Manufactured Spending

[esseeeayeenn]

This is difficult these days. It's treated as money laundering apparently, even for small amounts Hilton wouldn't do this recently when I mistakingly asked for a refund to go to a different AmEx because I had cancelled the card used for the booking. Turns out I mixed up the cards and they're (ever so slowly) refunding. But it wasn't going to be refunded to a different card without a lot of effort.

I'm told Bunnings don't care. As long as you let them put the refund on plastic, they don't even check if it's the same piece of plastic.

 

[ALH]

I'm told Bunnings don't care. As long as you let them put the refund on plastic, they don't even check if it's the same piece of plastic.

I’m not sure too many people’s conscience would rest easy with this blatant disregard for Bunnings (or anyone else) trying to run a business. I know I wouldn’t do it.

 

[xr6er]

Get a mate to list something on Ebay and then buy it for $7000. The only catch to this is that it will cost a couple of hundred in listing fees. As a bonus you could get Fly Buys or Velocity points for using Ebay, apparently there are ways of double dipping points using Ebay.

 

[get me outta here]

As a point of info, which airlines refunds on to (any) card?

How is it that it doesnt work?
( of course must choose an airline that doesnt refund with vouchers)


And if it doesnt work, why would
it get us blacklisted from the bank?

 

[albyd]

I'm told Bunnings don't care. As long as you let them put the refund on plastic, they don't even check if it's the same piece of plastic.

This can be done with a lot of major retailers. The catch being that it depends on the care factor/diligence of the person processing the refund. Some people are sticklers for the rules and you won’t be able to get it past them. Others don’t care. I don’t do a lot of shopping at Bunnings but would imagine both types of personalities work there - just the kick of the draw.

 

[Kangol]

As a point of info, which airlines refunds on to (any) card?

If you have a refundable ticket where the fare conditions allow for a refund, it goes back onto the same card that purchased the ticket.
All of them including QF do.

 

[theblank]

This is difficult these days. It's treated as money laundering apparently, even for small amounts

whoever told you that its money laundering is just making stuff up.

Its really just a matter of policy to avoid other complications like fraud and to keep the whole process simple and straightforward.

 

[Happy Dude]

whoever told you that its money laundering is just making stuff up.

Its really just a matter of policy to avoid other complications like fraud and to keep the whole process simple and straightforward.

Ring Hilton and tell them then, and ring Amex while you're at it. But my personal and very recent experience from those two companies is that, and I'm paraphrasing here, "we can do that as it's like money laundering". Companies may refuse to do it for a number of reasons, surely money laundering is one, but it can't be too hard to do it - Bunnings seem to have no issues.

 

[theblank]

Ring Hilton and tell them then, and ring Amex while you're at it. But my personal and very recent experience from those two companies is that, and I'm paraphrasing here, "we can do that as it's like money laundering". .

I believe you that they say it, but they are all low level CSR's, who whilst understand the policy, very likely do not know the underlying reasons for it.
Such people, when pressed for an answer, do make stuff up. Bank tellers have an exceptional talent for this.

 

[burmans]

Personally I think both sides of this argument are true. Asking to get the refund back to another card might be an indicator something dodgy is going on, either money laundering or fraud. But equally people do cancel cards and in this case need to get their money back somehow.

In my view this is just laziness, there are a number of ways you can verify you are paying the money back to the right person, insisting it's the same card is just easier than some of the other ways to identify them and some don't like anything which requires a bit more work.

 

[albyd]

Just giving this thread a bump. I’m interested in increasing my spend during the Amex double points promo but don’t have anything significant to pay at this time. Short of asking friends to pay their bills, any other ideas?

Payment processors are very compliance oriented and knock back charges or revisit them having taken the $$ from Amex already so that’s limiting payment options.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Buy stuff on the Amex card and return it for a refund on another card.

Any business with business sense would not do that as it is a common method of fraud.

ie Nigerian scamster gains credit card details and buys something (good or service), and then seeks a refund to another card.

The business that falls for this is then left out of pocket when the original card is not paid and the bank make the business wear it.

 

[coles525]

Just giving this thread a bump. I’m interested in increasing my spend during the Amex double points promo but don’t have anything significant to pay at this time. Short of asking friends to pay their bills, any other ideas?

Payment processors are very compliance oriented and knock back charges or revisit them having taken the $$ from Amex already so that’s limiting payment options.

ATO payment(s), it is nearly June 30th! No one an pay too much tax right?

Worse you do is request for it to be paid back, as per your original tax refund which would usually happen.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Any business with business sense would not do that as it is a common method of fraud.

ie Nigerian scamster gains credit card details and buys something (good or service), and then seeks a refund to another card.

The business that falls for this is then left out of pocket when the original card is not paid and the bank make the business wear it.

Apparently Bunnings have no business sense then.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Apparently Bunnings have no business sense then.

If they are allowing people to just add a cost onto their business for no benefit then yes. Also it may just be the staff member, rather than company policy.


It is still a common method of fraud. Bunnings may be just making so much profit that they do not care. Plus WOW will have more leverage with the banks than most companies.


I used to get a lot of people trying it on. It was a pain in the bum as they would also waste a lot of time trying to get reversals. Plus money that is not yours has to be kept for the banks who would come a knocking. Sometimes the banks would also try and extract other fees from us. And if you pay to another card and the original card was stolen, or was a transaction that the card owner did not actually make, or just was not paid, the bank recovers the amount from you.

At up to $10,000 each time it is not something to muck around with.

I changed software so that online payments required more validation and that removed the problem. I still get scammers though, but as I have removed the automatic online payment without validation, they do not get past the first email or phone call.

Manually refunding to a different bank account or credit card is also extra work. Refunding to the original card is just a click with everything else just automatic in the accounting software.


I only refund to a different means in exceptional circumstances. Plus they will need to invoice me and I will only pay into a bank account and not a CC.

 

[benjy]

A website (supplier) I purchase from often only accepts PayPal as a payment option.
I currently have Amex Qantas Premium and Amex Edge (currently for Velocity points, but open to considering options).
What's the best use of my cards to maximise the website's only payment option?

Will I be right in thinking to wait for the woolies promos where you earn 1000 Qantas points for buying V1 GCs, and use my Edge to pay for the GC card?

Open to PMs and conversations, thanks in advance

 

[samh004]

Will I be right in thinking to wait for the woolies promos where you earn 1000 Qantas points for buying V1 GCs, and use my Edge to pay for the GC card?

Paypal accepts Amex, this would be the simplest way to pay and get the most points I'd think.

Somehow I've managed to earn twice as many points as what I had taken away from me for flight refunds due to cancelled travel so far in this promotion. I'm going to be paying a medical bill soon on my AMEX as well, which should really see a payday in points.