Topic Wiki

https://www.dansdeals.com/more/dans-commentary/dark-side-earning-credit-card-points-psa-dont-swipe-others/

https://www.mixcloud.com/zev-brenner/talkline-with-zev-brenner-on-credit-card-scams-affecting-the-orthodox-jewish-community/

http://podcast.headlinesbook.com/e/31616-credit-card-miles-and-points-swiping-for-rewards-buying-and-selling-miles-is-it-assur-and-a-chillul-hashem-or-a-great-way-for-a-side-parnassah/



BEFORE SWIPING FOR SOMEONE READ THIS: (first hand story)

https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=36812.msg2062371#msg2062371
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/dans-commentary/dark-side-earning-credit-card-points-psa-dont-swipe-others/#comment-1399884


Dan's warning to DDF:
I hope people realize that any buying group or anyone else that gets merchandise in advance of payment can go south at any time. That's even if you get a check at the time of delivery.
X-posting as I don't want anyone to say that I never put a warning here.

A story that ended up in court - https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/DocumentList?docketId=iRcRHuyZUdOIx69D00a5XQ==&display=all&courtType=Kings%20County%20Supreme%20Court&resultsPageNum=1


I am one of the biggest buyers for buying groups, I have done millions in transactions and have sent to every group there is over the past 3 years. Most buying groups are okay, some scan in slower than others, some pay slower than others - most will lose a few packages over the year. You can research and find which are better for you.

However there is a bigger problem now with Amazon itself.  Amazon in the past has been great with any problems always ready with a refund for lost packages even if it was thousands of dollars. Lately Amazon has clamped down and has tagged these buying groups addresses  in their systems as "freight forwarder" and now no longer will fix any problem you have whatsoever. Doesn't matter what the problem is, even if it shows the package was never delivered, amazon will not help you in any way. Their copy and paste response will always be "this item was sent to a freight forwarder and we're unable to replace or refund the item. We recommend contacting your freight forwarder for more details, as we don't have any more insight or information regarding this matter, For more information about sending items via freight forwarders, please visit our Help Pages: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201117950." As well the amazon drivers either must know this or have been increasingly bad at delivering packages because the numbers of packages missing has gone up astronomically. Previously you would have very few packages missing, now the past 3 months I have had 59 "lost" packages. I now have over $15,000 of loses and some guy in Delaware is probably living the life with all the stuff he stole from me. I will survive, I have made a lot more than $15,000 over the years however just a warning to others here that things are not as they used to be and it really is no longer worth doing buring groups with all the loses piling up

« Last edited by Yo ssi on July 24, 2023, 06:47:26 PM »

Author Topic: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others  (Read 1183325 times)

Offline Baruch

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3160 on: March 06, 2019, 12:45:51 PM »
. And don't forget to talk about wealthy people declaring bankruptcy to save their assests. Ask him if that's also against his ethics.
And if he needs an example of a bankruptcy
http://www.worldpropertyjournal.com/us-markets/vacation-leisure-real-estate-1/extended-stay-inc-lightstone-group-llc-blackstone-group-lp-bear-stearns-david-lichtenstein-federal-reserve-wachovia-943.php

Offline churnbabychurn

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3161 on: March 06, 2019, 12:47:56 PM »
Keep in mind that his credentials to be discussing halacha are that he is wealthy.
He has a well paid staff of producers who seem competent in sourcing and prepping him.

Offline EJB

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3162 on: March 06, 2019, 12:56:44 PM »
He has a well paid staff of producers who seem competent in sourcing and prepping him.

Ah, so he and they are well paid.

Offline Denverite

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3163 on: March 06, 2019, 01:20:28 PM »
Well, asking hard questions is a better way to gain clarity than having an echo chamber. See Bava Metzia.
Wow, that's a beautiful and powerful concept.

Maybe not explicitly "you can / should sell your points for cash", but offering "Have a ton of miles to burn? We can also work out a method to pay for the cruise with them!" certainly implied that.

You are right.  This could be problematic although I'm still (perhaps naively or in willful denial) hoping that this advertised "method" didn't include selling points and no 1099.  :'(

Listening now to the Brenner interview for the first time.

A few takeaways so far.

3. AT says disputing can get you in criminal trouble as you affirming under oath that you don't recognize the charge, but an initial chargeback isn't an affirmation under oath. Of course it may come to that, but it should not be hard to at least initiate a chargeback without those repercussions.

I'm not advocating lying. But there are other things you can likely say that aren't lying. I'd suggest hiring a lawyer in these cases.

