today.

That sounds awesome. He must have a really cool teacher. I would’ve loved that as a kid