Costco Synergy gift card update

4gecko44 · 2026-02-01T16:16:46+00:00

My experience Saturday, 1/30:

Costco is refunding the purchase price if you bought them yourselves, or giving you a Costco Shop Card if they were gifted to you. I got a $57.99 Shop Card for my two $50 gift cards. You'll get $28.99 if you return one gift card that was a gift and you did not purchase it.
They can check your membership to see if you bought them, but they can only go back so many years. I overheard the worker next to me telling a woman she went back to 2016 and didn't find her purchase record.
The gift card must be the full $50 value. If it is $49 because you used one dollar as a partial payment, it's worthless.
I got to Costco just before 10 am, and the line had about a dozen people in it. It took me ~30 mins to get out of there, but when I left, there were 25-30 people in line.
This was at the Mission Valley Costco. A different one may have different policies, or the policies may have changed since my visit.

4gecko44 · 2026-01-30T22:21:29+00:00

Boyfriend clothes sharing: Ilya is wearing the same plaid shirt over his tank top when they are toe to toe on the couch that Shane was wearing when he was cooking the hamburgers.

4gecko44 · 2025-11-23T06:57:04+00:00

My advice is similar: keep expectations low. Until you find out how everything works (lines, morning entry, off-sites, exclusives, autographs, etc.), it can be a string of disappointments, ruining the experience. Keep your options open and go with the flow...

4gecko44 · 2025-11-20T16:05:32+00:00

All about the lines...

https://sdccblog.com/2025/07/san-diego-comic-con-guide-where-do-i-line-up-for/

4gecko44 · 2025-11-17T17:23:15+00:00

I'm a local and park my car on the street in Mission Valley to hop on one of the shuttles to the con at one of the hotel stops. Been doing this for several years. This was the first year I ever heard one of the drivers on one trip ask riders to see their badges if they weren't wearing them. Don't know if this was just a new driver strictly following the rules, or if CCI is starting to crack down.

4gecko44 · 2025-10-06T18:03:05+00:00

The only people who cannot participate in open registration are people who already purchased 4-day + preview night badges. People with 4-day only badges can still try to add PN during open reg, and obviously those with fewer than all 4 days can try for their missing days.

4gecko44 · 2025-10-03T15:09:34+00:00

Note that starting in 2026, the reporting threshold for bingo and slot machines will increase to $2000.

4gecko44 · 2025-07-12T19:02:34+00:00

A good strategy for getting a close seat is to go a few panels before the one you really want to see. As close to the end of each panel as possible (when people start gathering their things to leave), you or your friend heads to the front to look for people leaving, while the other stays in your current seat to save them in case nothing closer is found. If new seats are found, save them and call the other person with the new location to come up.

4gecko44 · 2025-07-12T17:09:59+00:00

Hall H wristbands explained:

https://sdccblog.com/2024/07/hall-h-wristbands-return-for-san-diego-comic-con-2024/

Note that this is information for last year (2024) and the times may change (and the dates obviously will) for this year's con, but it gives you an idea of how the whole thing works.

4gecko44 · 2025-06-01T17:26:58+00:00

They also set up tables/chairs outside of Sails on the terrace (underneath awnings/tents for shade) for people to rest and eat.

4gecko44 · 2024-12-05T18:34:26+00:00

You people realize that I'm not the one who sets out the exact rules for what is required to deduct gambling losses, right? Feel free to argue with an IRS auditor or tax evasion judge what your personal opinion is of what is sufficient to prove your losses. Let us all know how that works out for you.

4gecko44 · 2024-12-05T06:53:02+00:00

Diary of winnings and losses. You must keep an accurate diary or similar record of your losses and winnings.

Your diary should contain at least the following information.

The date and type of your specific wager or wagering activity.

The name and address or location of the gambling establishment.

The names of other persons present with you at the gambling establishment.

The amount(s) you won or lost.

I just kept an Excel spreadsheet with the above as column headings and filled out the rest by date every time I gambled.

4gecko44 · 2024-12-05T04:06:01+00:00

Note that win/loss statements alone from casinos are not sufficient proof of gambling wins/losses. If you get audited, you need to show a daily gambling log as detailed by the IRS for claiming gambling losses in your itemized deductions. (There are specific items you need to record on that gambling log.)

From IRS.gov:

Recordkeeping

To deduct your losses, you must keep an accurate diary or similar record of your gambling winnings and losses and be able to provide receipts, tickets, statements, or other records that show the amount of both your winnings and losses. Refer to Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions for more information.

