We learn how Chris Elliott “rages” against blog shills, briefly fall in love again with CVS, go Titanium style over the awesome Falcon 5X jet, and watch incredible videos of America/Asia/Motorbikes/MountainBikes & the Blog Buzz section is back briefly!
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Is it time to shut down the “shills” who are paid to endorse credit card companies? – Chris Elliott Just gained some respect for this guy. Or maybe he wrote the article to generate controversy and hits 🙂 Actually, I am surprised he has not started hawking plastic himself yet!
I think CVS has one of the best rewards programs out there, and here’s exactly why I love it Oh, that three letter store…
Check out the $45 million Falcon 5X private jet — it has a skylight! Wow, this looks so awesome. If you guys click on my links every day I will go on it and then come back with a 29 part series review full of selfies in every possible position on the plane for YOU! #Titanium!
Watch this real-life Forrest Gump walk across America This is actually very very cool.
Across Asia on a Motorbike – The Adventure Blog Hey, we are on a roll with very cool videos today! Get on the motorbike!
Downmall 2015 – Holding a Mountain Bike Competition in a Shopping Mall – The Adventure Blog Might as well go on with another bike video, this one with mountain bikes…in a shopping mall, Wow!
50 Popular Business Books Summarized In One Sentence Each Very interesting idea to do this.
4 Tips to Plan for Retirement in an Upside-Down World – Money Good advice here.
Entering BLOG BUZZ area, please wear your helmets. Please note that this section is for long time miles hobbyists and is for entertainment only. If you are new please feel free to skip it. We like to expose the unvarnished truth around here! Don’t be a Tool! Only pick the blog posts that made me really angry 🙂
Delta Points, in the Rookie post…decided to “decipher”, please sit down, the Amex Delta cards. These cards just vanished when there was no compensation for selling them. Amazing now that they are back they are sold, well, repeatedly!
What I find especially hideous is that some people who are not miles bloggers are avid plastic sellers. Like this Chris Guillebeau dude with his Art of Non-Conformity blog and the World Domination meetings. He now has his own “Top 5 Credit Card Signup Bonuses for Miles & Points: February”. Of course all affiliate cards….and when the The Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite MasterCard® makes it to the Top Five you know it is there for two reasons: Because it pays well AND the author is just clueless!
View From The Wing has been on an amazing click bait headline tour lately. I mean, how about “Four Rewards Cards That Can Deliver You the Most Value”. Please save your trouble going there…I bet my deflating balls you have seen them before…every single one…numerous times.
Million Mile Secrets decided to copy the posts about the bitches over at 1800Flowers and then instead of HTing Frequent Miler...he HTs Doctor of Credit who does not sell credit cards (at least not yet). Coincidence? YOU decide!
I tweeted this yesterday: “I hereby declare Points Miles & Martinis the PUMPIEST Blog in da Internet. WTF you guys!!!! Eeeeeeeek!!!!!”. I mean, which other site sells luggage at Samsonite, rental card at Avis, clothes at Neiman Marcus and a gazillion cards in the same day? Advice: Sell condoms to Venezuelans, mucho dinero!!!
Bank account must be low. One Mile At a Time decided to write suddenly about “Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits“. Wow! I think we can all recite them now….or are we looking to hook google search newbie victims? Do you know it was sold on Twitter? This way: “This One Card Is Always In My Wallet, Here’s Why:”
But by FAR, the worst post yesterday was the one at Frugal Travel Guy “How Can I Pay My Mortgage Using a Credit Card?“. I mean, it managed to say Target Redcard via video without all the written language and/or pics and arrows (takes too much time!). But of course it managed to stick the Amex SPG and Chase Sapphire Preferred Card links at readers’ faces…What fine experts we have here! Do these people fool themselves they are true experts or are they just doing it for the money? (Don’t attempt to answer that…don’t be ridiculous!)
TBB after loading up on hazelnut coffee at Panera each morning…
Thank you for reading and supporting my blog by clicking the crap out of my $$$ links! By doing this YOU are taking a stand against endless plastic pimping. The power is in your hands. YOU can do this! Ok, got carried away there for a sec. Ok then. How about the standard “Please pass my blog link to your friends and family if you think they will enjoy it too”. Kids went back to school on Wednesday, life is back to normal, thank you for your concern! Thanks to reader for the Uber referral! On Monday, please hear me out as I thought this was hilarious (in a kind of sad way!), this blog made 20 cents. Nothing unusual here but I was just proud it came from Amazon and it was ALL because a reader bought TOILET PAPER, yes! To that reader, high five (after you washed your hands that is lol).
