April 2010
1 post
3 tags
April Update
April has come and is quickly going. Here is an update on our progress:
* My last Amex Biz Plat bill was over 50K (yes, one statement). I’m progressing nicely!
* My plum card is averaging 5-10k per month.
* I’ve slowly moved expenses from my Chase CO card to my Amex. Its tough because for each 15k on my Chase card I get Elite Qualification Miles on CO (EQM’s). But if this...
March 2010
1 post
6 tags
March Update
QFB feels we’re making progress towards the goal. We’ve convinced tons of vendors, suppliers and whatnot into taking American Express. Thus far, we’re amazed at how many have offered to take it and don’t care about the commission. Where this happens we are using our Platinum and at this point earning 25,000 MR points per month. Not a bad start!
And, for those who...
February 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Back from Sunny FL
QFB took a break from our home improvement duties for a quick trip to Sunny (not really) Florida. Of course, we took advantage of Amex every time we could… Our Platinum Card helped us receive star treatment at National Car Rental (even QFB couldn’t stomach what Hertz is charging these days), and of course skipping the CDW saved us a buck or two.
Taking advantage of the Airport Club...
4 tags
Rewards Points: Check Offers Before Shopping!
Unexpectedly, we are moving from one unit in our building to another. We own the building, which definitely makes it easy. But with this comes a month of hell and tons of renovations. And what better a partner to have (other than Mrs. QFB) than my Amex Platinum? Already I’ve found tons of Amex partners to buy my wares from, with bonus rewards points in the area of 4X the original...
January 2010
9 posts
3 tags
Old Centurions For Sale on Ebay = Posers!
QFB gets Google alerts for the Black Card and today we received one linking to eBay….
http://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAN-EXPRESS-BLACK-CENTURION-CARD-AMEX!!-RARE!!_W0QQitemZ280456274948QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100125?IMSfp=TL100125155009r32991
Now why would someone want to “collect” an old Black Card? And, why would someone who had one want to sell it? Frankly, its probably been...
Finding Expenses
Since our quest began, expenses have found us. Today, we added a new vendor for 100K this year, and he’ll be getting paid via Amex. Gotta love it. January is almost over and we’ll be easily over 25K this month. At that rate we’ll hit 300. Though our goal is to go higher. Stay tuned for more updates, soon!
—QFB
Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts
Another great Amex benefit: The Fine Hotels & Resorts program. American Express works with some of the best properties in the world to offer you better rates, benefits and more.
Take in part our experience. We are booking a trip to Las Vegas, and took advantage of the buy 2 nights, get one free at the Wynn/Encore. Now, with this program, not only did you get this discount, but you also get...
3 tags
Little-Known Amex Benefit: Auto Purchasing Program
Most people who hold American Express Cards didn’t even know about this one. I didn’t! The American Express Auto Purchasing Program makes car buying a relatively hassle-free experience.
Last fall I was shopping around for an Audi A4. I had test driven at a local dealer but was astounded when we sat to talk about numbers. The dealer’s best price was $625 per month on a 36...
7 tags
End of Week 1
At the end of week 1, here is where we stand….
Awesome charges: $8000 of vendor transactions, $750 for autobody work, $2000 for wife’s tuition, $500 for a group dinner (will I charge and take other people’s cash? Sure!) and a couple of trips to Dunkin. Not a bad start though, considering I have another $12,000 worth of invoices due to pay in the next week… Most charges...
Call to Amex
Today I called Amex and inquired about the Centurion. Explaining the issue and that I was hesitant to increase spending unsure if I’d qualify, the woman on the phone didn’t do anything to assist and didn’t have any details. I called the Platinum support line and the operator was very kind and friendly. She transferred me to Centurion, where I was told I had no invitation at...
3 tags
The Quest Begins!
Our quest for the legendary American Express Centurion card has begun!
A little about us. We have been Amex card members since 1996. Right now we have a Green, Business Gold, Business Platinum, normal Platinum, Blue and a Plum card.
In addition, we have a Presidential Plus Mastercard from Chase - where we do most of our spending. Now, the purpose of this mission is to try to get the Centuron...