What might be a cool tool for MSers, bad news for abusers, camping on Kauai, and more

In  this Frequent Miler week in review around the web, we have some bad news for those deemed to be “abusing” or “misusing” the system as that Amex welcome bonus indicator seems to be less reliable than a reasonable person would expect. There’s also what I think could likely be used as a useful tool for those buying gift cards and money orders, a thrifty trip to Kauai, how you might be able to get some of that annual fee back when you cancel mid-year and more.

American Express Denies Some Signup Bonuses Against Pop-Up Indicator

Well, this news is downright troubling. You’d think that Amex built its no-soup-for-you pop up indicator to…well, work. The lack of a pop up should theoretically mean that you’re eligible for the welcome bonus — but Doctor of Credit cites reports of people being denied the bonus despite not receiving the indicator. My bet is that a number of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaints will fix this problem, but it’s a shame that not everyone will know they have some recourse if they were not given what was advertised.

Repurposing Amazon Dash buttons to add a line to Google Sheet when pressed

This post from ‘dem flyers is not for the least tech-savvy among us (and technically wasn’t from this past week, but it was something I missed previously), and these instructions are written for Mac users, so it won’t directly help PC guys like me. That said, this looks like it could be incredibly useful for someone who is tracking Visa Gift Card purchases, money order purchases, shopping portal purchases, etc. If you’re a volume manufactured spender who is moderately tech-savvy and you also own a Mac, I think this is worth a look. How else might you repurpose Dash buttons with this technique?

Think Outside the (United Airlines) Box

The price of domestic tickets can be outrageous sometimes. But how far out of the way would you fly to sit up front in a more comfortable seat? I’d probably be willing to get a little crazy now and then if my better half were game for it, but Ben from No Mas Coach is testing the limits with this one. Having flown the NY-Vancouver Route in Cathay business class this past spring, I don’t think I’d turn a 7 hour trip into a 19 hour trip for this. But then, I mostly fly Southwest domestically, so my motto clearly is not no mas coach.

Keeping it Thrifty in Hawaii: A Guide to Camping on Kauai

Years ago, my wife and I went to Kauai with intentions of camping. We hadn’t planned in advance and with our very limited travel experience, we ended up booking hotels at the last minute here and there. But this guide from Thrifty Traveler will help you plan out your Kauai camping trip. I found it particularly interesting that you can book campers or SUVs with camping equipment through AirBnB. I’ll be visiting Kauai soon and don’t have plans to camp while I’m there this time around, but I could see this being a fun family vacation in a few years.

An Annual Fee “Loophole” for Massachusetts Residents

I wouldn’t suggest pushing one’s luck with this, but if you live in Massachusetts and you forget to cancel a card within the issuer’s rules for getting an annual fee refund, you may not be on the hook for the whole shebang. I’d be curious if any other states have little-known laws like this on the books. Based on how I read the law the first time through this post, I agree with the second commenter that I think Amex misinterpreted it here (to the author’s benefit), but the fact remains that this might come in handy over having lost an entire annual fee with some issuers. Cardpe Diem has the details.

That’s it for this week around the web. Check back soon for this week’s last chance deals.

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