Samsung Galaxy Buds for ~$20 with a great stack

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a screenshot of a store location

It’s late, so I’m going to keep this very short: Doctor of Credit posted a nice deal on Samsung Galaxy buds. They are available at many stores for $99.99 right now, but I think you can stack it for a terrific deal by doing the following:

  1. Sync the Microsoft Store offer on your Chase business card (targeted, but pretty widely available on Chase business cards; good for 25% back)
  2. Start at TopCashBack. If you’re new to TopCashBack, that’s where it gets really good. New TopCashBack members who sign up through our link found in this post can earn a bonus $35 back once they’ve earned $10 in cash back, but you have to sign up by today (12/1/19) at 23:59 PST. See our post for more.
  3. TopCashBack is currently (at the time of writing) offering $20 cash back for order online, pick up in-store purchases.
    a white background with black and white cloudsUpdate: As noted below, this has not tracked properly for those who purchased the deal. We’re waiting on an update from TopCashBack.
  4. Click through TopCashBack, go to the Microsoft Store site, find the Galaxy Buds, add to cart.
  5. In your shopping cart, check the box to pick up in-store and then select a Microsoft Store near you.
  6. Check out using a card sycned with the Chase Offer

In the end, this what the math looks like:

$99.99 (current price of the Samsung Galaxy Buds)
– 25.00 (cash back from Chase Offer)
$74.99
– 20.00 (TopCashBack cash from in-store pick up)
$54.99
– 35.00 (if you’re a new TopCashBack member)
$19.99 net cost (plus sales tax on the full $99.99 price, which will vary) + 500 Ultimate Rewards points if using Ink Cash / Ink Plus (according to the DoC Payments Workshop)

This seems like an awesome stack.

Here are the things I don’t know:

  1. Will this trigger the $20 in-store pick up cash back? It seems generous, but I can’t see why not. I suspect it will. I placed an order to find out.
    Update: This purchase is tracking at $1 back even for those who have already picked the item up. Several readers have submitted support tickets to Top Cash Back. At this point, it is unresolved. There were no exclusions listed, so I’ll be disappointed if this doesn’t pay out — at the very least, it’s frustrating that it didn’t track properly.
  2. Will that $20 earned trigger the TopCashBack new member bonus? Again, I assume it would since the requirement is to earn $10 in cash back. Unfortunately, most of my family has joined, so I won’t be testing this part.

I assume this is going to work just as I laid it out, which might make this one of the hottest deals of Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend if you can take advantage. Even if you’re not a new member, $55 for the buds is an excellent deal. I definitely didn’t plan to buy these and totally just did.

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65 Comments
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Dave

Just got my missing $19!

Sandy

Dave. Thanks for you update!! I haven’t gotten the missing $19 yet hopefully soon.

Dave

Try messaging them in the missing cash back claim that you have open.

Sandy

Hi Dave and everyone, I got my missing $19!!! Thank you Dave for the tip, I messaged TCB and it worked!!

dave

yw happy to hear

Paul

I ended up nudging them a few weeks back. Should I also send them a message? Thank you both for keeping hope alive!

Sandy

Hi Paul, definitely message TCB. I followed what Dave suggeted and got the money back. I’ve found nudging doesn’t do much as I nudged 2x a month since the end of December.

Paul

Thanks Sandy! Going to message them and hopefully have the same outcome!

Paul

Finally got my $20! Only 9 months later, but I’ll take it. Thanks everyone!

Matthew@airsicktravel

So today I checked Topcashback and what do you know Microsoft paid $1!!! After months of waiting, what can I do at this point?

Matthew@airsicktravel

actually false alarm, it’s still ‘waiting for retailer’. It’s just that I can cash out the $1 now.

Kim

So still haven’t heard anything back from TCB. On TCB, there is an option to “nudge” TCB so they “know where to focus their efforts.” Recommend everyone who is still waiting to do the same.

Perhaps Nick should do a follow up post reminding people of the risk that often these things don’t work out? There are a number of new negative experiences with TCB posted on Doctor of Credit, although in this circumstance, it appears to be a delay on Microsoft’s part.

Steve

Been over a month and heard nothing from TCB. Are they trustworthy enough to where I should just open the box? As have to decide before Jan 31 return window passes by

Moe

Anyone else notice that they got the 5x bonus for using an ink card? Microsoft classified as internet,cable phone, office supply.

Sandy

5X posted!

Sandy

Just the latest update to my TCB claim:

Dec 17 2019
Hi there,

Your Missing CashBack claim has now been submitted to Microsoft Store (via their affiliate network or representative management agency who run their online programme for them).