Guys, no one responded to my question about mileage buyers issuing 1099's.  Can someone please do so?  The answer changes the whole landscape around where this could all end up.  It seems many of you on here have sold points, no one wants to chime in?

If there was multi-millions of tax-fraud, along with all the bank issues for these cardholders, they could have bigger legal consequences to disputing these charges (and if the feds start looking through the books of these points buyers servicing these cardholders involved, all the other little guys that "only" sell points could be facing  consequences too). 

I really don't want thousands of my brethren to have problems with the law or to have to face the tremendous Chillul HaShem in the media.  Seems like if people dispute charges and banks and legal authorities start digging (although they may start digging without the chargebacks) there could be consequences none of us ever dreamed of.  It also seems like people should add this aspect into their personal calculus of deciding if they want to continue to engage in any of these (admittedly profitable) transactions.  If people ARE getting 1099s and paying income taxes on money earned from these swiping arrangements and selling points, disregard all these worries as its a moot point.

Do points buyers issue 1099s?


Offline rileywiles23

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3164 on: March 06, 2019, 01:24:29 PM »
Life is as good as you make it...

Offline yosefchaim

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3165 on: March 06, 2019, 01:27:49 PM »
Do points buyers issue 1099s?
No need as it's looked like as a 1% off the purchase price. (Heard from CPA's.) When you redeem for Cash back the banks don't either send you a 1099.

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3166 on: March 06, 2019, 01:29:44 PM »
1st of all, we didn't coordinate the sale of any miles for a space. But it was a cute gimmick.

We're going off-topic yet again and I'm not sure why these questions keep coming up in this thread, but it's really not simple that tax is owed on the sale of miles. Miles earned from cards are in lieu of cashback, which is a purchase rebate, not income. Nor is a 1099 required for purchasing goods.

Either way, I'm not an advocate of selling miles.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline skyguy918

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3167 on: March 06, 2019, 01:33:58 PM »
1st of all, we didn't coordinate the sale of any miles for a space. But it was a cute gimmick.

We're going off-topic yet again and I'm not sure why these questions keep coming up in this thread, but it's really not simple that tax is owed on the sale of miles. Miles earned from cards are in lieu of cashback, which is a purchase rebate, not income. Nor is a 1099 required for purchasing goods.

Either way, I'm not an advocate of selling miles.
The issue would be sign up bonuses though, no?

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3168 on: March 06, 2019, 01:41:24 PM »
The issue would be sign up bonuses though, no?
Those are also a purchase rebate, unless you're talking about checking account signup bonuses which are already 1099d, so I don't see why you would report income again on the same miles if sold.

Really getting off on a tangent here.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline skyguy918

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3169 on: March 06, 2019, 02:07:04 PM »
Not sure if this has been posted...
But looks like someone is suing
but on rejecting a chargeback that was used in a 3rd party
https://lostmessiahdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/501104_2019_congregation_hakshivah_v_hersh_deutsch_et_al_memorandum_of_law_13-1.pdf
It's linked to in the wiki already - discussed upthread.

Offline Yard sale

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3170 on: March 06, 2019, 02:07:07 PM »
Those are also a purchase rebate, unless you're talking about checking account signup bonuses which are already 1099d, so I don't see why you would report income again on the same miles if sold.

Really getting off on a tangent here.

https://news.law.fordham.edu/jcfl/2017/09/27/do-rewards-points-classify-as-taxable-income/

The only time you would have an issue is if you use the full purchase amount as your cost basis for your business. That cost basis has to be lowered by the cash back, which is a rebate on the purchase amount. Otherwise you are double dipping.

Offline Denverite

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3171 on: March 06, 2019, 02:08:10 PM »
1st of all, we didn't coordinate the sale of any miles for a space. But it was a cute gimmick.

We're going off-topic yet again and I'm not sure why these questions keep coming up in this thread, but it's really not simple that tax is owed on the sale of miles. Miles earned from cards are in lieu of cashback, which is a purchase rebate, not income. Nor is a 1099 required for purchasing goods.

Either way, I'm not an advocate of selling miles.

Why is it off topic?  Are you sure, not all goods sellers don't need to do 1099's because many issue a 1099k for more than 20k in sales.

I know points are considered a rebate legally but y'all have said that they can be valued and sold as a good.  Even if the IRS doesn't generally get involved, the scale of this swiping scandal is SO huge that no one knows what the unforeseen effects will be down the road.

Is it so simple? Maybe it is and hopefully there isn't a tax scandal mixed with this swiping scandal.

