Purchase Coffee Card on Auction Site?

[raz455]

I have seen an offer too good to pass up on an auction site - 2 coffee cards for $54.00. The seller states the cards are good on any ship. So, my question is, do such cards exist? If they do, I am assuming this is a good deal and should go for it. Thanks in advance for your help!

[Astro Flyer]

That's up to you but I would not be willing to risk $54 to save $12.70 off the $66.70 cost by purchasing from Princess on their website or on the ship. For me the savings is not worth the risk of possibly getting a bogus coffee card.

 

Also if the name of another Princess ship & it's cruise # is written on the back it will not be valid for unlimited brewed coffee at the International Cafe.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Astro Flyer

[KruzPrincess]

Yes, these cards do exist. I have read that people (some on Cruise Critic) get coffee cards instead of their Elite bar set-up and sell them on a well known auction site. It's very likely that the cards are real. I, myself, sell on an auction site and have considered this, but I've never done it. These auction sites have feedback and you can check the sellers feedback to see if he/she is reputable. It probably will work. Here's my hesitation in buying and selling.... I always worry that Princess will change their rules or plans. Maybe I worry too much, but the small amount of money saved isn't worth it to me as a buyer. As a seller, I don't want to risk negative feedback if the buyer can't use them for some reason. If you do intend to buy, make sure you see both sides of the cards before you buy.

[Colo Cruiser]

Just buy them onboard. ;)

[skynight]

I have seen an offer too good to pass up on an auction site - 2 coffee cards for $54.00. The seller states the cards are good on any ship. So, my question is, do such cards exist? If they do, I am assuming this is a good deal and should go for it. Thanks in advance for your help!

The regular price is $33.35/card and comes with unlimited brewed coffee and premium tea for the cruise. There are 15 punches on each card for espresso drinks. Cards never expire until all punches are used. After the initial cruise the "unlimited options" are no longer valid. If you wish to have brewed coffee or premium tea with an old card you can get it with a punch of the card.

 

Personally I think the price is too high for a secondary card.

[emmak8]

Doesn't seem worth it. If you can afford the cruise, you should be able to afford the coffee card.

[susancruzs]

As others said, risky business, I would not do it.

[MCC retired]

Minimal purchase savings not worth losing out on the unlimited fresh brewed coffee that you get purchasing the coffee cards onboard.

[jasbo49]

We've bought several and most are just like new. As someone said, people get two of them in lieu of a mini bar setup. They often use one and sell the other.

 

If the seller has good feedback and says the cards are unmarked, or better yet has pictures to show it, then I'd say go for it. But wait for the right price.

 

If you are patient, you can find them for $25 each. We even got one that had nearly half the punches used, but it was only $8 or something. It still worked. We used it on our last cruise for punches only.

 

An auction site has inherent risks, but buying a Princess coffee card is no riskier than buying a shirt or a CD or a batch of neckties.

 

Jim

[EatPrayCruise]

We have both bought and sold. We don't use the mini-bar so we get the cards. Unused and unmarked, and we've sold them online. I take photos of front and back and have a pretty darn good feedback, so we have never had trouble selling them and getting very positive feedback in return.

[pablo222]

We have both bought and sold. We don't use the mini-bar so we get the cards. Unused and unmarked, and we've sold them online. I take photos of front and back and have a pretty darn good feedback, so we have never had trouble selling them and getting very positive feedback in return.

 

Once a few more people post the same here, Princess will

end the exchange for coffee cards.

[jasbo49]

Once a few more people post the same here, Princess will

end the exchange for coffee cards.

 

Why? The cruise line is giving something of value (coffee cards) for something of value (booze). The customer is trading that value for something else of value (cash).

 

If people took home half their mini bar and sold it to their neighbor, it would be the same thing, and no one would complain. There's nothing shady here, no one taking advantage. Just business and thrift.

 

Jim

[#1Nanna]

I bought cards a while back on a popular auction site for $22 each. New & unmarked. We used them on our last cruise & have a couple put away for our upcoming cruise. I still think it is a good deal when purchased from Princess, but I just happened to get a bargain deal.

[Crabby_Cruiser]

I made a post about this in another topic regarding coffee and my post got deleted. At the time, I thought it was because I had mentioned buying the cards from a vendor other than Princess but after seeing and reading this thread, I'm assuming it was because I named the auction site by name.:confused:

[Loonbeam]

If you only want the punches, it makes financial sense as long as the seller has a good rep.

 

That said, under policy, there should not be any circulated blank cards as they are also supposed to be stamped with ship and voyage #/date.

 

Until Princess does that, they have no real way of detecting cards not issued on that ship until they change the design.

