Gift Cards that have been used?

[Katrina]

Have you ever purchased a gift card from a store (for yourself or as a gift) only to find out that someone already used it? Sometimes they peel back the code, sometimes they just guess and use it online.

I am worried about the Steam gift card I bought for my nephew because when I look at the reviews, a lot of people have issues with those cards.

 

[Nebulous]

Gift cards have no money on them until the cashier scans it and takes your payment. They have to be activated at the register.

 

[Katrina]

Gift cards have no money on them until the cashier scans it and takes your payment. They have to be activated at the register.

Yes, that is true, but what people do is gather information from the cards and then wait and keep testing to see if the card has been activated. Then they use it before the card holder does.

 

[Nebulous]

Yes, that is true, but what people do is gather information from the cards and then wait and keep testing to see if the card has been activated. Then they use it before the card holder does.

Oh, that’s pretty sneaky. I suppose then you should look at the back to make sure the numbers aren’t exposed (the peel /scratch off part isn’t missing). A lot of gift cards come inside of a cardboard sleeve so I’d imagine they can’t get the info on the back of those.

Another safe way to buy gift cards is through Amazon, nobody from the general public have access to those gift cards. If you’re worried about porch pirates then you can have your shipment sent to an Amazon locker (if those are in your area). They have those all over the place where I live. I used them a lot before I moved to a better neighborhood.

 

[Cam]

Yes, that is true, but what people do is gather information from the cards and then wait and keep testing to see if the card has been activated. Then they use it before the card holder does.

This scam is very common in retail. We have to go through and check all of our gift cards and make sure they haven’t been tampered with. People will remove the peel/scratch off part, get the card number, and then put a fake cover back over the numbers. If it’s done well, you really can’t tell the difference.

 

[Shortie_]

This used to be a big problem years ago when the codes used to be activated even before they were scanned. I would often get codes that would have already been used and I would have to take the code back and prove that I didn't use it. Luckily now they do not activate unless scanned so this issue is a lot less now than it used to be.

 

[Nebulous]

Speaking of gift cards, my daughter got one and we scratched too hard and couldn't read the code now she doesn't know what to do.