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AIBU?

...to query a zero balance on a gift card?!

65 replies

Nessalina · 19/09/2017 14:01

I got a £50 gift card from work when I left for maternity leave - I've just gone to spend it and there's no money on it! I feel super awkward asking the lass who sorted it out about it, but I don't see what else to do, other than chalk it up to a loss Confused
I didn't keep the receipt that was in the gift card, so if it's gone out of her account, then there's no tracing it I assume? She's lovely, so I'm worried that a) she'll be mortified, and b) even if it has come out, she'll just stump up the £50 herself and put herself out of pocket which wouldn't be right.

OP posts:
XJerseyGirlX · 19/09/2017 14:03

sometimes they have to be activated and show a zero balance until they are (ive actually come across this) . I would query it with colleague

x2boys · 19/09/2017 14:03

Some gift cards have a time limit on them could it be something like that?

SindyFishtail · 19/09/2017 14:05

Well I received a mothercare gift card CARD recently, you know the nice design card, with handwritten message congratulations Sindy etc - but no Gift card like the credit card thing in it!!! I ended up not saying it. If they lost it they'd feel terrible- if they found it in their handbag they'd realise and I'd hear from them... never heard!

Sorry... not helpful!!!

I'd say it to your friend... make sure she wasn't debited the 20 quid or whatever??

Nessalina · 19/09/2017 14:08

I only got it three weeks ago! If it was £20 I'd leave it, but £50 is a lot...

OP posts:
lollipop7 · 19/09/2017 14:09

Three weeks ago and based on a collection from work colleagues? I'd say something.

followthelight · 19/09/2017 14:13

Yeah, I'd say something too.

MollyHuaCha · 19/09/2017 14:23

Hang on! This happened to me recently. I'd received a £5 Tesco gift card for as a goodwill gift for something I'd complained about.

I don't normally shop in Tesco, but I decided to pay them a visit so I could use the card before I forgot about it.

When I was at the till, I gave the card to the cashier and asked her to use the amount towards total grocery bill (which was about £70). She said 'It says card balance is zero'. I asked her to to check again, and she said 'It's definitely zero, sorry'.

So I took the card back. When I got home, I looked at my receipt for the groceries and the £5 had actually been taken off.

I think the cashier had scanned the gift card and it immediately indicated that the new balance in the gift card was zero.

Could this offer an explanation in your case?

peachgreen · 19/09/2017 14:23

Yes, say something. People donated their money for you, it's not fair that the money has ended up elsewhere (even accidentally!) without them knowing!

BoffinMum · 19/09/2017 14:30

I'd ring Tesco HQ and see if they can trace anything.
I had a reverse problem in Boots once where a gift card was scanned and the money wasn't taken off it, although I took home the goods and it said I had paid. It's obviously an imperfect technology.

BoffinMum · 19/09/2017 14:30

I mean, Tesco HQ or wherever the card is from.

SandyDenny · 19/09/2017 14:35

I'd mention it too incase the money has got lost somewhere in the shop's system.

If it was from an office collection it was probably cash that was used to buy the card so it might be difficult to prove anything unless the person who bought it has kept the receipt

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 19/09/2017 14:35

I agree - the card wasn't validated when your colleague purchased it. The cashier has to actually do something or other with it at the point of sale to make it usable.

I had the same with a £50 Next gift card.

It's to stop people just waltzing in to a supermarket, picking up a fistful of cards from the end of aisle display, and walking out again with ££££s worth of usable vouchers.

BorisTrumpsHair · 19/09/2017 14:36

call the company - I think this is quite a common error.
I had similar with a Waterstones card & they rectified it.

Dunkling · 19/09/2017 14:36

I work in retail. Was it a set figure card ie, you can buy a £10, £20, £50 etc...... or was it a general gift card that any amount can be added to it? If the latter, once your colleague has paid the gift card has to go through the terminal system, the same as the payment system, to load the amount onto it. Could be possible the assistant in the shop made an error. If you know which shop and what date it may be possible to trace as their end of day takings will show the card payments £50 up.

Dunkling · 19/09/2017 14:37

oh, sorry, or if she paid cash, cash £50 up.

Nessalina · 19/09/2017 14:42

It was a set £50 card, the assistant said it was one of the ones sold in the supermarket, Asda or Morrisons.

It was only a partial payment I was making, so there should have been money left over!

OP posts:
Serialweightwatcher · 19/09/2017 14:46

You have to say something - if shop is at fault, maybe she also has receipt from when she bought it or proof through her bank .. definitely tell her

BlueButTrue · 19/09/2017 14:48

Thing is, if she bought the gift card in cash, that makes things very difficult indeed

Northend77 · 19/09/2017 14:50

Sounds like she might have paid for it via the self service machine, which means it won't have been activated at the time of purchase

Aeroflotgirl · 19/09/2017 14:59

I would say something too, the person issuing the gift card could have made a mistake so the money was not put on.

redemptionsongs · 19/09/2017 15:02

i would say something after I'd run the firm to check if you have to activate it to see balance. Otherwise, people will want to know what you've spent your gift money on, and you'll be caught in a farce of having to be thankful for a gift voucher you didn't get!

squeaver · 19/09/2017 15:06

She may still have her receipt even if you don't have yours. It does sound like she paid for it at the self service check-outs, maybe along with some other shopping.

Put yourself in her shoes - you'd want to know, wouldn't you?

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DillyDilly · 19/09/2017 15:11

Easy to say in hindsight but you should have kept the receipt that came with the card. Not sure anything can be done without the receipt.

Nessalina · 19/09/2017 15:13

Ok, I've text her, and she's messaged back just saying 'oh that's rubbish, I think I put the receipt in the gift bag'. I'm pretty sure she did, but I will have binned it.
I've rung the customer services and they've said that its never been activated, so she must have either used the self scan or the cashier has forgotten to do it!
I've rung the local supermarket that was most likely for the purchase and a very nice chap did a check of all the £50 cards sold last month, but none matched mine, so I've bitten the bullet and texted her again to ask when and where she got it so that I can chase it up...

OP posts:
redemptionsongs · 19/09/2017 15:14

well at the least, you won't have to pretend to have a gift you didn't get! It's a shame though...

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