Printable View
I bought a $100 SDM gift card with my visa the other day and then went to use it this morning and there was a $0 balance.
I ended up having them call HO and they are supposed to get back to me about it.
Has anyone had this happen? If so, did you have much trouble getting it fixed?
It's a cashier blunder so you shouldn't have much trouble. Just hold onto your receipt to show that you did buy it because people often steal unloaded gift cards thinking they're loaded, so as long as you have the original receipt they can't accuse you of that.
It was probably just a cashier error. Gift card thefts are also on the rise though. They can make copies of gift cards and then write down numbers in the store and keep checking to see if they've been activated yet.
Yep, I have had amounts stolen from my SDM gift cards. I can't recall the exact details, but we bought $450 on 8 different gift cards, and at least half of them were compromised.
Getting it sorted out was about 1.5 - 2 week process. I phoned the number on the back of the gift card and asked for details about the transactions that occurred on each of the cards. They confirmed when the card was activated (by me when I added the money). They told me what store number "stole" my amounts, e.g. I had a $100 GC, and they confirmed that on the Thursday immediately after I activated the card, $100 was spent at a particular store. They were only able to give me the store number, and couldn't give specifics about what was bought.
So, when I called head office, I told them what happened and asked whether they could give me the location of a particular store #. Sure enough, I had never been to that store. They took down all the information I had, because at least 4 or 5 cards had been compromised, and said they would investigate.
When they called back to tell me that I would be getting a courier package with the amounts fully restored on new SDM gift cards, they didn't give me any details of their investigation.
PM me if you have any other questions.
So sorry this has happened to you. Not sure if this might be the case but when I tried to use my GC at SDM a few weeks back they told me my balance was $0 and I informed them it was not. They had just switched to the new cash registers and no one knew how to see the amounts on the new system. After getting several ppl involved they had a manager check the amount on a different register and saw the amount remaining on my card. They then manually put that in.
Perhaps you could check another store and have them just check your balance without purchasing anything. If it still comes up as $0 I would call HO.
Good luck with everything and please keep us posted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by awongtse
I had the exact same thing happen to me.
I told them I have never been up to that store. He said the same thing about an investigation. I should have heard back from them this past week. I'll have to call again on Monday.
That's crazy! That's 3 of us (just on SC) in Toronto this has happened.
I won't be buying my GC even one day ahead of when I plan to use it.
Jilly - def call HO. They are very aware this is happening
I usually have several of these on the go and have not been great about keeping track of my balances.
Not after hearing this kind of story for the second time...!
Sorry Jill, hope it all gets worked out soon.:sweet:
Ah I purchased one yesterday. I'll be hanging on to my receipt for sure. I hope u get it sorted out soon.
The card not present scam is going on a lot thesedays ..the retailers don't want you to know about it . Usually when I buy a GC I buy the ones behind the counter & not the ones hanging on displays in the various store aisles . I also double check the security black opaque cover on the PIN to make sure that its not been compromised ...but SDM GC you can't use online so in your case its most likely a cashier fault or something :(Quote:
Originally Posted by jillyfree
http://www.fraudguides.com/consumer-gift-card.asp
Gift Card Fraud
Be careful when selecting gift cards for your friends and loved ones. Crooks have learned how to exploit this popular form of gift-giving through tampering, trickery and outright theft.
Even when the Holiday season is over, gift card sales are a year round business for many retailers. Because of this we want to bring gift card scams to your attention. These scams can drain the value right out of your card before you get to use it.
"Card Not Present" Scam
The first, and rarest (although it does occur) of these is called the Card Not Present or "CNP" scam. Swindlers record the numbers on cards offered for sale, then periodically check to see if the cards bearing those numbers have gone "live". By "live" we mean that the cards were sold, activated and had a monetary value added to them. When they find cards that have, they use them to make online "card not present" (aka "CNP") purchases. Using the gift card this way allows the scammer to drain them of their cash values before their intended recipients can use them.
This doesn't work on all gift cards, however, just the ones allowing "card not present" situations such as online transactions. While a scam artist can in many cases easily physically access gift card numbers by prying the card from its packaging and putting it back once the number is written down, it's not not easy to hide the fact that the cards' PIN number is now visible. Once the covering has been scratched away it can't be put back. Ironically, the packaging itself can conceal that the card has been tampered with.