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1st?
I posted about the 1800-flowers deal before FM did, FM linked to me. It wouldn’t have made any sense to link to FM. I’ve made my stance pretty public on credit card affiliate links, I don’t use them and won’t use them.
I wrote a big piece about why Chris is on the wrong path, I won’t bother to post it because it just gives him the attention he craves.
Also not sure why you hate 1800 flowers so much, if you want some extra points to get the companion pass it’s the cheapest way to go about it.
No. It’s not the cheapest way. Not even close…and it doesn’t involve two credit pulls to do it.
I’m assuming you’re talking about reselling, which is great but it’s not do-able for most people. It’s time intensive and there are risks involved as well. As I pointed out below, I was talking about the last 6,000 points required.
Also, applying for both SW cards would result in one hard pull as long as you can get both of the personal cards and apply on the same day.
There are plenty of ways to get the SW CP, getting two SW cards and using 1800 flowers is at least worth mentioning, wouldn’t you agree?
No. Not reselling either.
Please expand that argument.
If you want to get the last 6,000 points for the CP, it’s cheaper than purchasing hotel points/transferring hotel points. I should have been clearer.
I never liked 1800 Flowers, had a horrible experience with them and have heard horror stories.
Never met this Chris dude. He appears very savvy online. But recommending plastic and the way he does it makes me want to barf!
Haters gonna hate…
I would like to say there goes Rick’s argument that no one has ever been hurt churning credit cards, but I’m not sure if Chris Elliott is above making shit up to prove a point. Especially, when the said victims remain anonymous. I don’t doubt people have gotten themselves in trouble, I just wish some would come out and say so.
Not going to happen unless said person is mentally retarded or gets compensated (lol!). There is a lot of shame that goes into this. I still shake my head when journalists dupe consumers to do stories on debt and then they smile on pictures and the tagline “Mrs & Mrs Smith went crazy with credit cards and managed to go $100k deep in debt”…I think the industry preys on these people which allows smart consumers like us to benefit. I still don’t like it and I must keep telling myself that my blog’s readers are very savvy to allow such bad things to happen to them. But, you know, shit happens in life…This hobby can be very dangerous. Or you can apply for 7 credit cards at once when you are just looking for one cash back card like they dish out at Frugal Travel Guy (sigh)…
Typical misinformation here on the Buzz. But the majority of the world is getting used to that and leaving in droves.
I never said nobody gets hurt from churning credit cards. What I said was people need to be accountable for their own actions. Its called “personal responsibility” Try it commenters when making accusations and misstatements. And if a newbie can handle seven cards, that’s their choice now isn’t it? BTW, George where do you get the majority of your miles? Churning my friend. That’s all that’s left to this game.
BTW Buzz the “Tool” has been gone for months in case you wanted to report a fact or two 🙂
And lastly, today is your big day. You site ranking has dropped to over 100K on Alexa. Yea, I know it means nothing and Matt will be here in a moment to defend your honor and the lack of validity of Alexa. Thought I’d add a ranking from “Compete” the other ranking site. Here’s what they say about TBB (sorry no toolbar info here)
“Low Data
This site has relatively low traffic. While Compete can provide valuable insights about sites like these, data for this domain is currently only available to Compete PRO members.”
Its not the number that is really important. It is the fact that you are losing readership and the days of whining about bloggers are over. Nobody cares anymore other than the few left here.
I think the www. in your address stands for “Whiners Won’t Win”
I’ll stop by again when you get to 125K and from the look of things that will be again real soon 😉 Three to six hours a day on this blog? Now that’s dedication, and I hope your remaining reader/readers appreciate it 😉
Thanks for the update on the 20 cent day 🙂 Maybe you can get Elliott to write for you George. You are quite a pair
“Look, when we tell people to buy our products, we tell them to use them responsibly. If they don’t use them responsibly, woah tha’ts on them, not us. Personal responsibility is important. America.”
handgun manufacturerscredit card issuers
Groups that both believed so much in personal responsibility that theyy ran to congress to protect themselve:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_of_Lawful_Commerce_in_Arms_Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_Abuse_Prevention_and_Consumer_Protection_Act
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cltc4Og6HKo
I agree with Rick. Smokers should only blame themselves, if they get cancer, they deserve it because they did not smoke responsibly.
If only marketing practices of cigarettes applied to marketing practices on plastic pushing “expert” travel blogs…
Never mind.
Sorry, I guess I misinterpreted your previous comments defending your “blog” by stating that no one has ever told you they got in over their heads churning cards. My mistake. I clearly misunderstood whatever point you were trying to make.
