StartSampling -- donate Frequent Tryer Miles to the Red Cross!

[dianemarie]

From the web site:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

In light of the events of September 11, 2001 StartSampling members have contacted us asking how they can help. Given the sheer magnitude of recent events, like you, we want to do our part. Beginning today, StartSampling will exchange your donated Frequent Tryer Miles (FTMs) into an ongoing financial contribution of up to $5,000 per month to assist the Red Cross with the relief efforts.

We encourage you to donate as many Miles as you would like-both now and in the future-for this very worthy cause. Making your contribution is easy. Just enter your StartSampling Member ID and Password, along with the number of FTMs you'd like to donate and StartSampling will ensure your contribution is added to others from the StartSampling extended family.

All of us at StartSampling extend our prayers and sympathies to all of the victims of this brutal attack - those injured, taken from us and those who grieve. On behalf of those that will be helped by your generosity and support, we extend our sincere thanks.

Larry Burns
StartSampling President and CEO

Tom Falduto
StartSampling Founder

[wss4]

Thanks dianemarie.
I was wondering what I was going to do with those miles!!

[stking]

Altho I appreciate what they are doing, this sounds fishy to me. They are telling us to donate our miles but it doesn't say how many miles = how much money. They are only donating up to $5,000 anyway.

Oh well, they never have anything available or worth turning miles in for anyway so I guess this is a good way to help!

[dianemarie]

It's $5,000 per month, so hopefully this will be an ongoing thing with them. I had 4325 miles that I doubted I'd ever be able to cash in for anything so I donated them all. Now I can quit checking every single day to see if they have any prizes available.

[cata5]

I only had 210! LOL I gave up on that site long ago. Glad to give what I had and now I never have to go back. Thanks for the info!

[The Bunny]

Thanks for the info, Dianemarie. I donated all 1470 FTM's that I had. I never go there anymore anyway, so nice that I can do something with those points.

[vieprivee]

I just donated all my 5710 miles....wonder what each mile is equivalent to. The site does not state this fact! Anyone know?

THANKS!

[Schwisow]

Thanks. I was wondering what I was going to do with mine also!

[lovemydogs]

Diane, thanks for posting this. I have come to hate that site, so I GLADLY donated my 2925 points and now I will never go back ther again!

[jcs]

It's great for them to do this, but the way they've described their contribution makes me suspicious.

It sounds like we may be donating our miles into a black hole, and any "excess" will just disappear and not count toward the next month's contribution.

So, in my possible confusion, I'm going to hold on to my points and donate them next month, when the pot may be empty and more miles may be needed to get that $5000 contribution to happen.

I don't like the way they are doing this. It reads a little bit underhanded -- slimy -- too imprecise -- to me. (Maybe they've just got some really bad writers/editors putting out this glop, and they'll clarify soon.)

As for what some of you have said about never going back after this... Amen! I've just been visiting occasionally looking for a reward to cash in for. I'll donate in October, and then I'm outta there, too.

[wss4]

I will have to agree that I would like to know exactly what the dollar amount is per mile or point. But MyPoints did the same thing. When they accepted points to donate to the red cross they would not put a dollar amount on the points. I emailed them several times asking quite simply, how much money each of my 200 points equaled out to. I was going to donate the 4000 points that I had accumulated. They kept answering my emails by saying that they did not understand my question. Finally the third time around I got an answer that said that there was NO dollar amount assigned to the points. That they were donating a total of 150,000 to red cross. Which is very admirable but still did not answer my question. I got so annoyed that I donated 1000 points and left it at that.

At Start Sampling they do not have anything of interest to get with your miles so you don't mind using them for a worthy cause even if you don't know the exact amount. At least we are using up the miles and something is going to the red cross!!

[dianemarie]

New message at startsampling:

Your overwhelming response by donating over 10 million Frequent Tryer Miles in less than one week to the StartSampling "Miles Across America" program, has allowed us to quickly meet our initial monthly goal of donating $5,000 to the Red Cross. While we are currently suspending the "Miles Across America" program, we continue to search for additional ways to help, and want to remind you that a donation of blood (1-800-GIVE LIFE) is always appreciated. Due to our members heartfelt generosity we will promptly be sending off the first check to the Red Cross, and making continued monthly donations in the amount of $5,000 through the end of the year. Please watch this space for additional information and thank you one and all for your support

[dianemarie]

Yesterday I emailed startsampling about the miles to dollars conversion rate and this is the letter I got from them:

Thank you for your inquiry about the Red Cross donations.


In just a short amount of time, StartSampling has already been amazed at our members’ willingness to respond to this call for help. As a result, we are going to be able to commit to $1 for every 500 Frequent Tryer Miles donated to this very worthy cause. In just the first few hours since launching Miles For America on our site, our members have shown their commitment and generosity to help out the victims and the families of last week's tragic events - resulting in over $2,000 already pledged to the Red Cross. With a monthly goal of contributing $5,000, any FTMs donated above and beyond this goal will be carried forward, pooled with other member’s donations, and sent to the Red Cross on a monthly basis.


StartSampling is a small (albeit growing) company which limits the amount we can contribute at this time, but if we all do our part, together, we can make a difference . Thanks for being a part of Miles For America.


Thank you and God Bless America,


Pat

StartSampling.com

Member Services Staff

[cata5]

I guess my 210 points won't go very far! Not even $.50...Still, it's a good way to use the points.

[mama2calli]

I hope they keep us updated on their donations as well, that would be nice to do...I'm glad you got a response on how far our miles will go...

Kath