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.
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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