 

What I suspect Princess will eventually do is instead of issuing cards will just attach the purchase to a key card in terms of credits, similar to what Disney does with meal plans. They need to update their POS tho.

[IECalCruiser]

Mentioning the sale of Coffee Cards on EBay or any other site is a great way to have Princess discontinue the option of being able to exchange the Mini Bar set-up for 2 coffee cards. I am assuming these cards come from Elite or Full Suite passengers who exchange for the Coffee Cards and the sell them after the cruise. I wonder how many people actually do that?

[Wehwalt]

I do it. I really don't drink much and am quite content to do the exchange and sell my surplus cards on [well known auction site that starts with e and ends with y] (my name there is same as here, and I usually mention that in my listings). I do drink coffee and like a coffee drink a day, but I'm one person so I probably am not going to use both. I don't have any to sell right now but will later in the fall. I've never had a complaint.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Wehwalt

[ar1950]

I bought cards a while back on a popular auction site for $22 each. New & unmarked. We used them on our last cruise & have a couple put away for our upcoming cruise. I still think it is a good deal when purchased from Princess, but I just happened to get a bargain deal.

 

Thanks for the hint and price point reference.

[GUT2407]

Doesn't seem worth it. If you can afford the cruise, you should be able to afford the coffee card.

 

Gee I get sick of this mantra if you can't afford (or don't want to pay for) X you can't afford to cruise.

 

I wouldn't buy the card, but people keep making this statement some people just like to save a buck when they can.

[GUT2407]

Mentioning the sale of Coffee Cards on EBay or any other site is a great way to have Princess discontinue the option of being able to exchange the Mini Bar set-up for 2 coffee cards. I am assuming these cards come from Elite or Full Suite passengers who exchange for the Coffee Cards and the sell them after the cruise. I wonder how many people actually do that?

 

I am surprised that the cards elites can get aren't already dated and marked with the ship.

[dcdisney]

The cards we purchased onboard a few weeks ago at 2 different locations were not stamped or dated at purchase or any point during our cruise.

[rdsqrl]

I do it. I really don't drink much and am quite content to do the exchange and sell my surplus cards on [well known auction site that starts with e and ends with y] (my name there is same as here, and I usually mention that in my listings). I do drink coffee and like a coffee drink a day, but I'm one person so I probably am not going to use both. I don't have any to sell right now but will later in the fall. I've never had a complaint.

It's totally lame to say you don't drink much as a rationalization for trading your minibar, considering that you can trade it for sodas and/or bottled water. You must drink something, right? *eyeroll* The perks are not there for you to make a profit on, and haven't we had the discussion about abuse already? This is the kind of activity that will put an end to the ability to trade out items, if not the entire perk of the minibar.

[Wehwalt]

It's totally lame to say you don't drink much as a rationalization for trading your minibar, considering that you can trade it for sodas and/or bottled water. You must drink something, right? *eyeroll* The perks are not there for you to make a profit on, and haven't we had the discussion about abuse already? This is the kind of activity that will put an end to the ability to trade out items, if not the entire perk of the minibar.

 

When Princess gives me the cards, I own them. Fee simple absolute. I know of no contract regarding them. I'm as free to sell them as I am anything else Princess gives me, or that I own from any other source. If Princess embarks on major changes of policies (which would most surely tick off their non-drinking passengers) based on what a few people do on e--y, which is not in the least abusive, I would find it very surprising. I am simply selling an item from my cruise I did not use, and that was given to me to take away. I've seen people selling the bags, or their Elite pins, and various small prizes from around the ship on e--y. Is that abusive?

 

You do things your way, I will do things mine. Those who read this thread can choose to do either. Or not, as they please. But kindly don't go all rolleyes on a fellow cruiser who is responding within the limits of the topic with well-meant and practical advice.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Wehwalt

[AliceS]

Keep telling the world how you profit and the cruise line will change the rules again. When the coffee card first came out...people were laminating them for the lanyard thinking they'd have a FOREVER coffee card....well...Princess caught on and began to mark the ship name and sailing. That will happen for the exchange cards as well....if you keep bragging about selling them on here!!

[Wehwalt]

Keep telling the world how you profit and the cruise line will change the rules again. When the coffee card first came out...people were laminating them for the lanyard thinking they'd have a FOREVER coffee card....well...Princess caught on and began to mark the ship name and sailing. That will happen for the exchange cards as well....if you keep bragging about selling them on here!!

 

I'm not sure that's fair. The OP asked if such cards on such sites are legitimate. I and another poster have assured them that at least for our part, they come from a legitimate source. Neither of us has mentioned price. And comparing the cost of cruising with what a surplus coffee card gets me, I'm sure it's not fair to speak of profit. It's less than I tip the cabin attendant.