The Gift Card Customers

[purplecat41877]

Yesterday, the checker in express got a customer who wanted to pay for a credit gift card with a credit card which is not allowed. I informed the customer of this and he said that policy was no where on the package which it wasn't. I showed him on a piece of paper that we had that proved that we couldn't accept credit cards for a credit gift card. He thought that that was our store policy. He did end up leaving. I found out a little later from my coworker at the service desk that the policy was the gift card policy and not the store policy.

A little before that, I got a customer who wanted to buy gift cards for a restaurant. She tried paying with a credit card and I informed her that she could only pay cash or debit. She decided to buy the gifts cards at the restaurant itself so I had to void the transaction. Since the cards couldn't be voided once activated which I found out when I called for the balance, I wrote the cards up, cut them in half, and put them in a special envelope. I found out from my service desk coworker that using a credit card would've been OK for the restaurant gift cards as long as the customer had ID. We just weren't allowed to accept credit cards for a credit gift card purchase.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I had one where I was the SC on. They told me the same thing that I couldn't use my Visa Credit Card to purchase a Visa Gift card (something they now allow BTW). I argued that while I understand the reason behind the ruling, that this was a Visa Check card meaning that the money came from the local bank just like a check did.

Would hear nothing of it so I put the card back on the shelf, paid for the rest of my purchases, hit the option for cash back on my ATM card and having gotten my $50 back, grabbed the card again and paid cash for the $50 gift card.

They couldn't say anything about but I got some damn dirty looks from them.

Sometimes you have to be the Sucky Customer to defeat the idiotic retail drone

[purplecat41877]

Doesn't your Visa Credit Card have a debit side? If so, the debit side could've been used to purchase the Visa Gift Card.

[Becks]

Just last night, I was able to use my debit card as credit for a gift card. I guess it varies from store to store.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I had a gentleman come through my line yesterday with a gift card (the customer specifies the amount and we scan them to put the amount on) and asked for $150.00 to be put on it.

He paid by check. Apparently the Kitty isn't particular, except when it comes to money orders (you have to pay by cash. No check or debit card.)

I guess everyone's different

[Banrion]

I think it is a store decision, but think about it this way. A credit card gives you 60 days to dispute a charge. So Mr. Scammerhead goes out the week before x-mas and buys giftcards for the whole family. Then he goes home and reports the card lost/stolen, or just flat out disputes the charges. Hey look! FREE MONEY! Especially if he is smart enough to know that under $100.00 most card companies won't waste their time researching and will just credit the funds.

Debit cards are different because your PIN has to be used.

[simplyanother]

I was recently told that we weren't allowed to accept checks for gift cards. Which does make sense, when you think about it. But I was NEVER ever told that before last week. You'd think that bit of information would be handy to tell the cashiers, when they start. Perhaps? I still think the FES made it up. heh.

Not taking a credit card for a gift card makes zero sense to me. But what does that matter. heh.

Now we're getting people buying gift cards who don't have a clue in hell how they work.

Customer comes up "Do you have those things called gift cards here?". Yeah, like 12 inches from your face. Then again, he was an older man, and actually very nice, if clueless. But still.

They look at them...perplexed. Seeing only the ones that are pre-determined amounts. "You got any 10 dollar gift cards?". Then you have to spend twenty minutes explaining how they work.

Or hands me a 50 dollar gift card "I want 35 on that". What part of the giant numbers is so difficult?

I know gift cards are really really nifty, but at this point I fail to understand exactly HOW they are better than cash. At least with cash, I get to spend my change anywhere I want.

And we don't do gift receipts. I'm sorry, we just don't. And why would you need a gift receipt for a gift card anyway? You can't return it, and it's not like they aren't going to know exactly how much you spent on it. Stupid head.

[AFpheonix]

Not taking a credit card for a gift card makes zero sense to me. But what does that matter. heh.

The main reason is that if your card is stolen, some jerk can't go and run up your credit card buying gift cards that he can later sell for cash on ebay or whatever.

[simplyanother]

I suppose that DOES make sense, but still.

I'm exhausted ya'll. Christmas Eve shoppers SUCK.