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Gold Conversationalist

November extra credit disappoints

It's 5 a.m. EST and two empty spots.   Can anyone tell me what was there?   

I did not redeem three last month, waiting for something I wanted more than the $20 Uno.  Glad I did two of those.   Should have done three.  That was not extra credit, but added in the next week or so.

I would like very much to know what was in the empty spots.   One section is full as of this time and the other two missing one already.

There were complaints, understandable, from those on the west coast when everything came on at 9 a.m. EST and disappeared before 9 a.m. PST.   Now it appears the deals start at 9 p.m. PST once a month and, if there was anything worthwhile, gone by 5 a.m. EST for the months of October and November.

The real problem  is not enough of anything worthwhile, more than the times  what little there is becomes available.  Unless the missing two were valuable, even the esteemed Dawn could only have save $45 this month at most.   

 

Is anyone seeing anything better at this point?   Last month someone did see a $20 or $25 one I could not see and even though I checked multiple times beginning at 6 a.m.

Should have stayed in bed and enjoyed the extra hour!  Got up looking at a clock we forgot to turn back at bedtime and lost my hour, rushing like a real sucker to my computer like a kid on Christmas morning.   I got a lump of coal, lol.

And no, miserly discounts on gift cards are not rewards.  They are money makers for the seller, not the buyer, not AARP, but the middle man.   I'd bet the stores/restaurants either give them or sell them to the middle man at steep ones.

If the highly touted Dawn is on the board, please share with us how you will save a lot of money this month.   I did understand how someone who used the golf cards @$50 each could have saved $150 that month and that card was available for some time....because many of us have no use for it.

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Bronze Conversationalist

So what is the best time to check. I usually check 12 am est. Are we suppose to constantly sit and stare at our phones for a gift card for points to pop up ? The Extra Credit this month has 2 gift cards for points. At this time I just don't know what else to say. I'm at a lost for words. On October 1st I got a $25 William Sonoma gift card and 2 $10 eBay gift cards. I'm hoping to catch a good gift card ๐Ÿค” I'm just saying

Concerned Member
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Gold Conversationalist

@al45009948   You did better than me in October for sure.   It appears one living in the Eastern Zone must stay up until 12 p.m./a.m. to have an opportunity to get any goodies that might be there.   I never saw the Williams Sonoma or Ebay.  I did see an Ebay $10 this time at 5 a.m. EST.     For daily changes, I look at 9 a.m. EST.   That's when the new game comes up but one can do that anytime with the same result, lol.   On very rare occasions, something else has popped up.   Admins say that offers can come up anytime, and someone else confirmed that, at least in one case.   I've never seen anything other than at those two times even though I usually look more than the one time per day.   

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Bronze Conversationalist

Yeah, but this month so far I've seen the same 3 Instant Win cards 7 Sweepstakes that Brain Health and let's not forget that Same Build a Bear. I started checking around 8 pm est till now 6:30 am est. They must have 100,000 of those Instant Win cards. I'm still confused about the Redemptions Max. Does the Instant Win and Sweepstakes count separately from the gift card Redemptions. I'm just saying

Concerned Member
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Gold Conversationalist

@al45009948   The instant wins are separate and unlimited.  I haven't won any lately but have won some over the course of the program.   Anyone who waited until now to do the "extra credit" has only the bear to choose from at this point as far as anything tangible goes. The extra credit concept has many flaws.   The positive is the good information that AARP wants to disseminate.   However, when only those who do the activities at 12 a.m. EST (9 PM PST) get the desirable rewards, it defeats its own purpose which I would assume is to get people to learn about these topics.  

Here are my suggestions for improvement, not that any of my previous ones have been implemented, lol:

1.  Put the new prizes up at a time accessible to all....not too late for EST or too early for PST.   Perhaps noon EST.   

2.   Add points only items to the extra credit each day during the month to give incentive for people after the first few hours.

3.  Stop including high cost gift cards as extra credit.  They are not rewards but items for sale.

 

 

EDIT:   I can't find the button where I used to add a tag.   #Suggestions for Improvement

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Bronze Conversationalist

Thanks for the info 

I was reading the rules for the Instant Win game and somewhere it said the odds are based on how many people enter for the 100 Instant Win prizes. If this is the case, how can it be Instant. I'm just saying

Concerned Member
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Gold Conversationalist

@al45009948     I can only say it's instant in that we know if we won or lost instantly.   It is a good question as to how the computers are programmed.   I imagine some cards are more in demand than others.   For example, we all probably enter for Amazon cards, but I don't enter for Ulta or Game Stop just to name two.  I figure I'd let someone who wants it have a better shot.   I have always wondered if the programming is set to so many awards per hour, so that if you enter in a popular hour, your odds are less.   Or would it be set so that every  (insert number of entries here) is awarded.   With the latter, there would be no rewards left in the last hours for popular prizes.    I don't know the answer to that question but did win one once in the middle of the night.

