I’m sure all of you know USPS blocked practically all VGC late last year. However, some of you may not know that for a few weeks in February, the MGCs from giftcards.com started working again. I’m assuming this is due to when they enabled the chip card readers. Luckily, I didn’t buy too much to test. When I went in, I saw the same reps who I used to talk to nearly every day, so they too were shocked my cards started working. I came back the next day, and one of the reps said, “Vinh, I have bad news.” That’s always a bad sign. He informed he that he got a phone call after I left asking about the cards I had used. And that was that. I left empty handed, but I heard they re-blocked the cards a week later. A part of me was a bit relieved that it wasn’t working again tbh.
Lesson learned – did you try it?
Aside from just being a natural born charmer, how do you establish relationship with clerks like that? I buy a ton of donuts for them but they still don’t let me do anything, and I’m a solid 4.5/10.
Well when you spend 30 min a day with them for a year, you start to make conversations. You start talking about random stuff like, “Oh, I just preordered a Tesla 3” or “I just got back from the Seychelles.” Then they start telling you about their life and so on and so on. Eventually, you go, “Has the other HH been in? Can you describe the gift cards he was using?” Haha.
I guess the trick is to find that one guy that doesn’t care. I am still scared to utter the word giftcard even with the most familiar of faces. That ice is hard to break, but I think once it’s broken, the process becomes so much easier (assuming not hard coded).
Also lately I’ve found managers snooping around more than usual. They would sometimes just come by and stare while I buy MOs.