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Sweet hotel deals, gaming the MBA system, and a do-it-yourself credit card

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MORE FREE OR CHEAP OFFICE SUPPLIES: The Staples deals continue! Courtesy of Slickdeals, here are the latest offerings:

  • Home Select Pocket Tissues $0.01 w/ $5 Purchase
  • 70-sheets Staples 1-Subject Notebook $0.01 w/ $5 Purchase
  • 5-pack Pilot B2P Retractable Ballpoint Pens Free after $5.49 Easy Rebate
  • 2-pack Sharpie Fine Permanent Markers (Black) $0.50
  • 3-pack Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers $0.50
  • Staples Translucent Pencil Box $0.50
  • 4-pack Staples Glue Sticks $1
  • 5-pack BIC Brite Liner Grip Highlighters $1
  • 200-sheets Staples 5.5″x4.25″ Fat Book $1
  • Staples 5.5″x9″ Clipboard $1
  • Staples 8.5″x11″ Pastels
  • 60-pack Staples Photo Plus 4″x6″ Gloss Paper
  • 500-Sheet HammerMill Copy Plus 8.5″x11″ Copy Paper

Note that Staples has sent out some coupons recently as well–I got $5 off $50–so there are some money-making opportunities this week. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to wade through the 50 pages of comments in the relevant Slickdeals thread for ideas about how to work this.

A NICE AMEX PLATINUM PERK: For those of you with an Amex Platinum card, The Points Guy pointed out some sweet deals with the Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts program. Here’s one example:

…At The Arizona Biltmore, located in Phoenix, Arizona, summer rates start at $99 per night ($142 with taxes), and the current FHR package includes the following:

  • Room upgrade when available
  • Noon check-in when available
  • Daily continental breakfast for two
  • Guaranteed 4pm late check-out
  • $100 food and beverage credit to be used during your stay

So for $99, you get a $100 food and beverage credit right off the bat which more than covers the cost of the room (excluding taxes).

More examples here. Meanwhile, Frequent Miler is reporting that some CVS stores are now allowing the purchase of $5,000 of Vanilla Reloads at a time, up from the previous limit of $1,000. They will ask to scan your ID, though, which is understandable given the amount of fraud they’re probably dealing with.

HOW TO GAME THE MBA ADMISSIONS SYSTEM: According to recently published research, easy classes will take you places:

Business-school applicants with a high undergraduate grade-point average—even those who attended schools identified as practicing grade inflation—are more likely to be admitted than those who performed slightly less well amid tougher grading standards.

…In other words, an applicant with a 3.6 GPA might wow the admissions office, even if the average student in that person’s graduating class finished with a 3.7. The applicant who managed a 3.4 in a class whose average hovered closer to 3.2, however, might not make the cut.

Although dispiriting, these conclusions are not surprising. MBA admissions officers don’t make a ton of money and have a lot of work to do in a short time. Given the choice between (a) really getting to know candidates and (b) making a quick, formulaic decision, which option do you think they’d be likely to choose?

A DIY CREDIT CARD: Some of you may have already heard about the man who wrote his own terms and conditions, but for those who haven’t:

When Dmitry Argarkov was sent a letter offering him a credit card, he found the rates not to his liking.

But he didn’t throw the contract away or shred it. Instead, the 42-year-old from Voronezh, Russia, scanned it into his computer, altered the terms and sent it back to Tinkoff Credit Systems.

Mr Argarkov’s version of the contract contained a 0pc interest rate, no fees and no credit limit. Every time the bank failed to comply with the rules, he would fine them 3m rubles (£58,716). If Tinkoff tried to cancel the contract, it would have to pay him 6m rubles.

Tinkoff apparently failed to read the amendments, signed the contract and sent Mr Argakov a credit card.

…However, Tinkoff attempted to close the account due to overdue payments. It sued Mr Argakov for 45,000 rubles for fees and charges that were not in his altered version of the contract.

Earlier this week a Russian judge ruled in Mr Argakov’s favour. Tinkoff had signed the contract and was legally bound to it. Mr Argakov was only ordered to pay an outstanding balance of 19,000 rubles (£371).

This being Russia, I’m not optimistic about Mr. Argakov’s future. But still: cool story!

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