I love credit cards so much!

[disneymagicgirl]

Without knowing the specs and model year, I couldn’t tell you.

And if you plan to resell on eBay, keep in mind you’ll pay a 10% seller’s fee, 2.9% +30 cents PayPal fee, and possibly shipping. eBay occasionally runs targeted promos to encourage people to sell, like 8-10% of your sale price back as eBay Bucks or coupons if you sell some minimum $ amount, which are usually capped at some value but can help offset eBay fees. Otherwise, selling on eBay can get expensive.

You could do an eBay search for that specific MacBook, use the “sold” filter to see what they’ve been selling for, and math it out to see if it’s worth the trouble. You could also buy the MacBook and test the waters with a Buy It Now listing for the price you want to sell it, and if it doesn’t sell in 10-14 days, then end the listing and return it (I’m guessing) to Best Buy (14 day return policy, right?).

Thank you! I was looking at the MacBook Air most recent model. Found the similar sold listings like you said. I'm not sure I would make $100 after all the fees (plus our 9.75% sales tax rate here, ouch) so I'm not going to waste my time. This is why I am always so curious about all you ebay sellers. There isn't much I am going to spend time on for under $100 profit. Clearly I value my time highly. lol

 

[Ava]

We are a bad influence. You know what we are going to say! LOL. I personally have no regrets on going for the SPG Biz (myself and DH). I was really nervous about doing 14k in 3.5 months but I have peppered in some gift card--> money order for some of my non CC payable expenditures (mortgage, car payments, etc). Doing that has made it totally doable. Strike while the churning iron is hot

I didn't think Visa/MC GCs counted towards MSR for AMEX? I'd hate to get caught by the RAT team and lose out on the bonus. Our monthly expenses are pretty low, no car, just rent & utilities. So far this month I've been having DW use Freedom for groceries for the 5X URs but I could have her switch to the SPG and just try PayPal transfers to max out the 5X bonus for this quarter. That'd be another $500-$600/month towards the MSRs. I'm really rationalizing this to myself now.

 

[Albort]

Hah! I just pulled the trigger on the SPG biz. Instant approval! And I set up my online account. I wonder how long the card will take to arrive! Now, I start mapping out my spend. Should be no problem. I wonder if they did a HP. How should I check on this?

Amex cards usually take 2-3 statement before it posts to your credit report. You just have to check it in 3 months to be sure. Doubt it though. If you already have an amex card, they might not even pull the report. my Amex SPG biz isnt on mine, i got it in Nov last year.
Card will take a week to arrive. People have gotten it expedited if u call them directly(wont work with chat). If the front line wont do it, speak with a supervisor, they can expedite it.

I didn't think Visa/MC GCs counted towards MSR for AMEX? I'd hate to get caught by the RAT team and lose out on the bonus. Our monthly expenses are pretty low, no car, just rent & utilities. So far this month I've been having DW use Freedom for groceries for the 5X URs but I could have her switch to the SPG and just try PayPal transfers to max out the 5X bonus for this quarter. That'd be another $500-$600/month towards the MSRs. I'm really rationalizing this to myself now.

You can get Visa/MC GCs but u have to make sure the place isnt giving l3 data to Amex. ie staples, CVS, etc. hitting the grocery store and buying groceries and a visa gift card may pass through RAT. of course, Amex makes it so they can disallow it in their T&C.

 

[linzjane88]

Just got the spg 30,000 to pop up. I think I want to pull the trigger. Anyone want to remind me how great these points are and what you use them for? I know everyone here loves them so much, would love to hear how you get max value. Especially on hotel stays. Having the hardest time pulling the trigger but I know I need to just make a decision!!

We used the 2 SPG personal cards bonus for a stay at the Royal Hawaiian for 5 nights last year (would have cost at least $1500 OOP) and we both signed up for the Biz versions last month. With the at least 89K Starpoints we will convert to Marriott for 267k Starpoints. I am going to get the Marriott card with 100k bonus next which will leave me with a total of 367 points which will be enough for a cat 8 for 7 nights (average room cost seems to be about $400 night, so $2800 in value) PLUS 100k SW miles.

