Use gift card?

[Ted-Celle]

Would like to use a visa/amex/master card gift card for Astraweb. Does anyone know if it's possible?
I asked them, but they didn't answer whether it was possible, just told me to sign up for their service and provided a link.

I am looking for a private/anonymous offering...because of the whole newzbin liquidation. I want to keep my personal information personal.

[Expeto]

I don't have experience with the particular company but prepaid cards designed to work exactly same as the real ones, so they should work.
Let us know on the results, I'm interested in this case

GL


edit;
and welcome to the FST!

[cola]

Should be no problem.

[hdjunky]

Would like to use a visa/amex/master card gift card for Astraweb. Does anyone know if it's possible?
I asked them, but they didn't answer whether it was possible, just told me to sign up for their service and provided a link.

I am looking for a private/anonymous offering...because of the whole newzbin liquidation. I want to keep my personal information personal.

I wish I could find the thread on this from awhile back. But it may work or it may not. I think you need a billing address tied to the card. 2 Checkout who does the Astrawebs billing has that requirement I think. Worse case you could try it and let us all know! Maybe put it on a paypal account and pay that way, that way you can use anyone you wan that takes paypal.

I have seen before that some take cash and money orders maybe that is more anonymous who knows. NO trace that way and you dont even need a return address, a real one that is. :whistling

[cola]

When you register the card, you can use a fake name/address with no social security number. You won't be able to refill the card, but it'll still work. Just write down the name/address/phone you used when you registered the card.

[Beck38]

Would like to use a visa/amex/master card gift card for Astraweb. Does anyone know if it's possible?


I tried that route a long time ago, when I was a Giga user and had Astra as a fills (and wanted to buy a new block).

It was no go, but this WAS a good 3+ years ago. Usenet-News accepted it just fine (sells blocks as well), though, as did a couple of others (EU).

Astra uses a 3rd party billing company (2checkout.com) and whether or not they still won't do gift cards or anything other than a full-tilt credit card, I don't know.

[getusenet]

Could you please explain how a gift card can work in this case? I've heard it but don't really understand.

[cola]

A gift card is just a prepaid credit card. Has the same amount of numbers, has an experation date, CVN on the back, has to be registered to an address/name/telephone (doesn't have to be real). You use it just like a regular credit card.

[Ted-Celle]

A gift card is just a prepaid credit card. Has the same amount of numbers, has an experation date, CVN on the back, has to be registered to an address/name/telephone (doesn't have to be real). You use it just like a regular credit card.


Not entirely accurate. A gift card can be bought over the counter and many stores (in the U.S.) and does not require a name, address, or anything from the user. A prepaid credit card, on the other hand, is different in that it functions exactly like a credit card but the user adds money to it and then uses it. A gift card can function like a credit card (and a prepaid card), but is not always accepted at every place a regular card is. That's the problem I am having with Astraweb. I want to use a gift card, which I can buy at any store and not have to register it, but their credit card processor, 2checkout, will not accept it unless it has a name/address associated with it. Only option to my knowledge is to get a prepaid credit card and use fake name/address etc (if that's legal, I have to research it) to pay Astraweb. Bottom line for me is being concerned about Astraweb leaking my information on the web like happened with Newzbin. Fortunately, with Newzbin, I wasn't using my real name - they permitted nicknames for logins. Astraweb pulls your real name from your credit card information when you pay for the account. They should allow you to disassociate a name/address from the account and only use nicknames for security purposes.

[cola]

Then get a prepaid credit card and activate it using a fake name/address?

[Beck38]

Then get a prepaid credit card and activate it using a fake name/address?

U.S.A. Patriot Act forbids that, all issuers (Visa, M/C, financial institutions) have to obtain proof of identity, and double/check the information through local/state/federal authorities, to prevent the funds being transferred to/through 'terrorist' organizations.

[Ted-Celle]

Then get a prepaid credit card and activate it using a fake name/address?

U.S.A. Patriot Act forbids that, all issuers (Visa, M/C, financial institutions) have to obtain proof of identity, and double/check the information through local/state/federal authorities, to prevent the funds being transferred to/through 'terrorist' organizations.


I guess that settles it then.

[cola]

That only keeps you from refilling the card. You can activate a prepaid credit card without a social security number, but you will not be able to transfer money into the account to refill it. Thats the part the patriot act deals with. You can still buy a prepaid credit card at the store and give 50 or whatever to the cashier, but thats all you'll be able to spend.

What is necessary to get the Green Dot Card?
All you have to do is visit one of our participating retailers to purchase the Card and call or go online to provide your personal information to activate the Card. Federal law requires us to obtain, verify and record your name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number when you register a Green Dot Card. The cardholder's personal information will be kept on record upon Card activation and the cardholder's name will be embossed on his or her Personalized Card. If a valid social security number is not provided, a Personalized Card will not be issued.

https://www.greendotonline.com/contents/help.aspx

[hdjunky]

U.S.A. Patriot Act forbids that, all issuers (Visa, M/C, financial institutions) have to obtain proof of identity, and double/check the information through local/state/federal authorities, to prevent the funds being transferred to/through 'terrorist' organizations.


I guess that settles it then.

Does Astraweb actually keep your personal details? it has been quite awhile since I used them so I can not remember. If not, I think any company that uses a third party biller would be safer since the recording industries would need to go after two companies in this case for information. 2 Checkout and Astraweb in this case. 2 Checkout didnt do anything so i am not sure which legal ground the industry would have to stand on with them.