Please understand that this process is likely to take from four weeks to several months (often longer with contract/policy based transactions) to complete, and we may not be in a position to update you until the final decision has been made.

We ask members to remain patient during this time, if we do receive an update or we require your intervention we will get in contact with you via this system.

Kind Regards

The Missing CashBack Claims Team

Sandy

Completely agree!

Steve

“Hi there,

Thanks for providing your order number. Your claim is currently at the ‘Ready to Submit’ Status, please be aware that we submit claims in batches every few weeks to the merchant network that we work via and you will receive a message informing you when yours has been sent. We then have to wait for a response from the merchant network, this may take 2 – 3 months, but we will write to you on this claims thread when we have any updates.
If you have any questions please do contact us via this claims thread and we will be more than happy to help.
Thank you, have a great day and I do hope that this goes on to be a successful claim for you.
Best wishes
TopCashback Support.”

What the heck? 2-3 months? I believe the microsoft store return window is 30 days, so I will have to decide if this is worth the gamble or not

Hossaint

Holiday return is available until Jan 31. I got the same response from them. If I don’t see anything by the end of Jan I will return mine.

Matthew@airsicktravel

Can I return if I’ve already used the earbuds?

Sandy

I picked up my item on December 3, 2019 and it still tracked at only $1 cash back as of yesterday (Dec 8, 2019). So I filed a claim yesterday and here’s the note TCB posted in my claim:

“The following cashback insertion has been allocated to your TopCashback account, with respect to this Missing CashBack Claim. Please allow this to progress to ‘Payable’, and when happy to do so, please close this claim.

Event Date Cashback Amount Purchase Amount
01 Dec 2019 $1.00 $99.99

If the cashback amount is incorrect, please reply by posting us a message and we will look into this for you.”

When I filed the claim, I selected the buy online pickup in store option in the drop down menu, it even showed the expect amount of $19 because $1 is already tracking. Its frustrating to receive this incorrect offer response from them. I have responded to their note as instructed. An other confusion on this claim is it shows claim status as “Ready to submit”. I thought I already submitted, but at the same time, there’s no submission option anywhere. Maybe I need to be on an computer (reading this on my mobile) I’ll update when I hear back from them.

Sandy

My most recent update:

“Hi there,

We will use this claim to query the difference in cashback that you have been expecting. Your claim will be submitted as part of a batch, you should receive a notification e-mail to let you know when this has been sent.

Thank you and have a nice day!”

I’m not sure if I understand what this means, do I get the difference of $19 or do I not? I don’t have a good feeling of this deal.

Matthew@airsicktravel

I have to say I’m a bit annoyed with TCB, not only the purchase not tracking correctly but I’ve gotten multiple spam emails from them every day since I joined. I unsubscribed a few days back and I get that it can take a while to remove my name so I’ll have to wait and see if I really stop getting spam.

optimisez

In for one on 2 Dec. The link for the $35 back for new users still worked. Should it have already expired?.

GS

Doesn’t seem to work. Tracks at 1% CB instead of $20.

Ray S

I already picked up and only see $1 pending.

Ray S

Like many of the other commenters, I submitted a ticket and will update when I get a response.

Matthew@airsicktravel

I am also seeing $1 cashback pending, I just picked up 2 hours ago but it may take some time to update…

Matthew@airsicktravel

Still $1 this morning

Steve

Please keep us updated, debating whether worth driving decently far to pick them up

Matthew@airsicktravel

Will try. Submitted a ticket with TCB this morning. I probably should have waited to open the box, oh well.

Margolis

Please update the response from TCB if you get one. If the $20 cb does not track, then ideally the $35 welcome bonus won’t either. Hence, making it $20+$55 = $75+tax, which is not that enticing. I would prefer to cancel my order and not pick it up if thats the case.

Matthew @ airsicktravel.blogspot.com

This is what I heard back
As this is a instore pick up, once you have picked your item up the amount should uplift to the $20 that you have opted in for.

If you have already collected your item, you will need to use the link below to lodge a missing cashback claim.

http://www.topcashback.com/account/enquiries/missingcashbackclaims/submit

Matthew@airsicktravel

Just to follow-up, the above was me posting from my phone, I did submit a missing cashback claim and will report with any updates.

Margolis

Did they provide any resolution on your ticket ?

Matthew@airsicktravel

Still waiting

Matthew@airsicktravel

Still waiting. It may take a few weeks I feel like. Somewhat humurously, I got notice I earned 99 Microsoft points (probably worth about 2 cents total) har har har

king

just 1 $ . Already picked up. Raised a ticket with TCB …lets see…but disappointed with the sound quality.

Margolis

Let us know if you get any response from TCB. Thanks !

