Beware! ****'s Sporting Goods gift cards

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FYI, likely applies to other gift cards as well.

Last year we gave $50 gift cards to each of the boys. This spring, one boy used his successfully for some items he wanted.

The other boy tried recently but was told he had a zero balance. After calling ****'s Sporting Goods gift card line, and following up with another number after that, we were told the card was used last February in Omaha, Nebraska.

Never mind the fact that at the time of the sale the card was in a dresser drawer, where it had lain since last Christmas.

Never mind that we had never BEEN to Omaha.

After numerous calls and emails, ****'s Sporting Goods representatives have been unwilling to investigate the fraud, only slavishly restating company policy that they do not replace gift cards that have been redeemed. If they can see it was used in Omaha, they can certainly see it was purchased in Ohio, and certainly should be able to see the items that were purchased, which they said they would not do.

You would think a major retailer would be interested in tracking down fraud; I guess ****'s Sporting Goods doesn't care, since they got their money from the transaction.

Not going to complain any more; I vote with my feet and unless there's no other option, my feet won't be going into that store again.

/rant, just watch out when using store gift cards as they din't have the same integrity and protection that a Visa or MC (for example) would have.
 
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They passed a law in Canada not too long ago that doesn't allow gift cards to expire any longer. There is some minor exceptions such as pre-paid mastercards or retailer rebated gift cards from a return but purchased gift cards here are good virtually forever. I think this should be law everywhere and it's just greed if they don't offer this.

That said I stumbled across an old US Harbor Freight gift card I forgot I had and it has to be over 5 years old and we checked the balance and it's still there. Just so you know that there are some retailers that care.
 
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You say it's fraud (for the record, I "believe" your version of events) but to them, the gift card was purchased and subsequently used. Put yourself in their shoes to understand why they aren't interested in pursuing it any farther. It's not even so much as greed on their part. They probably get stories endlessly, day after day, about a gift card being lost or stolen or the numbers (guessed) and used.
 
I'm not sure if it's a 'federal' law but I'm certain that many states, Ohio included, no longer allow gift cards to expire. Some retailers even changed their own policy regardless of what a state law said to no longer have the cards expire as a "customer friendly" change.

Otherwise, retailers LOVE gift cards because, at least years ago, the % of gift cards that ever got used was very low. That is FREE money for the retailer.
 
Thats why cash is king. Why would I give someone a card that can only be used at one place and could expire/lose value?

Not sure why people let corporations sell them that cash is "tacky" and gift cards are great.
 
Was it an online purchase where the purchaser can decide which store to ship from? It's possible someone took a cellphone photo of the number on the card and used it to make a purchase.

Point being is that you have no proof that it wasn't you or someone that you gave the card to.

Maybe have a chat with your kids.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
I'm not sure if it's a 'federal' law but I'm certain that many states, Ohio included, no longer allow gift cards to expire. Some retailers even changed their own policy regardless of what a state law said to no longer have the cards expire as a "customer friendly" change.

Otherwise, retailers LOVE gift cards because, at least years ago, the % of gift cards that ever got used was very low. That is FREE money for the retailer.



Right but they carry the card as a liability on their balance sheet until it is used. That's why companies began to sell cards which expired.
 
It's a scam. People somehow scan the number, probably with a credit card swiper. Same thing happen to a couple of Walmarts in town. Every store can be affected, best to use gift cards that the cashier's have and not ones that could easily be swiped.
 
Originally Posted by Jimzz
Thats why cash is king. Why would I give someone a card that can only be used at one place and could expire/lose value?

Not sure why people let corporations sell them that cash is "tacky" and gift cards are great.


Agreed- GC's are stupid. Cash is king and with cash I can spend it at any 40 trillion participating whatever's-lol
 
Originally Posted by JLTD
FYI, likely applies to other gift cards as well.

Last year we gave $50 gift cards to each of the boys. This spring, one boy used his successfully for some items he wanted.

The other boy tried recently but was told he had a zero balance. After calling ****'s Sporting Goods gift card line, and following up with another number after that, we were told the card was used last February in Omaha, Nebraska.

Never mind the fact that at the time of the sale the card was in a dresser drawer, where it had lain since last Christmas.

Never mind that we had never BEEN to Omaha.

After numerous calls and emails, ****'s Sporting Goods representatives have been unwilling to investigate the fraud, only slavishly restating company policy that they do not replace gift cards that have been redeemed. If they can see it was used in Omaha, they can certainly see it was purchased in Ohio, and certainly should be able to see the items that were purchased, which they said they would not do.

You would think a major retailer would be interested in tracking down fraud; I guess ****'s Sporting Goods doesn't care, since they got their money from the transaction.

Not going to complain any more; I vote with my feet and unless there's no other option, my feet won't be going into that store again.

/rant, just watch out when using store gift cards as they din't have the same integrity and protection that a Visa or MC (for example) would have.


Where'd you get the cards from?
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
I'm not sure if it's a 'federal' law but I'm certain that many states, Ohio included, no longer allow gift cards to expire. Some retailers even changed their own policy regardless of what a state law said to no longer have the cards expire as a "customer friendly" change.

Otherwise, retailers LOVE gift cards because, at least years ago, the % of gift cards that ever got used was very low. That is FREE money for the retailer.

https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/payment/gift-cards.html

Quote
Gift cards:
- Don't expire


There is some minor differences with Provinces having added stuff on top of this so they list links to all the provincial guidelines but it did come from the Federal Government. I remember it being debated in the house.
 
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Gift card fraud does indeed happen.

Some are getting the gift card # before someone buys it and then makes a purchase.... after gift card is legitimately purchased at retail stores.
 
Originally Posted by Jimzz
Not sure why people let corporations sell them that cash is "tacky" and gift cards are great.


My wife totally fell for that brainwashing. I argue with her all the time about it.
 
Many reasons for me not to got to ****'s anymore and this is one more to the list along with high prices and allowing politics into their business model. Why alienate a large portion of your customer base by using a big political issue to run your business. And they wonder why they are closing stores down and losing business.
 
Give cash if you don't want to shop for your gift receiver. The only reason that a gift card could possibly be better is if the cost of the gift card was discounted from what the gift receiver can purchase with said card. For example, if you could purchase a $100 gift card for say $75. Since retailers rarely do that, give cash.
 
Originally Posted by SeaJay
Give cash if you don't want to shop for your gift receiver. The only reason that a gift card could possibly be better is if the cost of the gift card was discounted from what the gift receiver can purchase with said card. For example, if you could purchase a $100 gift card for say $75. Since retailers rarely do that, give cash.

A gift card implies some thought - that you know where they like to shop, even if you don't know exactly what they'd like.
 
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