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The Biggest Reason to Always Pay with a Credit Card

March 7, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Reason to Always Pay with a Credit Card

Some financial advisors and gurus urge all of their audience to use cash only. They argue if you use cash, you can’t overspend. Further, they say you’re also more conscious of your spending when you use cash. While these arguments may be true for some credit card users, they’re not for all. Many people can use credit cards and stay within their budgets. In addition, paying with credit cards offers several advantages, one of which is particularly important.

The Biggest Reason to Always Pay with Credit Card

The biggest reason to always pay with a credit card is the purchase protection. I saw this in effect recently with my mom and a $450 treadmill she purchased last fall.

The Credit Card Purchase

My mom is trying to improve her fitness level, so last September, she bought a treadmill on Amazon. The treadmill was never perfect—she complained about how hard it was to walk on it. When I visited her recently, I tried the treadmill, and it felt heavy and slow. A few days into my visit, the treadmill would turn on and off, but you couldn’t get the tread to move.

Customer Service Was a Bust

We discovered the treadmill company is in China, and the only phone number for support was a Chinese number. I emailed support and told them what the problem was. The company took two days to get back to me and then asked for a video demonstrating the problem. I sent that and then waited another two days for a reply. Next, they told me how to disassemble part of the treadmill and send them more videos showing the problem. I did, and then I didn’t get a reply for several days.

Contacting Amazon Didn’t Help

Meanwhile, I contacted Amazon to ask for a refund. Amazon said they couldn’t help me because the return window closed in December. When I mentioned that the treadmill had a one-year warranty, Amazon said I had to work with the manufacturer.

Customer Service Still Refused to Help

Reasons to Always Pay with a Credit Card

By now, I had been going back and forth with the treadmill company’s customer service for approximately 10 days. Finally, I said I wanted a refund as the treadmill was under warranty and shouldn’t break after five months of ownership. The company told me to contact Amazon to activate the warranty, which I had already done, to no avail.

Contacting the Credit Card Company Made the Difference

I then contacted the credit card company and explained what had happened. After taking down all the details, the credit card company issued my mom a full refund. Having the ability to go straight to the credit card company to get a refund when all else fails is the biggest reason to always pay with a credit card.

Final Thoughts

My opinion to always pay with a credit card, especially with large purchases, was reaffirmed with this situation. Further, I learned that when purchasing something on Amazon, checking out reviews is not enough. I must also verify where the company is based. A company based in China may be challenging to work with and receive assistance.

We used my mom’s credit card refund to purchase a new treadmill from a company based in Arkansas. If she has trouble in the future, I’m confident communicating with the company will be easier.

Read More

How to Pay Down Your Credit Card Faster Even If You Don’t Have Extra Money

Help Your College Student by Adding Them as an Authorized User to Your Credit Card

Is It Worthwhile to Still Use Credit Cards with So Many Data Breaches?

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: General Finance Tagged With: amazon, cash, credit card, customer service, warranties

5 Ways to Save on an Amazon Prime Membership

December 21, 2020 By MelissaB 1 Comment

save on an Amazon Prime membership

An Amazon Prime membership offers a number of perks such as free Amazon shipping, free movies and music, a discount at Whole Foods, and many more.  However, some people balk  at the $119 annual membership fee, which is understandable.  If you’d like to have an Amazon Prime membership but want to save money, there are a number of possibilities.

Split an Amazon Prime Membership

If there’s another adult family member that you’d like to split Amazon Prime with, you can.  And no, this isn’t like sneaking another family member into a hotel without telling the hotel staff.  Amazon has a whole page dedicated to how to split a membership, which they call Amazon Household.

how to s

Say your mother-in-law lives with you.  You’ll share a membership, each putting in a payment method to pay your portion, and you will have separate accounts.  If you can do this, you’ll automatically pay just half–$59.50 instead of the full price of $119.

Get a Student Discount

If you’re a college student with an .edu email address, you can get a discounted Amazon Prime membership by signing up for an Amazon Prime Student account.  The first 6 months are free, and then you’re charged $6.49 per month (equaling $79 per year, a $40 a year savings from traditional Prime)

EBT & Medicaid Discount

If you receive EBT benefits or Medicaid, you’re eligible for a special Amazon Prime membership for just $5.99/month.  You’ll need to verify that you actually receive benefits, and every 12 months, you’ll need to verify that you’re still eligible for this type of membership.  You are allowed this special rate for 48 months.

Credit Card with Prime as a Perk

save on Amazon Prime membership

Some credit cards offer an Amazon Prime membership, or a discount on the membership, as a perk.  For instance, the Uber Visa Card by Barclay offers $50 off an Amazon Prime membership after you spend $5,000 on the card each year.  This will take the Prime membership down to $69.

Likewise, the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card offers a $125 Amazon.com gift card when you’re approved for the card.

Amazon Prime Discount

Amazon Prime rarely offers discounts, but once a year, you can usually find them.  They may offer the deal in July during Amazon Prime Day, or when they have new shows to debut, or their shows, like Mozart in the Jungle, win awards.  You’ll just need to keep a close eye on Amazon to snag the discount when it’s available.

If none of these discounts applies to you or you just don’t want to spend the money, keep in mind, you’ll get free shipping from Amazon if your order is over $25, and you can always get a 30-day free trial membership should you want to binge watch a show or order a number of items, say around Christmas time.

Do you currently have an Amazon Prime membership?  If so, do you use one of the above strategies or another one to avoid paying full price?  Do you think Amazon Prime is worth paying the full price?

Read More

Is It Worth Paying for an Amazon Prime Membership?

5 Ways to Save on Utilities and Amazon

Free Alternatives to Things You Currently Pay For

 

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Frugality, Saving Tagged With: amazon, Amazon Prime membership, discounts, subscriptions

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