Great gift wrap up alert: Price hiked for shell gas cards

I just looked at the Great Gift Wrap Up website and the price for the Shell gas cards has been increased again.

Now the price is 3,500 points for a $10 card, and 35,000 points for a $100 card.

So here we are, a couple of weeks before the event, and prices are up.

I haven't been interested in any other item but I wonder if anyone has noticed any other changes?

This is horrible. Another slap in the face of Total Rewards members.

Back in July, we saw that the $10 gift card was listed as 3,400 points while the $100 card was 32,400 points.

A year ago, it was 30,000 for the $100 card and 3,000 for the $10 card.

Not a huge difference, but still pretty crappy, especially because it contradicts what they wrote on the GGWU site.

I wonder if you can still get $100 freeplay at the rate of 30,000 points.

The GGWU site won't let me check my points balance any more. It defaults back to the main TR page.

It difference in points will cost me about $800 in gift cards this year.

Aaron I have trouble with the GGWU site on certain browsers. When using AOL I can't check my points. With Internet Explorer I can check my points. It's hit and miss with Firefox.

I think it's a cheap shot making this second change so close to the event.

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Originally Posted by Dan Druff

I wonder if you can still get $100 freeplay at the rate of 30,000 points.

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Do you really have to wonder about this? Why would they?

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Originally Posted by Alan Mendelson

Do you really have to wonder about this? Why would they?

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I sure hope they do. Mama doesn't need anymore chachkas.

I come to Vegas to Play. I like to use my points for free play. Does anyone know the conversion rate for FREE PLAY?

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Originally Posted by ke6cdh

I come to Vegas to Play. I like to use my points for free play. Does anyone know the conversion rate for FREE PLAY?

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Last year we didn't know until the actual event.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ke6cdh

I come to Vegas to Play. I like to use my points for free play. Does anyone know the conversion rate for FREE PLAY?

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Last year and the year before the conversion was $50.00 free play for every 15,000 GGWU points. Im not sure what it will be this year if they decide to do it.

Nash raises a good point: what if they decide NOT to offer a free play option?

Price is showing the old points on the GGWU page as of 8:00 this morning.

Also, the TR website is not showing my play from yesterday.

Aaron your post is not clear. What are you referring to??

When I first logged into the TR site and GGWU page they were showing old info. They seem to be fixed now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aaron

When I first logged into the TR site and GGWU page they were showing old info. They seem to be fixed now.

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Aaron,

Are the GGWU points updated from our play yesterday?

Nash the site has not let me check my points this week.

I posted the on another site and thought it might be useful here:

CET Great Gift Wrap Up

With the cost of the $100 gift cards going up to 35,000 points I was looking trough the cost of other items. In years past I have noticed the cost of items compared to the gift cards a bad value. This year when calculating the value of items to the gift cards, some of the items are a better value.

Some examples using the rate of 35,000 to $100 (the cost of the $100 gift cards):

Titleist
42,200 points
SKU #51409GW
Model #33364K
Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls, 3 dozen

On line these are about $50 per dozen
At GGWU they are (42,200/35,000=1.2) or $120 for 3 dozen


Dyson
166,800 points
SKU #51586GW
Model #205473-01
Dyson DC65 Animal Complete

On line this is about $600
At GGWU they are (166,800/35,000=4.77) or $477

Even if it is not the animal version as stated the DC65 is $500 online and $477 is still a good value.


GoPro
82,700 points
SKU #50324GW
Model #CHDHN-302
GoPro HERO3+ Silver Edition Camcorder

On line this is about $300
At GGWU they are (82,700/35,000=2.36) or $236


Tumi
172,400 points
SKU #51042GW
Model #28129TG
Tumi Tegra-Lite Extended Trip Packing Case, Graphite

On line this lists for $895 but can be found for about $600
At GGWU they are (172,400/35,000=4.93) or $493


Another option it cashing in points for free play but it doesn't look like we will know the conversion rate until the first event. Or if they will be converting this year. Last year it was 30,000 points per $100 of free play.

I was going to cash in most of my points for the Shell gift cards, but now I think I might have to do some shopping.

Thanks for the examples above but few gift items appeal to me. Gwen asked me to check out one pair of earrings but otherwise it's gas cards.

I also am unable to check my current points. I told my host. She could check via their system so there must be a problem with the website... it keeps asking me to log in.

Aaron, were you looking at the cheapest possible prices online? Sounds like you were, but just wanted to make sure.