AMERICAN EXP MY WISHLIST FAQs... thanks to all posters on the Original Thread (OT)
It would have been nice to keep it efficient, but as someone pointed out -why should I care if people keep messing it up? Clearly they don't deserve efficiency. I have seen the light... So do what you will. Hopefully someone will answer your questions.
This is a thread only to use as a questions place, let's use the original thread SIMPLY for discussing the deal of the moment. Please do not post things like "wow, how sweet" or "thanks OP" or "good job". This is also not a morals and ethics thread. DO NOT POST ANYTHING regarding whether it is okay to use scripts, or give other FWers your CC info. NOT HERE.
Let's keep this thread efficient, and useful. The original thread is just so long and bombarded with crap because people ask the same questions over and over because they don't want to look through the thread because it's too long. phew. See the catch22? So let's keep this one efficent. Please.
Before you ask a question, PLEASE check here to see if it's been answered. Also, CHECK THE FAQ section of Mylifemycard.com I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. You will probably find your answer there.
The OT can be found in "Contests and Sweepstakes" click here
What are the prizes? Prizes are given away at 12pm, 4pm, and 9pm EASTERN STANDARD TIME!!! It is unclear whether prizes are distributed evenly at those times or if the 9pm time has more than the other two (b/c more people are at home).
Prizes for this week are already on the mylifemycard.com site.
What are the certificates? The certificates are coupons for discounts at various stores like Amazon, Dell, eToys, etc. They usually are around 20-20% off your purchase when you use your A M E X card.
The list of certificates is avaliable in the same cached link as the prizes. But the game has changed, apparently. Click on the link to view all current certificate offers. Certificate offers are in the upper right hand corner in a blue box.
What's the Catch? The prizes and certificates are available in very, very limited quantities. Prizes are literally gone in Split seconds. Even if you click exactly at 4:00:00 that does not in anyway guarantee your chance of winning. Remember, you are competeting against hundreds of thousands of people, and for some prizes MILLIONS of people.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
How do I win? You click on "I want it". If you're lucky, you'll be redirected to a site that will allow you to fill in your info. If you're not so lucky, the blue box will say "MISSED IT! CHECK BACK...". People have had luck by constantly clicking the "I want it button".
Edit by Mannyv: You don't need to wait for a response in the blue box before clicking again. This becomes a factor when it's close to game time (5 seconds) because the servers start slowing down tremendously. You don't want to be stuck in the "Checking" state for 45 seconds, because you won't get anything and will have to use the token method.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
Are there strategies to winning? FWer's have suggested start clicking a few seconds (anywhere from 20 to 10 seconds) BEFORE the actual give away times, which are at 12, 4, and 9PM EST.
Many FWers are fans of the token link. YMMV on that issue. Personally I've had way more success with regular, legit clicking. The next post deals with token links.
A small few of FWers have claimed to create scripts. Some say it's illegal, others do not. I don't know how to create one, and personally, I'm against it, so no help from me on this issue. You can hunt for this cheat yourself.
What is the token link? The token link is just a direct link to the prizes, it's essentially like clicking the "i want it button". Many FWer's are crafty enough to find the token link, and nice enough to post it on the AMEX boards. You can usually find them a few seconds after the give away time. Many people do not get in on the first try, you'll need to repeatedly paste the link in the window. Alternatively, you can create a frame w/ the token in notepad, launch it in a browser and just hit refresh all the time.
Some FWers will offer to sell the token to you. The token is not worth ANYTHING. Never, ever pay for the token. The token in no way guarantees a win. So don't pay for it. It is almost the same as clicking I want it. It's just a direct link.
The token link will look like this: https://ecommerce.americanexpressselects.com/premiumselects/productdetail.aspx?cd=AE1021&token=a32ba86190a74998aa6637e728ff4a70
All tokens so far have had the pattern AE###&token. So, if you find the ecommerce in your cache, you'll need to make sure that the link looks like that, and not encoded (thanks csjeff). Using an encoded link will direct you to the "All requests must originate..." screen. An encoded link looks like this: https://ecommerce.americanexpressselects.com/premiumselects/productdetail.aspx? cd=AE1021%26token=a32ba86190a74998aa6637e728ff4a70
So, replace the "%26" with "&" and you've fixed the encoded link.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
How do I search the thread? Click on "Text Only" (located above all the page numbers) and then do a ctrl+F (find command) and search for the phrase you're looking for. Check the date and time to see if it's relevant to your question.