Yes, a phobia is an irrational fear. Most of the time, the person knows mentally that the fear is unbased, but that does nothing for emotions. I have a phobia of spiders. My husband thinks it’s silly and years ago, made me hold a tarantula. I did it, with my heart pounding, but I still scream when I see a spider to this day. I know they can’t do anything to me, totally irrational fear.
I hope your wife can quell her fear enough to enjoy your vacation. Has she tried anti-anxiety meds? I know they help some people.

I am adding to the irrational fear train. I was petrified of vomit for all of childhood and early adulthood growing up after a cousin puked all over me on a car ride. I remember in elementary school on the bus ride home emptying my backpack onto the seat next to me so I could put my backpack over my head when there was a puker up front. Rode the whole way home like that. Somehow, for some reason, I became a nurse. Vomit is still my kryptonite though. I can deal with it at work because most of my patients are NPO--plus they always have a team of helpful families that I hand the puke bag off to. Dads can't usually do a whole lot for their laboring women so they are most of the time more than willing to be the barf bag handler while I am making a beeline to the Pyxis for nausea meds. "You look like you might get sick. Why don't I get you some Zofran!?" (said as I am chucking a bag and dad and booking it out of the room) LOL!

And guess who had a 6 year old up ALL NIGHT puking (down my hallway and on the bedroom floor) . Not nearly as much fun at home when I'm not being paid for it . Sorry, had to complain a bit. It was super gross and shampooing carpets at 0830 was not my plan for the day.

 

[Ava]

You can get Visa/MC GCs but u have to make sure the place isnt giving l3 data to Amex. ie staples, CVS, etc. hitting the grocery store and buying groceries and a visa gift card may pass through RAT. of course, Amex makes it so they can disallow it in their T&C.

Ah, okay. My grocery store doesn't allow you to purchase Visa/MC GCs with a credit card, so if I ever need one I get them from Staples or Walgreens. Do you know if Target sends L3 data to AMEX? That's my other option for GCs, as no WalMarts here either.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

Amex cards usually take 2-3 statement before it posts to your credit report. You just have to check it in 3 months to be sure. Doubt it though. If you already have an amex card, they might not even pull the report. my Amex SPG biz isnt on mine, i got it in Nov last year.
Card will take a week to arrive. People have gotten it expedited if u call them directly(wont work with chat). If the front line wont do it, speak with a supervisor, they can expedite it.

I don't have an AMEX card but I used to. So I checked Credit Karma and there is no hard pull. Is there another place I should look?

You can get Visa/MC GCs but u have to make sure the place isnt giving l3 data to Amex. ie staples, CVS, etc. hitting the grocery store and buying groceries and a visa gift card may pass through RAT. of course, Amex makes it so they can disallow it in their T&C.

Do you know if Giant reports that data? I might only get a very limited amount but I would avoid it if that's a problem.

 

[Albort]

Ah, okay. My grocery store doesn't allow you to purchase Visa/MC GCs with a credit card, so if I ever need one I get them from Staples or Walgreens. Do you know if Target sends L3 data to AMEX? That's my other option for GCs, as no WalMarts here either.

Do you know if Giant reports that data? I might only get a very limited amount but I would avoid it if that's a problem.

target should be fine. just dont buy the vgc by itself. mix it with other spendings... you can check to see what data is being sent to amex with the online portal.

@Disneyonmymind bold part for u.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

@Albort Do you mean look at the AMEX statement after I purchase it?

 

[Albort]

@Albort Do you mean look at the AMEX statement after I purchase it?

when u click on the transaction, it sometimes will say what you purchased. thats when u know its a level2 or level3 data.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Somehow, for some reason, I became a nurse.

That’s so funny! I am an ICU dietitian and prefer my patients NPO, less complaining about food, less begging them to eat to get adequate nutrition. Less of them thinking I’m the food police (I’m not, I’m the one telling the docs to stop ordering low fat diets for 90 year olds) Mostly tube feeding and TPN.

