December 2005 Archives

ClickToTheMagic.com has finally released a long-awaited site overhaul. It looks nice to me, though almost overwhelmingly busy and currently with a few errors. I hope that the new version is accompanied by a renewed vigor in addressing customer service complaints such as redemptions outstanding for 6 months or more and failure to respond to email inquiries in a timely manner.

Thanks to a couple of my wonderful tipsters, I can share the following info with you:

1. Parade is aware of the glitch that allows members to reach the max of 250,000 daily points. They say the advertiser wanted to allow members to take their quiz multiple times in order to better familiarize them with their product, however, Parade is "monitoring" the situation for signs of "abuse." (Whether they'll do anything about it, and what exactly they would do, wasn't spelled out.)

2. The VIP surveys that many users have been waiting on, that allow Gold or Platinum users to cash out their points, are forthcoming. Parade says they expect them to be available "within the next week." Members will be notified by email when they're up.

Members submitting an email to customer service about these issues were given a code for an additional 10,000 points: custserv -- if you weren't personally given the code, use it at your own risk.

Many thanks to the folks emailing me with this great info -- please pass along any additional information you receive!

SearchChips Program Review
Note: Site shut down in 6/07; more info here.

Please click here to join!

Who is Eligible:
U.S. residents only. If under 18, the prize will be awarded in the name of your parent or guardian.

How It Works:
Earn "chips" (monthly prize drawing entries) for doing searches, plus at random times, members searching are chosen to win a prize. After just about 10 minutes of playing around, doing searches for things *I* am interested in (freebies, coupon codes, and the like), I got a notice that I had won a $10 Fandango movie code! (The site now exclusively awards $10 eCount Virtual Visa credits...they are combinable but watch the expiration dates!)

You can earn up to 20 chips daily by completing searches. You can also earn chips for referring new members, for completing your profile, for the first SearchChips toolbar search you perform, and if you have a website, for the first click on your SearchChips button or first search in your SearchChips search box.

Also, if you refer someone and they win, you win, too!

I have won many times and have been paid promptly (though I'm still waiting on my t-shirt, pout-pout). As of 5/12/06, I have won:

- Five $10 Fandango Bucks Codes
- A SearchChips T-Shirt
- One $10 iTunes Code
- Two $10 Amazon GCs
- A $5 and a $10 eCount Virtual Visa Code

Please check them out by doing a search below, or go ahead and join here...thanks!

Okay, I don't usually promote program "cheats" or backdoors, and I'm not going to suggest that you use this, but I've learned that there IS a way to get the maximum of 250,000 allowable points on ParadePerks.com every day. I'm not going to post it publically because a) they may find out and take it away, and b) I want to personally forewarn anyone who wants to use it that it *could* result in losing all the points, or even your account, if you choose to do it.

If you look at the daily scoreboard, you can see who's using it, though. ;)

To find out how to do it, please send me an email.

Today QuickRewards.net added a new feature, the Super Wacky Click. This is a click that will appear at random intervals -- maybe daily or a few times a week -- and will be worth 5-10 cents per click, but it'll only be up for around 2 hours a day. Sort of like MyPoints' Max. If you do find the click, please make sure to submit your zipcode or an email address to support the site and hopefully keep the click appearing daily.

It's up as I type this in the Clicks/Search section, for 10c!

QuickRewards.net is increasing their rebate rate on one "spotlight merchant" per week and this week it's Target.com. Instead of 4.1%, Target's rate there is 6.0% this week!

The spotlight merchant changes on Mondays.

Click here to join QuickRewards!

Update, 4/06: MyPoints has been sold; read more here.

If you're a member of MyPoints.com as I've been, for quite a few years now, you're as antsy as I am to find out what's going on with the bankruptcy proceedings of MP's parent company, United Airlines. In September, the Chicago Tribune reported that United announced to the bankruptcy judge that it was planning to sell MyPoints as part of its plan to emerge from bankruptcy this coming February. (See my posts about that here and here.)

With the Christmas season upon us and folks being tempted by the double-points offers coming up in MyPoints' Instant Win game, and no new news on the horizon, you may be wondering if this mess has somehow blown over and our beloved MyPoints has been somehow saved.

This is the latest update I can find: United mailed out 90,000 "voting packets" to its creditors in late Nov.-early Dec. More than half who vote must approve their reorganization plan. It was said, though, that a) the judge can override a less-than-half vote if he feels the plan is fair, and b) United wouldn't have put the plan up for a vote if they didn't already have the approval of their largest creditors.

Creditors have until 12/19 to vote. On January 18, United will go back to court for more hearings. If all goes according to plan, the vote will be over 50%, the judge will bless it, and they'll officially be out of bankruptcy by early February. There's a chance that there will be objections filed that will push it back some.

So, that's the latest. I can't bring myself to do any shopping through them because their future is so iffy. Will they still be around when my shopping points finally credit? And how many points will it take to cash out then? (shrug) Just so you know, this situation hasn't magically resolved itself -- MyPoints IS still in limbo, and my suggestion remains that you do your shopping through rewards programs that are a little more stable.

In an email sent to its members yesterday, QuizPoints.com promises to send out redemptions, including those NOT currently in stock, as fast as possible so that members can have access to their rewards before Christmas. Their schedule is:

Redeem by December 13th and it'll be shipped by December 15th
Redeem by December 15th and it'll be shipped by December 20th
Redeem by December 18th and it'll be shipped by December 21st
Redeem later than December 21st and it'll be shipped ASAP

They're also making an effort to get points credited from offers and shopping as quickly as possible, so they're available for our redemptions.

Not a member of QuizPoints yet? Join now!