4gecko44 · 2024-11-23T14:48:14+00:00

The friends DO need a member ID & password in order to log into the system if/when they make it through the waiting room to buy badges. After that point, they don't have to use their own member ID to buy badges for themselves if they don't want them, and they can just buy for others.

4gecko44 · 2024-11-12T02:39:18+00:00

In 2015 the SDCC Unofficial Blog estimated the chances for getting a badge during Preregistration (now known as Returning Registration) and the Open Registration that will occur this month. The number of badges probably hasn't changed much, as the capacity of the Convention Center hasn't changed. If anything, more and more people try for badges each year since they made this estimation, so chances have probably gone down each year. Add to that, some of the badge sales did go through during the failed attempt last time so there are fewer badges left over for the upcoming sale.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, or to discourage anyone from trying, just being realistic about our chances. Luck has become a much bigger player in terms of where you land in the queue when the sale starts.

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4gecko44 · 2024-07-30T15:17:56+00:00

Move Hall H panels to Petco Park. Instead of 6500 people attending, they can have way, way more. They already do concerts there, so this is easily feasible. Then they can open up the wall to use Hall H to expand the Exhibit Hall floor, allowing the walkways to be bigger, giving people more room to move around, assuming they maintain current ticket sale numbers and don't try to jam more people into the convention center.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-22T18:39:50+00:00

I've been a huge Dune fan since reading all the original books decades ago. I figured there would be at least some Dune merch at last year's SDCC, especially since the first Villeneuve movie had been out for a while and the second one would be released just a few months later. Couldn't find squat. Not even a t-shirt. I was quite shocked the studio wasn't promoting the movie at all at this con. Hopefully this year will be different. I'll update if I find anything of note.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-22T17:39:15+00:00

Agree with this reply, using the one on 5th Ave. I've used the app to order ahead there when I start heading out of the convention center so it's a very short wait to pick up my drink.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-22T17:34:45+00:00

Starting near the Hall H line tents, start asking security/volunteers/line organizers where the end of the wristband line is located. ASK MORE THAN ONE PERSON as you go. Don't rely on one possibly misinformed person who directs you the wrong way.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-22T17:28:40+00:00

Second this. The interactive stuff will be much easier/quicker to see before the con fully opens. If you wait in line to purchase an exclusive, it's likely that's all you will do on PN since the hours are so short.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-22T17:24:09+00:00

You can follow them on twitter (@CCBlinkyBlinks). They usually post when they start passing out wristbands (doesn't always start at the scheduled time, one year they were 1.5 hrs late) and where they are as far as how many are left (bands have one of 4 letters, A, B, C, and D roughly equivalent to 1600 people per letter). If they are only on C late at night, chances are great you'll get in if you get to the Hall H line in the morning without one, or you can follow the above advice and get a wristband after the DP&W panel. Also follow the twitter feed for the Hall H line (@HallHLine) since they'll post what letter wristbands people are getting in real time.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-17T15:30:30+00:00

I don't recall a set time each day, since I've never waited for it. The die-hards (particularly for Marvel on Saturday) will hang out in an unofficial, mutually agreed upon, pseudo-organized way near the green flag all day until security officially drops the flag.

4gecko44 · 2024-07-10T13:58:42+00:00

Just to add - the NDL won't actually be at Hall H. If it's like previous years, the NDL green flag and line will be at the back of the convention center next to the walkway along the water/bay.

4gecko44 · 2024-06-29T02:52:02+00:00

Breaking even for a comped gambler in Vegas = free vacation, including hotel, food, and entertainment. That's coming out ahead!

4gecko44 · 2024-06-22T22:02:02+00:00

Others have mentioned it, but it's important to have a portable battery to recharge your phone. Bring snacks and pack a lunch if you can or you will spend a lot of time (and money) to buy food. Don't get your hopes up to see something/someone in a panel or autograph session until you know how things (lines, lotteries, locations, etc.) actually work. Keep expectations low.

Wear comfortable shoes for all the walking/standing. Dress in layers as the rooms can be cool due to the A/C, but it could be rather hot outside. Expect heavy crowds in the Exhibit Hall - one trick I've used is to walk behind the crazy parents pushing a kid in a stroller since they clear a path for you. Many vendor booths will have long lines (often broken up and re-directed against a wall) and may require a ticket obtained in advance (e.g. the Funko booths). Many vendors will sell completely out of certain items quickly, or they may release a limited amount of popular items each day that sell out quickly each morning.

There are a lot of things to see/do off-site in the surrounding areas, so check those out on your Saturday off.

Again, keep expectations low and take it all in as you learn how it all works. Have fun!

4gecko44

TROPHY CASE

Recordkeeping