If you then purchased one of these cards, the fact that it had been tampered with and its PIN number coating removed might go undetected until its recipient attempts to use it! Many people don't understand the importance of the PIN number anyway, so a scratched off PIN coating might not raise any alarm. We suggest that consumers only purchase cards stored in secure locations that make tampering difficult. We can't let that piece of advice go without letting you know that store clerks have also been known to engage in this scam. So purchasing gift cards stored under lock and key may reduce your chances of being ripped off but it won't guarantee protection from this scam.
Whether you choose a gift card from a store display or have a clerk hand it to you, always take the time to examine both side of the packaging before paying for it. Better yet, remove the packaging before you leave the store. If you can see the PIN number or detect signs of tampering, don't pay for the card or ask for another. Let the store's management know why. If the card can't be used for online or "card not present" purchases you don't have to worry as much because the thief would need the card in hand to use it.
Overstated Value Scams
Another, more common form of gift card fraud, is when a reseller overstates the values of the cards they're selling. Yet another involves thieves using stolen credit cards to load gift cards which they turn around and sell for cash.
Other ways gift cards have been abused by criminals:
- Employees at stores where gift cards are sold steal them from their displays, activate them with store scanners, then go on shopping sprees. Sometimes they use the stolen cards to purchase new cards to launder their stolen merchandise.
- Thieves pretending to be customers engage in sleight of hand by swapping blanks (previously stolen) for new cards activated by clerks during a sale, then change their minds and cancel their purchases. The clerks are clueless because they think they got the new cards back and the thief walks out of the store with the new card in their pocket.
- Stolen cards can end up on auction websites where the unsuspecting bid on them to get a good deal. The National Retail Federation advises consumers to only buy gift cards online from a reputable dealer and never through an online auction because what you bid on may well be a stolen or counterfeit gift card.
- Crooks will carefully slit open bar code-bearing gift card packaging to remove new, unsold cards and replace them with cards that have had their funds drained. When these "empty" cards are sold, the activation of the packaging's bard code loads the real card (in a thiefs possession) with the funds. Imagine the fun when the card's recipient attempts to use the card.
How to avoid gift card scams
- Only purchase gift cards from reputable sources. Better yet, get them directly from the store they're from.
- Don't assume that if a store has gift cards under lock and key it means they haven't been tampered with and their numbers accessed. Carefully examine both sides of the card and look for signs of tampering such as an exposed PIN. If you find anything questionable, ask for another card and check it out, too. Repeat as many times as necessary.
- Online gift card purchases should be made from the website of the retailer they are intended to be used at. Never buy them on auction sites even if it looks like a great deal. Remind yourself that these cards may be stolen or counterfeit.
- Keep your receipt as proof of purchase until the cards value has been exhausted. If you lose the card you may be able to show a casier at the retailer your receipt and have them issue you a new gift card. Not every retailer will do this but many will. It's worth asking.
- Have your cashier scan the card at the time of purchase to ensure that gift card you buy is valid and has the correct balance.
- Remember that no reputable business will require you to provide your social security number, bank account information or date of birth in order to purchase a gift card. Asking for this kind of personal data is unnecessary and has nothing to do with purchasing a gift card. You're not applying for credit.
- Register the gift card if that service is offered.
They know that they are unloaded ..but organized criminal gangs & scam artist are stealing them & writing the numbers down ..& then putting them back on the shelves ..waiting for the cards to go live ( i.e activated by someone else ) ..they periodically check if that's happened or not :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Chantel
I'd never heard of that before this thread, all I knew about was people who steal unloaded ones :/ that really worries me, can't be sure anything is safe anymore..Quote:
Originally Posted by tjthemanto
.
I know that sucks :( ..retailers know about this but they are keeping a lid on this as GC are huge cash cows for them ..if the customer's get scared & stop buying them that's a huge loss for them .Quote:
Originally Posted by Chantel
They would rather have a fraud here & there with a GC & reimburse the customer's on a case by case basis then actaully do something about this :rant:
The general idea is that if the customer complains we will fix it ..till then we will do nothing .
Imagine you buy a GC as a gift for someone else & they open it & find nothing on it ..they won't even bother telling you about it & you won't even know that something like that has happened ..the only time you really know is if you are buying the GC for yourself .
Imagine all the grandparents buying GC's for their grand kids who live somewhere else & the kids open these cards hoping to buy somwthing & they are empty :rant:
Bump
omg i never knew, but i did have a problem once went back to walmart and they adjusted the bill