Generous '06 GM Card Earnings Allowances

[wpbharry]

Looks like GM is doing the smart thing and allowing decent Earnings redemptions on most of the '06s. (That $2,000 on the '06 Impala, for example, plus $1,000 in rebates makes the sticker price a LOT more palatable). The list also includes '04 and '05 Allowances as well.

http://www.gmcard.com/GMCard/apply/r...ances.jsp#2006

[atomicshark]

I don't know why GM has to limit card earnings on certain vehicles by so much. I am glad I was allowed to use 6,000 points to buy my GTO last year. Looks like if you want to use GM card points for the 06 GTO, you can only use up to 1,000 points.

[WannabeRich]

If the dealer wants to accept more GM Card earnings than what is published, can it? In other words, if it's a matter of making the sale or not, I wonder if they would fudge? Anyone know?

[Perian]

Originally Posted by atomicshark

I don't know why GM has to limit card earnings on certain vehicles by so much. I am glad I was allowed to use 6,000 points to buy my GTO last year. Looks like if you want to use GM card points for the 06 GTO, you can only use up to 1,000 points.

They do not limit - on the original card that is.

Apparently that is what you carry.

Some advise: Don't EVER trade up. The old card and its' generous incentives are no longer available!

[asim]

Thanks for the list, i had a orginal card. Darn it!

[jfnz24]

That is incorrect. The redemption limits are the same across the board. However, the old card allows for an individual to earn an unlimited number of points during the course of a year, where the new cards are capped (at $1,000 per year, I believe). The redemption limits are for everyone.

Originally Posted by Perian

They do not limit - on the original card that is.

Apparently that is what you carry.

Some advise: Don't EVER trade up. The old card and its' generous incentives are no longer available!

[jfnz24]

I think its stupid to limit the cars to such low amounts (Cobalt, Malibu at $1,000). These should be around the $2,000 limit, with the older trucks higher.

[wpbharry]

Actually, that's not true. I made the mistake of giving up the original card, which had no (and still doesn't have any) redemption limits. But it did have annual earnings limits, which I was always exceeding.

The new card is the opposite; annual earnings limits are much higher, but you have a redemption allowance.

When gas prices took off, right now I'm primarily using another card that gets me free gas. Since I have $2,500 in earnings sitting on the GM Card. I only was able to use $1,000 on the Maxx.

[mjd1001]

For some of us, the new card is actually better.

I travel a lot for work, and thus not only do I buy a new car every year or two..but between gas and hotel stays I can build up $1000 or more in earnings a year.

The old card limited my earnings per year.

With the new card, I can get $1000 or $1200 a year in earnings.

So if I decide to buy a new Grand Prix every year and a half, I can redeem close to $2000 in earnings each time I do. With the old card, I could not do that.

[SilverCompG]

Originally Posted by mjd1001

For some of us, the new card is actually better.

I travel a lot for work, and thus not only do I buy a new car every year or two..but between gas and hotel stays I can build up $1000 or more in earnings a year.

The old card limited my earnings per year.

With the new card, I can get $1000 or $1200 a year in earnings.

So if I decide to buy a new Grand Prix every year and a half, I can redeem close to $2000 in earnings each time I do. With the old card, I could not do that.

Yep, that is why I switched to the new card. I can't seem to keep a car for longer then about 3 years!! With the old card, I would have had $1,500 at this time, with the new one, I have $3,000+.......

[zeobandit]

Originally Posted by atomicshark

I don't know why GM has to limit card earnings on certain vehicles by so much. I am glad I was allowed to use 6,000 points to buy my GTO last year. Looks like if you want to use GM card points for the 06 GTO, you can only use up to 1,000 points.

I used 6000 points on my GTO last December. Between that and the rebates they had at the time, I got $11,000 off the sticker before even negotiating with the dealer. I ended up getting just over $12,000 off the sticker.

[jschira]

Originally Posted by zeobandit

I used 6000 points on my GTO last December. Between that and the rebates they had at the time, I got $11,000 off the sticker before even negotiating with the dealer. I ended up getting just over $12,000 off the sticker.

Ditto. I got $12k off my '04 GTO, but I didn't have to use any of my rebate cards point, because I didn't have any. I bought an '05 Buick a couple of months before and used all my card points up then.

But . . .

GM gave card holders a "special" alotment of points. In my case, 4000 (I think that you could get up to 5000). So I got the $5500 rebate plus a $4000 GM Card rebate. $9500 right off the top. Absolutely free money. Then, the dealer sold me the car below invoice. There went another $2500.

I really feel sorry for those that bought the GTO when it first came out and paid MSRP, or even above MSRP. I am tooling around in a GTO that cost less than a comparably equipped 4 cylinder Accord or Camry. OK, mileage is not the same, but at 21 mpg, I'm not complaining. My co-worker is only getting 12 mpg in his Silverado 2500HD.

BTW, I got a similar deal on the '05 Buick. I had about 500 points. GM "rounded it up" to 2000. So I got all of the incentives available to the public, plus I got an additional $1500 GM Card rebate on top. (Plus the dealer sold me the car for invoice).

None of these "Specials" was widely advertised. The dealer had to look for them or you got a notice in the mail. There was no annoucement at the GMCARD website or on your cc bill.

If anything in the mail comes that says "Special Offer for GM Card Holders", I open it up right away. Usually junk, but maybe not.

[jfnz24]

Originally Posted by wpbharry

Actually, that's not true. I made the mistake of giving up the original card, which had no (and still doesn't have any) redemption limits. But it did have annual earnings limits, which I was always exceeding.

The new card is the opposite; annual earnings limits are much higher, but you have a redemption allowance.

When gas prices took off, right now I'm primarily using another card that gets me free gas. Since I have $2,500 in earnings sitting on the GM Card. I only was able to use $1,000 on the Maxx.

I'd pull out your GM Card materials, because I do have the old card (have for about 4 years now), and there was an update to it around the beginning of 2003 (around when the new card came out. It specifically states that the redemption limits are for all cardholders, with the classic card having no annual earnings limits (with the new cards earning limits higher).

[joey]

On my original GM card, you could only accure $500 of point per year. So max after 7 years, I can use $3500 against any model. I guess there are also special purchases where you might get double points, etc. so you might get the balance over $3500.
At these prices, I need 7 years to save up for a new car.

[peccles]

GM should start letting card earnings be applied to Saturn and Saab.