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Silver Conversationalist

@HokiePoq 

Well, we were all hoping November would bring about some much needed improvement
to our rewards program but it just didn't happen. No surprise to me. ๐Ÿ˜ซ 
Management wasted no time in delivering the same garbage as last month.๐Ÿ˜ก
I logged in this morning at 1:19am CST and started completing the November Extra Credits.
I noticed on the first set a $10 Walmart eCard among others. Continued on to the second set and
a $10 Amazon eCard was revealed. I Immediately clicked on it @ 1:29am and was informed "SORRY SOLD OUT" ๐Ÿ˜–๐Ÿ˜–
surprise, surprise. Returned to the Walmart card @ 1:35am and it had disappeared, no longer in the catalog.
Finished up set three and a $15 Longhorn Steak House eCard came up. You guessed it, that bird in the hand
strategy that I encourage, well I redeemed all three of my redemption's for the month.
I hate the fact that they exert so much pressure compelling us to hurriedly redeem our points
without the opportunity of obtaining something more practical. So Sad ๐Ÿ˜ญ

@BeaK214982  Check my timeline above on the Walmart and Amazon card you mentioned. Neither card were available on my end that long. As I mentioned in another post I am in MS. This just adds to my assumption that there are multiple catalogs. 

Just Saying

lucyp061351
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Conversationalist

Well rednexsrus, when you logged in at 1:19am CST the Extra Credit had been going for 3 hours and 19 minutes.  Remember it started at 12 midnight EDT.  With the clocks getting turned back that was another hour of time the offers were available.  I figured by the time you completed the videos and quizzes, it was past 1:30am CST.  That would fit into the 3 hours time frame for the Walmart card and 3.5 hours for the Amazon card.  I don't think there are multiple catalogs.  Just way to many people trying to get those limited number of cards.  And a person is able to get 3 of any of the cards.  So they can go fast.

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Silver Conversationalist

@shamit 

I admit I am not really that smart, but I don't figure the hour the clock is turned back is calculated in the time frame. 12 midnight EDT would be 11pm so it could not have started then. There is only a 1 hour difference between CST & EDT. Based on your thinking the folks on the west coast are wasting there time participating with a 3 hour difference.

Just Saying

lucyp061351
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Gold Conversationalist

@rednexsrus   I am confused as both of you sound reasonable.   I do think that west coast is not out of this particular redemption at all.   On a normal first day of the month, the offers may be appearing at 12 midnight EST.   That's 9 p.m. for them and no late staying up or early rising required.   The ending of DST (at 2 a.m. EST????) complicates things and might account for the differences in the way the two of you have calculated it.  

Still haven't figured out why I never saw the Williams Sonoma last month.  I suppose I could have overlooked it, but I don't think so.  I had more blanks last month than just the two I saw at a like time this month.

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Gold Conversationalist

@shamit  I had not calculated the time correctly either.  Thank you for pointing this out.

However, last month one of our posters saw a $25 gift card on the extra credit several hours after I had not seen it.     Hard to know.

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Conversationalist

I do remember some conversation about last month's Extra Credit.  I woke up at 2:30am CDT and remembered it was the first of the October and came to see the Extra Credit.  I just looked back at my emails I received for my redemptions and it was about 3am CDT.  When I was looking at the choices I do remember seeing the $25 Williams Sonoma Card.  I thought about it but decided that I really didn't need anything there and their prices are high.  I went with the Target $10 cards.  I got three.  When I checked around 8:00am CDT the Williams Sonoma card was gone.

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Gold Conversationalist

@rednexsrus 

Thanks for the info.   Yes, that does support the theory of multiple catalogs.   

I redeemed one for $15 so I wouldn't get totally shut out this month.   

One thing I do is look at all three extra credit sets and choose the one that has the thing I want and do that set first.    Doesn't work if everything of value is already gone, but might help in some cases.   I would have thought 1 a.m CST would be in time to have the opportunity to get what was there.   I was wrong.   