I've said my peace on this to try to get people thinking about what they are doing when swiping for others and selling points so I'll try not to go down a rabbit hole.

Thank you for the explicit statement saying you don't advocate selling points!


Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3172 on: March 06, 2019, 02:12:38 PM »
Why is it off topic?  Are you sure, not all goods sellers don't need to do 1099's because many issue a 1099k for more than 20k in sales.

I know points are considered a rebate legally but y'all have said that they can be valued and sold as a good.  Even if the IRS doesn't generally get involved, the scale of this swiping scandal is SO huge that no one knows what the unforeseen effects will be down the road.

Is it so simple? Maybe it is and hopefully there isn't a tax scandal mixed with this swiping scandal.

I've said my peace on this to try to get people thinking about what they are doing when swiping for others and selling points so I'll try not to go down a rabbit hole.

Thank you for the explicit statement saying you don't advocate selling points!
Never heard of a 1099 for goods purchased.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline skyguy918

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3173 on: March 06, 2019, 02:13:11 PM »
https://news.law.fordham.edu/jcfl/2017/09/27/do-rewards-points-classify-as-taxable-income/

The only time you would have an issue is if you use the full purchase amount as your cost basis for your business. That cost basis has to be lowered by the cash back, which is a rebate on the purchase amount. Otherwise you are double dipping.
Actually, now that you mention it, isn't that essentially what's happening in the case of swipe farms? You can't really call any of it (sign-up or regular points/miles) purchase rebates. The cardholder is not purchasing anything, but they're receiving the miles. And even if you want to say it's a purchase rebate because the swiper ostensibly purchased something, that only makes sense if the swiper gets the points. If the swiper then turns around and gives the points to the cardholder, isn't that income?

Offline 12HRS

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3174 on: March 06, 2019, 02:15:28 PM »
Is Umm the new Boo?

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3175 on: March 06, 2019, 02:15:57 PM »
Actually, now that you mention it, isn't that essentially what's happening in the case of swipe farms? You can't really call any of it (sign-up or regular points/miles) purchase rebates. The cardholder is not purchasing anything, but they're receiving the miles. And even if you want to say it's a purchase rebate because the swiper ostensibly purchased something, that only makes sense if the swiper gets the points. If the swiper then turns around and gives the points to the cardholder, isn't that income?
You can say the same for any form of MS, no? Do you owe tax when you buy a fee-free $200 Visa?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline skyguy918

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3176 on: March 06, 2019, 02:20:01 PM »
You can say the same for any form of MS, no? Do you owe tax when you buy a fee-free $200 Visa?
Let's assume they're the same. What's the explanation for why you wouldn't owe tax?

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3177 on: March 06, 2019, 02:23:06 PM »
Let's assume they're the same. What's the explanation for why you wouldn't owe tax?
Personally I'm earning miles and I use them, but if you're selling them then you should ask your accountant. Scale also matters.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline PSA

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3178 on: March 06, 2019, 02:25:51 PM »
The question is if there is a downside to disputing and trying that method before going the bankruptcy/settlement route. What's the worst case scenario? If you lose the dispute, does that make you ineligible to settle?

1) While there might be ways to phrase the dispute that wont be a straight out lie, at the end of the day the reality is all cc holder's lent money to someone on his own credit card, and the swiper did not pay back. While you are not under oath, you are in a way trying to defraud the bank Whatever you are going to tell the bank is misconstruing the truth, and essentially a lie which is a problem halachichally as well, since you are attempting to steal money from the bank.
2) If you lose the dispute, that would mean the bank did their investigation, and decided you are in the wrong. It just might make things much harder when trying to settle with the bank afterwards
3) Disputing brings much more attention to your account and connecting you to the story, wherein defaulting/settling you are one of many people that that go through that process

Offline Yard sale

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3179 on: March 06, 2019, 02:29:33 PM »
Actually, now that you mention it, isn't that essentially what's happening in the case of swipe farms? You can't really call any of it (sign-up or regular points/miles) purchase rebates. The cardholder is not purchasing anything, but they're receiving the miles. And even if you want to say it's a purchase rebate because the swiper ostensibly purchased something, that only makes sense if the swiper gets the points. If the swiper then turns around and gives the points to the cardholder, isn't that income?

You are absolutely correct. If my 2% card is being swiped by some toner company for 200k, and the company then pays me back 200k, the 200k purchase price was rebated  by the $4,000 cash back, so my cost basis was actually $196,000 for a 4K profit that is unquestionably taxable. That is quite clear. Doesn’t everyone swiping report this amount as taxable income?