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21 Comments
This is going to result in Gift Cards becoming obsolete and we will go back to the old Gift Vouchers if this scam becomes more robust.
Unfortunately I’m not sure how they would be useful for Internet shopping.
I’ve been so turned off of giving gift cards. Gift cards lock in purchasing to a specific retailer (or group of retailers). These prepaid Visa cards have fees attached. Release the stigma on giving cash. Gift cards have their use, but cash is maximum flexibility. Just saying.
There’s a video on YouTube. Traffic patrol in Florida busts a gift card scam. Likely similar situation here.
Ya I had a prepaid Visa card do this. Didn’t realize they charge a monthly fee to the card and when we finally went to use it it was all gone from just that.
Wife got scammed giving gift cards to our nephews a while back, bought them at Shoppers, and activated them ($100 each I think) gave them to the boys and they were excited to buy some steam games. They were already all used up! common scam sadly. just didn’t know about it at the time.
Got a prepaid visa for $75 as a work Christmas gift. Couple months later i went to use it for the first time. Called to check balance first, it was 75. Went to store, and it got declined. Called to check balance again, there was still 75. Called customer service and there was a $500 hold on the card (makes no sense why). The process for them to send me a new card was stupid do I didn’t bother.
Next year they gave us $10 Timmy cards
I received a gift card last Christmas and the number was scratched off, someone had glued the packaging back together in a way where you couldn’t tell it was previously opened from the outside.
Maybe provinces should pass more stringent consumer protection laws… I wonder where they could find some inspiration.
It’s unbelievable that it’s been years and this scam is still happening.
This could be solved if there was a pin printed on the receipt that is required to use the card.
I just went through this with Shoppers / Loblaws.
They refused to even honour their own warranty and refund process. The store manager was so angry she bought me a Home Depot gift card with her own money. When I went to use it, there was no balance on that one either.
A lot of back and forth and my threatening to file a criminal complaint resulted in Loblaws getting involved and they have sent me a check for double the value of the gift card… which is now stuck somewhere due to the Canada Post strike.
Gift cards are a scam.
Like extended warranties, tipping, and trickle down.
I hate when people (usually the same family member) give my kids prepaid Visa cards as a gift. Every month the balance goes down, and the kids “lose” money.
I always buy the cards from the kids and use them right away on groceries or gas.
They are such a pain to use! If you don’t know the exact balance and your transaction is over, the transaction can be declined. Sometimes the store has to split your transaction in 2 to be able to use the rest of the balance.
And the fact the balance goes down every month is disgusting – what a scam!!!
This scam has been ongoing forever. Never buy gift cards that are out in the aisle at shoppers or other places.. bar codes can be changed so easily.
I buy digital cards online Amazon usually they email the code to avoid this
This is why cash is superior always. Gift cards are a scam and honestly less appreciated as a gift.
Don’t need scammers to drain your cards when cards like “The perfect gift” Visa / Mastercard have hidden montly fees that already steal your money.
Cash is king.
We had this happen to us 2 years ago at Christmas. My wife bought 2 Esso gift cards at Walmart for my parents that we were going to give them as a thank you for watching the kids here and there over the year. She was in a rush and didn’t check the cards close enough and both had been compromised. Went to Walmart who wouldn’t do anything and told us to call Esso. Called Esso twice and they assured me they were working on refunding our money. Both companies basically ghosted us so have stopped shopping at both.
If you want to gift your loved ones, use straight cash. Gift cards have so many loopholes to give you as little as possible, it’s no better than a legal scam.
I always gift cash. When I started doing so, almost all my friends were gifting prepaid gift cards. No, many followed me and are gifting money.
Call them up – it’s not legal in Alberta to deduct from gift cards and also likely you never activated it someone else did (ie the cashier). I had one deduct $150 last year off a $200 card and they gave it back after some fighting.