The Google Fi offer was potentially a $700+ (fairly) easy profit
I ran the numbers on this, and the profit on flipping this deal is a moving target at best.
Assuming you don’t have the Amex offer, your out of pocket costs are approximately $1100 - $1150 depending on your state’s taxes.
I estimate that selling the pixel on eBay in four months time will net you around $650 after fees. If you can transfer your fi service now to another phone and sell on eBay right away then you have a chance of making $750-775, but in four months that value will certainly go down. Bear in mind that an influx of Pixel listings on eBay can cause the value to tank further.
The gift cards are another story. First, you can’t sell electronic gift cards on Ebay. You can try selling them here on the forums, but with the deluge of cards for sale, expect to sell at a 25% discount. Cardcash will be a similar story.
$650 + $750 = $1400. For some people, that is only a $250 profit for four months of wait. For those who did a payment plan, that is also a hard credit pull.
This isn’t really a hot deal for flippers. It’s a hot deal for people who want Google fi service and a top of the line phone, and will also be using the gift cards for travel.
I’m afraid that many people jumped on this deal assuming this is an easy $1,000 profit.