 

[kmc8826]

Not entirely off topic as we are on the Disboards after all...I would just rather ask you all than do a separate post somewhere else on the forum. If you don't want to clutter this thread than pm me. I just feel like I "know" you guys and appreciate your input. We are counting down the days to our next WDW. Leave in a month for 6 nights. I booked it as a bounce back with 2 rooms at CBR. Travel party is myself, husband, 3 girls who are 11, 9, 7. We stayed at CBR in January with UR points and it worked really well being in the two rooms. Everyone got their own bed and 2 bathrooms so that was the huge plus. The construction was not a big issue as we always rent a car. Last couple of years we have been off site only so being in the Disney bubble was nice. Sad but true. Now I am thinking about switching the CBR reservation to a one bedroom at Old Key West. We have never stayed there. It would cost $350 more but I think it is probably a wash as we would be able to buy some food and not eat out all the time. Bad part is girls would have to share bed and only one bathroom. Possible drama for sure. Worth it?!? Would give us a chance to stay DVC which leads me to my next question:

I keep obsessing about just buying into DVC with a small contract. Prices keep going up! I know @calypso726 you have DVC points as do a couple of you others. Are you glad you are in? Buyers regret? Worth buying at least the 75 for benefits direct from Disney? Is it bad that I am more than partially swayed to buy direct so I can put the money on cards? (Sweet UR"s coming our way).

At any rate any thoughts appreciated. I realize this is a huge tangent and if you want to just PM me responses that's great too. Thanks guys!

 

[1st*toright]

And guess who had a 6 year old up ALL NIGHT puking (down my hallway and on the bedroom floor) . Not nearly as much fun at home when I'm not being paid for it . Sorry, had to complain a bit. It was super gross and shampooing carpets at 0830 was not my plan for the day.

So sorry - no matter how much you love them, cleaning up after sick kids is rough - it would be so much worse if it was a phobia!

I'm feeling @SouthFayetteFan 's pain- my dh and dd have a really hard time on planes, and with heights. I am not scared of heights (in fact, love looking down from high places). I do get worried that they will be worried (it makes me feel panicky when one of them is having a panic attack and I can't get them out of situation - like if my DD is freaking out on a plane, its not like I can get us on the ground). They both fight through it (you can only tell with DH because of his clenched hands and white knuckles) and DD does ok, except if we have to circle, or try a landing more than once. I am very sympathetic, but can't fix it for them

 

[elgerber]

Not entirely off topic as we are on the Disboards after all...I would just rather ask you all than do a separate post somewhere else on the forum. If you don't want to clutter this thread than pm me. I just feel like I "know" you guys and appreciate your input. We are counting down the days to our next WDW. Leave in a month for 6 nights. I booked it as a bounce back with 2 rooms at CBR. Travel party is myself, husband, 3 girls who are 11, 9, 7. We stayed at CBR in January with UR points and it worked really well being in the two rooms. Everyone got their own bed and 2 bathrooms so that was the huge plus. The construction was not a big issue as we always rent a car. Last couple of years we have been off site only so being in the Disney bubble was nice. Sad but true. Now I am thinking about switching the CBR reservation to a one bedroom at Old Key West. We have never stayed there. It would cost $350 more but I think it is probably a wash as we would be able to buy some food and not eat out all the time. Bad part is girls would have to share bed and only one bathroom. Possible drama for sure. Worth it?!? Would give us a chance to stay DVC which leads me to my next question:

I keep obsessing about just buying into DVC with a small contract. Prices keep going up! I know @calypso726 you have DVC points as do a couple of you others. Are you glad you are in? Buyers regret? Worth buying at least the 75 for benefits direct from Disney? Is it bad that I am more than partially swayed to buy direct so I can put the money on cards? (Sweet UR"s coming our way).

At any rate any thoughts appreciated. I realize this is a huge tangent and if you want to just PM me responses that's great too. Thanks guys!

Worth is it entirely subjective. Two bathrooms is really nice! We bring an air mattress to avoid the bed sharing.
I have owned DVC since 2002 (not nearly as many points as some people , we only have 230) and I don't regret it for a second! Of course we paid less than half per point than what they charge now. I bought resale back then, but I have full benefits because they didn't have resale/direct separation back then. I love the AP discount, that's really about the only benefit I use. The Moonlight Magic events are fun too.