I will point it out again why not use one of the several servers that take payments by mail and just send them cash or a money order? Truly anonymous.

[zot]

The best gift cards I've found are the *Simon Giftcards* as they never expire and never charge a monthly fee. They cost $3.00 per card (in addition to whatever money you want put on the card) Most other prepaids charge monthly fees.

Around a third of the major (in-door) shopping malls in the USA are owned by Simon, and they sell these Gift cards at the mall help desk. That's what I always try to get. Otherwise the monthly fees of other cards can eat you alive.

Prepaid credit cards/giftcards can be used in SOME online transactions. The Simon Giftcards usually (but not always) require inputting the card's CVC code for an online purchase, otherwise they will usually decline the payment if a site does not ask for the CVC code. The CVC code may be on the front of the card - with a different 3 or 4-digit code on the card's backside - so it can be confusing. Try both to see which works. A fake address is usually accepted (you just can't leave the boxes blank).

It seems that there is no hard rule for determining if a site will accept a prepaid/gift card. Just try it and see. Sites can often change their creditcard processor (and a giftcard can itself change its payment processor) so a particular giftcard's acceptance at one particular site may be different from year to year. The most recent purchase I made with a Simon Giftcard (AMX) was with Blocknews last year, and it worked then but I can't say if it will still work today. My suggestion is BUY THE CARD and then see who will accept it. My own experience has been that most usenet providers will, and I've used giftcards on many USPs over the years (probably more than I can easily count when I include free trials).

Regarding the 'prepaid debit cards' (that are not sold as 'giftcards') -- It seems some don't *require* a Social Security number -- for non-citizens at least. But it's best to avoid these cards generally since they must be **activated** with a name/address/DOB after you buy them before they can be used and in some cases the card you buy is just a *dummy card* which can't actually be used - so you must wait for the *real* card to arrive in the mail.

As far as a usenet provider keeping your personal details, we should assume that they will keep your name, address, phone, and email address you give them. Your credit card number may or may not be kept, and if it is, it might be on file with a 3rd-party payment processor only, I really don't know.

[cola]

Regarding the 'prepaid debit cards' (that are not sold as 'giftcards') -- It seems some don't *require* a Social Security number -- for non-citizens at least. But it's best to avoid these cards generally since they must be **activated** with a name/address/DOB after you buy them before they can be used and in some cases the card you buy is just a *dummy card* which can't actually be used - so you must wait for the *real* card to arrive in the mail.

The dummy card can be used if you activate without an SS, but you only get to use the amount of money you initially put on the card.

[beansis]

The best gift cards I've found are the *Simon Giftcards* as they never expire and never charge a monthly fee. They cost $3.00 per card (in addition to whatever money you want put on the card) Most other prepaids charge monthly fees.

Wow that's a good deal. Are these cards only sold in the malls?

[zot]

Wow that's a good deal. Are these cards only sold in the malls?

Besides buying them at malls owned by Simon Property Group Inc.- you can order Simon Giftcards online at www.simon.com (http://www.simon.com). (of course having one mailed to your house kind of blows any anonymity you might have had by buying one in person and paying cash.) I should note that the simon.com website seems to be out of date - the cards shown on the site are the old VISA cards that they no longer sell at malls since a few months ago. Simon's old Visa cards did expire and did charge monthly fees after the first 12 months - unlike the American Express cards currently sold at malls, which do not. I suspect that the Simon.com website has just never been updated to reflect the changes, but it's also possible that they are still selling off their old unsold Visa cards.

Most large indoor shopping malls sell gift-cards of some type. Some of these are Visa/Mastercard/AmericanExpress cards that can be used anywhere, including online. But in many cases these mall giftcards can only be used in that particular mall's shops. So be sure to ask the person at the mall's help desk.

I mentioned Simon Giftcards because it's (so far) the best deal I've found. Simon is the largest owner of shopping malls (they own hundreds across the US) but there are many others that sell giftcards also. The 'second-best' deal I've come across is at a few other malls (not owned by Simon) that also sell Visa, Mastercard or American Express giftcards, but many of these charge higher fees. Probably the best way to find out is to ask at your local shopping mall. I've found that the mall cards are always a better deal than Green Dot or other mass-marketed prepaid cards. It makes sense because the main purpose of the cards sold in malls is to promote sales at the mall, rather than trying to make a profit off the card itself.

A local factory-outlet mall nearby used to sell Discover gift cards (12 month no-fee grace period) at only $1 over face value, and that was my choice card until the mall stopped selling them and switched to a mall-use-only card. Like I've been saying, the best thing is to visit or phone your local malls and see what kind of giftcards they sell.

[zot]

*bump*

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/04/tech/main6547770.shtml?tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesAreaMain;cbsnewsLeadStoriesSecondary

[fluke]

The simon gift cards work for me with Supernews and Giganews. Just make sure you register it first.
http://www.simon.com/giftcard/

[Ted-Celle]

Gift card can be used with Astraweb.
Just buy it, register it on the website (e.g. visa) and use it with Astraweb checkout. The key is that it has to be registered with the gift card company to purchase online and I believe you can only buy block accounts with astraweb using a gift card (one time purchases).

[hdjunky]

I had a pu$$y whipped friend recently who i showed newsgroups due to his interest in easy obtainable adult related stuff ;) In order to hide the purchase from his wife he mailed his payment in cash for his account and his wife is none the wiser. Everything worked out okay and he is up and running. I think cash or money order or something is a bit more anonymous than even a prepaid card.