For example, to search for a post on getting past "Step 2", then do the following: 1. Click Text Only 2. Ctrl+F 3. type "Step 2"
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
If it's not working, it's probably because (1) you didn't add your AMEX card in your Amazon profile, and/or (2) you entered the code in step 5, instead of step 6.
The following are the steps for adding an item and checking out on Amazon.com using the AMEX Wish Certificate (thanks opharbour) Step 1 - Enter item(s) into cart. Go to check out Step 2 - Enter Sign in information. Step 3 - Enter Shipping information or Ship to this address. Step 4 - Select Shipping (Free Super Saver) Click on Continue. Step 5 - Select American Express as payment method (MAKE SURE THAT AMEX CARD IS IN YOUR PROFILE). ***DO NOT*** enter in your code on this screen. Click on continue. Step 6 - On the next screen where it says "Have any gift cards, gift certificates or promotional claim codes on the right side of the screen, enter in the code. Step 7: Click on Place Your Order
if that didn't work out, try this (thnx,rickawho): I think you can add in Amazon code even at the beginning if you include the dashes. I'm not 100% on this though, I was walking my sister through it and it worked that way.
If you've tried the above and are still having problems getting your code to work, NOW call Amazon.com. The phone number is (800) 201-7575.
Terms and Usage (thanks hellmutt and nydoofus) 1. The coupon can not be redeemed more than once 2. The coupon, when redeemed, adds $150 in promotional gift certificates to your account. It remains in your account and cannot be "given" to another person. 3. These promotional gift certificates may only be used for up to 25% of the purchase 4. Other 'regular' gift certificates may be combined on the purchase, although you may have to go back and forth a bit between the order screen and the GC screen before you find all certificates applied properly. 5. This can also be combined with both 'Share the Love' discounts and 'A9' discounts 6. Because it adds the promotional amount to your cart, You can break the $150 off $600 discount among multiple orders - this may be helpful if you are choosing the 'free shipping' option and want some orders to arrive sooner than others. 7. (Unproven Possibility) Because of the way the GC works it is POSSIBLE that you MAY be able to apply two discounts to your account and get ~$300 off a $1200 purchase. If someone has tried it, I'd be interested to know how it worked for you.
You cannot use it with other retailers associated with Amazon through it's site (ie, you cannot use it at toysRus via Amazon, or target via Amazon or any of the zshops).
Are any of the deals, actually good deals? Yes some are fantastic deals. Others are quite questionable. To check if something is a good deal, check to see what eBay is selling it for, as well as Amazon's private sellers (do a search, and then click on the 'new and used from...' link after the item displays on your browser). Check reviews on Amazon and CNET (for electronic items).
Generally speaking, the BMW and the travel tickets/cruises are all hot deals. As for all other items -you may think it hot while others don't. Check reviews, prices and all that stuff i mentioned BEFORE asking in the original thread.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
Should I trust FWers who are willing to enter my info for me? FWers will often click or use token links to see if they can get in -just for practice, not because they want the prize. In the past, they've just announced when they would release the prize -recently, however -they're offering to enter YOUR information so you can win the prize. This is not always free -for example, FWers were charging other FWers around 200+ to enter their info for the Delta Tickets. I expect charging people will continue for other big ticket stuff. For the smaller items, FWers have entered information for free.
People have become so desperate apparently, that they are willing to trust fellow FWers with their Name, Address, Phone Number and Credit Card info. I find this amazing. I would never do it. But if you are of trusting nature, then by all means, don't let me stop you.
Also of note: American _Express clearly states that NOTHING is confirmed unless you get an email and an order number. If you give someone your info, and you do not get a confirmation email, you may have been scammed. Don't jump to conclusions! Call _AMEX and ask if they have your order number and info first.
Recently, there has been complaint against at least one FWer, BKSaccount, who was putting in info.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
Hey, what gives!? I came here at xx:00:00 and it's not offering me the (insert merchant) certificate! How come I see a different Wish Certificate than everyone else? The game changed!? What the...? Only one timeslot per day? What time!?
