PopcornTreeCt

The deal is that you apply for a Sony Visa card and if you're instantly approved you get a $150 credit back on your card as long as you spend $299 or more at the Sony Style store.

All in all with FL sales tax I could get a PS3 for $382.49. Has anyone does this? How did it work out?

edstein

Not only that but you get the 5 free BR movies as well.

flashburn

I signed up for the Sony Visa card back when they were simply crediting a persons credit card $150 after spending any amount at any place. Once they credited your account you could just call them and they would mail you a check for the remaining credit left.

Overall it was a extremely painless process and I got my $150 credit back before my first months statement.

aktick

Corvin did this I guess.

What normal perks does the Sony card have?

Obviously opening and canceling credit cards wreaks havoc on your credit score, but I'm looking for a 3rd CC (the magic # for achieving perfect credit, from what friends in the biz have told me), and want a PS3 by Xmas.

How often does Sony have a deal like this going on? If they would have something like this closer to Xmas, when I'm guessing the PS3 may be cheaper, I'd jump on it for sure.

Michael Corvin

Yes. This is what I did.

I haven't checked my credit, but due to my status in other areas, mortgage, car, previous cards, I felt I was good to sign up without any damage done. I had the Sony card a few years back before they switched to Chase so I can't really comment on service or anything. The perk is points towards purchases on SonyStyle. The rate of points is paltry compared to other card's reward programs though.

The main reason I hopped onto it because it is the 60GB version with the Emotion Engine. Having not owned a PS2 I wanted full back compat and didn't want to deal with the "some work, some don't" nightmare that the 360 has.

I ordered on Wed. morning with the free shipping. Still hasn't left CA. It was supposed to be 4 day shipping.

You should update the main post to include:

- 5 Free Blu-ray offer is valid
- Free shipping Tuesday-Thursday
- if you aren't qualified on the spot, you will more than likely receive a rejection letter in the mail

aktick

I could search for an answer, but it's just as easy to ask you - why is the above important?

jrobinson

I believe the difference is hardware emulation (old) versus software emulation (new) of PS1/PS2 games.

PopcornTreeCt

So, I'm assuming this means you can only get free shipping when ordering on these days? The website says Weekend Special: Free Shipping on Everything

Michael Corvin

Ahh. That must be special right now. They have free shipping every Tues, Wed, Thurs.

Correct. Last I read, Hardware emulation compatability was 98%. I think the software percentage was at 78%. So roughly 22% of the PS2 library won't work on the software emulation PS3s. Once the 60GB PS3s are gone, they will all be software emulation.

A more informed Sony fan can probably give better numbers.

pinata242

Also the credit card has 0% APR for 12 months - on the PS3 and any additional purchases, I took it to mean.

Oh, I did this too today. I figured for $500 + tax - $150 for the PS3-EE and 5 movies is as good as it's ever going to get for me. Plus, since I'll have the EE, I can sell the PS2 for whatever to offset that cost. So $150-$200 each for a PS3 and a BR player (less if I factor in the movies, I guess) is a fine deal.

So, I'm officially format-neutral now and I'm looking forward to GoW3

BTW - The PS/PS2 memory card adapter - is that really only a one-time thing? I connect them and move the saves then I can wipe the cards and sell them with the PS2, right?

Edit - Oh, and 0% for 12 months on balance transfers after a 3% transfer fee, $75 max ($2500). That's not bad either, if you have other debt.

aktick

I might do this, but I'll probably only use the card once a year to keep it active. My Citi Platinum card gives me 3% cash back most places, at least 1% everywhere...this Sony card ends up being less than 1% back.

And I feel like I should be spouting a public service announcement about the terrible habit of carrying debt on your credit cards...but it's a video game forum, so I'll bite my tongue.

PopcornTreeCt

I think I'll bite on this tomorrow. Right after I return from Best Buy with my 360 HD Drive.

pinata242

Just to be clear, I have no CC debt either, except for the recent Target (360) and Sony (PS3) cards I just opened. Target will be paid off as soon as I get a bill and Sony will be paid to savings for the duration of the 12-month 0% financing term.

