Warning: PMing with AMEX Blue is ending May 1st.

[hunt3r]

Whoops... anyway.

I just went to the site...and >> linky to Blue policy

I have not recieved an email and no one has cut and paseted an official looking email they say they have recieved... at least not that I have seen.

I sure hope that this is all just a bad joke or it is going to be my personal nightmare.... noooooooooooooooo

 

[Dre]

Here's the email I just got:

Please be advised that as of May 1st, the Best Value Guarantee benefit will no longer be available on Blue from American ExpressSM. This benefit enabled Blue from American Express Cardmembers to shop for the lowest priced items by refunding the difference* between the item purchased and any covered item**. The program will cease for purchases made with Blue after April 30th, 2002.

Now you can comparison shop before making your purchase at ShopAmexSM, the online comparison shopping site from American Express! From books to CDs, toys to electronics, you can shop, compare, and then buy from some of the best merchants on the Web?without ever leaving our site! You can even use Membership Rewards® points to make purchases!

 

[Spyboy]

Seems pretty clear it is ending.

How long could one expect AMEX to absorb those loses?

 

[BobF]

Is anyone really surprised to see this feature eliminated? They must have been getting killed on these pricematching deals.

Bob

 

[amgine]

So how the heck do you get the playinum or gold card...and are we sure those cards will still carry pricematch?

 

[AU Tiger]

Why are you guys receiving email from Blue? I have had the card for over a year and have never received an email. In my last statement I received the Changes in Terms and it had the new limits on the BVG, but it didn't say anything about it ending.

 

[kevman]

<< I will cancel my Blue on May 1st. I hope others do the same to show Amex what they have done. I have other cc's with better services when BVG goes away. >>



Yeah I am definately doing the same. I hope there is a mass cancellation on May 1st and htey decide to bring it back. It was great while it lasted. save me like $100 on a mobo and CPU combo.

 

[scubasteve2001]

everyone call on May 1st and cancel your card!!

 

[Techie333]

What do you guys mean "PM once per item"???????????

You mean to tell me that you bastards abused it to that LEVEL?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........where you PM an item......then call them up and PM again.........CAN YOU DO THAT????? HOW CAN THEY BE SO STUPID???? THE SAME ITEM TWICE?????!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RKumar]

I just called Amex PM number. They said today they were officially announced by Amex guys that this program will end by May 1st.

He said other cards like Rewards Plus Gold card, Amex Gold, Altima Platinum, etc. will still have the program available.
He was suggesting Rewards Plus Gold since it has lots of "other" benefits.

I am planning to cancel this card by 1st May and then reapply for Rewards Plus or Gold or something that has Amex PM available.

 

[GetReal]

<< What do you guys mean "PM once per item"???????????

You mean to tell me that you bastards abused it to that LEVEL?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........where you PM an item......then call them up and PM again.........CAN YOU DO THAT????? HOW CAN THEY BE SO STUPID???? THE SAME ITEM TWICE?????!!!!!!!!!!!! >>



It is not once per item it is once per product model. So if you buy 5 120GB hard drives you will only be able to PM one. This restriction already exists with most other BVG programs.

BTW - Jumping from a AMEX Blue to another AMEX card program is not as easy as you might think. Blue is an Optima credit card that allows you to carry a balance whereas all the other non-Optima based AMEX card programs are closed-end credit programs where you bill is paid in full each month. In addtion, the minimum income and qualification requirements for the reguar AMEX card programs is much stricter. For Gold the minimum is $35K, regular Platnium it is $65K, and Signature Platnium is $125K.

 

[arcas]

Actually, I think Blue still has some value even after PMing has been eliminated. After two or three sites I'd bought things from announced that
they'd been hacked, I decided to go with Blue because of Amex's PrivatePayments (single-use CC#) feature. My local banks didn't offer anything
like that. I've never used Blue to PM anything. I do wish, though, that I could pay my Amex bill locally instead of sending payment thru mail