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Regular Contributor

1. $10 Walmart gift cards for members only for 24,000 points each, gone in about 3 hours.

2. $10 Amazon gift cards for members only for 24,000 points each, gone in about 3.5 hours.

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Social Butterfly

Wow thanks @BeaK214982 

That's sad ๐Ÿ˜ž

I was here b4 5AM EST ...lets see clock said 5:30 Alexa had 4:30 anyway saw neither of those b4 I completed one of extra credits deals... oh well... definitely would've used all my points & enjoyed getting those my favs Amazon & Walmart

Thanks for letting us know

Ginger ;  )

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Gold Conversationalist

Thanks so much @BeaK214982.   Those are two almost everyone can use.   I see why they disappeared.   At least I'm not eating my heart out about the big one that got away.   Good ones got away, but only a total of $30 for those who were able to get them.  

I sat last night and got the 7500 for only the first or second time this month.    It took about two hours doing what I did to get it.   I really need to rethink this.

I thank you again for your reply.   Maybe I can head back to bed as it's only 5:40 EST as I type this.

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Regular Contributor

However, just because they disappeared doesn't mean that they were all bought...hard to believe that so many people are up in the middle of the night just to look at the AARP rewards....I'll bet that the cards were removed by AARP after only a few were redeemed for, probably to sell them at a slight discount rather than give them away for free.

 

Also, there are still some $10 eBay cards remaining for 21,000 points each and not even members only. This is a better deal than the Amazon cards were, as you can get almost anything on eBay that you can get on Amazon, and the eBay cards are less points too. Better get them fast before AARP takes these down too and decides to sell them instead of giving them away... 

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Social Butterfly

@BeaK214982 

Hey Beak

Yes Amazon card pricey in points...$10 for 22K plus have do vid &quiz for still ok deal But sure makes my getting 2 Amazon cards for $10 for 18K points each other day as they popped up "Randomly throughout the day" very sweet deal... and already used them had something saved that wanted but not spend$$ went on sale & using cards almost got free Sweet๐Ÿ˜˜

I agree with your thoughts doesn't seem there're been that many awake to get...๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿฅด

Happy Sunday think I'm with @HokiePoq Hokie gonna try go back bed

Ginger  ;  )

 

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Contributor

I was up past 12:30 am but could not play the videos under the Extra Credit items. Each video seemed to get routed to a Caregiver video and then abruptly stopped with an error. Therefore I could not get my redemptions until this morning. WHY ARE THE WEBSITE CHANGES ALWAYS BUGGY?????????

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Gold Conversationalist

@gm5271   I didn't know anything had popped up!   Thanks for sharing that.   Was it visible when "All Rewards" was clicked or somewhere else?   I did see a Marathon  discount card on the days of savings section this past week.   We don't have Marathon but it might have been worthwhile for those who do.  That was not under "All Rewards" where I usually look.

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Social Butterfly

@HokiePoq 

Hokie it was quite a freak out to me as I've not seen them b4 "randomly throughout the day" or anytime

But on Thursday 29th just after I posted a gripe complaint to Teri on her post "that they are available" saying never seen also moments later same time I saw a post Andrew had done earlier stating a Wayfair one he'd seen available.... unreal I then went check - usually have page open with Points Only filter on- there was $10 Amazon card for 18K points only right next to  daily win I got 1 then came to community posted topic let others know about it then went try & got another one should've gotten 3 -since end of month- which I wasn't sure could get more than 1(old program couldn't) but it allowed me to  While back Andrew had told me could get 3 of same if desire but this was my 1st experience since new Rewards program ever seeing & getting "Points Only" gift card without having do something or winning Daily win 

I still don't believe it happens often "randomly throughout the day" & like said was freaky as I was complaining it became available still blows my mind๐Ÿคฏ

Anyway good luck hope you get some soon

I check at times but mostly do AARP games and such in morning

I think Marylin gets some in wee hours of morning personally I'm not thinking about it then

Sooorrrry ๐Ÿ˜Ÿ for long post Simple answer to your question is I found it with Filter on

Andrew found one he spoke of with filter off... maybe way find is 'randomly' also ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿคช๐Ÿ™ƒ๐Ÿฅด Ha ha guess anyone's guess๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ... the luck of the draw๐Ÿ€๐ŸŽฐ Good luck

 ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ Ginger  :  ) 

 

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Gold Conversationalist

@gm5271   Thanks a bunch!   I generally look with the filter thing.   And glad you were able to see this!

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