AARP Rewards Tips

BLS99880 · ‎09-29-2024

More a vent since nothing community can do, but a tip so this doesn't happen to others:

I signed up for AARP using Apple's Hide My Email feature, or sign up with Apple, and generated a Hide My Email address. Either way it's a generated icloud email address used only for my AARP account. Emails from AARP sent to that icloud address get forwarded - or are supposed to get forwarded - to my comcast email. I have definitely received AARP emails this way, such as Movies For Grownups related emails.

I had the bright idea to buy 2 $50 Papa Johns e-gift cards from AARP rewards for $46 each. Family birthday tomorrow, plan was to do Papa Johns anyway, and I thought this would save 8 bucks. Paid with a credit card. The info for the e-gift cards was supposed to be sent to my Hide My Email icloud address, and AARP probably did send from their end... However I never got the email (or emails since it was two separate e-gift cards) because for whatever reason it was never forwarded on to my comcast email.

I chatted with Apple support, and in the end they couldn't solve things and set me up to get a support call from some Apple supervisor team. Meanwhile I have been fretting and losing sleep over possibly having spent $92 and nothing to show for it.

I decided I am done using any Hide My Email for anything, especially anything involving money, but really I am done with it period.

I canceled the upcoming call from Apple because I am 1) seriously doubting they can actually help, and 2) hoping I can get AARP to understand that I paid for these gift cards but never received them due to this Hide My Email fiasco, and that I need to change my email on my account to a real email and have the egift cards resent there.

I have screen captures that should verify everything - that I made the purchase, that it is pending in my cc account, that the icloud email is supposed to forward to my comcast, that I have received AARP emails to that address. (Does not seem to be a way for me to send an email from that icloud address, and can't email AARP anyway.)

So tomorrow morning I will be texting AARP help since I will be able to send the screen captures I have for proof via text.

I guess I better go take some melatonin and see if that helps because I have been up for pretty much the past 9 hours fretting over this. I keep trying to sleep, which is funny because some reward points I recently earned was for reading and watching all this stuff about sleep this and sleep that. Maybe should give up late night purchases also. lol

TL/DR: Don't use Apple's Hide My Email with AARP because especially if you purchase an egift card you will very likely never receive them that way.

BLS99880 · ‎09-30-2024

UPDATE: The emails for the Papa Johns gift cards came through just after midnight my time. So... whew! I guess I panicked too soon, but not used to e-gift cards taking so long.

Still going to stop using Hide My Email (if I want to use a junk email address for something, there's other options lol). I am going to update my email address for my AARP account. Glad I won't need to contact customer service help after all. I'm assuming the gift cards will work - - guess I'll find out when I order our pizzas tonight!