Personal responsibility? Oh, so that’s how all you ripoff artists, flim flam men, and other assorted sleazebag credit card shills masquerading as experts like to hang yourhat on when scamming your victims, er readers?
You’d probably pimp out your own mother if you could make a buck.
A truly despicable lowlife.
>>>>>>You’d probably pimp out your own mother if you could make a buck.
If it meant keeping the lucrative direct Chase links I have no doubt 🙂
And we are back…
Cheers,
PedroNY
“….quite a pair.”
Great choice of words, muchacho.
Sorry Old Dude, Ingy at this point you are as credible as a Brian William’s war story. Shalom.
My site is about entertainment, primarily my own. I just sit back and enjoy reading lol.
The “Tool” graduated to the Tool in your “Wallet”?
Personal responsibility again? Yawn.
Alexa vs. Compete. Which is more credible? Discuss.
Thanks for the Alexa update by the way, what would I do without you?
The few days of 5 to 6 hours are LONG gone dude. I am now into a groove. It’s called “Notepad”. And this blogging is as enjoyable as ever. Yeah, 20 cents…from TOILET PAPER! If that is not funny I don’t know what is!
Thank you rick I (can you stick with ONE identity? thanks!) for contributing to the mission of TBB. and for being such a devoted reader!
And now to go to the gym for my piyo (pilates/yoga) class….If I don’t come back, please call 911.
Yup “Personal Responsibility” Again and always.
If you screw up by not meeting a minimum spend, or not making your payments on time that is on the one, and only the one, that signed the application and entered into the agreement with the card issuer. Any and all attempts to blame it on bloggers or anybody else is, you’ve heard this word before: “cowardly”
Why not spend some time here teaching others that concept instead of whining about others and laying the blame on them. It is really a stain on personal accountability of the readers here to promote and supporting passing the buck. But hey, it that’s what this place is about, its going to continue to be fun watching the last few remaining whiners.
Gary’s site has been officially removed from my bookmarks after approximately 5 years. It has been getting worse over time but now it is non-stop credit card vomit. He went and destroyed his once great website. I call that selling out whether he still runs his blog or not.
Some people will do ANYTHING for money. Makes me sick.
OMG…The past few days Mr. Leff has been on a total plastic orgy fest, WOW!
What is really ludicrous is that FTG Rick is whining about… whiners in your blog TBB which he apparently despises!
Rick loves this blog. He reads just as much if not more than the rest of us.
I’d really love to love this blog as George seems willing to copy and paste interesting stuff he finds online. But I can’t enjoy what he is good at when distracted by his complaints and demeaning of others. Glad to see ( like I’m sure most of you are) he has at least quit whining about his income on most days.
And just imagine, with his sense of humor and wit, what this could be if he actually added some of his own original content unrelated to tearing down others just to feel better about himself. I could then add him to my blogs I like list. But after 2+’years that just doesn’t seem to be in the template 🙁
Yawn
While I detest the constant shilling of many of the frequent flyer blogs, I have no doubt that the vast majority of their readers have substantially benefited from the advice. The fact that we don’t hear many tales of woe is undoubtedly because there aren’t many. The true losers in this game are the issuers and merchants, not the spenders.
Disagree. People who get fleeced, conned or abused don’t like to talk about it – it’s “piling on” and nobody likes to admit they are stupid/ignorant. So they stay quiet.
Who’s gonna say “I took TPG’s advice and grabbed 7 credit card offers but got myself into thousands of debt I couldn’t pay off and now I’m paying 25% interest every month, or I’m about to declare personal BK”? You’d be admitting you’re an idiot and lack discipline.
But only sleazebags hang their hat on “personal responsibility” when they knowingly fleece people. We know which side of the sleazebag divide that Ingy is on…
>>>>>The fact that we don’t hear many tales of woe is undoubtedly because there aren’t many.
What Paul said.
>>>>>>The true losers in this game are the issuers and merchants, not the spenders.
The true losers, imho, are the ones who get hooked by the “lifestyle” and try it themselves when they can not really handle balancing a checking account. Shit happens when you least expect it. Those are the poor souls who allows us veterans to benefit. We are talking about wrecked lives here….all so they can be like your master salesman blogger smiling on a flat bed sipping Krug and eating caviar. This relentless indiscriminate pumping should be illegal imho. I am all for personal responsibility and practice it myself at all times. It does not make it right to post crap and pose as a miles “expert” while all you are really doing is pumping plastic non stop…