Welcome to a weekly feature on the Renés Points blog. Each week this series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this week’s feature.
$900 in yearly fees for these two cards, the Delta AMEX Reserve card as well as the non-Delta AMEX Platinum card, and I happily pay them year after year and one of the main reasons is the perks that come with the cards when buying “stuff”.
And that goes right to the heart of the matter of today’s post and why always “starting with gift cards” can be a bad idea. Most normal travel cards offer some kind of protection, but high end cards like these two offer some really nice perks and higher dollar protection just for using the card to make the purchase.
There are some exclusions but say you buy something, lock it in your car, and thieves smash the windows and away it goes. Call AMEX. Say you buy a new MAC BOOK Pro, put it on top of your car to get out your keys, and then drive away – oooppssseeee – Call AMEX. I could go on and on.
The point is AMEX really stands behind you – even when YOU are the one who breaks stuff. Then there is the extension of the MFG warranty. Under most situations AMEX gives you a full year more than the standard one of a year or two. I have a NUMBER of times over the years availed myself of this perk buying computer parts and such. I just MAKE SURE I keep receipts, either digitally or on paper, so I can prove when I got what I did and what and how I paid for it. Credit is simply put back on my card for my claim.
Please do hold onto the whatever broken item it is as they may send a pickup tag for it, but in my experience, even somewhat expensive laptops that have died, they never ever ask for the dead item back – just all the paperwork in order and sign that it is really broken. Again, the key is a good paper trail of what you got as well as having the card open so you can get credit back for the item (yet another reason to keep some cards long term).
Do other cards offer this kind of protection? Many Visa & MCs do offer some level of consumer protection but having worked with others as well as AMEX very few compare and IMO unmatched service and consistent payment to you when things go wrong.
So while I REALLY value the bonus MQMs that come from my Reserve card or the access to the Centurion lounge with the Platinum card – when it comes to making any kind of valuable purchase – one of these cards is my GO TO card for the piece of mind they bring me! – René
PS – I will have limited time to answer questions for the next few days on the blog and via e-mail!
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