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 1183073 times)

Offline popcorn1508

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Re: Re: Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3040 on: March 05, 2019, 10:06:42 AM »

Offline zale

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Re: Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3041 on: March 05, 2019, 11:50:24 AM »
Amazed how the lawyer keeps saying that people should know about the risks.  I wonder, did his client tell everyone what they were really doing with the money, or were the cardholders under the false impression that the money was guaranteed back?
(There are many reasons a business would borrow money, some are virtually guaranteed to be paid back, such as using the money to pay a supplier on delivery, instead of waiting 90 days in order to get a discount, while others are extremely risky e.g. investing in new ideas or pocketing some of it)

I said earlier upthread that I believe he's framing the defense for Sterling as an ordinary business deal gone bad. If my suspicions are correct, he will argue that the funds were used in the ordinary course of business and that the "investors" took a gamble. This is why he keeps saying that people should "understand the risks".

While everyone is saying that this is a criminal case and that Sterling is the perpetrator of a major crime, Twersky is saying that Sterling is a business and that people who gave their cards were investors in the business.

Someone mentioned earlier that there were some investors that had contracts. I don't know the extent of that or what those contracts state. A poorly written contract is as good as no contract. It seems that many victims just gave their credit cards without any contract at all. I don't see why Twersky would have trouble arguing that it was nothing more than a risky investment. 

Online zh cohen

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3042 on: March 05, 2019, 01:36:04 PM »
You'd probably have better luck helping people by going on David Lichtenstein's headlines as part of a panel, discussing the cases.

Any volunteers to pitch this to him?

info@headlinesbook.com

The halacha angle can be ribis and liability questions (and maybe include the credit Union question).

Offline Chief Rabbi of New York

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3043 on: March 05, 2019, 01:38:42 PM »
Any volunteers to pitch this to him?

info@headlinesbook.com

The halacha angle can be ribis and liability questions (and maybe include the credit Union question).

Already did
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Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3044 on: March 05, 2019, 02:05:59 PM »
Any volunteers to pitch this to him?

info@headlinesbook.com

The halacha angle can be ribis and liability questions (and maybe include the credit Union question).
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?
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 TimT

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3045 on: March 05, 2019, 02:15:04 PM »
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?
Just you or another panel ?

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3046 on: March 05, 2019, 02:15:56 PM »
Just you or another panel ?
No idea. Didn't know last time it was a panel either.
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 CS1

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3047 on: March 05, 2019, 02:18:24 PM »
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?

reinforce caution, education, and that all deals need to be made in writing, and that we need to pass this onto the current generation.

Also, perhaps an emphasis on how personal credit follows each individual for a long time. It can be valuable when treated carefully.
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Offline knowitall

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3048 on: March 05, 2019, 02:23:47 PM »
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?
IMHO:
Besides the topics others have mentioned:
1) Huge misconception: You can just dispute anything.
2) if you wouldn’t hand over a suitcase of cash, don’t give out your CC
3) stay away from farmers
4) the difference between a secured loan and unsecured

Offline yosefchaim

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3049 on: March 05, 2019, 02:50:24 PM »
2) if you wouldn’t hand over a suitcase of cash, don’t give out your CC
-1 People made lots of money off the points, and they're only risking their Credit. If they have no plan on buying a house... then it might have been worth the risk. People made $15k every 6 weeks.  I would probably risk my credit for that, if I assumed it would go on for months or years.

Offline churnbabychurn

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3050 on: March 05, 2019, 02:52:17 PM »
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?
He's notorious for post interview edits.. don't think you would care much...

Offline knowitall

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3051 on: March 05, 2019, 03:00:37 PM »
-1 People made lots of money off the points, and they're only risking their Credit. If they have no plan on buying a house... then it might have been worth the risk. People made $15k every 6 weeks.  I would probably risk my credit for that, if I assumed it would go on for months or years.
Like others have mentioned it’s nearly impossible to earn $15,000 every 6 weeks while risking only one persons credit. That’s $750,000 on a 2% card. Nevertheless, your point stands.

Offline tov hashem

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3052 on: March 05, 2019, 03:05:30 PM »
what would be the easiest way to secure borrowing a credit card lets say for a legit business to use my cards and to pay it when due on a monthly basis is there anyway to secure the money? (lets say a lean  on property)

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3053 on: March 05, 2019, 03:09:07 PM »
1) Huge misconception: You can just dispute anything.
On what basis are you disputing?
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 pointer

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3054 on: March 05, 2019, 03:10:53 PM »
On what basis are you disputing?
No, no
That is the misconception he's is referring to, people think you can dispute anything 

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3055 on: March 05, 2019, 03:12:28 PM »
Like others have mentioned it’s nearly impossible to earn $15,000 every 6 weeks while risking only one persons credit. That’s $750,000 on a 2% card. Nevertheless, your point stands.
It's doable
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Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3056 on: March 05, 2019, 03:14:36 PM »
No, no
That is the misconception he's is referring to, people think you can dispute anything 
Gotcha. But on the flip side, I'm hearing too many lawyers on the other side advising against disputing. The trick (b'dieved) is probably figuring out what exactly to dispute.
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 Yehuda57

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3057 on: March 05, 2019, 03:16:34 PM »
I'm going to be interviewed by him tomorrow.
What topics should I bring up?
The need for financial literacy education.  (he will eat this up like crazy) This doesn't mean learning math, science or economics, but the basic concepts of budgeting, interest, loans, etc.

The investment misnomer - these were loans at best, most victims probably didn't even think they were doing that.

The halachic ramifications of disputing charges.

People don't have to be willfully trying to scam you, some probably have the best of intentions.

Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3058 on: March 05, 2019, 03:17:31 PM »
The halachic ramifications of disputing charges.
Namely?
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Offline Dan

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Re: PSA: Don't swipe recklessly for others
« Reply #3059 on: March 05, 2019, 03:17:59 PM »
Twerski said he's involved in $50M of these cases.
Which side is he on in which case?
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.