[merged threads] December 1st MEGA Redemption Event

[torontogal12]

to everyone considering buying thousands worth of cards....remember that gift cards can be defrauded and it will take a long time to get back your money if that happens.

[osita]

thank you for the inf. and what about for the gc promotion

[t's_mama]

is the total $ redemption before tax or including tax?

[PammieD]

is the total $ redemption before tax or including tax?

Before (so $250 sub total etc). Then you have to pay the tax on the transaction's sub-total (based on what would normally be taxable etc).

In Ontario, with 13% HST (assuming everything's taxable at the full rate), you'd end up paying $32.50 in tax on a $250 sub total.

[Miabee]

Last year I did some Christmas gifts... make-up, perfume set, electronics. It was great! I also got some really nice sunglasses for myself. I love the beauty department for redemption... some SDMs have a really nice selection of purses, watches, jewelry. This year I will probably get similar things (I'm hoping one or two new purses for myself too!) and get some staples as well.

[nephora]

also if u sign up for a bank card u get 85$ free

[littlebean]

^has anyone signed up for this? I can't do direct deposit from this bank acct.because my work just gives out cheques, and I think it metnioned that in the fine print. Do you think I can just do 2 bill payments/2 purchases from this acct, and then i receive the points? Just want to make sure. Does anyone know for sure? thanks. sorry to divert from the main thread subject for a sec.

[Insane]

^has anyone signed up for this? I can't do direct deposit from this bank acct.because my work just gives out cheques, and I think it metnioned that in the fine print. Do you think I can just do 2 bill payments/2 purchases from this acct, and then i receive the points? Just want to make sure. Does anyone know for sure? thanks. sorry to divert from the main thread subject for a sec.

Do you get any gov stuff direct depost? GST? Income tax? ect....

[firstimer1969]

here is one of my mega redemption from last year (my first ever actually). I purchased all food which was all on sale.

[t's_mama]

do you earn points when you redeem - ie... I plan on redeeming my 50,000 points for $125 worth of stuff. do I earn points on the $125 purchase?

[ancarett]

do you earn points when you redeem - ie... I plan on redeeming my 50,000 points for $125 worth of stuff. do I earn points on the $125 purchase?

Sadly, no.

[Chimmi]

Just a quick note re the GC promo - some stores do NOT let you purchase GC's with credit cards (especially around the holidays). They say it is because of fraud and that you have to pay cash or debit. A bunch of people ran into this where I live (Toronto). The Eaton Centre was one of the stores. So if they have this again, it is best to double check with the store first

In Ontario SDM sells LCBO cards too - so you can at least get some points for your future alcohol purchases.

[littlebean]

I just want to understand this correctly. You mean credit card fraud, or gift card fraud...or both?! Or you mean purchasing gift cards with a stolen cc? How does gift card fraud happen anyway?? can it happen regardless of how a person pays for the gc?

[torontogal12]

Are you referring to my comment or Chimmi's?

My mom had a $350 gc to a store and when she tried to use it this month the balance was zero and she nearly had a heart attack.

The company tried to figure out what happened and someone in Vancouver had used it. We live in Toronto and have never been to Vancouver. My mom's card even had a pin number that needs to be scratched off and used at the cash register in order to be valid. It was still unscratched!

We looked it up and gift cards can be cloned. Try to get GCs that are kept behind the cash registers. People can steal blank ones, clone them at home. Then put them back on the shelf. They keep checking the balance until the card with the number they cloned becomes active. Then they go on a shopping spree and your legit card with the same number is also zero. When pin numbers are 4 digits, they can write a simple computer program to crack the pin code. After all, there's only 9999 possible combinations.

Mom did end up getting her money back in the end but it was a hassle and the company took a week to figure out whether she was telling the truth. And poor mom was worried for the whole week that she had lost SO much money because they had originally told her they would only give her back a portion. They ended up giving it all back and were really good about it.

I think what Chimmi is referring to is that the stores don't want GCs purchased with credit cards because those credit cards can be stolen. Since GCs are pretty much untraceable, the store would be out the GC money (which would have likely been long spent. Probably on the same day of purchase with the stolen credit card).

I just want to understand this correctly. You mean credit card fraud, or gift card fraud...or both?! Or you mean purchasing gift cards with a stolen cc? How does gift card fraud happen anyway?? can it happen regardless of how a person pays for the gc?

[PammieD]

Good explanation of it Torontogal

Littlebean, this is one of the reasons you'll notice a lot of companies have the gift cards in the cardboard envelope/encasement type things. The best idea is as torontogal said, to try and get cards from behind the counter. I've also taken to transferring balances almost immediately to a few cards that I've had for a while and keep in rotation. Chapters etc get deposited to my online account as soon as I buy or receive them (and if I want to go buy something in the store, I just transfer the balance back from my online account to the card). Timmies, Starbucks etc - I transfer all of the balances to the cards I have had in my wallet for a long time (that I figure are less likely to have been duplicated with the increasing trend of gift card fraud). None of these 'strategies' are really guaranteed, but they do give me a little piece of mind!

Are you referring to my comment or Chimmi's?

My mom had a $350 gc to a store and when she tried to use it this month the balance was zero and she nearly had a heart attack.

The company tried to figure out what happened and someone in Vancouver had used it. We live in Toronto and have never been to Vancouver. My mom's card even had a pin number that needs to be scratched off and used at the cash register in order to be valid. It was still unscratched!

We looked it up and gift cards can be cloned. Try to get GCs that are kept behind the cash registers. People can steal blank ones, clone them at home. Then put them back on the shelf. They keep checking the balance until the card with the number they cloned becomes active. Then they go on a shopping spree and your legit card with the same number is also zero. When pin numbers are 4 digits, they can write a simple computer program to crack the pin code. After all, there's only 9999 possible combinations.

Mom did end up getting her money back in the end but it was a hassle and the company took a week to figure out whether she was telling the truth. And poor mom was worried for the whole week that she had lost SO much money because they had originally told her they would only give her back a portion. They ended up giving it all back and were really good about it.

I think what Chimmi is referring to is that the stores don't want GCs purchased with credit cards because those credit cards can be stolen. Since GCs are pretty much untraceable, the store would be out the GC money (which would have likely been long spent. Probably on the same day of purchase with the stolen credit card).