I was just throwing the transfer information out there because, while CC debt isn't the best, money can be made in a simple saving account rather than paying off the debt. I can make $125 in 12 months on $2500 in my 5% savings account whereas it would only cost $75 to transfer that debt for 12 months.

Not all CC debt is bad, if you know how to manage it properly - but that's the big problem for most Americans, the instant gratification and lack of planning.

aktick

Looks like you have to apply by August 31, but you don't have to make your $299+ purchase until November 30. So it may be worth applying and waiting until Thanksgiving to see if there's a good deal - though, maybe Sony stores won't have any deals that regular retailers might?

Chew

It's a darn good thing that's the case too. I applied and was approved for the card just a few minutes ago.

Then went to order. The 60gb PS3 is out of stock.

This is about the third time I've been ready to plug the trigger on a PS3 and waited just a bit too long.

It's only a 6 week window to get back in stock in order to get the 5 Blu-Ray movies though.

pinata242

Damn! Glad I bit when I did then. I sure hope their inventory system is accurate and mine doesn't turn into a back-order. The 80gb isn't a viable substitute since I don't think a non-EE PS3 is worth it to me.

PopcornTreeCt

Well, that sucks. I hope they get more in, maybe not considering they don't make it anymore.

matrixrok9

Just wondering what's the general rule on how many credit cards I should have to get my credit score high or stable?

flashburn

Generally speaking, I thought it was always just the lower your % of debt to available credit, the better. I haven't heard of the "magic 3" number that aktick mentioned before, but then again, I haven't looked very hard either.

All I do know is, before I got a mortgage I had insanely good credit and that was with a ton of credit cards and a really low debt to credit %. I'm sure after getting a mortgage my credit score isn't looking too hot, but I don't plan on getting into any long term debt any time soon.

matrixrok9

Thanks Flashburn. I always pay my debt usually within one month, 2 months max. Any sites you suggest that will give you a free credit report without the bs?

aktick

http://www.annualcreditreport.com is the only true free site. You can get each of the 3 reports once a year - generally it's a good idea to space them out 4 months apart, to keep an eye on things throughout the year. This won't give you your score, but the score is irrelevant from the consumer's perspective.

3 credit cards is the magic number I've heard from a friend who works for one of the big 3 as well as a lawyer I do some work with. While there isn't anything that specifically says more than that will bring your score down (albeit small amounts per extra card over 3), historically speaking it's the easiest for the smart consumer to balance.

But like flashburn said, he had great credit even after having a lot of open cards. ...but I'm sure he'll tell you that was because he always paid them on time, and didn't run around canceling them as soon as he signed up to get a freebie.

Be sure to keep your oldest cards active (often that means just using it 1x per year), and if you are going to be getting a loan soon, don't think canceling a bunch of cards will help your score.

pinata242

I love how this thread has turned out I guess the original topic doesn't apply anymore anyway.

Sure hope mine ships tomorrow

aktick

I know, sorry. Work and play don't mix, but I felt obligated to answer.

flashburn

Yep, exactly. I have never made a late payment, or even carried a balance. As long as you make all of your payments on time and don't keep opening/closing lines of credit, you will be on the path to great credit. Most people don't realize that if you have a bunch of credit cards and you cancel them it is only going to HURT your credit not help.

As far as the freebie card deals that come along, you definitely shouldn't be opening/closing accounts as fast as possible if you care about your short term credit score. As aktick says try to keep your oldest credit cards going for as long as possible as account age also plays a role in your credit score.

Anyway, I think this thread had an original purpose... something about a PS3 maybe?

matrixrok9

Thanks for the link. Do they mail you the credit report? It seemed like they wanted me to pay if I wanted to see the report online.

Sorry for going off topic but I wanted to know if it's worth saving $150 and have the possibility my credit score will go down.

Hmmm, PS3 for $350, it's very tempting...