Andrew

I just submitted a ticket, and it was clearly a known issue for TopCashBack. They had little notes during the claims process saying it was, noting that $20 was expected, and they adjusted the amount to $19 since $1 was already showing. But no immediate fix offered. Their note says “Once your claim has been submitted to the merchant’s network, it might take a few months before we have any news, but please be assured that we will be in touch as soon as we can.”

AlexL

If you have the $10 gift card from microsoft, you can stack it further.
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/ymmv-microsoft-store-10-free-giftcard/

George

I really don’t like that you’re using the sign-up bonus as part of the stack. That’s Krazy Coupon Lady-level clickbait. Every week, she has a few posts touting free items or moneymakers – but only when counting the referral bonus for this or that portal. And that site, just as FM, is heavy on the free or deeply discounted stuff (though it’s usually toothpaste, not flights/hotels/gear)… so it’s dishonest to present it as another free/deeply discounted item.

If the idea is to unlock the $35 CB quickly, just make a post outlining the best ways to do so, with offers that meet the following requirements:
– TCB beats the rest without counting the SUB;
– the item earns at least $10 on TCB;
– potential “filters”: the deal stacks with card-linked offers and/or deeply discounted GC(s) and/or big discounts (e.g. Black Friday, Cyber Monday) and/or store credit and/or rebates.
Make it clear from the start what the deal is (a one-time SUB for new members), and even so, keep the calculation with the SUB as secondary.

This blog is heavy on math and logic. Please keep it that way.

Harvey Credle

I got the same thing, yet to trigger the$20 in store but I opened a ticket just in case. Everything appears to have triggered

George

Okay, so you’re saying it’s not clickbait and not dishonest. It’s… unintentionally misleading, then. Unintentionally bait-and-switchy? I don’t know, I prefer a more accurate (even if less concise) headline. “Galaxy Buds for $100, $80, $75, $55, or $20 (YMMV)” isn’t clean, but it’s accurate and will probably get the same number of clicks. “Huge stacking opportunity on Galaxy Buds (as little as $20 w/TCB signup)” is also accurate, though maybe less clicks. “Galaxy Buds as low as $55 with stack, $20 w/TCB signup” may be better. I’m sure a better writer than me can come up with something better than any of those, that also doesn’t imply “these are $20 for everyone/most people.” There’s also no talk of opportunity cost, which kind of irks me (buying these is not a “required activity”), especially with a one-time-only deal.

I don’t mind the business cards or YMMV card-linked offers at all. Many people have the former, and I know that any stack will be subject to the availability and prior use of the latter. But those offers come and go, the SUB is one-time-only.

I also don’t mind the time spent reading it twice, or writing and rewriting my original comment, or writing this one. It’s not the time investment, it’s the similarity to that blog that’s gone downhill, or that other one, or that other one… I’m willing to put in the time to provide feedback. What else is there to do on a cold and icy November day?

George

I wouldn’t take the term “clickbait” in my original post too literally. As I said in my second comment, I’m not sure what the proper term is.

I think that if you wouldn’t have bought them for $55, it’s irrational to allow the $35 SUB to affect your decision*. A mention – in large, green, bold font – of the $35 SUB within a “$55” article is IMO enough for the few that can take advantage of both offers, and doesn’t lead readers to a decision they may not have made if they considered all their options.

*unless you’re signing up someone who will never use TCB, I guess (in which case, you may still be “taking” $35 from them)

There’s another blog, started by a guy named Brian, that loves to couple rare or one-time-only bonuses with great/good/just-OK redemptions, erroneously calling something that many wouldn’t buy “free,” or placing an erroneously low price on the same – by counting the otherwise liquid bonus. This blog is at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to value and rationality, so the headline was a bit unexpected. In the end, this is a good post to forward to friends and family, and beginners of all sorts, as it’s a good example of how far we can stretch our dollar when we take advantage of multiple tools in our toolbox. It just doesn’t reflect my way of thinking, and the logic could, in the long run, lead to overestimating value or underestimating (opportunity) cost.

I do find FM extremely valuable and am immensely thankful for all you, Greg, and Stephen do – both in highlighting sources of real value and in keeping us rational. And you’re my favorite writer, among all in the miles/points world.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, and know that your eagerness to engage with readers counts a lot more toward keeping you at the top; than an article that doesn’t jive with me could count against it.

Mike

I’m trying to find anywhere that the offers say specifically Samsung. Am I missing it or would the same deal work for the $100 Bose Soundsports?

Sandy

Is the Purchase on line, store pick up offer still on? Is yes, does anyone know how to find this offer on the Top Cash Back website? Thanks in advance!

Sandy

Never mind, I just found it 🙂 In case anyone else is looking, the offer is under a list of Microsoft offers.