 

[Albort]

@Disneyonmymind @Ava i hope this helps.

No Data given looks like this:

Level2 Data looks like this:

Level3 Data looks like this:

edit: also worth noting, sometimes Level2 may say gift card purchase on there too.
all above transactions are gift card purchases of some kind.

 

[1st*toright]

Would give us a chance to stay DVC which leads me to my next question:

I keep obsessing about just buying into DVC with a small contract. Prices keep going up! I know @calypso726 you have DVC points as do a couple of you others. Are you glad you are in? Buyers regret? Worth buying at least the 75 for benefits direct from Disney? Is it bad that I am more than partially swayed to buy direct so I can put the money on cards? (Sweet UR"s coming our way).

At any rate any thoughts appreciated. I realize this is a huge tangent and if you want to just PM me responses that's great too. Thanks guys!

I would say its a good idea to try out a DVC space if you are thinking of taking the plunge esp. if you might buy at OKW. Air mattress or similar would help with the bed situation - I get that only one bath might be an issue (there were 4 of us at the Poly (DVC studio room) last summer and being able to have 2 kids showering at the same time was a HUGE benefit when we were sweaty and gross and trying to get to bed after a long day). I agree that $350 one way or the other will likely not make or break you. Good luck deciding.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

@Albort Very interesting! Thanks! I will try to find out in advance to avoid rat trouble lol

 

[1st*toright]

This whole points game really sucks you in... You may recall that I literally just got back from a family vacation. Well, I just booked a trip to Orlando next month. Total spur of the moment - not in the vacation plan for the year. Got the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista for less than 4000 points per night - seemed pretty cheap (everything else was 10000+ per night), and I still have an AP that is good until the beginning of June and Southwest flights weren't too many points (plus we have a CP to use), so we could do a quick 3 night trip just paying for ubers and park tickets for DH and DD and food. And we should get lounge access with my SPG Biz, so that could possibly help with the food? Seems like a good deal. My DH just had a job interview, though, so he might be starting a new job, which might kill the trip (or I could just take DD on my own - even cheaper!) I would not be pursing hotel and airline sites looking for a quick trip if I didn't hang out with you people - a bad influence for sure (or a good influence?) Its all on points, so refundable for the moment.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

@Disneyonmymind @Ava i hope this helps.

No Data given looks like this:

Level2 Data looks like this:

Level3 Data looks like this:

edit: also worth noting, sometimes Level2 may say gift card purchase on there too.
all above transactions are gift card purchases of some kind.

@Albort Very interesting! Thanks! I will try to find out in advance to avoid rat trouble lol

Yeah - thanks for sharing that! Very convenient to see them side by side.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Haha, now that's swanky! It says minimum 3 month rental, though.

I really really want to apply for the SPG personal. I got the 30K offer to pull up, and I am itching to go for it. I have ~$5K left on my SPG Biz spend, so adding $3K for the personal will make it $8K. We did $8K in 3 months before, when I had DW do the CSP/CSR double dip, so it's do-able (although that captured Christmas spending + a lot of medical bills that are thankfully now paid off). But, if I apply for the personal today I'll have until July 19th to meet the MSR, so I'll be able to put vacation spend towards it. Help me decide! LOL.

My gut is to go for it, worst that happens is you don't meet the MSR because of how many places don't seem to take Amex, but imho you have nothing to lose but the points you would otherwise earn on the spend because the AF is waived in the first year.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

ummmm.....so good news and bad news.

My SPG personal just arrived via ups overnight. Great, I can spend away.

EXCEPT, the credit line is $1k!?!?!?!? Is that some kind of error!? I am insulted. Score in 800s, income well into 6 figures, and all my limits on chase cards are more like $30k and I pay them off monthly. Do I call them or what? Even my Costco amex was $10k probably 10 years ago. Only other amex is SPG biz with $5k limit but I attributed that to the fact that I put $5k business revenue so seemed fine.

Any insight?