As of Tuesday, Dec 7th, American Express changed the structure of its game so that there is only one Wish Certificate being offered per day at 2 PM EST. The other two times slots are unlimited offers which you can redeem with a provided coupon code.
There are a couple of consequences to this:
1) The number of days particular merchant certificates are offered has decreased (for instance, there is only one more opportunity to get an Amazon Wish Certificate). Luckily, it seems as if the quantity has been increased per offer slot, so you have a similar shot at winning the prize.
2) You may see old, cached data showing the old Wish Certificate structure. For instance, some people were seeing an Amazon offer when the Sony Music offer should have been in its place. In this case, you may want to clear your cache and/or reload your browser/flash app. Attempting to redeem an invalid offer will likely net you an error message stating that there is no quantity left.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
It is also important to note that prizes are often available WELL past the posted times. I have gotten some hours later. The nike golf clubs were even available the NEXT DAY (via token).
Okay, smart guy, so if these offers are unlimited, why don't you do the work for me and just tell me how I can get them?
(thanks to pcirone and con)
The method of redemption is available in parentheses after the offer description. There are three types: online, in store and phone. For details on how to redeem these offers, select the link for the offer you are interested.
Sony Music: 20% off with SAVEAMEX (Online) Etoys: $15 off $150 (or 10% off reg price?) with code AMEXET15 (Online) Sports Authority: $25 off $75 with code AMEXTSA (Online/In Store) Levenger: 15% off $150+ with code Q4AMEX (Online/Phone) Mikasa: 15% off $30+ with code EXPRESS (Online/In store) Red Envelope: $15 off $100 with code REDJOY (Online/Phone) Butterfield: 20% off with code 8710 (Online/Phone) Xm Satellite: 20% off reg price with code AMEXXM04 (Online) Bluefly: 15% off $150+ with code AMEX04 (Online) Spiegel: 15% off $75+ with code 356 (Online)
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
I got in, but I keep getting rejected at step 2! How do I fix it!?
As of now, there doesn't seem to be a clear answer to this question. However, the following remedies/alternatives have been suggested: 1) Use a different computer, preferably one with an IP address which differs from your current one. You may also use the same computer, but alter your IP address either by connecting via different means (i.e. dial up instead of your primary cable/DSL connection) or by obtaining another IP address from your ISP. The method for the latter varies based on the type of service and your service provider and may not be possible in all cases.
3) Alter the information you enter at step 2 so that it is measurably different from what you initially put in (name, address, etc.).
It may be worthwhile to note that the only truly successful method so far has been the second method. The first method works in some instances, but not in others, even when a different ISP is used. The third method is offered as a last resort as it has been suggested that there may be a block on the combination of IP address and personal information, however, to my knowledge, there has been no successful application of this method.
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
Will AMEX pay for the taxes on all these prizes? The FAQ/Terms on the mylifemycard website are sort of shady on the issue. This is what it says: Do I have to pay tax? Yes. You will be responsible for your state's individual tax rates. The sales tax charged, if applicable, will be on the actual price paid (the WishList price) rather than the recommended retail price. All purchases may be subject to personal income tax (federal, state, and local) based on the discount amount off the fair market value of each of the item(s) purchased. Discount amounts of more than $600 per Cardmember across one or multiple purchases are subject to income tax and you will receive a Form 1099-MISC. American _Express, where applicable, will provide funds to Cardmembers to help defray income taxes. You will receive a package in the mail with full details on how to receive those funds.
Interpret that how you will. Although it's possible, I doubt any FW is an AMEX worker/lawyer so call AMEX yourself and discuss it =)
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
Well, geez, what is AMEX thinking!? Why is this step 2 bug happening?
Again, there's no clear answer, but the following have been suggested as reasons:
1) IP address block. It has been suggested that AMEX is using some unknown criteria to block specific users by their IP address and/or their personal information in conjunction with their IP address. However, this option seems unlikely unless AMEX is using *very* restrictive IP blocking which blocks entire ranges of IP addresses.
2) Relationship to address verification. A process that verifies and/or normalizes your address seems to take place after the second step. There may be some relationship to this step, though not direct, since this problem is not specific to certain addresses.
(NOTE: If you have some other plausible theory, I'd be happy to add it)
in an effort to keep this thread searchable, read the FIRST POST before posting. thanks!
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