I agree. I live outside USA. Made the call to the rep, tell them my referrer (he writes about NBA at his blog) and got approved. Of course, having to make international call, waiting, etc ... it is a bit of a hassle. But then, I agree with getjimmy. Provide the right info - you'll be in.
You all should check this out: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=604881 Post something there if you have news about this scheme...