Like Roseanne Roseannadanna says, "It's always somethin'!" And for yours truly, it looks like it's the "travel hackers."
Yesterday, Forbes writer John Giuffo reported the story of folk who want to boost their frequent flyer miles are taking advantage of a sweet deal offered by the U.S. Mint. As Mr. Giuffo explains it, "The dollar coin trick involves purchasing large amounts of coins with a frequent flier card, waiting for the Mint to ship the coins (free shipping!), and then taking the coins to the bank, where they are deposited and the money is used to pay the credit card charges. No money is lost, the frequent flier miles rack up, and travelers can use them for upgrades or completely free flights whenever they want."
Dear U.S. Mint, this is John writing, and I am NOT a travel hacker. I LOVE the gold coins! (See my October 2007 blog.) Heck, I'm Johnny Gold-Dollar-Seed! I appreciate your free shipping and I put the coins I purchase from you back into the economy with every-day purchases and an occassional gift to delight a youngster. I never take mine to the bank. I am NOT a travel hacker.
Mr. Giuffo's acticle notes that the Mint has made some adjustments in defense, limiting the amounts of purchase, but I think they could take it one step further so their valuable service remains - because these hackers are queerin' the deal for us law-abiding gold-dollar afficianados who like to share our love of the coins via distribution.
New rule: if you don't have a blog swearing you allegiance to the proper appreciation and use of the gold dollars, you cannot purchase them. The Mint could set up the Gold Dollar Club. I would be honored to be a founding member.
I think these hackers are taking advantage of our government, and I think it's wrong. Presently, my state's attorney general is going after a landlord in tornado-damaged Joplin for raising rates. That's wrong, plain and simple. People should think before they act. I say "Shame on you, travel hackers!" Go find another vine from which to pick the fruit to feed your greed, but stay away from my gold dollars! Don't queer the deal!
